Selecting the best cities in India means choosing from a list of superlatives. As the world’s most populous nation and the seventh-largest by land area, India is brimming with incredible destinations, each with its own distinct charm and cultural identity—making direct comparisons nearly impossible. Exploring them all is just as challenging, with ancient strongholds and modern hubs stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the tropical shores of the Indian Ocean in the south. While major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata are well-known, there are also many remarkable yet lesser-explored urban centres worth visiting. Here’s our selection of the best cities to explore in India.
Udaipur
Udaipur sparkles like quartz on the edge of the Thar Desert, a sprawl of glittering lakes and bright white buildings. Trying to capture this former royal capital’s romantic beauty has led to myriad nicknames — “The White City”, “Venice of the East”, “City of Lakes” — but all fall short. Etched with island-studded waterways and backed by the Aravalli Range’s lilac peaks, Udaipur’s dazzling scenery has featured in multiple films including James Bond’s Octopussy.
Beyond its enchanting exterior, this holy city is a balm of history and culture halfway between Delhi and Mumbai. Its biggest draw is the decadent City Palace, but Udaipur brims with spectacular temples, forts, art galleries, bazaars and gardens. Shop for jewellery down narrow streets packed with local people, take to Lake Pichola for sunset views, and cycle its bridges and Old City. With more time, explore other lakes, local villages and join February’s World Music or December’s Shilpgram festivals.
Mysuru
Also known as Mysore (it formally changed its name in 2014), Mysuru is an intricate masterpiece of architecture, heritage and meditation. This southwest city contains one of India’s most extraordinary palaces: a golden web of filigree, fine woodwork, intricate mosaics and stained glass. A Unesco world heritage site, Mysuru Palace is home to the city’s current maharajah and lights up nightly in a spectacle of about 100,000 lightbulbs.
The former capital of the Wadiyar dynasty and now the cultural capital of Karnataka state, Mysuru is renowned for well-conserved marvels such as the 13th-century Keshava temple, gothic St Philomena’s Cathedral and majestic Jaganmohan Palace — today an art gallery/museum full of South Indian paintings and artefacts. In many ways, Mysuru bucks the frenetic image of Indian cities, with oases such as the Brindavan Gardens, tranquil Karanji Lake and sacred Chamundi Hill. Well-planned, famously clean and the home of ashtanga yoga, the city champions relaxation and mindfulness.
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Mumbai
As the saying goes, “Mumbai is the city, Bombay is the emotion”. The city wears its heart — a cosmopolitan blend of soul, style and swagger — on its rolled-up sleeve. Between activist-led art galleries, historic former palaces, cutting-edge fashion designers and some of the best-rated restaurants on the planet, there’s plenty to do and see in India’s mammoth, west-coast metropolis. Lose yourself among car horns and 20 million Mumbaikars, dive into some of India’s best street food, explore ancient island cave temples or simply while away the day on the beach with your toes in the cerulean Arabian Sea.
Jaipur
In 1876, Jaipur’s Old City was given a fresh, rosy coat of paint in the hope of welcoming Queen Victoria and her eldest son, the Prince of Wales. Known ever since as the “Pink City”, Unesco-recognised Jaipur is internationally renowned for its architecture — everything from the blush-toned Amber Fort to its havelis (mansions) and opulent, jewel-toned palaces. The capital of northwesterly Rajasthan state, Jaipur has also long been a muse and heartland for creatives and artists alike. Leading the way in everything from printed batik textiles and ceramics to emerald cutting, Jaipur is a hotbed of creative talent that now extends to a world-famous literary festival. Buy beautiful fabrics in its vibrant bazaars, marvel at the palatial architecture, and explore the desert city’s culture at its preserved forts and temples.
Jodhpur
Rajasthan’s “blue city” — a memento from Jodhpur’s Brahmins, who painted their walls to deter insects and keep the city cool in summer — may play second fiddle to its more famous rosy-coloured sister, but that doesn’t mean it ought to: Jodhpur has a magnetism all of its own. An important site of regal architecture, it is home to the mighty Mehrangarh Fort — one of India’s most magnificent citadels — as well as the Mandore Gardens (where the maharajahs lived before upping sticks to Mehrangarh), the Jaswant Thada memorial and the extraordinary Toorji Ka Jhalra stepwell. Don’t miss the lakes or Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, either; the natural ecology surrounding the area is outstanding.
Chennai
Martin Jernberg
Few things are as synonymous with India as cricket, but fewer know that the mothership itself is Chennai. In the sprawling, steamy capital of Tamil Nadu — India’s southernmost state — the hottest ticket in town is an Indian Premier League (IPL) match. The city is a great introduction to southern India and Tamil-influenced culture: there’s everything from delicious and innovative vegetarian cooking to mind-blowing art. Formerly known as Madras, Chennai is often touted as the cultural hub of India, blending historic tradition with bustling, modern life. Plus you’re a stone’s throw from some of the region’s best sands, whether that’s Chennai’s famed Marina beach (one of the world’s longest city beaches), or a quick flight to the paradisical Andaman Islands.
Calcutta (Kolkata)
Chosen as the base of the British Raj during their colonisation of India, this formerly prosperous city had its capital city status revoked when it became the centre of the Indian independence movement. Now, rebounding from the period of economic and political turbulence that followed, Calcutta is back on the up. This creative and vivacious city, on the banks of the Hooghly River near the Bangladesh border, has seen a popularity resurgence among Gen Z in particular. Calcutta is full of crumbling charm and extraordinary literary and artistic talent, but is especially beloved by foodies — it’s widely regarded as one of the most exciting places to eat in the country. Here, you’ll find up-and-coming culinary and mixology talents, rubbing shoulders with excellent street-food stalls.
New Dehli
New Delhi is such a perfect microcosm it could be called India in miniature — except there’s nothing miniature about it. India’s thrumming, overpowering, extraordinary capital is home to some of the world’s most exciting talents in fashion, art, food and technology. Often skimmed over as a jumping-off point for travellers, New Delhi (and the larger metropolitan area of Delhi, with a total population of about 30 million) actually has some of the country’s most famous sights, including the Qutub Minar tower, the Jantar Mantar observatory and India Gate. Even a short stay brings raucous nightlife, Unesco heritage sites, tantalising food markets, peaceful gardens and manic shopping malls.
Plus, you get two (three, if you count hip sister city Gurugram) radically different places in one: Old Delhi (called “Purani Dilli”) — the otherworldly original city — and New Delhi, the metropolis created as a base for the British Raj during their colonisation of India.
Varansi
There’s no two ways about it — you’re not going to Varanasi for contemporary art or white-sand beaches. This place is the spiritual centre of India: where pilgrims bathe in the Ganges at sunrise and where many Hindus come to take their last breath to attain moksha (liberation of the soul). It can be overwhelming, absolutely, but it’s also a humbling experience you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Make sure you wake up early to sit on the steps of one of the city’s 80-plus ghats (stairs to the water) and behold some of the many pujas (religious ceremonies). Dashashwamedh is one of the most popular sunset spots for the city’s iconic ganga aarti ceremony, where you can watch diyas (oil lamps) being lit and set afloat on the river.
Agra
It’s rare that a city is almost entirely overshadowed by its main attraction, but understandably so in this case; most places don’t have the Taj Mahal to contend with. Unquestionably India’s most famous tourist sight — and one of the new seven wonders of the world — this Mughal mausoleum is not only an internationally renowned architectural triumph, but one of the most legendary displays of love. South of Delhi, Agra is actually home to two more Unesco heritage sites: Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. A visit to the fort by night is one of the best ways to learn about Mughal history (with the help of a memorable light and sound show) and you can stop to gawp at the Jama Masjid over the road. You’ll also want to hit up the city’s flea markets to find a bargain or two.
Mitchell Ng Liang an
Rishikesh
When the Beatles bedded down at a Rishikesh ashram in the Sixties, an entire hemisphere was let in on a spiritual secret. Long revered by Hindus as a pilgrimage site and in India as the birthplace of yoga, Himalayan Rishikesh is home to one of the earliest recorded ashrams. It’s believed that meditation and a dip in the Ganges — here at its purest accessible point, where quick-flowing waters pass below forested peaks — help fast-track you towards enlightenment. Rishikesh is dedicated to its clean-living and religion: the entire city is alcohol-free and vegetarian. Make sure you’re in town for sunset, when a breeze races down the river and intensifies the peal of the temple bells ahead of the ganga aarti.
