10 Best Places to Visit in India with Budget in 2025

India is a continent masquerading as a country — 28 states each with their own language, cuisine, and landscape. Choosing where to go first is genuinely overwhelming. This guide cuts through the noise with the 10 best destinations in India, each with a honest budget breakdown for 2025.

1. Goa — India's Beach Capital (₹2,500-6,000/day)

Goa consistently tops India travel lists — 100km of beaches, Portuguese heritage churches (UNESCO), water sports, flea markets, and nightlife. Best value: North Goa for beach party vibe (Baga, Calangute). South Goa for quiet luxury (Palolem, Agonda). Visit November–February for best weather.

2. Rajasthan — The Royal State (₹3,000-8,000/day)

Rajasthan is India distilled — colour, grandeur, history, and desert romance. The Golden Triangle (Jaipur, Agra, Delhi) is the world's most visited tourist circuit. Add Udaipur (the Venice of the East) and Jaisalmer (living fort in the Thar Desert) for the complete royal experience.

3. Kerala — God's Own Country (₹3,500-9,000/day)

Kerala is India's most consistently beautiful state — backwater houseboats, hill station tea gardens, wildlife, and pristine beaches. High on everyone's bucket list. Best season: October-March.

4. Ladakh — The Last Frontier (₹4,000-10,000/day)

Ladakh is unlike anywhere in India — or the world. Buddhist monasteries, cobalt blue lakes (Pangong Tso), the world's highest motorable road (Khardung La), and the cold desert of Nubra Valley. Only accessible May–October (road) or year-round (flight).

5. Andaman Islands — India's Tropical Paradise (₹3,000-7,000/day)

The Andaman Islands are South East Asia quality at Indian prices. Radhanagar Beach (Havelock) is consistently voted one of Asia's best beaches. Scuba diving, snorkeling, sea walking — all significantly cheaper than Thailand or Maldives.

6. Kashmir — Paradise on Earth (₹3,500-9,000/day)

Kashmir in spring (Tulip Garden, cherry blossoms) and winter (Gulmarg skiing) are extraordinary. The Mughal gardens, Dal Lake houseboats and Pahalgam meadows complete the experience.

7. Sikkim & Northeast — Off-Beaten Path (₹2,500-6,000/day)

The Northeast — Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh — is India's most underrated region. Permit-based (adding excitement), authentic, clean, and spectacularly scenic.

8. Varanasi — The Eternal City (₹1,500-4,000/day)

Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. The Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat and a dawn boat ride past the ghats are among India's most moving experiences.

9. Coorg, Karnataka (₹2,500-7,000/day)

India's coffee capital — misty hills, coffee plantations, elephant encounters at Dubare, and the Tibetan Golden Temple at Namdroling. Perfect weekend from Bangalore.

10. Rishikesh & Haridwar, Uttarakhand (₹1,500-4,500/day)

Yoga capital + adventure capital in one. Ganga Aarti at Har ki Pauri, Grade 4 river rafting, bungee from Asia's highest platform (83m), and Himalayan trekking from Rishikesh.