Best culture destinations in India
142 curated culture destinations across 33 states, each with the months it is worth going and the months it is not.
Best of culture India
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Jaipur
Rajasthan
Pink City gateway to Rajasthan's forts and bazaars
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Fort Kochi
Kerala
Colonial port town of fishing nets, spice lanes and art
Peak: Dec to Feb
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McLeod Ganj
Himachal Pradesh
Dalai Lama's home-in-exile - Tibetan culture hub
Peak: Mar to May and Oct to Nov
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Ahmedabad
Gujarat
UNESCO old city of pols, stepwells and street food
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Fatehpur Sikri
Uttar Pradesh
Akbar's red sandstone capital, abandoned after fourteen years
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Gwalior
Madhya Pradesh
Hilltop fort, Jain rock colossi and Tansen's dhrupad town
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Darjeeling
West Bengal
Queen of the Hills - tea, toy train, Kanchenjunga views
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
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Mysuru
Karnataka
Palace city that peaks during Dasara in October
Peak: Oct to Jan
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Araku Valley
Andhra Pradesh
Eastern Ghats coffee valley on a tunnel-laced toy train
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Ajanta-Ellora
Maharashtra
2,000-year-old rock-cut Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Khonoma
Nagaland
Angami stone village that banned hunting and kept its terraces
Peak: Feb to Mar and Nov to Dec
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Kanchipuram
Tamil Nadu
Pallava sandstone temples and silk looms on the same street
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Leh
Ladakh
Ladakh's backpacker capital and high-pass road-trip hub
Peak: Jun to Sep
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Shillong
Meghalaya
Northeast's hill capital: cafes, lakes, live music
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Amritsar
Punjab
The Golden Temple and its free kitchen for all
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Hyderabad
Telangana
Old-city bazaars, Golconda Fort, and biryani everywhere
Peak: Oct to Feb
-
Basar
Arunachal Pradesh
Galo valley of rice terraces, cane bridges and clean villages
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Hajo & Sualkuchi
Assam
Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim shrines, and a town that weaves muga silk
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Jagdalpur (Bastar)
Chhattisgarh
Bastar's tribal capital, weekly haats and bell-metal workshops
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Panaji (Fontainhas & Old Goa)
Goa
Portuguese Latin Quarter and the churches of Old Goa
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kokernag & Verinag
Jammu and Kashmir
Verinag's Mughal spring tank and Kokernag's trout gardens
Peak: Apr to May and Sep to Oct
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Aizawl
Mizoram
Mizoram's hillside capital: churches, cafes, rock music
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Pinjore (Yadavindra Gardens)
Haryana
Seven-terrace Mughal water garden at the foot of the Shivaliks
Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov
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Gangtok
Sikkim
Sikkim's capital and gateway: monasteries, MG Marg cafés
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
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Agartala & Unakoti
Tripura
Palace capital plus giant rock-cut carvings at Unakoti
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Rishikesh
Uttarakhand
Yoga capital and rafting hub on the Ganges
Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov
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Madhubani (Mithila art villages)
Bihar
Painters' courtyards at Jitwarpur and Ranti in the Mithila plain
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Chandigarh
Chandigarh
India's planned modernist city, orderly and green
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Silvassa
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Warli country and boat rides on the Dudhni backwaters
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Delhi
Delhi
Mughal monuments and India's transit hub
Peak: Oct to Feb
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McCluskieganj
Jharkhand
Fading Anglo-Indian settlement of bungalows in sal forest
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Minicoy (Maliku)
Lakshadweep
Maldivian-speaking atoll with a 19th-century lighthouse to climb
Peak: Dec to Mar
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Koraput
Odisha
Eastern Ghats coffee town of tribal markets and mist
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Udaipur
Rajasthan
City of Lakes: palaces and postcard sunsets
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters
Kerala
Venice of the East - houseboats through the backwaters
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Chamba
Himachal Pradesh
Tenth-century shikhara temples and the Minjar fair on the Ravi
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
Every culture destination in the catalogue
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Agra Uttar Pradesh
- Anandpur Sahib Punjab
- Aranmula Kerala
- Aryan Valley (Dha & Garkon) Ladakh
- Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh
- Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal Karnataka
- Bageshwar Uttarakhand
- Baghmara (Balpakram gateway) Meghalaya
- Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
- Barmer Rajasthan
- Barsana & Nandgaon Uttar Pradesh
- Belur-Halebidu Karnataka
- Bhimbetka (with Bhojpur) Madhya Pradesh
- Bhoramdeo (Kawardha) Chhattisgarh
- Bhuj Gujarat
- Bidar Karnataka
- Bishnupur (Terracotta Temples) West Bengal
- Bundi Rajasthan
- Burhanpur Madhya Pradesh
- Champhai (Murlen & Vangchhia) Mizoram
- Chandannagar West Bengal
- Chanderi Madhya Pradesh
- Chandor & Loutolim Goa
- Chettinad (Karaikudi) Tamil Nadu
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Maharashtra
- Chitrakote Falls (Bastar) Chhattisgarh
- Chittorgarh Rajasthan
- Dalhousie Himachal Pradesh
- Dindi (Konaseema Backwaters) Andhra Pradesh
- Divar Island Goa
- Dungarpur Rajasthan
- Dzongu (Lepcha Reserve) Sikkim
- Gondal Gujarat
- Gurez Valley (Dawar) Jammu and Kashmir
- Guruvayur Kerala
- Jampui Hills (Vanghmun) Tripura
- Jaunpur Uttar Pradesh
- Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
- Jhansi Uttar Pradesh
- Jhargram West Bengal
- Kannur Kerala
- Kanthalloor Kerala
- Kapurthala Punjab
- Kargil Ladakh
- Karsog Valley Himachal Pradesh
- Kaza (Spiti) Himachal Pradesh
- Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh
- Kishangarh Rajasthan
- Kohima Nagaland
- Kolkata West Bengal
- Kullu Himachal Pradesh
- Kumbakonam (with Darasuram) Tamil Nadu
- Lambasingi Andhra Pradesh
- Lepakshi Andhra Pradesh
- Longwa (Mon district) Nagaland
- Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
- Madurai Tamil Nadu
- Majuli Island Assam
- Malana Himachal Pradesh
- Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Mandu Madhya Pradesh
- Maski Karnataka
- Mawlynnong Meghalaya
- Medak Telangana
- Modhera (Sun Temple) Gujarat
- Mokokchung Nagaland
- Murshidabad (Hazarduari) West Bengal
- Muziris Heritage (Kodungallur) Kerala
- Naggar Himachal Pradesh
- Nashik Maharashtra
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Nilambur Kerala
- Orchha Madhya Pradesh
- Palampur & Andretta Himachal Pradesh
- Pandharpur Maharashtra
- Pasighat Arunachal Pradesh
- Patan (Rani ki Vav) Gujarat
- Patiala Punjab
- Ramappa Temple (Palampet) Telangana
- Rann of Kutch (Dhordo) Gujarat
- Sevagram (Wardha) Maharashtra
- Shantiniketan (Bolpur) West Bengal
- Shimla Himachal Pradesh
- Sittong (Orange Village) West Bengal
- Sivasagar Assam
- Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir
- Surajkund Haryana
- Tamia & Patalkot Valley Madhya Pradesh
- Tarnetar Gujarat
- Thalassery (Tellicherry) Kerala
- Thanjavur Tamil Nadu
- Thenzawl (Vantawng Falls) Mizoram
- Thrissur Kerala
- Touphema Village Nagaland
- Tura (Garo Hills) Meghalaya
- Turtuk Ladakh
- Vadnagar Gujarat
- Valiyaparamba (Nileshwar backwaters) Kerala
- Varanasi Uttar Pradesh
- Vijayapura (Bijapur) Karnataka
- Vizianagaram Andhra Pradesh
- Vrindavan-Mathura Uttar Pradesh
- Wankaner Gujarat
- Warangal Telangana
- Ziro Valley Arunachal Pradesh
When to go
January, November and December are the months with the most culture places in peak season.
By state
Rajasthan (12)Kerala (11)Himachal Pradesh (10)Uttar Pradesh (9)Gujarat (9)Madhya Pradesh (8)West Bengal (8)Karnataka (6)Maharashtra (5)Andhra Pradesh (5)
Common questions
How many culture destinations are there in India?
This catalogue lists 142 tagged culture, across 33 states and union territories. It is a curated list, not an exhaustive one: places earn a spot on the strength of the landscape or the heritage.
When is the best time for a culture trip in India?
January, November and December put the most of them in peak season. Each place carries its own window, though, so check the one you are aiming at.
Which states have the most culture destinations?
Rajasthan (12), Kerala (11), Himachal Pradesh (10), Uttar Pradesh (9) and Gujarat (9).
Other themes
MountainsBeachHeritageSpiritualWildlifeTrekBackpackerDesertIslandLakesWaterfallsCityOffbeatPartySnow