Visitor questions and answers - page 2

Page 2 of 4 in our reader-submitted Q&A series. See page 1, page 3 and page 4 for the rest. Many of the questions and answers were originally posted years ago — verify current rules and prices before relying on time-sensitive detail.

1. Tight Mumbai → Delhi connection on arrival

I land in Mumbai at 7:50 pm on Friday and need to catch a tour leaving Delhi on Sunday morning. Should I book a 10:30 pm domestic flight to Delhi the same night, or wait until next morning?

The 10:30 pm connection is risky.

• Immigration, baggage claim and customs at Mumbai International (Terminal 2) typically take 60–90 minutes end to end. With a 7:50 pm arrival you'd land in the security queue for the domestic flight at around 9:00–9:30 pm — workable but tight.
• Domestic check-in at Mumbai's Terminal 1 closes about 60 minutes before departure for IndiGo / Air India / SpiceJet etc.
• Inter-terminal transfer between T2 (international) and T1 (domestic) at Mumbai is about 30 minutes by the airport's free shuttle bus or by pre-paid taxi (around ₹150–₹200).
• A no-show fare is forfeit at almost all Indian domestic airlines.

Safer plan: stay overnight at one of the airport hotels (Hyatt Andheri, ITC Maratha, Holiday Inn Mumbai International, or budget options near Sahar) and fly to Delhi on Saturday morning — gives you a full day in Delhi before the Sunday tour starts. Unless you're disciplined about time, this is the right call after a long-haul flight.

If you're determined to make the connection, call your domestic carrier in advance with your international flight number — a few will hold your seat if your inbound is delayed and you reach the gate before pushback.

2. What's worth seeing in Srinagar?

What are the main tourist attractions in Srinagar?

Srinagar's appeal is the lakes and the gardens.

• Dal Lake — the iconic 18 sq km lake at the heart of Srinagar, with houseboats lined along the western shore and shikara (small wooden) boats taking visitors across to floating gardens, the Char Chinar island and the lakeside Mughal gardens.
• Nagin Lake — quieter than Dal, also has houseboats; locals come here for swimming and water-skiing.
• Mughal gardens — Shalimar Bagh (Emperor Jahangir, 1619), Nishat Bagh (Asaf Khan, 1633), Pari Mahal, Chashme Shahi.
• Shankaracharya Temple — 11th-century Shiva temple on a hilltop above the city.
• Hazratbal Shrine — the most revered Muslim shrine in Kashmir, on the western shore of Dal Lake.
• Jamia Masjid Srinagar — 14th-century mosque with 378 wooden pillars in the old city.
• Tulip Garden at Siraj Bagh — open in April when the tulips bloom.

Important: check the latest travel advisory from your country and the Indian travel advisories page before booking. Security conditions in Kashmir change; curfews and hartals can disrupt itineraries. See our Srinagar travel guide for more detail on safety, when to go and how to book a houseboat properly.

3. Booking with an India tour operator — is the payment terms normal?

I've booked a tour package with an India-based tour company. Is the payment arrangement normal? And can I have my purchases shipped back to Australia?

Verify the operator first. Reliable Indian tour operators are:

• Members of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) — searchable list at https://www.iato.in/.
• Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India — listed on incredibleindia.org.

Either of these is a baseline; both is better. See our How to choose a tour operator in India page for the questions to ask before paying.

Normal payment terms are typically:

• A small deposit (10–25%) on booking to confirm hotels and transport.
• The balance 30–60 days before the tour starts.
• Full refund if cancelled by the operator; sliding-scale refund if cancelled by you.

A demand for 100% upfront for a tour many months away is unusual; ask about refund terms.

Shipping purchases back to Australia is straightforward — reputable Indian shops can arrange international shipping by FedEx, DHL or India Post Speed Post (EMS). Get the shop's GSTIN, the courier waybill number and a printed invoice; you'll need the invoice for Australian customs on the receiving end.

4. Visa requirement for Dubai stopover (South African passport)

I'm a South African citizen — do I need a visa to stop in Dubai on my way to/from India?

Visa rules for the UAE change periodically. South African passport holders do not have visa-on-arrival access to the UAE for most travel categories; a tourist visa must be applied for in advance, usually sponsored by an airline (Emirates, Etihad, flydubai), a UAE-licensed travel agent, a hotel in the UAE, or a friend / relative resident in the UAE.

Check the current rule at the UAE Embassy in Pretoria website or via your airline's visa-services portal before booking. Most airlines selling South Africa → Dubai → India tickets have a visa-application service built into their booking flow.

Tourist visas are typically valid for 30 days from the date of issue or arrival; transit visas (48-hour or 96-hour) are sometimes available if you only have a stopover.

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• Visitor questions, page 1
• Visitor questions, page 3
• Visitor questions, page 4