Everything about travelling to India from the Netherlands

India is big and busy, and no trip is without risk. What you can do is prepare well and go with the right people. We keep the organisation in our own hands: private transport with a regular driver, hotels we selected ourselves, packaged drinking water, a SIM card and an AirTag for everyone, and family that travels along the whole trip and speaks Hindi. On the safety page you read what we arrange, what you prepare yourself and why safety stays teamwork.

For North India, October to March is most pleasant: dry, sunny and around 20 to 28 degrees by day. Our tour is in September, at the end of the monsoon. The country is at its greenest, the rivers run full, the high-season crowds have not arrived yet, and the hills of Landour and Tehri Lake are wonderfully fresh. April to June is too hot for the plains, and July and August are the wettest months.

Travelling India independently is perfectly possible, but it takes a lot of time to arrange: booking trains, haggling for taxis, judging hotels on hygiene, and constantly assessing who to trust. In our small group trip all of that is done before you leave, and a team that knows the country from the inside travels along. You keep the freedom of free afternoons and your own outings, without the logistics.

Yes. The trip is made for all ages from six, accompanied by a parent. The pace is calm, with mostly two nights in one place, private transport and hotels with a pool. Children are welcome everywhere in India; they are often the stars of the group.

Certainly. You share a room with a companion of the same gender, or request your own room and pay the price difference yourself. In a group of at most eight you know everyone after the first evening.

Dutch citizens need an e-visa. You apply online on the official Indian government site, with a passport photo and a scan of your passport, which must be valid for at least six months after your return. A 30-day tourist e-visa is usually approved within a few days. We send you step-by-step instructions and check your application before you submit it, so you never end up on a fake website.

That is a conversation with the GGD (public health service) or your doctor; they look at your health, the length of the trip and the current advice for India. We do not give advice on that ourselves. Make that appointment well before departure, usually six to eight weeks, and bring your own medicines in their original packaging. We remind everyone at the preparation evening.

Light, covering clothes and a warm layer for the evenings in the hills, good walking shoes, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, your own medicines, a plug adapter (type C and D) and a power bank. Before departure you get a complete packing list from us, including the things you do not need to bring, such as bottled water and a SIM card: we arrange those.

Direct from Amsterdam to Delhi is about eight to nine hours. India is three and a half hours ahead of the Netherlands in summer time and four and a half in winter time. The day flight arrives in the evening, which is why day one of our trip is rest only.

Our trip has a fixed price per person, with the full build-up open on the site: hotels, transport, meals, guides and guidance, with no surprises on the spot. The international flight is not included; a return Amsterdam–Delhi usually costs between €600 and €900, depending on how early you book. Add the cost of the visa and a travel insurance policy.

You reserve your spot with €100 per person; that amount is later deducted from the trip price. The balance is due no later than three months before departure. You receive an invoice for both.

Six months or more before departure you get everything back, minus the €100 reservation fee. Between three and six months before departure you get 50% back. Less than three months before departure there is no refund, but you may transfer your spot to someone else. Cancellation insurance covers the rest; it is mandatory with us.

The international flight is not in the trip price. We fly as a group direct from Amsterdam to Delhi and back, and help you book so everyone is on the same plane. Want to go earlier or stay longer? Fine, you simply book a different return flight.

At most 8 travellers. With fewer than 6 sign-ups six weeks before departure the trip does not go ahead and you get your full reservation fee back.

Calm. We usually stay two nights in one place and plan no more than one big activity per day. Early starts happen, for the Taj Mahal at sunrise for instance, but it is never a marathon.

It can be, but does not have to be. The family and the restaurants we know cook mild on request. Vegetarian is easier in India than in the Netherlands, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day.

The currency is the Indian rupee. Cash machines work at most banks in the cities; we stop at a reliable one on day two. Cash is handy for small purchases, tips and markets; the big things, hotels and meals, are already paid. Count on about €10 to €20 a day for drinks, souvenirs and tips.

On arrival everyone gets an Indian SIM card with calls and internet. Home can always reach you and you can reach us. Every traveller also carries an AirTag with their own name, so we know at every moment who is where.

We are working on joining a guarantee scheme for package travel. Until then your payment stays in a separate escrow account until the hotels are actually booked.