Things to do in India: 14 places that you should not miss when you are in India

Fresh, lively and lush, this diverse and exciting country is the place where you want to be if you want to experience an optimal sensory stimulus. Here are our top 14 places to see when you wonder what to do in India. We also recommend the best time to visit for each location, based on the weather, local cultural events, costs and the season.

Bangalore (Bengaluru)

People go onto the neon-free Brigade Road in Bangalore

On the San Francisco side! It is Bangalore's turn to be in the limelight. A city is a meeting place for techies, IT entrepreneurs are heavily represented here. Investment funds stimulate the economy and you can also shop endlessly here, such as the typical yuppie street Brigade Road and the luxury shopping center UB City Mall. Good restaurants can also be found everywhere and craft beer is very popular in the pubs. The Mavalli Tiffin Rooms has a wonderful old-fashioned look.

The traffic is as dense as the air pollution, new buildings pop up before your eyes like mushrooms, but when you go to the center of the city you will find beautifully preserved buildings from the colonial era. Examples are the Bangalore Palace inspired by Windsor Castle and green areas such as Cubbon Park.

Best time for a visit: September - February

Delhi

Reflection in silence, in front of the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi

Delhi is the center of India's government and the heart of Indian culture. It is a vast, ancient district where it is so busy that you need a lot of elbows to walk through. It's hot here in the summer and cold in the winter, but the topography is at least completely flat. That makes it easier to make your way through the crowded streets while your golgappas and chaat papdi (local donuts and a fried filled sandwich) work behind you.

If possible, take the Metro anyway. Order a cocktail at the Imperial Hotel, walk to the old bazaars of Old Delhi, visit the Red Fort, as red as Mars, to admire the beautiful Mughal architecture. Then do a meditation session in the serene Bahai temple, shaped like a lotus. What a luxury!

Best time for a visit: October - November

Chennai

Complex sculptures fill the Kapaleeshwar Temple in Chennai

Bloody hot and notorious because of the traffic, Chennai will not make it easy for you to see its charm. It is bustling and colorful, full of artistic highlights and vividly painted temples. The food here is inspired by the religious roots of the city and it has a unique place in the south.

Make your way to the colonial heart of George Town and explore Fort St George - built by the British East India Company - with the old-fashioned, rickety fence. For a moment of peace, you can take a hike to the nearby gopurams, ancient temple towers that give the Empire State Building a check.

Best time for a visit: December - March

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Hyderabad

Chilling in front of the beautiful mosque and monument in Hyderabad, India

The Old City of Hyderabad is the true face of ancient India. Cows roam the busy narrow streets, market vendors loudly praise their wares and the smell of chai and hot Hyderabadi Biryani with goat meat fills the air.

The iconic Charminar monument and ancient mosques such as Mecca Masjid emerge above the otherwise insignificant streets, as silent witnesses to the city's rich past. This is also a city of extremes: head west to "Cyberabad" and you will wonder if you have suddenly landed in high-tech Japan. However, if you don't have too much time, focus on the historic heart of the city and the beautiful architecture.

Best time for a visit: November - February

Jaipur

The peach-colored beauty of the Hall of Private Audience in Jaipur City Palace

It is nicknamed "pink city" because of the exceptional and distinctive color of the buildings. Jaipur is a sparkling city! Everything stretches from the heart of City Palace, where the royal family still lives. And there is so much to see: the floating water palace Jal Mahal, the iconic temple Govind Dev Ji with the many Krishna legends, they are certainly worth a snapshot. Staring at the stars is fantastic from Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO astronomical observatory.

Need a bit more crowds and noise? Then visit the bazaar in central Jaipur, or join the noisy crowds at the Raj Mandir cinema - one of the most famous movie theaters in the country.

Best time for a visit: November - February

Kerala

The waves of the Arabian Sea infest the rugged rocks of Kovalam Beach, Kerala

Kerala is the location where the book God Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things takes place. It is a stunningly beautiful tropical paradise in the deep south and perfect for a holiday from India. Sparkling water, vast beaches and lots of huge nangka trees and cashew nut trees full of ripening fruits - if you are looking for a paradise oasis far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of India, then you have to be here.

A hike through the Blue Mountains of Western Ghats is a must, the waterfalls of Athirapally are of exceptional beauty. Cross the lagoons behind - or follow the Vallam Kali boat race that is held every August. The food is as usual spicy, so keep some coconut milk on hand to extinguish the fire of your taste buds.

Best time to visit: January - March (although Kerala is tropical all year round)

Pune

Busy in Pune's business city center

Lush, green and skilled, Pune bears the nickname "Oxford of the East" with verve - there are also almost as many bicycles. Universities and colleges abound, so if you want to dive into the books you can do it here. Party students crowding around Fergusson College Road on Saturday evenings - or grabbing a strong cup of coffee to sit in one of the many cafes studying for the next test.

Pune University is one of the oldest universities in India and you can take a tour there, or you can take a horseback ride through Bund Garden and take a look at the fire-ravaged palace Shaniwar Wada. The locals call Koregaon Park the "restaurant suburb", where you can spoil yourself with dozens of options for great food.

Best time for a visit: November

Mumbai

The sunsets at the monument the Gate of India in Mumbai

Hold on. The crowded city of Mumbai is all commotion. What else do you want, if you are in a mess with 12 million in this province consisting of seven islands? This is the commercial epicenter of India: the concrete skyscrapers are erupting all around you. Set sail for Kala Ghoda for a variety of museums, then continue your way to one of the most beautiful sights in India, the Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill - the perfect place for a selfie, so go ahead enthusiasts! - and then you can also run behind the pigeons around the historic Gate of India.

You cannot, of course, skip the famous markets, with all the curiosities and jewelry from the Colaba market that stand out in particular. You can see traditional Hindi performances at the Prithvi Theater in Juhu. If you really want to go to the beaches, just go and watch people, but rather skip swimming.

Best time for a visit: November - February

Kolkata

Rattling rickshaw in Kolkata, one of the best places in India to visit.

This is a city of contradictions and Kolkata can, therefore, be quite confronting for visitors. There is visible poverty here, all the more clearly illustrated by the extreme wealth in the background - immaculate golf courses, polo fields and expensive clubs of big money, only accessible to members. You can consider Kolkata as the closest big city in India.

Despite - or perhaps precisely because of - its distress, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is known as a city of culture and has produced several Nobel Prize winners, prize-winning writers, poets, and scientists. Experience the daily contradictions on a walk along the river, across the Eden Garden promenade that runs next to the cricket ground and visit the annual Book Fair - the world's most visited book fair - in January. Otherwise, grab a movie at the Kolkata Film Festival in November.

Best time for a visit: October - February

Mysore

Walk along with the gardens of the old Mysore Palace

Absolutely pleasing to the eye, Mysore is famous for its unparalleled beauty. The flagship in all this splendor is the UNESCO-listed palace, with the magnificent red domes and the kaleidoscopic stained glass windows of the interior. Mysore Palace offers an unsurpassed sight on Sunday evenings when the entire retreat is bathed in light.

The architectural indulgence continues with the Gothic St. Philomena cathedral and the beautiful Lalit Mahal Palace, known for the typically British high teas. If you have a sweet tooth, try Mysore Pak, where they serve a fudge-like dessert based on ghee. In the Mysore Sand Sculpture Museum, you can see beautiful works of art and Brindavan Gardens with its many fountains is a nice diversion. Festival lovers note in your diary that the ten-day Dasara Festival is on the program in September.

Best time for a visit: September - January

Ooty

Picking tea leaves in Ooty, India

In the Blue Mountains in southern India you can escape the tropical heat because the green hills are full of eucalyptus trees and tea tree plantations - all accessible by a funny miniature train.

Explore the vast Botanical Gardens where the Summer Festival takes place in May and climb the Doddabetta peak to take perfect pictures. You can ride horses around the lake or further into the beautiful countryside. Treat yourself to the famous chocolates of the region and take locally planted tea to wash it away. For a little something else you can also visit the scary Wax Museum.

Best time for a visit: March - June

Pondicherry

A day at the beach in Pondicherry, one of the best places to visit in India

Don't know what to do in India? Then come to Pondicherry. There is an artistic, bohemian atmosphere in this city and it is nowhere else in India as relaxed as here. Listen carefully, you might hear that they speak French here. 'Pondy', as it is known, was under French management until 1954 and Gallic history is very evident especially in the eastern part of the city.

The objective of Pondy is to do as little as possible, so switch on your inner sloth. The Old City all has curious terraced houses and cobblestone streets and you can dine here the French way. If you have missed the croissants, steak and red wine, get your portion here and then head to the beach.

Best time for a visit: October - February

Udaipur

Local Hindi women prepare a ceremony at the Jagdish Temple in Udaipur

James Bond fans recognize Udaipur from Octopussy. The architecture is a true delight here, just as the calm lakes are. This is a perfect setting for a romantic getaway. Color is very important for the people here and they have a "color festival" every year where the locals give the already colorful outfits a little extra shine and color. Even the buildings participate - At the Udaipur City Palace complex you see mirrored turrets and glass mosaics everywhere.

The Green New Moon Fair festival is held around the artificial lakes of the city and gives Udaipur extra shine in August. The Shilpgram Crafts Fair in November is a funfair where you can buy local art. You can find a taxi rental service in Udaipur a very fine rate of the taxi fare.

Best time for a visit: August - January

Munnar

the high green hills of Kolukkumalai are a short drive up from the center of the city of Munnar

Leave the big cities behind and head for the hills. Munnar is the former summer resort of the British in India, a beautiful, tranquil setting with many tea trees and mountain tops that disappear into the clouds. The gardens of the Floriculture Center are worth a visit, as well as that picnic on Mattupetti Dam. Test your lungs at Echo Point.

Eravikulam National Park is the site of leopards, tigers and mountain goats who are not afraid of anything or anyone. The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is a haven for the birds and there are some very special ones in between. Rent a rowing boat, ride a bike through the landscape, or put on the naughty mountain boots and do a rock-climbing expedition on the steep rock of Munnar.

Best time for a visit: September - June