Men wash in the Ganges at the Varanasi ghats, among the boats

FOLK guide to India

23 Oct 2026

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5 min read

In brief

Where we go. Jareya, in Jharkhand; then Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur and Delhi.
Languages. Hindi and English.
Currency. Indian rupee.
Time zone. Five and a half hours ahead of GMT.
Visa. Needed: the tourist e-visa is applied for online.
Best time to visit. The easiest weather is October to March. We travel from April to September.
FOLK trip. Before the Ganges, 14 nights, from 1,299 €.

Villages first, then monuments

People going to India for the first time usually do Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and maybe Varanasi. There are good reasons: the Taj Mahal really exists, and it really is like that.

We do that too, but afterwards. The first week is in Jareya, in Jharkhand, a state of forests and mines where almost no tourists go. More than a quarter of the people who live there belong to Adivasi communities, "the first inhabitants", who are fighting to keep their language and traditions alive. Then you take a night train and wake up on the Ganges. The school is not an interlude before the monuments, and the monuments are not a reward after the school.

Best time to visit India

For northern India the easiest season is October to March, which is also when almost everyone else goes.

Our departures run from April to September. April and May are very hot, especially on the plain; on the Jharkhand plateau a little less. From June the monsoon arrives: it rains often and hard, but usually in downpours of a few hours. In return everything is green and there are few tourists. When the Ganges is too high, the boats in Varanasi sometimes stop, and the plan adapts.

Children in class writing in exercise books

India e-visa and documents

You need a visa for India even for a few days. Apply only on the official portal indianvisaonline.gov.in: many sites look official and cost more. For Italian citizens the 30-day tourist e-visa costs 25 dollars from July to March and 10 from April to June, plus a small fee, and must be requested at least four days ahead. Your passport must be valid for at least six months, with two blank pages.

One detail complicates flights: with the e-visa you cannot enter through Ranchi. Your flight from Europe must land in Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, and from there you continue on a domestic flight.

Rules change often. Before you leave, check your government's travel advice again, in the UK the FCDO page on India, or write to us.

Vaccinations and health in India

The first step is a travel clinic, at least six weeks before you leave. There are no mandatory vaccinations. Hepatitis A and typhoid are usually discussed, along with malaria prophylaxis for Jharkhand. Your doctor decides.

The monsoon brings mosquitoes: repellent and long sleeves in the evening. Drink only bottled or filtered water, even to brush your teeth. And go easy on street food for the first few days: not to give it up, but to get used to it.

How much does a trip to India cost?

The trip costs 1,299 € for 14 nights. It includes food and lodging at the school, the trains, hotels with breakfast, a guide in the three cities, the boat on the Ganges and entrance to the monuments. The full list is on the trip page.

Not included: the flight from Europe and the domestic flight to Ranchi, which you buy once the departure is confirmed, the e-visa, vaccinations, lunches and dinners during the travel week, tips and your own spending. The insurance included in the trip covers cancellation. Health insurance is paid by you: in India it is best if it pays costs directly.

Getting there

You land in Ranchi and fly home from Delhi, so you need an open-jaw ticket: our partner agency can help you find it. From the moment you land there is nothing left to organise, the Local Folk knows when you arrive.

Then you travel mostly by train, which is also the best way to understand the country. One night is spent in a sleeper berth, from Ranchi to Varanasi.

What to see in India: Jareya, Varanasi, Agra and Jaipur

In Jareya you stay at the Nawa Maskal School, the "school of new light": eight hundred pupils from fifty villages. You put yourself at the disposal of students and teachers, with homework, in the garden, in the library. The bread and cheese you eat are made by the school.

Then Varanasi: two days on foot and by boat, the evening ceremony on the river and the boat at dawn, when the city washes and prays. In Agra, the Taj Mahal at dawn. In Jaipur, Amber Fort and the evening bazaars. It ends in Delhi.

Being with the people who host you

You greet people with namaste, palms joined. In Jharkhand you often hear johar. You take off your shoes before entering a home or a temple, give and receive with your right hand, and keep shoulders and knees covered.

Always ask before taking photos, of the children at the school more than ever. At the ghats where the dead are cremated you do not take photos: it is someone else's grief.

And then there is the pace. In India things happen, but not always at the scheduled time. Those who arrive with a minute-by-minute plan spend their time getting angry.

What to pack for India

Light, loose clothes that cover shoulders and knees. A large scarf for temples and for the air conditioning on trains. If you travel between June and September, a poncho: in the monsoon an umbrella does little. Then repellent, probiotics, a universal adapter, a padlock for your bag on the train. And rupees in cash for the bazaars.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see everything during the monsoon?
Almost always, yes. It rains in downpours, not for whole days, and the monuments stay open.

Is the night train uncomfortable?
It is basic: berths and little privacy. But on Indian trains everyone talks to everyone.

Can I travel solo as a woman?
Yes. Almost everyone joins a scheduled departure and meets the others before leaving. Groups are made of six, and you never go around without the Local Folk or the guide.