Things to Do in India: City Guides & Audio Tours

The best things to do in India begin with understanding its extraordinary variety. This vast country combines a long and complex history, many languages and traditions, regional cuisines, monumental architecture and dramatically different landscapes. Neywo offers free audio guides for 34 cities in India, with 671 narrated places in total, so you can explore with context as you walk.

What to see and do in India

India is not one single cultural experience. It is a federal union of states and union territories, with regional identities shaped by language, religion, history and geography. States were reorganised along linguistic lines in 1956, strengthening regional language pride and helping local literature and cinema develop. The result is a country best explored through its distinct cities and regions.

Delhi and the layers of India’s history

India’s history stretches back to the arrival of modern humans on the subcontinent around 55,000 years ago and the later development of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Delhi offers a way to encounter some of the country’s more recent historical layers, from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire to the colonial period and the independent republic. The city’s Neywo guide includes 46 narrated places, among them Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, the Tomb of Safdar Jang and the National Museum.

Agra and the Mughal architectural legacy

The Mughal Empire left a rich architectural legacy in India. Agra is represented on Neywo by 23 narrated places, including the Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Agra, Akbar’s Tomb and Diwan-i-Khas. These places connect the city with the political and artistic history of the Mughal period.

Jaipur and Rajasthan’s royal heritage

Rajasthan brings together desert landscapes and the history of regional kingdoms. In Jaipur, Neywo covers 23 narrated places, including Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Jaigarh Fort and City Palace. Jaisalmer offers a different setting, with Jaisalmer Fort, the Jaisalmer War Museum and the Thar Desert among its eight narrated places.

Ahmedabad and the story of independence

Ahmedabad’s 55 narrated places include Sabarmati Ashram, Narendra Modi Stadium, Bhadra Fort and the Calico Museum of Textiles. Sabarmati Ashram connects the city with the nationalist movement that helped bring British rule to an end through nonviolent resistance. The country gained independence in 1947, alongside partition, mass migration and widespread loss of life.

Amritsar and Sikh heritage

Sikhism emerged in the Punjab by rejecting established religious institutions. In Amritsar, the 12 narrated places include Harmandir Sahib, Gobindgarh Fort, Jallianwala Bagh and the Central Sikh Museum. Together, these sites reflect religious, military and political aspects of the city’s history.

Hyderabad and the cultures of the Deccan

Hyderabad has 52 narrated places on Neywo. Its highlights include Charminar, Salar Jung Museum, Falaknuma Palace and Chowmahalla Palace. The city is one example of how India’s regional kingdoms developed distinct cultural worlds within the wider history of the subcontinent.

Kolkata and colonial-era heritage

Kolkata’s 68 narrated places include Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum, Jorasanko Thakur Bari and the National Library of India. Its sights help explore the colonial period and the cultural life that developed around it. Kolkata is also one of the country’s strongest destinations for experiencing the depth of India’s literary, artistic and institutional heritage.

Chennai, Madurai and Mahabalipuram

The traditions of southern India are essential to any India travel guide. South Indian kingdoms carried Dravidian scripts and traditions into Southeast Asia, while dance and music developed through long connections with temples and religious settings.

Chennai has 53 narrated places, including Fort St. George, San Thome Basilica, Amir Mahal and the Armenian Church. In Madurai, nine narrated places include Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, Gandhi Memorial Museum and St. Mary’s Cathedral. Mahabalipuram has 12 narrated places, with the Shore Temple, Arjuna Ratha and Descent of the Ganges among them.

Hampi, Bangalore and Mysore

The Vijayanagara Empire is another important part of southern India’s history. Hampi has ten narrated places, including Vitthala Temple and sites connected with the Vijayanagara Empire.

In Bangalore, 56 narrated places include Bengaluru Palace, the National Gallery of Modern Art, Kote Venkataramana Temple and St. Mark’s Cathedral. Mysore has 18, with Mysore Palace, the Regional Museum of Natural History Mysore, St. Philomena’s Cathedral and Folk Lore Museum Mysore among its highlights.

Kerala’s landscapes and heritage

India’s geography changes sharply from one region to another. The Western Ghats have a tropical monsoon climate, while the country also includes humid subtropical plains, tropical savanna, semi-arid areas and hot desert.

In Kochi, Neywo covers 87 narrated places, including St. Francis Church, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue and Bolgatty Palace. Munnar has eight narrated places, among them the KDHP Tea Museum, the Western Ghats and Anamudi. Thekkady’s four narrated places include Periyar National Park and the Periyar River.

Food, music and everyday life

Indian food is built around several everyday staples rather than one fixed national dish. A meal may centre on steamed rice, chapati, idli or dosa, accompanied by savoury dishes. This variety reflects the country’s many regional languages, histories and traditions.

Indian classical music has Vedic origins and divided into the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions in the 13th century. Dance also draws on classical forms that began in temples and other religious settings. Religious life remains deeply woven into society: Hinduism is the majority faith, Islam is the largest minority religion, and Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Zoroastrian traditions have long-established histories on India’s southern and western coasts.

Mountains, rivers and biodiversity

India occupies most of the Indian subcontinent, between the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges, Brahmaputra and Punjab river plains contrast with the Satpura and Vindhya ranges, the Western Ghats and the deserts of western Rajasthan.

The country is considered megadiverse, with many species found nowhere else. A third of its plant species are endemic, and its landscapes support a remarkable range of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and flowering plants. Cities such as Dharamshala, Leh, Shimla and Shillong offer different ways to encounter India’s northern and northeastern environments, alongside their own cultural histories.

Explore India with Neywo’s free audio guides

Download Neywo to explore India independently with 49 walking tours across 34 cities, covering 671 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule: the app tells the story of each site as you arrive, so you can discover India while walking through it.