Nothing prepares you for India — but this helps
India is the most overwhelming, most beautiful, most frustrating, most rewarding country I have ever visited. The sensory intensity of arriving in Delhi or Mumbai for the first time is genuinely unlike anything else — the heat, the noise, the color, the smell, the sheer density of people and activity. It takes a day or two to recalibrate. Then it starts making sense.
Here is what I would tell myself before my first trip.
Pace yourself aggressively
India requires more energy per day than almost anywhere else. The heat is real, the navigation takes effort, and the constant sensory input is genuinely tiring. Build rest days into your itinerary — not half days, full days where you do not leave your accommodation until evening. First-time visitors who try to see too much come home exhausted and confused. Those who slow down come home transformed.
Eat street food, carefully
Indian street food is extraordinary and you should eat it. The rule: eat things that are cooked fresh in front of you and served hot. Avoid raw vegetables, pre-cut fruit, and anything that has been sitting out. Carry oral rehydration salts — your stomach will adjust but it takes time. Most travelers experience some digestive disruption in the first week regardless of how careful they are.
Negotiate everything except fixed prices
Auto-rickshaws, markets, tourist sites — prices are negotiated. Hotels and restaurants usually have fixed prices. Use Uber or Ola for transport to avoid negotiation entirely. The first price quoted to a foreign tourist is typically 3-5x the fair price. Be friendly, be firm, and be willing to walk away.
The visa is easy now
India’s e-visa covers most Western nationalities — apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in. Processing takes 3-5 business days, costs around $25-80 depending on duration. Apply at least a week before departure. Check Kiwi.com for flights in — prices from Southeast Asian hubs are often very reasonable.
What nobody tells you
India changes you. Not in a cliché way — in a genuine, hard-to-articulate way. The country forces you to confront assumptions about comfort, about efficiency, about what matters. Every traveler I know who has spent real time in India came back different. That is the point.