India guide
India is an explosion of colour. The Golden Triangle glistens with culture, Rajasthan has pink and blue cities, and Kerala has lush green Ghat Mountains...
Best time to go to rural India
The best time to go to rural India is Oct-Feb, which tends to be dry and sunny across the country. However, Dec-Jan is surprisingly cold, especially in desert and mountain regions to the north. Karnataka and the Western Ghats enjoy good weather through until May – although the heat and humidity are picking up. The months to avoid are Jul-Sep, which is peak monsoon – and not great for Western Ghats trekking or houseboats. The exception is chilly Himalayan Ladakh – when the summer months promise the best trekking. See our month by month guide to India for more information.
Our Rural India Holidays
Central India holiday, culture and wildlife
The very best of central India's wildlife and history
From
Rupee145000 to Rupee195000
16 days
ex flights
Ladakh cultural and rural tour, India
Stay with local families in beautiful Ladakh
From
£750 to £1250
9 days
ex flights
Sikkim & Kolkata cultural tour in India
Cultural and rural tours in beautiful East India
From
£750 to £950
9 days
ex flights
History, culture & wildlife of India holiday
From the Nilgiri Hills to the beaches of Goa
From
£1336
15 days
ex flights
Ladakh and Changtang cultural tour, India
Cultural immersive tour ideal for couples and small groups
From
£950 to £1150
10 days
ex flights
Cultural and rural tour of North East India
Cultural, rural and tribal holiday in North East India
From
£850 to £1150
12 days
ex flights
Rural India holiday, culture & wildlife
Authentic exploration of Central Indian village life
From
£2500 to £3000
14 days
ex flights
India Golden Triangle tour, a journey beyond
Of ancient cultures, Himalayan abodes & rich architecture
From
£4938 to £6500
25 days
ex flights
Tribal and rural experience of India
Village life, wildlife, homestays, tribes, Himalayas
From
£1050 to £1450
12 days
ex flights
Gujarat holiday and the Rann of Kutch, India
A fascinating mix of local village culture and wild landscapes
From
£2415 to £2545
15 days
ex flights
North East India cycling and hiking tour, Eastern Himalayas
Multi activity tour of the Eastern Himalayas
From
£2500
12 days
ex flights
Tribal festival holiday in India
A tour covering two major festivals of the animist tribes
From
£2450
16 days
ex flights
Punjab heritage tour in India
Punjab Heritage Tour & Farm Stay
From
£1641 to £2121
13 days
ex flights
North East India tour, Nagaland & the Hornbill Festival
The unique festivals of the tribes of remote Northeast India
From
£2350
15 days
ex flights
India walking and cultural tour
Meet locals & discover the flavours of this special region
From
AU $2145
12 days
ex flights
North Kerala homestay tours in India
Homestay tour in North Kerala - plus Coonoor
From
£2060
15 days
ex flights
Chhattisgarh to Orissa tour in India, tribes and villages
A journey through the tribal heartlands of Central India
From
Rupee160000
14 days
ex flights
Cultural and rural tour of East India
Cultural and rural holiday in beautiful East India
From
£950 to £1250
14 days
ex flights
Birdwatching in India
Visit India's top birding and wildlife destinations.
From
Rupee227500
15 days
ex flights
Horse riding tour in Rajasthan, India
Recce ride across Rajasthan's desert by Royal Marwari horse
From
£3745
12 days
ex flights
India cultural tour, Chattisgarh and Orissa
This trip offers an intimate look at remote tribal village India
From
£2895 to £2995
15 days
ex flights
Central India Buddhist heritage tour
Buddhist trails and caves, ancient temples, village life
From
£850 to £950
12 days
ex flights
Ladakh & Kashmir holiday, India
Timeless monasteries, stunning mountain scenery and Srinagar
From
£2349
14 days
ex flights
Satpura Reserve Tiger safari in india
Adventure holiday in the jungles of Satpura Tiger Reserve
From
Rupee185000
7 days
ex flights
Southern India tour, temples & nature
Tour from Coimbatore to Bangalore via Mysore
From
£494
6 days
ex flights
Tattooed Headhunting tribes Aoling festival in Nagaland, India
Aoling Festival of the Tattooed Heandunting Naga Tribe
From
£2250
10 days
ex flights
Kashmir cultural holiday, India
A relaxed tour of Kashmir by riverboat
From
£2400
11 days
ex flights
Kashmir and Ladakh holiday, India
An unforgettable adventure to the rooftop of the world
From
£2149
15 days
ex flights
Spiti Valley tour in India
Cultural immersion, adventure and rural experience
From
£650 to £850
9 days
ex flights
Things to do on a rural India holiday
Things to do on a rural India holiday…
Things not to do on a rural India holiday…
Our top Rural India Holiday
Central India holiday, culture and wildlife
The very best of central India's wildlife and history
From
Rupee145000 to Rupee195000
16 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about Rural India or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Rural India travel tips
Why go to Central India?
Why go to Central India?
Sophie Hartman, founder of our supplier Rural Holidays in India, shares her top tips for making the most of this kind of holiday:
“Being quiet and off the beaten track, Chhattisgarh doesn't present the challenges that can face one in more touristy spots; you won't meet anyone touting their services or aggressively trying to sell you things. More than 50 percent of my guests have been first time visitors to India and have loved the peace and the gentle friendliness of the people they meet.”
“Being quiet and off the beaten track, Chhattisgarh doesn't present the challenges that can face one in more touristy spots; you won't meet anyone touting their services or aggressively trying to sell you things. More than 50 percent of my guests have been first time visitors to India and have loved the peace and the gentle friendliness of the people they meet.”
What to pack?
What to pack?
“Not too much! Long sleeved cotton shirts and trousers; decent trainers for walking in and some flip flop-type sandals that come off easily for going into people's houses. Bear in mind that it gets very, very cold at night and early morning in rural Central India. Layer up for park drives at Kanha, the temperature can change by about 20°C during the course of the morning. We discourage gift giving as it causes all sorts of problems but sharing the photos you have taken is a swift and happy way of interacting.”
The best time to travel
The best time to travel
“I love October and November when everything is lush and green after the monsoon, but any time between October and the end of March is good – after which it gets too hot to be much fun.”
The pace of travel
The pace of travel
“Take it slow. It is so much nicer to spend your time getting to know an area and the people in it really well, than it is to spend one's holiday constantly on the move. Try to walk or cycle as much as possible; you'll engage with people on a far more equal footing if you arrive by bike or on foot, rather than climbing out of a car. Running is also huge fun – I love early morning runs through forest and village, and laugh that it is the only place in the world where a woman can run alone and be completely unafraid when a man emerges from the forest with an axe over his shoulder! The laughter of children on my morning trot is something I miss hugely when running back home in the Welsh borders.”
Keep an open mind
Keep an open mind
“Be prepared for plans to change, flights or trains to be late, and for things to flow in an occasionally unpredictable way. Leave your punctual European mindset behind and you'll feel less frustrated by the way things work in India. Sometimes delays offer up unexpectedly delightful experiences: invitations into people's homes, or ingenious solutions to problems. We advise you to carry a few snacks in the car – small problems are always a little harder to bear when combined with low blood sugar!”
Recommendations from those who have been there
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful rural holidays in India travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful rural holidays in India travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
An experience I am very glad to have had. Not so much a holiday or vacation as a journey.
– Marilyn Jestes, travelling from Delhi to Calcutta
“My wife and I went on this trip with our 17 year-old son. Even as seasoned travellers to India, we would never have been able to do this trip on our own because this part of central India really doesn't have much tourist/traveller infrastructure. Our wonderful guide, Saurabh… enabled us to visit families and villages in a way that was really rewarding and not the slightest bit 'icky'… I especially enjoyed being taught how to make herb chapatis over a fire.” – Jonathan Drori
“We expected it to be hot. But July was VERY hot... except in the Nilgiri hills where it was beautifully cool. No wonder the British spent the summer in the hills. It was manageable with the help of an air con car and accommodation but I have to admit, if you can, go in the cooler season.” – Anna Perkins in Southern India
“We expected it to be hot. But July was VERY hot... except in the Nilgiri hills where it was beautifully cool. No wonder the British spent the summer in the hills. It was manageable with the help of an air con car and accommodation but I have to admit, if you can, go in the cooler season.” – Anna Perkins in Southern India
I did not know what to expect from an homestay in a village up in the Nilgiri hills. What I have found is one of the nicest, most caring and friendly families I have ever met.
– Anna Maria Reforgiato
“Be prepared for a 'total experience' – living and travelling with the hosts. It is very rewarding, but you must buy into the idea of a homestay experience.” – Rachel Batley in Southern India
“Make sure you save a couple of days off after you return home – you'll be too exhausted to go straight back to work! Be prepared to be dusty and dirty and not have many clean clothes. And don't bother wearing white or light colours during the day.” – Anthea Harvey, horse trekking in Rajasthan
“It is important for both men and women to dress quite conservatively in rural areas. It would have been better if I (older woman) had purchased some Indian clothing to wear (e.g. long shirt), but long pants and a short-sleeved shirt worked.” – Mary Vetter
“Take a universal sink plug – they were a rarity. Take travel wash, because although washing services are universal and cheap, one is rarely in one place long enough to employ them, and we were reliably informed that in any case the dhobi wallah will smash your buttons on the rock!” – Kate & Adrian Parker
“Make sure you save a couple of days off after you return home – you'll be too exhausted to go straight back to work! Be prepared to be dusty and dirty and not have many clean clothes. And don't bother wearing white or light colours during the day.” – Anthea Harvey, horse trekking in Rajasthan
“It is important for both men and women to dress quite conservatively in rural areas. It would have been better if I (older woman) had purchased some Indian clothing to wear (e.g. long shirt), but long pants and a short-sleeved shirt worked.” – Mary Vetter
“Take a universal sink plug – they were a rarity. Take travel wash, because although washing services are universal and cheap, one is rarely in one place long enough to employ them, and we were reliably informed that in any case the dhobi wallah will smash your buttons on the rock!” – Kate & Adrian Parker
More about Rural India
Enjoy homestays, nature walks, valley treks, weaving workshops and the pleasure of home cooked meals, shared with local hosts and families...
Holidays in rural India take you beyond the Taj Mahal and tigers into traditional, welcoming villages - a side of India that few get to experience...
More relevant guides
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Abhijit Kar Gupta] [Temp Chart: Magentic Manifestations]
[Things to do: rajkumar1220]
[Why go to Central india: Ekta Parishad]
[Pack: Mikko Koponen]
[Best time: Sankara Subramanian]
[Pace of travel: muffinn]
[Open mind: GracinhaMarco Abundo]
[Tip intro: Alex Graves]
[Tip1: Bikash Das]
[Tip2: Arian Zwegers]
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