20 Pros And Cons Of Visiting India With Kids (2024)

Last Updated on March 13, 2024 by Nicole

My family spent 14 days in India. My children, two boys and two girls, were 12, 13, 15 and 19 years old at the time. It was a mesmerizing trip filled with wonderment, excitement and sometimes, fear. Since returning home, I have asked myself whether I would recommend a trip to India to other families regardless of the age of their children. And the answer is, it depends. Here are the pros and cons of visiting India with young or older children.

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Background To Our Trip To India

Our trip to India was my husband’s 50th birthday gift to me. India was always a bucket list destination for me, and I wanted to bring my children. However, I didn’t want to visit when they were too young, unsure of the challenges that we may face. Overall, I am glad that we waited until they were teenagers.

Our 14 day itinerary was exactly what I wanted. We went to the Punjab to visit Amritsar and the Golden Temple, then went to Dehli, Agra, and Jaipur. A highlight was an extraordinary tiger safari in Ranthambore National Park.

Over two weeks, we saw city and rural life, learned about India’s history, culture, architecture, and animal life. It was everything that I hoped.

However, it wasn’t always easy.

Most of these challenges were not family specific. They would be relevant for anyone with or without children.

I do not pretend to know everything about India so my comments must be taken into context. We only toured a small region of India for 14 days. Accordingly, you might not share these same experiences in other parts of India, or you may face different issues. I can only speak to what we observed and experienced.

Why You Should Visit India With Kids

There are lots and lots of reasons why you should take that trip to India with or without children.

India Has Amazing History And Cultural Attractions

We had some amazing experiences in India. A highlight for me was a trip to Amritsar where we toured the Golden Temple. We watched hundreds of volunteers in enormous facilities preparing and cooking meals to feed between 50,000 – 75,000 people a day for free. It was an unbelievable sight to behold and one that my children won’t soon forget. We even got to help.

We spent an evening at the India and Pakistan border. I never thought that I would witness thousands of people, on both sides of the border, screaming, dancing, and celebrating the lowering of their flags. The atmosphere was electric. I felt like I had been dropped into the Coliseum during Roman times and I was about to witness fierce gladiator contests.

The Taj Mahal was magical and as beautiful as photos always suggest. In Delhi, I loved exploring the ruins of Qutab Minar and Humayun’s Tomb.

Climbing up to the Amer Fort in Jaipur was an amazing experience. It offered breathtaking views of the valley below. I also really enjoyed visiting the Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur and seeing ancient clothing, weapons and artifacts.

I feel that the tiger safari was the highlight of our trip. We loved seeing these magnificent and endangered animals up close in their natural surroundings. I would easily return to India tomorrow to spend more time at Ranthambore National Park and go on another tiger safari (even though I had a terrifying experience bumping into a tiger outside our hotel room)!

Temples and mosques welcome visitors regardless of their faith. The food is delicious and the variety offered is astounding. The people are friendly and regularly invite you into their home for tea whether they are affluent or poor.

The monkeys, cows, and elephants that seem to saunter around everywhere are captivating – how they exist where one would never think they could or should is mind boggling!

India Loves Children

Children are loved and appreciated in India and are welcome in most places. They are allowed to act like children – run around, cry, and be loud – and no one cares. They are expected to respect their elders, but other than that, they offer a very kind family culture.

It’s Crazy And Vibrant

In this day and age of smart phones and constant stimulation, India and it’s masses of people and chaotic energy easily captures the attention of children of all ages. There is rarely a time when there isn’t something going on around you.

For example, dozens of cars try to drive side by side on two lane roads all the while honking their horns constantly; people are everywhere and mostly in stunning coloured clothing; cows and stray animals are on roads, in cities, and pathways; or some magnificent ancient building simply pops up out of nowhere.

India Was Very Inexpensive

There are many ways that you can travel India. It is an extremely poor country, so you could visit India and live on only a few dollars a day. You would still have food and a roof over your head, but it would be extremely basic and likely a little unsanitary by western standards – but you could do it!

On the other hand, you could travel in comfort and even luxury. You could stay in five star hotels, eat at excellent restaurants, and have a car, driver and/or guides at your disposal for very reasonable prices.

Of course, you can do something in between and still live better than you can in Europe or North America for a lot less money.

Luxury Travel

Luxury travel in India is obviously more than a few dollars a day. However, it is significantly less than any Western country, and even less than most developing countries where I have travelled.

Our fourteen day itinerary in India for 6 people cost us around $6000 USD, excluding hotels and food. That included approximately $1300 (3 x$430) for three excursions into Ranthambore National Park for our tiger safaris. That fee was regulated and controlled by the Indian government and could not be avoided if we wanted to do tiger safaris.

So for $4300 USD (I am going to exclude the three tiger safaris), we had a 9 seater van and a driver throughout our whole trip.

Every time we arrived at an airport (whether from our international or domestic flights), we had someone greet us, take us to our hotel, and take care of check in.

When we left a hotel, that same person would return. He would make sure our check out when smoothly. He would accompany us to the airport or train station, depending on the situation, and make sure we left with ease.

Everywhere we went, we had a separate guide who took us on our private tours.

To get a sense of what great value this was, check out our 2 week itinerary. We did an awful lot on our 14 day India vacation.

Food

Food at upscale restaurants were less than western prices, but not drastically so.

However, the more adventurous you are, the more money you will save. Restaurants where locals eat or street food were very cheap.

Hotels

Hotels are the most expensive part of this trip. However, even at the luxury end, there is lots of choice and good value. You can easily pay only a couple hundred US dollars per night for a five star hotel, even those that were former palaces.

Service was Phenomenal

Everywhere we went, we had exceptional service. For services that one would normally expect one or maybe two people assisting you (based upon western expectations), there would be five or six people helping.

So arrivals and departures from hotels were usually fast and pleasant. Whenever we checked into a hotel, we were usually offered a hot towel to wipe our hands and face, and refreshments. This was a lovely way to finish your travels and be introduced to your next hotel.

An Example of Amazing Service

We also saw first hand how important service was in a couple of our hotels.

Once we ate at Giardino, the Italian restaurant at our hotel Taj Jai Mahal Palace in Jaipur (and one of the very few times that we did not eat Indian food). 

The food was excellent, except my husbands dish was served lukewarm.

Unfortunately, this restaurant was expensive. It was consistent with going to an expensive restaurant in a Western country. Thus, expectations were high. When the waiter came to ask us about our food, we said it was all excellent, except my husband’s dish was not served hot.

Rectifying The Problem

Well, the flood gates opened after that. The waiter insisted on bringing another dish…anything for my husband. When he politely refused a few times (he had already eaten most of his food), the waiter seemed unsure what to do next.

So, I told him that our teenage son could always eat more. The waiter was thrilled to order more pasta for my son. I also asked them to pack up the calzone that I only partially ate (it was huge) so that my sons could also eat it later.

The next day, I learnt that both boys received from room service a full plate of pasta and a brand new fresh calzone, and no leftovers were delivered!  Desert was offered, delivered to all of us, and was free.

Then, each and every member of the kitchen staff came out, including the chef, to hear our comments about what was wrong about the meal. We were mortified by this. However, we did as we were asked.

Finally, when the bill arrived and my husband began adding a tip, the head waiter said that we should not leave any gratuity. He said learning how to be better was enough (suffice it to say we left a tip!).

Not to belabour this story further, the next day at breakfast, the head chef of the whole hotel came to see us to apologize and to ask if everything was ok.

Rest assured, we never complained about another thing at this hotel! The earnestness in which people wanted to be excellent at what they did, and to make us happy, was incredible. We saw this here and in many other places in India.

India Has A Sophisticated Tourism Industry

We were seamlessly met, transported and guided throughout a multiple day and multiple city private tour of India, and it was brilliantly done. Our guides were very professional, had excellent English, and were very accommodating.

I luckily discovered a local travel company called Indian Vistas on the internet. I always try and work with a local travel agent when creating an itinerary. Even so, I do a lot of research before I reach out to a travel company so I have an idea of where and what I want to see.

If you have a really good local travel agent, they can piece together what you want, and suggest other interesting things to do or see, to build a very interesting and satisfying itinerary. That is what happened.

Colombia

This might not seem like a big deal, but it is. When I was trying to organize a 14 day trip to Colombia (Best 14 Day Colombia Itinerary With Teens), I faced a very unsophisticated tourism industry.

There were multiple hotel choices of varying quality in most major cities, but not anywhere else. It was hard to find private transfers between major cities and rural cities, even when they were only a couple of hours apart. Where they were offered, they were ridiculously expensive.

It took me weeks to find a local travel agent who could help me create an itinerary. However, ultimately, his recommendations were not based upon what I wanted but what they normally offer to tourists.

That did not happen when we created our itinerary for India. With a few emails and a couple of calls, I explained what I wanted and the first proposal was almost perfect.

After dozens and dozens of trips that I have organized or sought the assistance of travel agents, I can tell you that does not normally happen. It’s a tribute to the travel agent, but also to the tourism industry that can offer such rich and diverse experiences in India.

Why You Should Not Go To India With Kids

India offers lots and lots of challenges whether you are traveling with kids or not. My kids had gone to over 40 countries, many of them in developing countries, by the time we went to India. Even with that kind of travel experience, there were several times that they felt uncomfortable, or did not enjoy a situation.

If you are seriously considering going with your children, you really have to take a few moments and really assess whether each of your kids would be able to handle these experiences.

India Was Very Crowded

As of 2021, India’s population was over 1.4 billion people. It is second only to China. The population is equivalent to almost 18% of the world’s population which equals to 1,169 people per square mile.

In other words, there are lots and lots of people EVERYWHERE you go! If you stay in a nice hotel with large grounds, you will get some relief from the constant contact with other people, but it is only a temporary relief. It is crowded in the cities and it is crowded in the countryside and it takes its toll on you after awhile if you are not used to it.

I have been to very crowded and busy cities all over the world – Bangkok in Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam quickly come to mind. I actually love to experience these places and I think it’s important to do so in order to fully appreciate the diversity of each country.

However, once you leave those cities and go to rural areas, or smaller cities/towns, the space around you opens up. Normally, there are fewer people, cars and action. So in these places, I am able to enjoy the chaos of the large cities because it balances out with the calm of other parts of the country that we visit.

In India, this balance is much harder to create. Smaller cities and towns are very busy by western standards. Maybe not as busy as the major cities, but still swarming with people, animals, and vehicles.

There Was Garbage Everywhere

Unfortunately, everywhere you look, there was garbage. There was garbage along the streets in Delhi, along the highways where we traveled, and all over the countryside.

There were a few exceptions. For example, the tourist sites were kept clean of garbage, but not the area around them. The hotels and their properties were very clean. Also, it was clean around the diplomatic area of Delhi and in Ranthamborne National Park where we did the tiger safari. However, that was basically it.

There Was A lot Of Dirt Or Cement

All of the highways and many of the roads in cities and towns were paved. However, not all roads were paved and these roads were simply dirt roads. In many places, there weren’t any sidewalks and you ended up walking in the dirt.

The flip side to that is in Delhi, or in the centre of larger towns, everything was cemented over. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. I have been to many places where there was a lot of cement and dirt. However, what made this feel different from other places that I have visited was there was hardly any trees or plants to soften the constant cement or dirt view.

Consequently, I felt that I was immersed in sombre brown and grey tones in the cities, and I found that I craved nature and its’ colours while I was there.

There Was A Lot of Poverty

We did a lot of travelling within India. We drove for the most part, and took the train once. In our travels, we saw a lot of extreme poverty.

We saw naked and dirty children running around; families living in shacks on the side of the road without running water or electricity; and people begging at stop lights.

We were aware of the poverty and were saddened by it. However, we were not shocked or traumatized by it. In our travels, my children have seen extreme poverty several times before.

Nonetheless, India would be a difficult place to have one of your first encounters with this level of poverty because it is so widespread and in many cases, they lack even basic needs such as clothes, shoes and running water.

Begging And Haggling

There is a lot of begging directed to your children. Sometimes, it is children begging your children. This is very difficult to see or can be really hard on your kids, depending on how sensitive they are.

Make sure that you explain to your kids prior to going to India what they might encounter and come up with a plan to deal with it. You may even wish to contribute to a charity before going on your trip so that everyone in your family knows that you have already tried to help.

Food Can Be Tricky

We had some amazing meals in India. I never thought that I could eat only Indian food for two weeks and be happy about it, but I came pretty close to that.

We stayed a couple of nights at very nice hotels that offered western food. So, I did indulge in some pasta one or two nights, but every lunch was Indian food, and most dinners were as well. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

Having said that, Indian food is pretty much always spicy. We only went to restaurants that were used to tourists. As soon as they saw us and our children, they immediately assured us that the food would not be spicy. We quickly learnt that there was no such thing!

My husband and I loved it (although a lot of antacids were taken before bedtime). Our children found ways to enjoy the food (there was a lot of yogurt, naan and rice with the dishes to soften the spices). However, if you have young children, or very fussy children, food in India could be a huge challenge.

Raw Food

Westerners should avoid raw food in India. Tap water is not filtered to the same degree as we are used to and bacteria easily remains. Personal hygiene in India is also at a different standard, so bacteria is easily transferred from those handling the food and your meal if proper safeguards are not taken.

Restaurants that cater to tourists implement different water filtration systems and have a more rigorous standard of handling the food. However, it is not foolproof.

Even at the best hotels, mistakes can be made. We were very lucky. None of us got sick. However, we only went to restaurants that catered to tourists, never ate raw vegetables, and only ate raw fruit that you had to peel.

There Was Lots Of Chaos

Driving was nuts. If there were two lanes, four vehicles – cars/motorcyclists/trucks/buses – were side by side at any one time passing and swerving around each other. We witnessed two accidents and came across the aftermath of several more. They used their horn constantly. It was acceptable and indeed expected to blow your horn every time you came up to another vehicle, and wished to pass it or share the lane with them.

Walking was stressful. Many places did not have sidewalks. If they did not have sidewalks, you were walking at the side of a road, normally in dirt, dodging pedestrians, cows, cars, motorcycles and bicycles coming from all directions. Horns were blaring and you never felt like you were completely safe from being clipped from the side or behind.

My youngest child was 12 years old when we were in India. Most of the time, my children were aware and cautious when walking but not always. I was hyper-alert watching them and my surroundings for oncoming danger. It was never relaxing walking or exploring in India anywhere other than inside major cultural or historical attractions.

Expected Safety Precautions Were Not Always Present

There were several times that I was very grateful to not be travelling in India with young children because expected safety precautions were not always in place.

In one instance, we had high tea with a local Indian family in Jaipur. We sat mostly on her rooftop deck where we talked and enjoyed our tea.

We were about four stories up and there wasn’t any handrail or fencing around it. In other words, anyone could have tripped and fallen off the roof. In the case of children, a simple game or horsing around would have been dangerous.

At one hotel where we stayed, the bannisters on the stairs were ridiculously low and would have done nothing to stop even an older child from tumbling off of them to the ground below.

Even at major tourist sites, bannisters and fencing could have wide gaps between where young children could easily fall through.

Photos And Touching

Wherever we went in India, we were the source of endless attention. Most of the time, it was positive and well intentioned. You slowly get used to it.

However, there is endless requests to take you and your kid’s photos, usually with all of their family members. At first, it is kind of cute. It is all done pleasantly and politely. After awhile, you realize that you will never get more than a few feet if you agree to any photos as people start to line up and wait their turn.

With the affection and love for children comes lots of touching. Cheek-pinching, handing of (perhaps unsanitary) treats, patting on the head. Depending on the kid, this can be really overwhelming and uncomfortable.

Indian Men Were Often Inappropriate

If you have older daughters, you have to think very carefully about taking them to India.

I have two daughters who were 12 and 19 years old when we were in India. Men stared at them constantly, all day long, everywhere we went. Our 19 year old daughter wore baggy pants, loose fitting tops, and no make up, and they still could not keep their eyes off of her.

My husband is 6’4″ (195 cm), and my two sons were 6’2″ and 6’4″ at the time. We had Indian guides, mostly men, everywhere we went.

Still, we were followed by fifteen Indian men at the train station while we walked on the platform and waited for our train. It was very unnerving.

My husband and sons flanked the girls while we toured the markets in Jaipur as men stared, followed us and catcalled.

The male attention was so uncomfortable at the pool at our hotel in Agra that my daughters never took off their cover ups, never went into the pool, and used the towels to cover themselves up further while sitting on the lounge chairs even though it was very hot outside.

My 19 year old daughter, who has been to over 40 countries, solo traveled, and went to school 3000 miles away from our home, said that she would never return to India without being married or with her family because of this intense male attention. I never thought that I would hear something like that from her.

My girls felt very uncomfortable with the attention, but were still able to enjoy our holiday and appreciate what India had to offer.

However, this could be very difficult for other girls without our travel history, or even for husbands, fathers and brothers to standby and watch.

Bathrooms Are Not Always Available Or Clean

Many places may only have squatting toilets, and may not have toilet paper or sinks or soap. Other bathrooms may not be very clean and can be difficult to even because of the conditions they are in.

If you are on a tour with a guide, odds are they will already have built in bathroom breaks at western style washrooms, if available, at regular times in the schedule.

If you don’t plan to hire a guide, you could also ask at your hotel where they would recommend using the toilet if you know your itinerary for the day.

Regardless, you should always be prepared with a bottle of sanitizer and/or liquid soap to wash hands, as well as your own toilet paper.

Air Quality Can Be Terrible

In many places, India has terrible pollution. Regularly, over 20 cities have the worst air quality in the world. This would be tough on anyone with any respiratory problems, like asthma. It could be dangerous to do any outdoor activities for anyone, even if they are otherwise healthy.

It is hard to slow kids down sometimes, or you need to let your kids run around to blow off some energy. In both instances, the pollution could have a serious impact on you and your children.

Last Word

India is a remarkable country with some spectacular historical sites. It has amazing culture and delicious food. We met some wonderful people and had excellent service at hotels and restaurants. However, there are lots of challenges facing tourists.

It doesn’t matter whether you stay at a five star hotel, or only eat at tourist restaurants, or have a car, driver and tour guide at your constant disposal, you can not avoid the challenges described above unless you never leave your hotel. And then, what’s the point of going in the first place?

We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip to India for many reasons. However, before deciding to take your family to India, you need to determine whether the challenges described above will overwhelm or ruin your experience.

If so, it might be better to wait until your children are older, or they have been exposed to other developing countries before you head to India, or they have outgrown their sensitivities. It is also completely possible that India may never be the right place for you and your family.

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