Top 30 Things To Do In India!

Okay, now when you have already met thousands of people telling you that there's nothing much to India other than some ravishing forts, snake charmers and lakhs of temples, check our pick for the top 30 things to do in India. Our list consists of a motley mix of things to do in India, picking the very best of adventure, culture, food, landscapes and more. Enjoy!

 

1. Gulmarg Gondola Ride, J&K - The Second Highest Cable Ride In The World

Photo Courtesy - Skywayman9

 

2.

Paragliding at Bir and Billing, Himachal Pradesh

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Courtesy - Flickr[/caption]

 

3. Meditation by River Ganga, Rishikesh

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

4. Stargazing at the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle (Ladakh)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="2800"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

5. Exploring the Kerala backwaters in a houseboat

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="850"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

6. Participating in Urs at the Dargah of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, Ajmer

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

7. Trekking on the frozen river, the Chadar Trek, J&K

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Photo Courtesy - Indiahikes[/caption]

 

8. Rounds of gol gappes at Bengali Market, Delhi

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="3456"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

9. Trekking to the Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="816"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

10. Riding up the Manali-Leh Highway

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960"] Photo Courtesy - theholidayindia[/caption]

 

11. Visiting the saffron farms at Pampore, Kashmir

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1793"] Photo Courtesy - nickfleming.com[/caption]

 

12. Fix a rendezvous with rhinoceroses at Kaziranga National Park, Assam

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

13. Volunteer at world's largest free eatery at the Golden Temple, Amritsar

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Photo Courtesy - madurbeats[/caption]

 

14. Participate in the Hornbill Festival, Nagaland

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="664"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

15. Test your skills at the International Kite Festival, Ahmedabad

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Courtesy - Mina Kadri[/caption]

 

16. Indulge in shopping at Dilli Haat, Delhi, one of the world's top 5 street markets!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="3008"] Photo Courtesy - Manual Menal[/caption]

 

17. Visit Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan, India's Most Haunted!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="4608"] Photo Courtesy - Himanshu Yogi[/caption]

 

18. Watch the Sun rise at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="4198"] Photo Courtesy - Gopinath Sivanesan[/caption]

 

19. Visit Taj Mahal, Agra, on a full moon night!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1382"] Photo Courtesy - tajmahaltripindia[/caption]

 

20. Visit world's largest salt desert at the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="2272"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

21. Watch out for Snow Leopards at the Hemis National Park, Ladakh, J&K

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="533"] Photo Courtesy - Bernard Landgraf[/caption]

 

22.  Go snorkelling with Rajan, an elephant(!), at Andamans*

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="684"] Photo Courtesy - diveandamans.com[/caption]

 

23. Visit the 500 plus years old mummy at Giu, Spiti

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Courtesy - Richard Weil[/caption]

 

24. Participate in the Kumbh Mela, world's biggest religious gathering, at Haridwar, Uttarakhand

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Photo Courtesy- Luca Galuzzi[/caption]

 

25. Watch a Kattaikkuttu performance at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photo Courtesy - Official Website[/caption]

 

26. Watch or enroll for a session of Kalaripayattu at Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo Courtesy - Kerala Tourism[/caption]

 

27. Camping at the Nubra Valley sand dunes, Ladakh

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Photo Courtesy - Raghavan V[/caption]

 

28. Go on a food trail across India!

 

29. Watch an exorcism session at Mehendipur Balaji Temple, Rajasthan!

 

30. Skiing at Auli, Uttarakhand

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

For those who are done with all the 30 above, here's a bonus one! 

 

31. Skydiving at Mysore

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Photo Courtesy - Wiki Commons[/caption]

 

While you jot down a wish-list for yourself from these amazing things to do in India, do tell us how many of these are already marked off your list. Would love to hear your experiences and suggestions for more. 

 

Till then, happy travelling. 

 

About the author

Shikha Gautam loves to play with steering wheels, roads, words, flute and guitar among other things. Not necessarily in that order! You can contact her on twitter @ShikhaGautam

*A reader informs us that snorkeling with the elephants at Andamans has stopped, since most of the elephants have now retired. Will suggest the readers to make an enquiry before planning this adventure into their trip.