India trip budget: How to plan a cheap but real adventure across India

When you think of an India trip budget, the total amount of money you plan to spend on traveling across India, including transport, food, stays, and entry fees. Also known as India travel cost, it’s not about how little you spend—it’s about how wisely you spend it. Many assume India is cheap everywhere, but that’s not true. A luxury train ride like the Pride of Africa, a high-end rail journey that costs over $12,500 per person exists alongside ₹200 dhaba meals. Your budget doesn’t need to be huge to experience the real India—it just needs to be smart.

Your India visa fees, the mandatory cost for foreign travelers to enter India, which varies by nationality and visa type is one of the first things you’ll pay. For U.S. citizens, the e-Visa in 2025 is still under $100, and that’s non-negotiable. But after that? You control everything. Staying in a guesthouse in Nagpur costs less than a Uber ride in Goa. Eating street food safely in Delhi can cost ₹50 a meal, while a guided trek in the Himalayas might set you back ₹2,000 a day. The key is knowing where to spend and where to skip. Vaccinations? You don’t need every shot—just the essentials like typhoid and hepatitis A, which cost less than ₹2,000 total. And no, you don’t need a guide for every temple visit, but you do need to know the dress code and rituals to avoid awkward moments or fines.

There’s a myth that India’s best experiences cost more. They don’t. The Taj Mahal, India’s most visited landmark, with entry fees under ₹2,000 for foreigners is breathtaking at sunrise—and you can skip the overpriced guided tours. The Great Himalayan Trail, a 4,500 km trek that crosses India’s highest mountains and remote villages doesn’t require fancy gear or a luxury operator—you just need good boots and a local porter. Even the 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, India’s officially recognized cultural and natural landmarks, from ancient stepwells to sacred forests are mostly affordable or free to explore. The real cost isn’t in the places—it’s in the choices you make along the way.

Don’t let the price tag scare you. India rewards travelers who plan smart, not spend big. You’ll find that the most unforgettable moments—eating fresh jalebi at a roadside stall, catching the first light on a temple spire, or sharing tea with a family in a village—are almost always free. What you save on hotels and tours, you can spend on a train ride to a hidden beach, a night in a jungle camp, or a trek nobody told you about. The real India trip budget isn’t a number on paper. It’s the freedom to choose where your money goes—and where your curiosity leads you.

Below, you’ll find real advice from travelers who’ve done it all—on tight budgets, with no guides, and still walked away with memories that cost less than a flight home.