Homestays
Homestays put you inside a family's own household rather than a hotel — often with home-cooked meals and direct conversation with your hosts — ranging from village settings that give a genuine window into rural life to heritage city homes run by the same family for generations.
Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 1 Sept 2026
- Private, tailor-made
- Ministry of Tourism approved
We are still adding pages to this section. Ask a specialist below and we will plan it with you directly.
Not sure which to pick? Plan it with a specialist.
Tell us your dates and pace. You receive a written itinerary and quote first; nothing is charged to start planning.
Other collections
Frequently asked questions
Are homestays as comfortable as hotels?
Facilities vary more than at a graded hotel — some are very comfortable, others simpler. Tell us what matters to you (attached bathroom, wifi, air-conditioning) and we will match accordingly.
Is a homestay a good fit for a first-time visitor to India?
It can be an excellent, memorable addition to a trip, generally best as one or two nights within a wider itinerary rather than the entire stay for a first visit.
Do homestay hosts speak English?
It varies — many do, especially in areas used to visitors; where it's a concern we can confirm in advance or provide a guide to help with communication.
About Homestays
Homestays put you inside a family's own household rather than a hotel — often with home-cooked meals and direct conversation with your hosts — ranging from village settings that give a genuine window into rural life to heritage city homes run by the same family for generations.
What a homestay actually gives you
A homestay is, at its best, direct contact with a family's daily life — meals cooked in their kitchen, conversation over dinner, sometimes participation in a local activity — that a hotel, however well run, cannot replicate. It suits travellers who want connection over consistency; expect more variation in facilities than a graded hotel.
What to expect
- Home-cooked meals, often the highlight of a homestay for many travellers
- Fewer standardised facilities than a hotelask specifically about attached bathrooms, hot water timing and wifi if these matter to you
- A genuinely personal welcome, and often a chance to ask your hosts questions a guide wouldn't answer the same way
Where homestays work well
Village and rural settings across several regions, and heritage city homes in places like Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu's Chettinad, both offer strong homestay options. We can suggest a specific one once we know your route and interests.
What guests say
- 5 stars3
- 4 stars2
- 3 stars1
- 2 stars0
- 1 stars0
What our guests say
Anjali Nair
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala · Family · Verified trip
5/51 week agoOur guide grew up in the old town and it showed. We got the version of the city locals see, not the coach-tour one. He also found us a wonderful sweet shop that has ruined all other sweets for me.
via Google
Dhruv Patel
Ahmedabad, Gujarat · Group · Verified trip
4/51 month agoExcellent guide and a well-paced day. My only note is that lunch was at a fairly touristy restaurant; food was fine but we would have preferred somewhere more local. Otherwise faultless.
via Tripadvisor
Lukas Schmid
Zurich, Switzerland · Friends · Verified trip
3/51 month agoMixed feelings. The sites were spectacular and the driver excellent, but our guide's English was harder to follow than we expected and we missed some of the detail. The office apologised quickly when we mentioned it.
via Tripadvisor
Jessica Alvarez
San Diego, USA · Family · Verified trip
5/52 months agoPerfect balance of monuments and everyday life — a spice market, a morning at a ghat, then the big sights in the afternoon light. Our guide read the group well and adjusted the pace.
via Google
Why book with Experience My India
Government-approved operator
Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
500+ vetted local guides
35+ destination specialists plan every trip by hand.
Human help, every day
Mon–Sun, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST · +91 73022 65809
No payment until you approve
You receive a written quote first; nothing is charged to start planning.
Plan a trip
Tailor-made quote from a specialist