Firstly we suggest you to visit "Tour Packages" page on our website, which include various tours of India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka & Nepal. Select a tour package. If you intend to make any changes like having a day more or less then inform us so that we make your itinerary accordingly. You can use our online query form or mail us at info@rangolitours.in.

If you don't want the tours listed in our site then in such a case you need to fill up the form on our contact us page. In this form you have to specify the places you want to visit, date of arrival and people who are traveling, the hotel category and any other special choice. After having these details from you, we will design a tour package and contact you with all the details.

For the general information please visit the page "Amazing India". We have tried to present India in a photo tour. You may also put up your questions in the contact us form. Apart from that we suggest you to do some background research about India, so that your visit becomes a great experience. During your tour we will also provide you a tourist guide to the cities in the language of your choice who will let you know anything you want to know about India.

Your travel bookings should be made 8 months well in advance, especially if you are traveling between October to March (peak tourist season) and May to June (the Indian holiday season). As Travel infrastructure in India has its limitations in comparison to the high season demand therefore we highly recommend to book your tour in advance.

While planning your trip we suggest you to consider the festivals which would be taking place in India during the trip. On receiving the information from you we will combine your trip with an Indian Festival which will make your trip a great experience. For any further information on Festivals please visit our Festivals page. Our tourist guides will also tell you about the cultural activities that take place during the festivals.

Yes, we can book all your domestic tickets within the country. You can buy an Air Ticket through us but to be fair we advice you to book your air ticket in your coutry as it would be normally expensive if booked in India and then sent to your country. However even if Air tickets are cheaper and you may happen to change your schedule in that case it is better to have the tickets issued at the port of departure. After having booked your air tickets you can inform us the arrival time and the flight Number to enable us to pick you up from the airport.

You will be picked up from the airport or railway station where ever you arrive by the Rangoli Tours representative who will be holding a name board with your name written on it at the arrival hall of the airport or railway station. If you are in a group then the name of the group will be mentioned on the name board. On that name board the arrival date, time, place and flight number will also be mentioned. You are requested not to leave the airport or railway station until you meet our representative. If by chance you were not able to find each other then you would also be provided the mobile telephone number of the representative so that you can find each other at the particular location at the airport.

Yes, Rangoli Tours are having special rates with many hotels all over the Indian Subcontinent. We are sure that we will be able to offer you the hotels for your budget in the destination as wanted by you. As far as the hotels are concerned we have hotels of every standard in India. You will find some of the world class hotels in India. Do inform us what kind of hotel you are looking for. We also make arrangements for big conferences and incentive spa and Ayurveda Packages. You can send us a mail at info@rangolitours.in

Before visiting India, the Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required if a tourist is coming from the Yellow Fever Endemic Countries. This certificate conforms to the International Health Regulation. Yet, citizens and travelers coming from the United States, Canada or United Kingdom, do not require any vaccination certificate or inoculations. It is highly recommended to get a precautionary measure vaccination against Hepatitis B, should you plan to stay longer in India. To avoid Malaria & Dengue carry mosquito repellents, nets or take a course of anti Malaria tablets.

It is advised that you bring your own medicines. Most of the medications in India are available but you may not find it under the same brand name as in your own country. If the necessity of consulting a doctor is required we will assist you with the top private hospitals having high standard and qualified doctors.

English is widely spoken and understood at almost all tourist centers. But we highly recommend you to take qualified and government recognized guides during your sightseeing in India. We are associated with Guides in speak in India who speak German, French, Spanish, Italian or Russian. Rangoli Tours will arrange to send a language speaking representative at the airport to welcome you. Tour guides will help you not only in your sightseeing but will also help you understand India better and give you useful tips for your Journey to India !

Indians are very hospitable and friendly people, Do not consider starring at you as unfriendly. Most of the Indians have not been abroad and therefore foreigners are for them a subject of curiosity. Always speak to the people you feel like talking to. Avoid people who are too eager to help you or want you to buy something from them. You can also have a stay with an Indian family, we can arrange it for you.

Keeping with the demand of Indian youth for dance and music, India offers numerous discos, floor shows, and an array of cultural events which keeps them occupied in the evening.The cultural scene in Indian cities becomes more alive in winter months with dance performances, plays, musical evenings and occasionally English plays. The Indian youth find these quite relaxing and invigorating after a long days work. Most 5-star hotels have discos, but these are expensive. The Hotel Guests are required to pay a nominal entry fee.

India, despite its poverty, is one of the ten largest industrial countries of the world. International brands are readily available in India apart from a large number of Indian brands available. Therefore one need not carry things like toiletries, cosmetics, etc as they can be purchased from anywhere in India. The visitors can also avoid bringing a large wardrobe since the climate in the country is generally mild. Devaluation of the Indian rupee has made India the world's bargain center. Prices of cottons, silks, leather shoes are cheaper as compared to other countries. Indian gold and diamond jewellery is known all over the world. These are the largest export items of India. Handicrafts and utility goods of all varieties are available of India.

We advice our guest to drink bottled water, bottled drinks. Coffee Tea should be taken hot. As hotels have their own water filter functions the water in the hotels can be used for cleaning the tooth and body but avoid drinking this water. Avoid eating spicy food at least at the start of your journey to India. If you are traveling without a guide in India you may ask the waiter not to put any chilies to the ordered dish. It is suggested to stick to only cooked foods and to eat fresh fruits after removing their skin. After taking the above precautions you will realize that India has a wonderful cuisine and rarely any other place has such a huge variety as the vegetable dishes in India.

Do remember to remove your shoes and sandals while visiting a place of worship or mausoleum. Shorts/mini skirts are not allowed in mosques and some temples. Some temples do not allow leather articles in their premises. Preferably use a stole or shawl to cover your head in temples and mosques.

Photography is a great fun in India as you will have enough sunlight most of the time. In some of the monuments you have to pay a fee for the photography. Our guide will suggest you where it is worth to photograph and where not. At some locations photography is not allowed. Do not photograph these objects otherwise your film can be confiscated.

At most of the places in India there are organizations and homes, run for the poor people and needy to protect them. Yet, it is lucrative for some beggars to earn a handsome amount through begging the foreigners. Unfortunately Indian government has not been successful to stop begging on the street from organized and professional beggars. If you want to do something good for them there are many organisations in every city where you can help the people who need them actually. Do not forget that by giving money to small children with a good intention to help them, you are actually making them beggars as they are getting something without doing anything.

India is comparatively a safe country to travel. Crime rate against foreigners remain low. However specially we recommend not be alone on the road after late evening just to be on the safer side. In case you need any assistance you may call the police at 100 and Ambulance at 102.

India is a shoppers paradise. There are various shopping places in India. However, we recommend you to purchase only from government approved emporiums. Most of the large stores also ship your purchase. Although, for convenience and to avoid postal delays, it is advisable to carry your purchased items with you or book it as baggage.

Tipping is expected by most of the people involved in the tourism in India. In big hotels services charges are also included in the bills so tipping is not necessary otherwise 10% of the amount of the billing is normally provided as tipping. If you are travelling with a group the tipping can be reduced to 5% of the total bill. For the porters in the hotels Rs.20 for a single baggage and in case of a group Rs.10 per baggage is customary. For tour guides and escorts we recommend 1 to 2 USD per day per person same is also for the driver accompanying you during your India tour. However the mentioned amounts are just to give the travelers an idea. There is no "must" or "compulsion" of tipping in India. We advice you to measure the quality of a particular person or establishment before thinking of tipping.

The units of Indian currency are the Rupee and Paisa (100 Paisa equal 1 Rupee). Paper money is in denomination of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Coins are in denominations of Rupees 1, 2 and 5. There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travelers' checks that can be brought by a tourist to India. However a Declaration form need to be filled (only for the amount which is more than USD 10,000) on the arrival at the Indian airport. By filling up this form you can get your money exchanged back in the original currency without any problem. The Money should be excchanged only through authorized money-changers. You may ask our guides and they will tell you the right center or place to get the money exchanged. Please note that no Indian currency can be imported or exported, except for Rupee traveler checks. 24 hour currency exchange facilities are also available at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai international airports.

All the major currencies including Euro, US Dollars and Pounds are accepted in India. All the major credit cards like Visa, Master Card and American Express are also accepted in the Indian subcontinent.

The timings of the post office are from 1000 to 1630 hrs from Monday to Friday and 0930 to 1230 hrs on Saturdays. The administrative offices are open from Monday to Friday from 0930 to 1700 hrs and 0930 to 1230 hrs on Saturdays.

The Government has put restrictions on the export of the wild animals from the country. It has also put ban on the export of the articles made from the wild animals like skins, belts, furs, ivory, rhino horns, trophies, etc. Except peacock feathers and handicrafts made from them and various items and shavings of Antler, Cheetals and Sambars are not banned subject to conditions. Export of exotic birds is also not allowed. However, the items made exclusively out of imported timber are exempt subject to conditions. Also, export of sandalwood in any form like logs, timber, roots bark, chip, powder, dust flakes, pulp and charcoal, excluding finished handicrafts and machine-finished products is prohibited. Export of furs of domestic animals, hides and skins is also prohibited except the Lamb fur. Antiques which include sculpture, painting or other works of art and craft illustrative works of science and religion and of historical interest which are more than hundred years old may not be exported from India. Manuscripts or other documents of scientific, historical, literary or aesthetic older than seventy five years also cannot be be exported out of India. Recently Airport taxes are being collected at the time of issuing the tickets to confirm with your Airline if the taxes are to be paid at the airport at the time of departure from India.

We need 10% of the total tour cost at the time of the confirmation of the tour. This is to be sure that your booking is genuine and we can go ahead with the reservations. The rest of the due amount should be before your arrival in India. on special request you can also make the payment after your arrival. This can be agreed upon as per the type of the tour and the amount we have to pay in advance to the hotels and our other associate offices for making the reservations. To know more about the payment procedure and various terms and conditions please visit our Webpage "Terms and conditions".

The best way to experience rural India is by traveling on train and road. Some of the important trains running in India are the Palace on Wheels, The Royal Orient, Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express. You can also know about the availability and fares of some of the trains running between the two stations on the page Railway Timetable.

The best time to visit India is from October to April. The summer season prevails between May to June and winter from December to March. So the best time to visit India is from October to April.

All foreign nationals, including children, require a visa and passport before entering India and Nepal. The Costa Rican citizens too need the Visa for India and Nepal. For visiting India please consult the concerned embassies in your area.

There are various payment options by which you can make payment to Rangoli Tours. You can make payment by cash, bank transfer, online credit card payment, by Paypal and by Cheque and demand draft. If you have booked the tour through our partner offices then you can make the payments to them and get the confirmation from us. If you wish to use another option of payment suitable to your country of residence we would assist you. Please send us your queries and specify the country of your residence. For the detailed information about various payment options please refer to the page Payment terms.

No, our company does not provide any sort of medical insurance. It is advisable that you get the insurance from your own country. But in case of any unfortunate incident, all the Vehicles of Rangoli Tours are completely insured and the traveler is insured against any accident .

The general greeting is "Namaste" (nah-mahs-tay) or "Namskar". You can do this for "Good morning", "Good Afternoon" and "Good evening." While saying Namaste or Namaskar hold your palms together at chin level and nod (never bow) your head. Ji is used following a name as a sign of respect, e.g., Gandhi-ji. Note that a Hindu may greet a man by adding "sahib" (sir or master) to the name (Mr. Jones-sahib) and woman by adding "ji"(Miss Jones-ji) as a sign of respect. Don't use first name unless you know someone very well. Use "Mr.", "Mrs.," or "Miss". Use titles such as "Professor" and "Doctor" and use "Sir" or "Madam" with a superior/elders. Don't hug a person of the opposite sex in greeting. Only people of the same sex hug each other. Cross-gender touching (shaking hands, hugging, or kissing) is rare, except among very Westernized Indians.

If the meeting takes place in a Westernized setting, Indian men and women do shake hands. In major cities men usually shake hands, while women use the more traditional greeting. In general you can shake hands with men and say Namaste to women.

Indians follow very traditional style to welcome their honored guests. The garlands of flowers are used for formal occasions such as the opening of buildings, the receptions of a distinguished visitor, or at the end of a concert. The garlands are draped around the neck of the honored person. If you are a receiver of a "garland," wear the flowers for a few minutes, the remove the garland and give it to someone else or else hold on to it. Never leave it behind, except at the foot of a statue in a temple.

India is a land of diversity thus you will notice that different people use different greeting like Hindus say "Namaskar/Namaste", Muslims say, "Salaam al-eikum" (Sah-lahm ah-lay-kuhm) and the greeting to Sikhs is "Sat Sri Akal" (shree ah-kahl).

The public facilities are rarely good, including all the major cities. You will find Western - style toilets in all standard hotels and restaurants. Be prepared to find them not so clean as you are used to in your country. Indian trains usually have both Indian-style and Western-style toilets. You will find public bathrooms and toilets in hotels, restaurant, railway stations, bus stations and some shops in big cities. There is usually a picture on the door to indicate which bathroom is for which sex. In some places, there may be a row of stalls with Indian-style "squat" toilets and one that is Western-style. But in small cities or towns where the tourist flow is less facilities are rather poor. Keep toilet paper or tissues, paper soaps or liquid soaps with you for convenience.

Always take some toilet paper rolls with you since toilet paper may be difficult to obtain outside large cities. Soap, toothpaste and toiletries are readily available. Tampons are more difficult to find than sanitary napkins, so women who use tampoons should bring a supply. Wash your hand as often as you can, avoid eating uncooked and cold food, especially from the street vendors, drink only so called mineral water, which is now largely available. One should take care that the bottles are sealed. Never buy ice cream from a street vendor as your stomach may not like the water / milk used for making the ice cream. At the initial start of your tour for first few days avoid spicy food. You can always tell the waiters at the restaurants that you would like to have less spicy food. Avoid mild made drinks unless for first few days at least! In case of any emergency ask your guide or driver to take you to a a doctor. Indian doctors are well experienced and medicines are easily available.

The general meal plan in India consist three main meals in a day with one or two added tea-coffee breaks. The main meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are staying in a hotel you can have either Western style or Indian style meal option. Though the meal pattern is same the food served in the meals varies in different regions of the country. Like North Indians have more whole wheat preparations in their food and the South Indian have more rice instead of wheat. Similarly tea is more popular in North India while in South, coffee is a well liked drink.

Indian currency is known as rupee. A rupee is divided into 100 paise. (Abbreviation for the singular is Re. for the plural Rs). Notes are now in use are 10, 20, 50, 100, and 1000. Because of inflation, coins are rarely used. Realize that major credit cards - American Express, Visa, Barclay-card, MasterCard, Access, Diners Club - are accepted at most hotels, large restaurants, and large shops. Travelers' checks must be changed into rupees at a Bank of India. There are branches everywhere including hotels. Be aware that it can take several hours to cash travelers' checks in small towns. Try to deal with large banks in large cities. Don't accept large denomination notes, because they will be difficult to change, and don't accept damaged or torn notes, because merchants will refuse them, especially in small towns. Keep a supply of small change. Very often taxi drivers and vendors will say that they don't have change. Money exceeding certain amounts like USD 10.000 should be declared at the custom. Please check the current regulations form the Indian embassy in your country before leaving.