9 Crucial Tips for Traveling to India with Children
As a mom, avid traveler, and owner of a specialized travel company, India is bridged between my personal and professional lives. I promote India, write about India, and have a passion for India. As the wife of an Indian man and a mom to three children, traveling to the country has become more than visiting the Taj Mahal and relaxing on palm-fringed beaches. (Although, I highly recommend both!) It is now focused on family, home visits, and exposing our children to half of their heritage. My roles and observations are split between tourist and resident, as I navigate hotels, transportation, and keeping kids content in a country of over 1.2 billion people. Here are my tips for traveling to India with kids.
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1. Be flexible.
When my husband and I first visited India with our firstborn, Alexander, he was just 6 months old. The entire trip was certainly a learning experience. (Example: We believe in the method of self-soothing. Indians? Not so much.) After numerous visits to India with children, I find myself more flexible with the schedule and routine – or lack thereof. I often remind myself, “It is only two weeks. Our kids can miss naps or eat more sweets from Dadi and Dada.”
2. Do your research or book a tour.
I recommend doing lots of research before your departure. Which hotels offer larger rooms or walk-in closets to accommodate a portable crib? Which airline allows you to check an extra bag for no charge, even on an infant fare? What activities and sites are appropriate for kids in India?
If researching for your visit to India with kids seems overwhelming, you may want to book a tour instead. A tour especially designed for children enables families to relax and enjoy all that India has to offer.
3. Find the right flights to India with kids.
Invest time to find the flight options and airline amenities best for your family. From U.S. cities, many airlines offer nonstop or one-stop itineraries to larger Indian airports, limiting your layovers and travel time. We like flying Air France and Lufthansa to India with children, both for schedule and the ability to check an extra bag plus portable crib for no charge.
4. Ditch the stroller.
Indian streets can be very crowded with limited sidewalks, so strollers are not recommended. Instead parents of little ones should pack a baby carrier. We learned this the hard way, after bringing our stroller all the way to Delhi only to leave it folded in the corner for two weeks. On subsequent visits, we used our child carrier, which was also an excellent resource for transporting our kids between terminals at airports.
5. Book a big room.
Many Indian hotels are converted forts, palaces, and/or private homes, which means larger rooms for spreading out. We love Maidens Hotel in Delhi. Although Oborei is considered a luxury hotel chain, this particular property is more budget-friendly. The rooms are very spacious, and our children love the swimming pool and peacocks that roam on the lawn.
6. Pack an inflatable booster seat.
With the exception of hotels, it is difficult to find high chairs in Indian restaurants. If traveling with a baby or toddler and you prefer to not have a lap child during meals, pack an inflatable booster seat. We also used it at friends’ houses when our children wanted to color or play at the table.
7. Bring the car seat.
Car seats are not a common commodity, so expect questions and pictures from curious locals. Our children thoroughly enjoyed the attention, and made many friends along the way!
8. Skip the bus.
Although buses provide a cheap mode of transport, most are overcrowded and do not offer air conditioning. Instead, consider hiring a private car and driver, either for a day or planned itinerary. Not only is it an affordable option, but also it offers more comfort and convenience. If traveling with young children, hiring one driver for a multi-day trip allows families to keep the car seat installed and saves time on buckling and adjusting every morning.
9. Embrace the culture in India with children.
Finally, immerse your family in the culture and integrate with the locals. Indians are some of the friendliest people in the world and enjoy interacting with foreigners. Children are considered an integral part of the culture and they are welcomed and included in almost any function or event. So if you are walking down the street and randomly get invited to a wedding, go for it and enjoy the experience!
Learn more about visiting India.
Discover more of India by reading this story about Mumbai with kids.
Explore India with Go! Girl Guides India: A Woman’s Guide to Traveling in North & West India by Allison Sodha.
Book your vacation to India with kids via Allison’s travel company, Sodha Travel.
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Would you like to visit India with kids? Let us know in the comments below!
A Note from Travel Mamas: We did not receive any compensation from Sodha Travels related to this blog post.
I’m travelling to new Delhi in 3 weeks with my daughter to meet my partner . Safety I’m worried about is it safe ?
Hi Jessica – I would check the Center for Disease Control or World Health Organization website re: pandemic status. Here is information regarding safety for travel to India from the U.S. Department of State: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/india-travel-advisory.html Best wishes with your India travels!
Hi there, I wondered if I could ask your advice. We are hoping to travel to Kerala next month (Feb 2020) with our 6 month old son. We would be staying in a good hotel (Niraamaya Retreats perhaps). Do we need to worry about mosquitos/malaria? He is also formula fed at times – is it safe to prepare his milk with local bottled water, and to sterilise his bottles with our usual Milton tablets and bottled water? Thank you!
Lorna
Hi Lorna – This guest post was written by a knowledgeable India expert. I suggest reaching out to Sodha Travels with your questions: https://www.sodhatravel.com/ Enjoy your trip to India!
Hi , Thanks for your great article.
My daughter will be 11 months old when my family goes to New Delhi in January for about 45 days. It’s our very first trip to India .
My wife will be attended some sort of English language course. We are little bit worried about air pollution and some other staff.
what advise would you give us.
Regards
Hi Battulga – Thank you for your question. I suggest reaching out to the guest author via her website: https://www.sodhatravel.com/contact.php Enjoy India with your family!
Great… i really like your tips. Next time i will take care of these point before traveling with my kid.
Glad you like these tips for visiting India with kids, Sujata!
Useful tips for the first timers visiting India.
Thanks, Hariom!
We are hoping to visit India this Easter with a 6 & 7 year old. It will be the start of April and we will go Delhi- Agra- Jaipur -Mumbai and then goa. Do you think it will be too hot ??
Hi Sophie – I suggest going to Weather.com, doing a search for your destinations and then choosing the monthly view to see what the weather is expected to be like for the month of April for each of these destinations. For April in Delhi, for example, the average high temperatures run between low 90s F to 101 F. I live in Arizona, where temperatures often go over 100 degrees in the summer and we make do by staying in the air conditioning and swimming in pools. Nineties and low 100s aren’t so bad for me – it’s when temperatures get over 110 that it gets really miserable. It really depends on your tolerance for heat and whether you’re planning a lot of outdoor activities. You probably should plan to do anything outdoors early in the mornings before it gets very hot. I hope that helps. Enjoy India with your kids!
That point about leaving the baby stroller at home and just bringing a baby carrier is an important one.
No use lugging along extra gear that you won’t use!
Just wondering if you ever pumped breastmilk while in India with your little one? I know – oddly specific, but we will be traveling to my husband’s home town of chennai when little one is almost one year. He was born prematurely so I’ve been pumping milk since day one. -any suggestions for how to continue pumping and cleaning all of his bottles and pump gear?
Hi Wendy – Thank you for your question. I suggest reaching out to the guest author via her website: https://www.sodhatravel.com/contact.php
we are backpacking india in march 2018 with a 9 month old baby x we where thinking of taking a stroller so we can put our 1 backpack underneath it to save on carrying it. we have a tula carrier and find we get very hot in it and couldn’t imagine wearing it all day long.
Hi Devon – I suggest reaching out to the author of this guest post via her website: https://www.sodhatravel.com/contact.php
I want to make my vacation interesting with my kids. I want to travel in india. But i’m confused how to plan with kids. Then i saw your ideas regarding this . IT seems interesting as well as excellent. now i’m gonna apply your ideas. Hope it may help me too. Thanks for sharing wonderful ideas
i agree here . if you can travelling in India with kids take some medicine and some baby care things.you take some comfortable eating things of babies.i appreciate the blogger.thanks.
Allilson, thank you so much for writing this article and continuing to respond to queries. We are hoping to travel very last minute for a family wedding this April with our 8 month old…temperatures are already up to 40 celcius and may be 45 by the time we reach Delhi. How did you plan your day/evening activities to minimize the heat and maximize your time? We are planning to stay in a hotel near our family homes and get a driver. But we would love to squeeze in some little time sightseeing if possible in the heat. Any ideas? And apart from local clothing, what did you take from here for baby to wear and how did you protect his young skin from the sun and mosquitos? I’ve heard sunblock is a no no.
Any answers are much much appreciated.
Hi Anjali – I suggest reaching out to Allison via her travel agency, Sodha Travels, here: http://www.sodhatravel.com/. Enjoy your time in India!
Don’t know where to start…wanted to take my 9 years old son on a 2 weeks trip to India to get a real sense of the world..to get a reality check, and hopefully appreciate the abundance of blessings he has (which he wont’s often appreciate). Wanted for the trip to be spontaneous, a bit rough, and before anything eyes opening.
Any idea to where to start and how to go about doing this? what is the possibility to be hosted by locals for such duration, to live their daily routine and go through a different experience? of course I’m planning to cover whatever cost for the hosting family.
Any guidance…
Hi Mohamed – I would suggest reaching out to Allison with Sodha Travel. She is a travel agent who specializes in travel to India and she is the author of this guest post. Here’s her website: http://www.sodhatravel.com/. She should be able to point you in the correct direction!
Mohamed, I would be delighted to offer suggestions on local home stays in India. There are several options available, depending on your preferred level of immersion. Kindly visit our website to reach out: http://www.sodhatravel.com
Great post! Thanks for all the info, like most I was a little hesitant about taking our 3 year old to India (Chennai) next month but this post has definitely helped. He’s really good with different foods, adventures and travelling but my only concern is using public toilets. Kids have a tendency to go “NOW” plus he likes to have a clean toilet and I’ve heard some scary things about India’s public toilets. any advice would be great.
Hi Lisa – I would suggest reaching out to Allison with Sodha Travel. She is a travel agent who specializes in travel to India and she is the author of this guest post. Here’s her website: http://www.sodhatravel.com/. She should be able to give you some guidance!
Lisa, I recommend utilizing public restrooms in airports, restaurants, and rest stops on a more popular tourist circuit. There are often western style toilets and the facilities are clean. Avoid train stations and more local rest stops. Your guide and/or driver will also have recommendations for the best public restrooms. Have fun and remember to pack tissues – some restrooms don’t use toilet paper.
Hi Lisa
We have been invited to a wedding in Chennai in December and really want to go but are worried about health. Our daughter will be 1 year old. Do you have any tips for Chennai and how to protect her?
Best
Hannah
Hi Hannah – How exciting that you are considering a trip to India in December! I suggest reaching out directly to the author of this post, Allison Sodha of Sodha Travel. Her website is: https://www.sodhatravel.com/ and her email is [email protected].
Hi,
I am planning to travel to india this December with my 15 month old son; is there any malaria prophylaxis that you used during your travel.
Annika, it really depends on the region and season of travel. For December, most destinations in India would not warrant malaria meds. I recommend speaking to your physician or local travel clinic for more insight.
Hi my concern is aboyt the time zone difference. 1’hpe long did it take for toddler to adjust? Is a 2 wk trip doable?
The rule of thumb for jet lag is that it will take you one day to recover for every hour of difference. You may need to go to bed earlier or later to make up for the time difference. Try to get as much sunlight as possible during the day and get on the new time zone as soon as you can. The first couple of days may be rough, but I’d bet that eventually your little one will adjust and you will all have a fabulous time!
Most of our family programs range between 10-14 days. A 2-week trip is definitely doable for a toddler. Have fun!