India is the UK’s most popular long-haul destination outside the USA. And honestly, once you look at the numbers, it makes sense. Direct flights from Heathrow to Delhi take under 9 hours that’s shorter than flying to New York. The time difference is 4.5 hours. English is everywhere. And your pound stretches further in India than almost anywhere else you could go. We’ve been organising India tour packages from UK since 2013. In that time we’ve helped thousands of guests from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and everywhere in between finally book the India trip they’d been putting off. This guide covers everything you need e-Visa, flights, costs in GBP, the best places to go, and a sample 14-day itinerary we’ve built specifically around how British travellers tend to travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India and Britain have centuries of shared history. That doesn’t make India feel like home \u2014 it doesn’t, not at all but it does add something to the experience that visitors from other countries don’t quite get. You recognise the railway stations. The administrative buildings. The hill stations that were built specifically so the British could escape the summer heat. And then you go around a corner in Old Delhi and you’re somewhere that has absolutely nothing to do with any of that, somewhere ancient and overwhelming and completely its own thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the history, the practical case for India from UK is strong right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No consulate visit. No posting your passport anywhere. The India e-Visa is straightforward for British passport holders and the whole thing takes about 10 minutes online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which visa to apply for:<\/strong> For a holiday, you want the e-Tourist Visa. It comes in three durations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of our UK guests go for the 1-year multiple entry \u2014 it’s not much more expensive and means you can come back without reapplying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to apply:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What you need:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing that catches people out: apply at least 4\u20135 days before you travel, not 72 hours. During peak season (October through January) processing can run slower than normal. Don’t cut it fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From London Heathrow (LHR) the best option:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From London Gatwick (LGW):<\/strong> No direct flights. You’ll connect through Dubai (Emirates), Doha (Qatar Airways) or Abu Dhabi (Etihad). Total journey around 11\u201313 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Manchester (MAN):<\/strong> No direct flights to India from Manchester \u2014 connect via Dubai, Doha or Heathrow. Total around 12\u201314 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Birmingham (BHX):<\/strong> Connect via Heathrow, Dubai or Doha. Around 12\u201314 hours total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Edinburgh (EDI):<\/strong> Connect via Heathrow or Dubai. Around 13\u201315 hours total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to book:<\/strong> Book 3\u20134 months ahead for October to January travel. Heathrow direct flights fill up and prices jump significantly in the 6\u20138 weeks before departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One routing worth knowing: fly into Delhi and out of Mumbai, or the reverse. It avoids backtracking and lets you cover both North and South India on one trip. Both cities have direct flights back to Heathrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Approximate return costs from London (2026):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most popular India tour packages from uk<\/strong> include where most first-time British visitors start, and for good reason. The Taj Mahal. The Red Fort. The palaces of Jaipur. It’s a lot in a good way and it’s all connected by road within a few hours’ drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For British visitors specifically, the historical thread through the Golden Triangle runs deeper than it does for most nationalities. The colonial-era architecture of New Delhi. The Mughal forts that British forces occupied and modified. The administrative buildings that look uncannily like something from Whitehall. It’s a strange and interesting layer on top of everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read our full guide: Golden Triangle Itinerary: How Many Days Do You Need?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Golden Triangle is where British travellers discover India, Rajasthan is usually where they fall in love with it. The desert forts. The lake palaces of Udaipur. The sand dunes outside Jaisalmer. The blue city of Jodhpur. Add 5\u20137 days to your Golden Triangle and you have a North India loop that covers the parts people are still talking about years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n North and South India are genuinely different countries in terms of climate, food, language and feel. Kerala in the south is greener, slower and more relaxed. The backwaters, the tea plantations in Munnar, the Ayurvedic retreats, the beaches at Varkala it’s a good end to a trip if you’ve spent the first week rushing around Rajasthan. Fly south from Delhi or Jaipur and spend your last 4\u20135 days doing very little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Goa gets unfair criticism from people who’ve never been. Yes, it’s popular with British tourists. It’s also genuinely lovely Portuguese colonial architecture, excellent fresh seafood, and beaches that vary from lively (North Goa) to nearly empty (South Goa, if you pick the right beach). Good as an end to a North India trip before flying home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varanasi is the one that stays with people. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, on the banks of the Ganges. The sunrise boat ride watching the ghats wake up, the rituals on the riverbanks, the smoke and the bells and the chaos is unlike anything else in India or anywhere else. Not for everyone. But the guests who go almost always say it was the part of the trip they think about most. Add 2 nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is our most popular structure for British travellers. Golden Triangle, then Rajasthan, then Goa to end. Fly in to Delhi, fly home from Goa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 1 \u2014 Arrive Delhi<\/strong> Land at IGI Airport. Your driver meets you at arrivals. Hotel. Sleep. The time difference from the UK is only 4.5 hours, so you’ll feel more human than you expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 2 \u2014 Delhi<\/strong> Old Delhi by rickshaw: Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk. New Delhi in the afternoon: India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar. Dinner in Hauz Khas Village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 3 \u2014 Drive to Agra (3\u20134 hours)<\/strong> Your driver takes you to Agra. Check in, rest. Late afternoon, go to Mehtab Bagh \u2014 the garden across the river from the Taj Mahal. Almost nobody goes there. The views back across the water at sunset are better than anything you’ll see from inside the complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 4 \u2014 Agra<\/strong> Taj Mahal at sunrise. Use the East Gate, arrive before 6am. Agra Fort in the morning while you still have energy. Drive to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri \u2014 the Mughal ghost city, abandoned after 14 years for reasons historians still argue about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 5 \u2014 Jaipur<\/strong> Amber Fort early, before the heat and the coaches arrive. City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal in the afternoon. Evening in the bazaars of the old walled city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 6 \u2014 Jaipur to Jodhpur (5\u20136 hours)<\/strong> Drive to the Blue City. Mehrangarh Fort at sunset \u2014 massive, well-preserved, and the views over the blue-painted streets below it are something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 7 \u2014 Jodhpur to Jaisalmer (4\u20135 hours)<\/strong> Drive into the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer Fort is a living medieval fort \u2014 people actually live and run shops inside the walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 8 \u2014 Jaisalmer<\/strong> Morning in the fort. Afternoon camel safari to the Sam Sand Dunes. Desert sunset. Optional overnight camp in the dunes \u2014 basic, but the sky at night out there is extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 9 \u2014 Fly to Goa<\/strong> Drive to Jodhpur airport, fly to Goa (about 2 hours). Check in, swim, eat fish curry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Days 10\u201311 \u2014 Goa<\/strong> North Goa (Anjuna, Vagator, Baga) if you want beaches with bars and people around. South Goa (Palolem, Agonda) if you want quieter. Old Goa’s Portuguese churches are genuinely worth an hour if you want something other than sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 12 \u2014 Goa<\/strong> Whatever you didn’t do. Sunset cruise on the Mandovi River. Last dinner \u2014 lobster, Kingfisher, the usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 13 \u2014 Fly home from Goa<\/strong> Transfer to Dabolim Airport. Home via Mumbai or direct. You’ll be back in the UK by morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When comparing India tour packages from uk<\/strong> Honest numbers. No vague ranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Return flights from London:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Private car and driver (14 days):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Accommodation per night:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Food per day per person:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Entrance fees for the full 14 days:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Total for 14 days, not including flights:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On value: a mid-range heritage palace hotel in Rajasthan the kind of place with a courtyard and a rooftop and staff who know your name costs \u00a3100\u2013\u00a3200 a night. The equivalent in the UK or Europe would be \u00a3400+. India is good value. That’s not spin, it’s just the exchange rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Worth thinking about before you book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Group tours (Cox & Kings, Kuoni, Intrepid, On The Go style):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Private tours with DIPT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For couples and families specifically, private almost always wins. You’re not paying much more than a group tour, and you get your trip back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Money:<\/strong> \u00a31 gets you roughly 107\u2013110 rupees in 2026. Carry cash for markets, street food and anywhere that doesn’t take cards which is still quite a few places outside the main cities. Don’t exchange at the airport. ATMs in cities are fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Health:<\/strong> Bottled water only. See your GP before you go about Hepatitis A and Typhoid jabs most GPs recommend them. Pack Imodium and rehydration salts. The NHS doesn’t cover you abroad, so travel insurance isn’t optional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SIM card:<\/strong> Buy a Jio or Airtel SIM at the airport on arrival. 4G everywhere that matters, costs almost nothing compared to UK roaming. Get one before you leave the terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clothing:<\/strong> October to March in North India: warm days (25\u201330\u00b0C), cool evenings (10\u201315\u00b0C). Light layers. A scarf or shawl for temples shoulders and knees covered, non-negotiable at most sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time difference:<\/strong> IST is 4.5 hours ahead of UK GMT in winter, 3.5 hours ahead during BST. Jet lag from India is mild compared to the US or Australia. Most people are fine by day two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tipping:<\/strong> Expected and genuinely appreciated. Hotel porters: \u00a31 per bag. Restaurants: 10%. Drivers: \u00a34\u20138 per day if they’ve been good. Local guides: \u00a38\u201310 per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FCDO advice:<\/strong> Check gov.uk\/foreign-travel-advice\/india before you travel<\/a>. India is rated safe for tourists with standard precautions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’ve been organising India tour packages from the UK since 2013. Every group couple, family, solo traveller gets their own private AC vehicle and English-speaking driver for the whole trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We answer every enquiry ourselves, usually within a few hours. No automated replies, no call centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What’s included:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What’s not included:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re on TripAdvisor and Trustpilot reviews from UK guests, verified, going back years. First-timers and people on their fourth trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to plan?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n View India Tour Packages from UK<\/a> Contact us<\/a> for a quote Golden Triangle itinerary guide<\/a> Private driver in India guide<\/p>\n\n\n\n Driver India Private Tours is based in New Delhi. We’ve been running private tours across India since 2013 for travellers from the UK, USA, Australia, France, Spain and beyond.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" India is the UK’s most popular long-haul destination outside the USA. And honestly, once you look at the numbers, it makes sense. Direct flights from Heathrow to Delhi take under 9 hours that’s shorter than flying to New York. The time difference is 4.5 hours. English is everywhere. And your pound stretches further in India […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[366],"class_list":["post-1892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-trips-for-india","tag-india-tour-packages-from-uk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1892"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1892\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1898,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1892\/revisions\/1898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driverindiatour.com\/blog-details\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\n\n\n\n3. Best Flights from UK to India (2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n4. Best Destinations for British Travellers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra & Jaipur)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Rajasthan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kerala<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Goa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Varanasi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n5. Sample 14-Day India Itinerary from UK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n6. How Much Does an India Holiday from UK Cost? (GBP)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n7. Private Tour vs Group Tour: Which Is Right for You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n8. Essential Travel Tips for British Visitors to India<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n9. Plan Your India Holiday from UK with DIPT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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