Arriving in India: How to Plan Your First Two Days

Most of an easy arrival is settled at home.

• Paperwork: foreign visitors and OCI cardholders submit the e-Arrival Card online within the 72 hours before arrival, on the Bureau of Immigration's site, the Indian visa website or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app; it records your arrival and is not a visa. Our e-Arrival Card guide walks through it. If you hold an e-Visa, the official portal asks you to check that your ETA shows as granted before you travel and to carry a printed copy; see our e-Visa guide.
• Sleep: the NHS suggests getting plenty of rest before you travel, and starting to go to bed and get up earlier or later than usual in the days before, to edge towards the new time zone.
• The time difference: India keeps Indian Standard Time, which the National Physical Laboratory, the country's timekeeper, sets at UTC plus five and a half hours. Change your watch when you board.
• The first night: book it in advance, and if you land in the early morning, book the room from the night before so you can go straight to bed.

e-Visa holders land at one of the airports the e-Visa portal designates, and at immigration your biometric details are taken and your e-Visa is stamped into your passport. The UK Foreign Office reminds travellers to make sure the officer stamps the passport, because border officials check it when you leave. Declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to duty at customs; our packing list covers what not to bring.

Getting to your hotel is the moment to be careful, especially after a night flight. The UK Foreign Office advises against hailing taxis on the street, above all at night, and notes that app-based taxis are available in every airport terminal building, along with pre-paid taxi counters and hotel transfers. If a hotel driver meets you, check that they identify themselves before you set off. Changing money and buying a SIM card can wait until you are rested; our page on money and SIM cards for visitors explains both.

Jet lag is a disturbed sleep pattern after a long flight, the NHS explains: difficulty sleeping at bedtime and waking in the morning, tiredness, trouble staying awake in the day, and poor concentration and memory. It usually improves within a few days as the body adjusts.

• On the flight: drink plenty of water, stretch and walk around the cabin, sleep if it is night-time where you are going, and do not drink too much caffeine or alcohol, which can make jet lag worse.
• After you land: switch to Indian time straight away, set an alarm so you do not oversleep, go outside during the day, because natural light helps your body clock adjust, and sleep only at night rather than in the afternoon.
• Medicines: the NHS says they are not usually needed for jet lag. If you have a health condition, or have struggled badly before, talk to your doctor or a travel clinic before the trip.

This is the plan we suggest to first-time visitors, whichever city they land in.

• Day one: check in, shower and get outside in daylight for an hour, perhaps a walk in a park near the hotel. Eat an early dinner at the local hour and go to bed at local bedtime. Book nothing with a fixed time.
• Day two: one main sight in the morning, when it is cooler and quieter, a long lunch, a rest, and an easy evening, such as an Old Delhi street food walk if you are in the capital. Our Delhi guide suggests where to start.
• Day three: begin the trip proper, with the drive to Agra or Jaipur, an early train, or a sunrise visit. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so plan the Agra day around it.

Two seasons call for an even lighter start. From October to February, the UK Foreign Office warns, severe air pollution affects northern Indian cities most; if you are pregnant or have a heart or breathing condition, it suggests seeing a doctor before you travel. In early summer the heat is the problem: IMD's 1991–2020 averages give Jaipur a mean daily maximum of 41.1°C in May, so keep the sightseeing to early morning. Our first-timer's guide covers the rest of the trip's planning.