Why Indians and NRIs Should Travel India in 2026: A Real Guide to Rediscovering Home
My parents took me around India when I was young, but travelling again as an adult changed everything. I saw it with fresh eyes, I noticed things I had never paid attention to before and began to see India not just as home, but as one of the most diverse and meaningful travel destinations in the world.
So far, I have travelled through parts of north-west India and the south, and I already plan to explore the north, north-east, and east! If you are searching for a travel in India guide, an India itinerary, or wondering why travel to India instead of going abroad, you have come to the right place! This blog is about things I learned from my journeys.
Rediscovering a Country We Think We Know
We all love dreaming about faraway places. But our own country quietly slips into the background, not because it lacks beauty, history or culture, but because we think we already know it. Of course, it is incredible to experience winter escapes, beach holidays, and scenic landscapes across the world. But have we ever really looked inside?
As an NRI who moved abroad over five years ago, I slowly started to feel disconnected from home. I was visiting family and friends, but I was no longer walking the streets, hearing the languages, or smelling the food in the same way. That changed when I started travelling across India properly, not just going home but actually moving through the country. Something shifted. Short train journeys, lush greenery, quiet villages and still very alive old temples made me feel like I was meeting India again for the first time. I kept thinking, Wow, this country really has everything.
India Is More Beautiful Than We Realise
India’s culture and landscapes are breathtaking, yet we often fail to notice them because they feel familiar. I have now done two long trips across India and still feel like I have barely scratched the surface. One trip took me through the deserts, forts and historic cities of north and north west India. Another, through the tea gardens, beaches and temple towns of the south.
I could talk about Rajasthan’s palaces, the Bengal tigers, the Taj Mahal, the dunes of the Thar Desert, Mughal forts, the lakes of Udaipur, the tea gardens of Munnar, ancient temples of Hampi that are still actively worshipped, Kerala’s palm-lined backwaters, Goa’s paradisical beaches. But the truth is, you only understand India when you experience it yourself.
On our first trip, we were driving through small villages, just before camping in the Thar Desert. The sky turned purple-pink, the sand glowed gold, camels were being walked back, and women in bright sarees crossed the road. It felt unreal, almost staged by nature itself. That moment stayed with me long after we drove away and reminded me of how much of India goes unnoticed, simply because it is familiar. Our 2 Day Jaisalmer trip was incredible.
India Has Everything in One Country
Many Indians save for years to see Europe, Canada, or East Asia, without realising how much of that beauty already exists at home. Domestic travel in India quietly offers all of this in its own way, from Uttarakhand’s flower valleys to Darjeeling’s tea gardens and Meghalaya’s clear waters; it offers the same sense of wonder. There is so much to see.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Europe too, and I try to travel there as often as I can. What makes India unique is how dramatically everything changes from one state to another – the landscapes, food, languages, clothes and even how people greet you. We cross borders abroad to go from snowy mountains to beaches or from ancient ruins to coastal towns. In India, you can do the same without ever needing a passport.
On our trip, I went from walking through tea gardens in Munnar to watching the sunset over the boulders of Hampi just days later. Here’s how we did it: 2 days in Munnar and 2 days in Hampi. It felt like moving through multiple countries, not one.
It Is More Affordable Than Travelling Abroad
Travelling abroad quickly becomes expensive. Flights, visas, hotels, and forex all add up fast. People often argue that places like Vietnam or Thailand are cheaper, but apart from one domestic flight, most of my travel around India was via trains. Honestly, those were some of the most meaningful experiences of the trip.
Overnight trains saved hotel costs, and day journeys brought conversations with families, chai-wale bhaiya (tea vendor) and biscuit didi (snacks vendor). Those moments made the trip far more meaningful than any flight ever could. For anyone researching budget travel in India or how to travel India cheaply, trains, local hotels, and regional flights make it incredibly accessible. To start, you can check out Ben’s guide to How to Book Trains, which you may find useful.
No travel journey is perfect, but with Google Maps, Uber/Ola, and online bookings, travel in India is smooth and accessible. As an NRI, if you ever struggle to understand what to pack for India, we’ve got you there, too – What to Pack for your First Trip.
Does Being Indian Help With Travelling in India?
Yes, enormously. This is something no India travel guide would tell you, but every Indian instinctively understands. One of the biggest advantages we have when travelling in India is familiarity. Even if you have lived abroad for years, you understand the culture, the food, and the unspoken rules of daily life. You know how to order food without a menu, how to dress, how to talk to drivers and shopkeepers, and how things generally work. It makes travel easier and simply comfortable.
NRIs and Why Travelling in India Feels Different
For many NRIs, trips to India are limited to weddings, family reunions/festivals, and quick visits home. We land, rush between friends and relatives, eat our favourite foods, do a bit of shopping and then it’s time to go. But travelling across the country, really travelling through it, changes everything. I reconnected with India on my own terms, and I think you will too.
When I visited parts of India as a 13-year-old, I just wanted to go home and be with my friends. The forts and Mughal palaces in Rajasthan, the Kerala backwaters, the Taj Mahal didn’t speak to me; it just felt like ticking off ‘UNESCO World Heritage sites‘. But when I returned years later with Ben, those same places felt magical. History came alive. Nature felt more meaningful. The architecture mattered.
Travelling in India as an adult was a phenomenal experience for me, and I still feel like there is so much more to see.
Flexibility You May Not Get Abroad
One of the best things about planning a trip to India is the freedom it gives you. You can do weekend trips, week-long breaks, or spontaneous detours without months of planning. On one of our three-week trips, we decided halfway through to go to Bikaner from Jaipur for a day or so. No visas, no long-haul flights, no stress, just a train ticket and curiosity.
This flexibility makes travel easier to fit into real life and explore the diversity that India entails. It becomes your escape when you are tired of staring at the same wall; it’s the workation you didn’t know you needed. India really fits around your life, not the other way around.
Travelling India With Purpose
The more you travel in India, the more you realise how much there is to protect – nature, heritage, small communities, and local cultures.
Over time, I became more conscious of responsible tourism in India. I noticed we often bargain aggressively with street vendors. It felt wrong and unfair, as many of the sellers depend on daily sales to support their families. So now I ask for a fair price, not the lowest one. I buy from family-run shops, local cafés, and independent hotels. I book local guides. I eat where its people eat. It feels better, and it keeps money in the communities that actually need it.
And just as importantly, we need to keep our country clean. When Indians and NRIs travel in India with care – not littering, respecting spaces, being mindful – we help protect the very beauty that makes this country special.
What’s Next?
Whether you live here or have moved abroad, travelling in India, in my opinion, offers something only a few countries can: diversity, depth, affordability, and a sense of belonging.
Before you book your next international trip, take a moment to look closer to home. India has everything you need – mountains to beaches, palaces to backwaters, street food to soul food, and my list is endless. It is one of the most diverse, affordable and meaningful places to travel in the world and truly makes your soul come alive! 🙂
