India

India is a vastly diverse country geographically, encompassing white-sand Arabian Sea beach towns, tiger-filled forests, and the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. The country’s architecture is as varied as its climate, thanks to a legacy of thousands of years of different historical influences. Here you’ll find ancient rock-cut temples, sublime Mughal buildings like the Taj Mahal, and stately colonial-era structures built in the Indo-Saracenic style.

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Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to India.

Related guides
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READ BEFORE YOU GO
HOTELS
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One of Rajasthan’s most celebrated hotels is grand in both scale and design—and surprisingly family friendly.
The first Raffles hotel in India sits on its own private island on Udaipur’s Udai Sagar Lake.
RESOURCES TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRIP
In her new book, “Patterns of India,” photographer Christine Chitnis investigates how colors are woven into almost every aspect of daily life and culture throughout the country’s northwestern region.
Italy or India, Bangladesh or Burundi: Where will your reading take you this year? If your booklist needs some international flair, consider these recent stories by writers around the world.
For the first time ever, the royal family of Jaipur will open up a suite for overnight stays in its famed pink palace to raise money for charity.
AFAR staffers share the stories that spark their wanderlust, from a memoir set in Rome to an epic novel based in Japan.
As travelers, we roam this planet in search of its most beautiful corners. But most of us don’t know about the people who are working tirelessly to ensure those places don’t vanish.
Oberoi Hotels and Resorts offers luxury and authenticity—and inspiring India travel itineraries that give back.
It may look like many of the other leather slides that seem to be everywhere these days, but the woven-leather bantu is actually deeply tied to a particular place in India—and is finally finding its place among some of the country’s more popular styles.
Even the most intrepid and independent travelers benefit from a guide now and then.
Plenty of people resolve to read more every year. And what better reading challenge than to enjoy books by female writers from countries across the globe? Here are some selections to get you started.
Couples in India are selling travelers tickets to their nuptials, giving foreigners a chance to experience the lively cultural ceremonies.