Backpacking Through India: Tips for Foreign Tourists & Non-Residents

India is one of the world's great backpacking countries — cheap, varied, well-connected by rail, and full of travellers comparing notes in hostel courtyards from Rishikesh to Hampi. It is also bewildering on arrival: the rules are different, the scale is enormous, and almost everything works on systems you have to learn locally rather than read about in advance. This guide is the long, practical version of advice that experienced travellers and Indian friends usually deliver in pieces.

It is aimed at two overlapping audiences: foreign tourists doing their first long India trip, and non-resident Indians (NRIs) returning for an extended visit after years abroad. Where the advice diverges by audience, that is called out.

Before you fly

Visa. Most foreign nationals can apply for an e-Visa online at the official Indian government portal — indianvisaonline.gov.in. Tourist e-Visas are commonly issued for 30 days, 1 year, or 5 years (multiple entry). NRIs holding an OCI card do not need a visa; carry the OCI card with the passport it was issued under, plus your current passport, even if the passport number has changed.

Photocopies and digital backups. Photocopy the photo page of your passport and the Indian visa page. Keep one copy in your bag, leave one at home, and store a clear photo of both on your phone and in cloud storage. Hotels at check-in will copy them; carrying your own copy speeds things up.

Vaccinations. Standard: tetanus and Hepatitis A as a minimum; Hep B, Typhoid and Japanese Encephalitis are commonly added. Yellow fever certificate is required only if you are arriving from a yellow-fever country. Consult a travel clinic at home 6–8 weeks before flying.

Travel insurance. Non-negotiable for a long trip. Make sure it covers motorbike riding if you plan to rent one in Goa, Pondicherry or the Himalayas — most stock policies exclude it.

A small medical kit. Oral rehydration salts (ORS), loperamide, paracetamol, a broad-spectrum antibiotic if your doctor will prescribe one for traveller's diarrhoea, antihistamine, blister plasters, and any prescription medication in its original box with the prescription. Indian pharmacies are cheap and well-stocked, but having the basics on the first night saves a midnight search.

Money

Cash and cards. India is increasingly cashless in cities — UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has overtaken cards in many shops — but UPI generally requires an Indian bank account, so most foreigners default to cash plus a card with low foreign-transaction fees.

• ATMs are common in cities and most large towns. Use bank-branded ATMs (HDFC, ICICI, SBI, Axis) rather than standalone cash kiosks. Most ATMs cap a single withdrawal at ₹10,000–₹20,000.
• Cards are widely accepted in mid-range and upmarket places; small shops, dhabas and most street food are cash only.
• Carry small notes. ₹500 and ₹2,000 notes are awkward for autos and chai. Break larger notes at a busy shop or supermarket when you can.

NRIs: if you have an NRE/NRO account, a domestic ATM card and a UPI app linked to it (PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm) will save you a lot of friction. Keep the OTP-receiving Indian SIM in the same phone.

Foreign exchange. Airport counters give the worst rates. Use authorised money changers in town (not unlicensed ones) or simply withdraw from ATMs.

Mobile and internet

A local SIM is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade for an India trip. Without one, you cannot use Ola/Uber, IRCTC, food delivery, or many hotel bookings; with one, you have cheap data essentially everywhere.

• Where to get one: the easiest place is the airport on arrival — both Airtel and Jio have prepaid counters in the international arrivals area at major airports. Buying a SIM in town as a foreigner can be unexpectedly painful (shops are often unwilling to do the paperwork), so the airport convenience is worth the small premium.
• Documents needed: passport, visa, a passport-sized photo, and your Indian address (a hotel works).
• Activation: can take a few hours to 24 hours. The SIM works once you receive a verification call.
• Plans: prepaid recharges with 1.5–2 GB/day for 28 days are extremely cheap. Top up via the operator's app once you have an account.

NRIs should reactivate their old number if it has lapsed — it is faster with KYC documents already on file at most operators.

Trains

Indian Railways is the spine of backpacker travel. It is also the source of more first-trip confusion than anything else.

Classes, in descending price:

• 1A (First AC) — private cabins, lockable, expensive.
• 2A (Second AC) — open bays of four berths plus two side berths, curtained, with bedding. The standard backpacker comfort choice for overnights.
• 3A (Third AC) — same layout but six berths per bay, no curtains. Great value.
• CC / EC — chair-car AC for daytime trains.
• Sleeper (SL) — non-AC sleeper, fan only, windows that open. Cheap, social, fine in winter, brutal in summer.
• General / Unreserved — bench seating, no reservation, packed. Avoid for long trips.

Booking. Use IRCTC (irctc.co.in) or the IRCTC Rail Connect app. Foreigners need to register with passport details; the registration process used to require an SMS to an Indian number, which is one of the reasons getting a SIM early matters.

• Reservations open 60 days before departure. Popular routes fill up — book early.
• Tatkal is a same-day-before quota, opened at 10:00 AM (AC) / 11:00 AM (non-AC) the day before travel; it is competitive but useful.
• Foreign tourist quota exists on many trains (paid in foreign currency or in rupees with proof of currency exchange) — book in person at major-station foreign tourist offices (Delhi, Mumbai CSMT, Kolkata, Bengaluru).

On board:

• Take a printout or screenshot of your ticket plus passport ID.
• Carry a chain and small lock for your backpack — most berths have a chain hook beneath the lower berth.
• Lower berths are easier with luggage; upper berths are quieter.
• Pantry car food is cheap and uneven; ordering via IRCTC eCatering (Zomato/Swiggy at scheduled stations) is reliable.

Buses

Where trains do not reach, state-run and private buses do. State transport buses are basic but cheap and run almost everywhere; private operators (Volvo AC, sleeper coaches) connect bigger cities. Book via redBus or operator apps.

Sleeper buses have either flat berths (preferable) or recliners. For long mountain routes (Manali-Leh, Manali-Spiti) read recent reviews — driver quality varies widely and the roads are unforgiving.

Local transport in cities

• Ola / Uber in big cities — straightforward, metered, no haggling.
• Auto-rickshaws — agree on the meter where it exists (Mumbai, parts of Bengaluru, Chennai); negotiate a fare in cities where it does not (Delhi often, most of Rajasthan, smaller towns).
• Metro systems (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Chennai, Lucknow, Nagpur, Ahmedabad) are cheap, fast and air-conditioned. Use them whenever you can.
• Cycle rickshaws in old cities (Old Delhi, Varanasi) — short distances only, agree the price.

Where to stay on a backpacker budget

The Indian budget-stay market has matured. The main options:

• Hostels — chains like Zostel, Gostops, The Hosteller and Madpackers have spread to almost every traveller town, with dorm beds and private rooms, working Wi-Fi, common kitchens and rooftop hangouts. Easy social entry point.
• Guesthouses and homestays — better in smaller towns and the Himalayas. Look on Booking.com, Agoda, MakeMyTrip for India-specific stock.
• Heritage stays — old havelis in Rajasthan, plantation bungalows in Coorg, Goan-Portuguese houses — surprisingly affordable mid-range and a much better cultural experience than chain hotels.
• Pilgrim accommodation at temples and dharamshalas exists and is very cheap, but understand the rules before you book — many do not accept foreign nationals.

Inspect the room before paying wherever you can — it is normal and expected, especially at smaller guesthouses.

Food and water

The biggest single cause of backpackers cutting their trip short is a stomach bug. Almost all of them are preventable.

• Water: drink only sealed bottled water, or carry a filter bottle (LifeStraw, Grayl) — far better for the environment and cheaper over a long trip. Avoid ice in basic places. Brush your teeth with bottled or filtered water for the first two weeks until your stomach adjusts.
• Food: eat at busy places. Turnover is the best safety check there is. Vegetarian Indian food is, on average, the safer bet — it is what most of the country eats and what kitchens are best at. Cooked-hot is safer than salads; freshly fried is safer than sitting on a counter.
• Street food is fantastic and worth the risk if you start gradually — try the most popular stall at a busy market in daylight, not the deserted one at midnight.
• Dairy is generally safe in cities (paneer, lassi, curd) from busy outlets; be more cautious in remote areas in summer.

If you do get sick: rest, ORS, eat plainly (rice, curd, bananas, toast). If symptoms persist beyond 48 hours or include fever, see a doctor — there are good clinics and hospitals in any city. Pharmacies are cheap and most common medications are sold over the counter.

Safety and scams

India is, by world standards, a relatively safe country to travel. The bigger problems are persistent low-grade scams aimed at first-time visitors. The classics:

• "Your hotel is closed / has burned down / is fully booked" — said by taxi drivers and touts at airports and stations to redirect you to a place that pays them commission. Ignore. Go to your hotel.
• The "tourist office" in Delhi's Paharganj that is not the actual government tourist office. The real one is India Tourism Delhi, 88 Janpath.
• Train ticket "problems" at New Delhi station's first floor — touts will tell you the IRCTC office is closed/moved. It is not. Walk past them and go upstairs.
• Gem and carpet "export schemes" in Jaipur and Agra — variations on "carry this for me, you keep the difference". Walk away.
• Prepaid taxi scams at airports — use the official prepaid taxi counter inside the terminal, get a paper slip, hand it to the driver only on arrival at your destination.

For airports, the official prepaid taxi, app-based ride (Ola/Uber) and airport metro options are all reliable. Avoid the "uncle's taxi" outside the terminal.

Solo female travellers: India is not a no-go for solo women, but it requires more attention than most countries. Pick conservative dress (covered shoulders and knees outside beach areas), avoid empty late-night travel, prefer reserved-class trains over sleeper or general, and trust your gut on accommodation. Hostels with female-only dorms are widely available now.

Cultural etiquette

Small things go a long way.

• Shoes off before entering temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and most homes. Leave them outside or check them at the temple shoe-stand for a few rupees.
• Dress modestly at religious sites — covered shoulders, knees and (in many gurdwaras and mosques) heads. Carry a scarf.
• The right hand is for eating, handing over money, and giving and receiving objects. Keep the left out of it where possible.
• Photography: ask before photographing people, especially women, sadhus and tribal communities. Inside temples, cameras are often banned — check signs.
• Public displays of affection are awkward in most of India outside major-city cafés and beach resorts. Keep it low-key.
• "Yes" and head-wobble — the side-to-side bobble is a friendly affirmative, not a no. You will start doing it within a week.

Bargaining

Bargaining is expected at markets, with auto-rickshaws (where there is no meter), with porters and guides who quote "tourist" rates, and at craft and souvenir stalls. It is not done in shops with marked prices, in restaurants, supermarkets, government emporia, branded stores, or for fixed-rate sweets and chikki.

The general rule: ask the price, counter at roughly half, settle around two-thirds. Stay polite — it is a social transaction, not a confrontation. Walk away if you are not happy; the seller will often call you back.

Apps to install before you arrive

A short essentials list:

• IRCTC Rail Connect — train booking.
• redBus — bus booking.
• Ola and Uber — taxis and autos.
• Google Maps — and download offline maps for each region as you enter it.
• MakeMyTrip or Goibibo — domestic flights and hotels.
• Zomato and Swiggy — food delivery and restaurant ratings.
• WhatsApp — universal contact app; almost every guesthouse, driver and operator uses it.
• A weather/AQI app (e.g., AQI India, IQAir) — winter air quality in north India is genuinely a planning factor.

Restricted areas and permits

Several regions require permits, even with a valid Indian visa. Plan for them in advance:

• Inner Line Permit / Protected Area Permit for parts of the Northeast (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, parts of Sikkim). Foreign nationals need PAPs; some states require travel in groups.
• Lakshadweep — entry permit required for all non-residents.
• Andaman & Nicobar — restricted-area permit issued on arrival to most foreign nationals; some islands remain off-limits.
• Ladakh — Inner Line Permits for several routes (Pangong, Tso Moriri, Nubra, beyond Khardung La) — easily obtained online.

Notes specifically for NRIs

• OCI rules: carry the original card and the passport it was issued under. If the passport has changed, carry both old (cancelled) and new — or get the OCI re-issued before travel if you have time.
• Baggage: Indian customs allows generous personal baggage; the catches are gold, alcohol over the duty-free limit, and high-value electronics. Declare anything borderline.
• Family expectations. A long backpacking trip while extended family is in town can create friction. Be honest in advance about what time you can spend with family vs. on the road. It saves arguments later.
• Pace. NRIs returning after a long gap often plan ambitious itineraries based on a remembered, smaller and simpler India. Cities have grown, traffic has tripled, and a "quick" cross-state trip is rarely quick. Build in slack.

A sample three-week first trip

If you want a starting frame to adapt:

• Days 1–4: Delhi — Old Delhi, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun's Tomb, Lodi Gardens. Day trip to Agra by Vande Bharat or Gatimaan Express.
• Days 5–8: Rajasthan — Jaipur (City Palace, Amber, Bapu Bazaar) and Bundi or Pushkar.
• Days 9–11: Train south to Mumbai — Colaba, the Gateway, an overnight at a heritage hotel, day-trip Elephanta or Matheran.
• Days 12–15: Goa or Hampi — beach decompression or boulder-and-ruins.
• Days 16–19: Kerala backwaters from Alleppey, then Fort Kochi.
• Days 20–21: Fly back via Bengaluru or direct international from Kochi.

That covers wildly different geographies and is realistic with rest days. Resist the urge to add more — every traveller comes back having dropped something.

One last thing

The single most useful piece of advice for India is slow down. Plans will change — trains get late, weather pivots, a town turns out to be more interesting than you expected. Build itineraries with margin, take rest days in hill stations and beach towns, and treat the trip as something to live in rather than tick off. India rewards travellers who stay long enough to be slightly bored, because that is when the country starts opening up properly.