From the majestic Taj Mahal to the spiritual Rishikesh, from holy cows to psytrance raves in Goa – India is the most diverse country I’ve ever visited. The north is completely different to the south and so are the people’s cultures and traditions. Solo travel in India can be challenging – especially female solo travel in India. I did it, for 2.5 months and I had the most impactful trip of my life. India is beautiful, colorful, and eventful.
I’m sharing the seven most important safety tips for solo travel in India – which I wish I had known before – places to visit and places to avoid as a solo traveller in India.
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Safety tips for solo travel in India
When you google “safety in Delhi, India”, the content that shows up makes you think twice about going there. High crime rates, sexual assault, and extreme pollution – doesn’t sound like a place you’d want to visit, right?
Let me tell you one thing in advance: It’s not as bad as some people make it seem! Of course, there are some things to consider when traveling solo to India, but honestly, I felt very safe in most areas of India. The north of India, especially Delhi, was much more challenging for me than the south. People of the north are more conservative and culturally less open than people of the south.
Here are some tips on how to stay safe when traveling solo in India (especially in Delhi and the north).
Make Indian friends
It sounds trivial, but believe me when I say that making Indian friends was my life-saver on my solo trip in India. They told me how to behave, where to go, which areas to avoid, where to stay and how to avoid scams as a blond, European solo traveler.
And how the heck would you make Indian friends?
In India, the best way to make friends is by staying in hostels. It’s funny because in most countries, you’d only find foreign people in hostels. But India is different. Indian people love to travel within their own country. Most of the people in hostels are Indians from different parts of India. This helped me a lot in finding local friends and learning about India from them. Also, roaming around with Indians saves you from being approached from people in the streets.
Don't smile at men in the streets
I took me one week to realise that having a friendly facial expression and making eye contact with men is seen as flirting. Not only that, but they also see it as an invitation to start a conversation.
Basically, if you smile at a man, he will think that you want him to talk to you. Knowing this earlier would have saved me a few uncomfortable situations. I’m a friendly person, I smile at people when we cross paths or when our eyes meet in public, no matter which gender.
Once my Indian friend told me about the meaning in their culture, I started walking around with a resting bitch face and I avoided looking into people’s eyes – it made a big difference!
Before, I had always wondered why Indian women were so serious in the streets or on public transport. Whenever I smiled at a woman, they never smiled back – now I know why.
Important note: This goes only for men that are strangers. Men in the street or on public transport, for example. If it’s a friend or someone at your hostel, feel free to smile and laugh and be friendly!
Be harsh to men that bother you
I learned that Indian men can be very insisting. If you say “no” with a smile on your face, they will keep trying. They don’t take a “no” as a “no” as long as you say it in a friendly way.
Be rude. Be serious. Tell them to f*** off if someone is too insistent.
Cover your shoulders and knees
The less skin you show, the less attention you get. Covering your shoulders and knees and wearing lose clothes helps to avoid unwanted attention.
I remember a day in Delhi with 32°C degrees and I was sweating in my jumper. Feeling like I was in a safe place, I took of my jumper, leaving me with a slightly revealing tank top. The moment I took off my jumper, all eyes were on me. I felt like an alien (even more than before). One thing to know about India is that people love to stare. If you look different to them, they will not take their eyes off you, no shame. All the staring made me feel super unconfortable. Showing skin skyrockets the stares, so it’s up to you how much staring you can take.
Avoid going out alone at night
During my first few days in India, I always made sure to be back at my hostel before it got dark. Better be safe than sorry. Later on, once I had made some Indian friends and got a better feeling for the area, I did go out late, too.
In the end it’s always about your gut feeling. If you do go out at night, always move with Uber and don’t walk alone in the streets. Ideally share your location with a friend and follow the map to see if your driver is going the right way. Be sure to ask a local where to go and how to stay safe.
Start with South India
If you have enough time to visit the north and the south of India, I suggest visiting the south first. South India is easy to travel. People are more open-minded, they are used to tourists and it generally feels more comfortable to be a foreigner in the south. South India will help you to get adjusted to the culture and prepare you for the more traditional North India. The north might give you a bigger culture shock.
Get a local SIM card
Getting a local SIM card with data makes your life in India much easier. Being able to call an Uber from every place and being able to check on Google Maps where you’re going is priceless.
Get a prepaid SIM card at the airport when you arrive to India. I recommend using Airtel. They have a good network and they offer ideal packages for tourists.
Best places for solo travel in India
The best places for solo travel in India are usually areas that attract a high number of foreign tourists. If there are lots of other foreigners, you stand out less and people don’t bother you as much as in other places.
My personal top three places for solo travel in India are Taj Mahal in Agra, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and Palolem in South Goa.
Taj Mahal, Agra
Taj Mahal, one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World, is a must when visiting India. This beautiful architectural masterpiece is located in Agra, only a few hours from Delhi.
Even though the area around Taj Mahal seems more like a slum where people live in poor conditions, I felt safe in Agra. Lots of tourists travel to Agra to visit Taj Mahal, so it’s an ideal place for solo travel in India.
The best way to visit Taj Mahal is early in the morning before the crowds arrive. Check out my full guide on watching the sunrise at Taj Mahal.
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Rishikesh is known as the world’s yoga capital and it attracts lots of yogi’s and practitioners from all around the globe. The local people of Rishikesh are used to tourists and all the infrastructure makes it a comfortable place for solo travel in India.
I felt very safe in Rishikesh, and unlike in some other places, people stared less. If you consider visiting Rishikesh, read through my post of the best things to do in Rishikesh.
Palolem, South Goa
Palolem is one of my favorite places in India. If you seek peace, tranquility and beach life, Palolem is the perfect place for you.
When I arrived to Goa after traveling through the northern part of India, I felt like weight was taken off my shoulders. Goa is different to the rest of India. It’s much more liberal, culturally open and westernized.
I felt so free, I didn’t have to worry about what to wear and how to behave. I could finally smile at people again without making them think I’m flirting.
Palolem is a great place for solo travelers, as there’s a good backpacker community and several great hostels.
Places to avoid for solo travel in India
Mahipalpur, Delhi
There is only one single area where I felt absolutely unsafe and that was “Mahipalpur” near the airport in Delhi. If it hadn’t been 3 am when I arrived there, I would have left immediately. I stayed im Mahipalpur because my plane landed late at night and there were some affordable hotels with good reviews (definitely fake reviews).
The area was shady and the people were even shadier. After I checked into my disgusting room, which was totally different from the pictures, I got a call from the man at the front desk asking if I wanted a full body massage – at 3 AM (eww!). I triple-locked my door and tried to sleep.
Long story short: Don’t stay in Mahipalpur!
Other than that, of the places that I visited, there’s not a single one I would avoid as a solo traveler in India. There will definitely be uncomfortable moments and challenging situations, but they are not necessarily connected to a specific place or area.
Old Delhi, Delhi (on day one)
On my first day in India, I visited Old Delhi by myself. Later on, my local friends told me I was crazy for doing that. Old Delhi is pure chaos. It’s crowded, it’s smelly, it’s dirty, it’s easy to get lost in the narrow pathways. It’s the most challenging place I visited iduring my 2.5 months in India, and I did it on day one.
I don’t even remember how many people asked me for a selfie. At some point they started standing in line for a selfie with me. Some people were even ready to pay me money for a selfie with me. I have never experienced anything like that to this extent. Apparently, some of them have never seen a white person before.
Funnily, this happened only to me. I have an Austrian male friend who visited Old Delhi by himself and he never got asked for a selfie. Maybe it’s because I’m blond and a girl?
And I don’t even want to get started with how many local people tried so sell me a tuk tuk tour or other things.
“Miss, where are you going?”
“Miss, can I help you?”
“Miss, what are you looking for?”
“Miss, tuk tuk?”
“Excuse me miss, one selfie please?”
If you’re brave (or simply crazy like me) and up for a challenge, make your way through Old Delhi by yourself.
Otherwise, I would recommend to either save Old Delhi for later, when you’re already more familiar with Indian culture, or to visit Old Delhi with a second person (ideally a local person who can show you around). Being with someone who knows the place makes Old Delhi way less challenging and you become less of a target for local people.
Get your Guide offers lots of different guided tours through Old Delhi:
Is solo travel in India safe?
Most of the time, I felt completely safe traveling solo through India. I’m sorry if I have made it sound as if Indians were horrible people – they are definitely not! The safety tips are necessary to help you get used to the culture and to manage challenging situations. Not all Indian men will try to scam you or flirt with you.
Generally, Indians are some of the most authentic, kind, generous, respectful, humble and open-hearted people I met on all my travels.
People in the streets do stare and they do bother you as a foreigner, but in the end, they just see an opportunity to earn money for their families, to make a living. As much as it annoyed me when people tried to sell me something, I do understand their need. Many of them live with the bare minimum.
In India, there’s a big societal gap in terms of education, lifestyle and financial resources between the people you meet privately, in a hostel for example, and the people you meet in the streets in public.
People who can afford to travel and live a more developed life usually have a more westernized mindset. Whereas the part of the population that is less educated and living a more traditional life might not know how to behave toward a foreign woman.
I have met the most amazing people during my time in India and I’m endlessly grateful for all the Indian friend’s I’ve made. Solo travel in India is an incredible adventure that gives you the chance to connect with the most beautiful souls if you allow it.
Have you ever done a solo trip to India? What do you think about my safety tips for solo travel in India? Do you have any other tips or recommendations for solo travelers in India?
I would love to hear your opinion in the comments!
April 9, 2023 at 1:53 am
I have always wanted to visit India, but I was worried about doing it solo. I also loved your tip about making Indian friends. Having local friends can definitely help so much. I found that to be true in Morocco.
April 9, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Having local friends is the best for solo trips – especially for such culturally different countries 🙂 I can imagine that it was helpful in Morocco too!
April 9, 2023 at 5:15 am
Wow. Every female traveller, whether solo or not, should read your blog before heading to India. It’s full of great tips and information on India that everyone should be aware of. Thanks for sharing.
April 9, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Thanks for your comment, I hope I can help some solo travelers with these tips.