India is a very diverse country as well as one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a multicolored cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 70 years of its Independence. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. More than half of Indian boundary is home to beautiful beaches.

India is a pictorial kaleidoscope of landscapes, opulent historical and royal cities, golden beaches, misty mountain retreats, colorful people, rich cultures and festivities. A trip to India is exceptional for the tourists, as this wonderland has always offered something new.

Tourism in India

Indian tourism is a rapidly growing industry due to several ancient places to visit, unique monuments and many religious places related to Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, and Buddhism religions.
This has become the industry attracting millions of International and Indian visitors. Cultural heritage sites, wildlife sanctuaries, areas surrounded by Indian Ocean, Himalayas, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are the top tourist destinations in India. Indian Tourism Campaign tagline is “Atithi Devo Bhava” which means honoring the guest as God.
India travel industry adopting Safai(Cleanliness), Surakshaa(Security), Sahyog(Cooperation), Suchna(Information), Sanrachna(Infrastructure), Swagat(Welcome), and Suvidha(Facilitation).

Best places to visit in India

1. Kashmir

The State of Jammu & Kashmir has main three geographical regions known as “The Lesser Himalayas” or the “Jhelum Valley” (Kashmir), “The Inner Himalayas” or “The Indus Valley” (Ladakh & Frontier areas) also called “Trans-Himalayas”, and “The Outer-Himalayas” or “The Southern mountain range” (Jammu). The area of Jammu & Kashmir is 2, 22,236 square kilometers.

Kashmir is just like a Himalayan Paradise on the earth. Some of the famous places to visit in Kashmir are Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Yousmarg. Srinagar is the capital and heart of Kashmir. There are various gardens and lakes in Kashmir. Wular and Dal lake are the famous lakes in Kashmir. When it floods in spring ans summer, the Wular lake reaches 260 square km in size making it one of the largest lakes in India. In winter, it decreases considerably in size. The Dal lake is the smaller lake and covers 38 square km. Srinagar is situated around the Dal lake. These all makes it one of the most attractive tourist places in India.

2. Rohtang Pass

If you are fond of cooler temperatures, Snows and mountains, Rohtang Pass has to be on your list! There are multiple reasons for it.

First and foremost, Rohtang Pass is one of the very few places in India where you will find snow throughout the year – if you love skiing, you cannot miss this place, all these adventurous trips to this area make it one of the most exciting tourist places in India.

However, do check your calendars properly as this place is closed in the winter months for nearly six months. The season starts from April-May and runs until October, after which this place gets lots of snow and the place is closed. Afterall, this is 13,000 feet above sea level!

3. Leh / Ladakh

The Ladakh capital city of Leh lies near the eastern parts of Jammu and Kashmir, on the crossroads of the historic “Silk Route” from Sinkiang to West Asia and to the plains of India. The humbling monasteries of Shey, Hemis, Alchi, Thikse and Lamayuru will nurture your spiritual needs, and the landscape of Leh provides for a number of adventure activities including mountaineering, white-water rafting and trekking along the Markha Valley makes it one of the most adventurous tourist places in India.

4. Amritsar

Amritsar, city, northern Punjab state, northwestern India. It lies about 15 miles (25 km) east of the border with Pakistan. Amritsar is the largest and most important city in Punjab and is a major commercial, cultural, and transportation centre. It is also the centre of Sikhism and the site of the Sikhs’ principal place of worship—the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple makes it one of the most pious tourist places in India.

5. Delhi

Delhi, Capital of India has many attractions like mosques, forts and other monuments that represent India’s history. The important places in Old Delhi include the majestic Red Fort. New Delhi on the other hand houses many government buildings and embassies, apart from places of historical interest. Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb have been declared World Heritage Sites. Other places of attractions are Lotus temple, Akshardham temple, National Arts Gallery, Tughlaqabad fort, Purana qila, Safdarjang tomb, Agrasen ki baoli, Garden of five senses, Nizammudin dargah, Lodhi garden, Dilli haat, India gate and many more makes it one of the most crowded tourist places in India.

6. Agra

Agra’s Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahan’s favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra.

This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewelers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens. Other attractions of the city are Agra Fort, Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, Mehtab Bagh, Jama Masjid, Guru ka Tal, Tomb of Akbar the Great, Chini Ka Rauza, Moti Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri, Dilli Gate, Great gate (Darwaza i rauza), Amar Singh Gate, Kaanch Mahal, and Sikandra. All these monuments you can see in Agra which is nearby Delhi and makes it one of the best holiday destinations in India for the people living in Delhi-NCR area.

7. Jaipur

Jaipur is also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Jaipur is a very famous tourist places in India as well as education destination.

Lots of people flock to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments in Jaipur which reflect its glorious past. Tourism is a significant part of Jaipur’s economy. Other attractions of Jaipur are Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Jal Mahal, Rambagh Palace, Chandra Mahal, The City Palace, Diwan-e-Aam, City Palace Central Museum etc. It’s a complete two day weekend tour for the people living in Delhi-NCR and makes it holiday destinations in India.

8. Goa

Goa is Famous for its pristine beaches, astounding monuments and churches and bustling Goa nightlife. Goa is one of the most visited tourist places in India, especially on weekends, as it is not very far from Mumbai and having Panaji as its capital and Vasco da Gama as the largest city. 90% of all the tourism in Goa happens only for its beautiful beaches in Coastal Areas. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. Trill and experience of this place make it one of the top tourist places in India.

9. Darjeeling

Darjeeling in India owes’ its grandeur to its natural beauty, its clean fresh mountain air and above all, the smiling resilient people for whom it is a home. Known for its natural splendor, Darjeeling’s best gift to its’ visitors is the dawn of a new day. The mountains awaken first with a tentative peeking of the sun makes it one of the top tourist places in India.

A steep ride, five kilometers from Ghoom, or an invigorating walk up a steep incline, leads sun worshippers to Tiger Hill. The air is chilly with darkness and damp. To the east, a dull orange sun emerged painting the sky with brilliant strokes of magenta, gold, orange and fuchsia. The snow capped Everest, Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Jannu and other peaks slowly emerge from slumber to start a new day. The sun worshippers gasp at the magnificent sight.

10. Gangtok

The capital of the state of Sikkim, Gangtok is an attractive tourist destination, reflecting a unique ambiance which derives from its happy blend of tradition and modernity. Alongside the deeply felt presence of stupas and monasteries, Gangtok also bustles like any other thriving town. Some of the key places to visit include Rumtek Monastery, Do-Drul Chorten, Enchey Monastery, Tashi View Point and the local bazaar, Lal Bazaar etc. make it one of the top tourist places in India.

11. Mysore

Mysore is a tourism hot spot within the state of Karnataka and also acts as a base for other tourist places in the vicinity of the city. The city receives the maximum number of tourists during the period of the Dasara festival when festivities take place for a period of 10 days. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Ambavilas Palace (also known as Mysore Palace) is the center of the Dasara festivities. This is also one of the most visited among top tourist places in India

12. Aurangabad

Ajantha & Ellora are 28 – 30 rock-cut cave monuments created during the first century BC and 5th century AD, containing paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art.

The caves are located just outside the village of Ajantha / Ellora in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Since 1983, the Ajanta & Ellora Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to its cultural heritage, Aurangabad is one of the top tourist places in India to visit.

13. Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is located at the southernmost tip of peninsular India. It is the place where the waters of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet and all this make this place one of the most visited among the top tourist places in India. The place Kanyakumari is known so due to the temple dedicated to the virgin goddess Kanya Kumari.

Kanyakumari is also popular in India for its spectacular and unique sunrise and sunset. Other tourist attractions of the place are Gandhi memorial and the Suchindram temple.

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