India

Regions in travel priority order:

1. Ganges Region

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand

Uttar Pradesh

• • • Taj Mahal in Agra
    • Ghats (riverfront steps) in Varanasi

Bihar

• • • Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple “Great Awakening Temple” in Patna (where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment)

Jharkhand

• • • Shikharji (pilgrimage site sacred to the Jains)

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2. Rajasthan

Rajasthan “Land of Kings”

Rajasthan

• • • Jaipur “The Pink City”
      1. Hawa Mahal “Palace of Winds”
      2. Jal Mahal “Water Palace”
      3. Amer Fort
         • Maota Lake
         • Suraj Pol (Sun Gate)
         • Diwan-e-am (Hall of Public Audience by the Raja)
         • Jaleb Chowk (First Courtyard)
         • Ganesh Pol (Gate)
         • Aram Bagh (pleasure gardens of the private quarters of the Maharaja in the Third Courtyard)
         • Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors)
    • Ranthambore National Park
    • Jodhpur “The Blue City” (Mehrangarh Fort)
    • Udaipur “The City of Lakes” (City Palace)
    • Jaisalmer “The Golden City” (sandstone city of the Thar Desert)
    • Chand Baori Stepwell
    • Dilwara Jain Temples of Mount Abu
    • Karni Mata (Rat Temple)
    • Pushkar Camel Fair
    • Bikaner Camel Festival

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3. Delhi

National Capital Territory (union territory)

National Capital Territory

• • • Delhi and New Delhi
      1. Red Fort
      2. Chandni Chowk (Moonlight Square)
      3. Humayun’s Tomb
      4. Qutb Minar monuments
      5. Jantar Mantar observatories

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4. Eastern Punjabi Region

Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh (union territory)

Punjab

• • • Harmandir Sahib Sikh Temple (The Golden Temple) in Amritsar

Haryana

• • • Pinjore Gardens

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5. Western Himalayas Region

Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand

Himachal Pradesh

• • • Dharamshala (winter capital of state and host to the Dalai Lama)
    • Shimla (Himalayan foothill summer capital of British India and summer capital of state)

Uttarakhand

• • • Rishikesh (birthplace of Yoga)
    • Corbett National Park
    • Valley of Flowers National Park

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6. Gujarati Region

Gujarat, Daman & Diu (union territory), and Dadar & Nagar Haveli (union territory)

Gujarat

• • • Gir National Park (home to the last of the Asiatic lions)
    • Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell)
    • Great Rann of Kutch salt desert
    • Shatrunjaya hill temple
    • Dwarkadhish Temple

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7. Marathi Region

Maharashtra and Madya Pradesh

Maharashtra

• • • Mumbai (Bombay)
      1. Gateway of India
      2. Chhatrapati Shivaji (Victoria) Terminus Railway Station
      3. Colaba Causeway
      4. Crawford Market
      5. Chor Bazaar (Mutton Street) “Thieves Market”
      6. Lalbaug Spice Market
      7. Bollywood

Madya Pradesh

• • • Kanha National Park (Rudyard Kipling’s inspiration for The Jungle Book)
    • Bandhavgarh National Park
    • Khajuraho Temples
    • Buddhist monuments at Sanchi

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8. Konkan and Malabar Coasts

Goa and Karnataka

Goa

• • • Goa (former Portuguese colony) – Palolem Beach

Karnataka

• • • Vijayanagara ruins
    • Bengaluru (Bangalore – “Silicon Valley of India”)

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9. Malayalam Region

Kerala and Lakshadeep (union territory)

Kerala

• • • Kerala’s Backwaters

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10. Tamil Region

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (union territory)

Tamil Nadu

• • • Meenakshi Amman Temple
    • Chennai (British India’s Madras)

Puducherry

• • • Puducherry (French India’s Pondicherry)

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11. Telugu Region

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Andhra Pradesh

• • • Venkateswara Temple

Telangana

• • • Golconda Fort

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12. Oriya Region

Odisha and Chhattisgarh

Odisha

• • • Konark Sun Temple

Chhattisgarh

• • • Chitrakot Waterfall

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13. West Bengali Region

West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (union territory)

West Bengal

• • • Kolkata (Calcutta) – Marble Palace
    • Sundarbans National Park

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14. Seven Sisters Region

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura

Arunachal Pradesh

• • • Namdapha National Park (Elephant ride safari)

Assam

• • • Kaziranga National Park (Great Indian one horned Rhinoceros)

Manipur

• • • Keibul Lamjao National Park (world’s largest floating island)

Meghalaya

• • • Nokrek National Park (Asiatic elephants)

Mizoram

• • • Phawngpui National Park (Blue Mountains)

Nagaland

• • • Mon District – Land of the Konyaks (former headhunters)

Tripura

• • • Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary (clouded leopards)

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15. Sikkim

Sikkim

Sikkim

• • • Darjeeling
    • Gangtok
    • Khangchendzonga National Park

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16. Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir

• • • Ladakh (“Land of High Passes”)

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Nepal

• • • Kathmandu (capital)
    • Himalayas trekking

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Bhutan

• • • Thimphu (capital)
    • Paro Taktsang “Tiger’s Nest” Monastery

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Bangladesh

• • • Dhaka (capital)
    • Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat (a Word Heritage Site)
    • Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (a Word Heritage Site)
    • Sundarbans mangrove forest delta (a Word Heritage Site)

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Sri Lanka

• • • Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (official administrative capital)
    • Colombo (largest city; de facto legislative capital)
    • Sigiriya Lion Rock Fort

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Note: Maldives and British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago (UK – currently without a permanent population) are listed under Indian Ocean Africa