10 favourite Indian destinations for backpacking under INR 800 a day

If travelling has always been your goal, you know how important it is to keep your costs under control. Likewise, if you are backpacking, you don’t need deep pockets. Instead you need proper planning. For less than the cost of a fancy pizza, you can actually have meals and your accommodations covered. If you are curious by now, here, we’ve rounded up 10 destinations where broke doesn’t mean boring.
Travel off-season. Share cabs. Befriend hostel kitchens. And always carry a steel bottle, because backpacking in India isn’t just affordable, it’s an adventure in jugaad, joy, and the unexpected. (Canva)

Sunsets, surfboards, and budget homestays, Varkala in Kerala will be one of your best picks. You can get a thali in INR 100, cliffside dorms in around INR 400, and the beach? Absolutely free. You can Yoga in the morning, have chai by the ocean in the evening, all under the budget. (Canva)

This is a Himalayan paradise, and is a haven of hemp and hot chocolate. Shared taxis, riverside cafés, and INR 250 dorm beds make Kasol a backpacker’s favourite. Add treks to Kheerganga and toasty bonfire nights, all while your bank account is not feeling the heat. (Canva)

Hampi’s low-cost guesthouses, around INR 300-ish, and hearty South Indian meals which can be around INR 50 – INR 70, make this place ideal for the budget traveller with a historical itch and an appetite for dosas. (Canva)

With camel fairs, rooftop cafés, and a holy lake, Pushkar is perfect for low-cost wandering. Dorm beds go for INR 300, chai for INR 10, and street food is practically an all-you-can-eat buffet on budget. (Canva)

Ferry rides cost around INR 15, cycling around the island is serene and free, and guesthouses welcome backpackers with open arms and open budgets. (Canva)

You’ll spend more on your ILP (inner line permit) than on daily expenses. Bamboo huts, rice beer, and the rare sight of time slowing down. Ziro is where WiFi weakens but peace gets full bars. (Canva)

It’s like Goa, but cheaper, quieter, and serene beaches. Beach huts start at INR 300, seafood is cheap and fresh, and the treks between beaches will cost just your sweat, and a few leech encounters. (Canva)

The yoga capital of the world also welcomes broke spiritual seekers. Budget hostels, free Ganga aartis, and INR 50 aloo parathas make this place budget-friendly, and a favourite among backpackers. (Canva)

Next to McLeod Ganj, but with more peace and less WiFi. Meditation centres, artsy cafés, and rooms for INR 200 - INR 400 make Dharamkot the backpacker’s quieter mountain muse. (Canva)

Want enlightenment on a budget? Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha attained his enlightenment, and where you might just find budget salvation too. Monastery stays, local meals, and calm vibes make this place a zen zone for under INR 800. (Canva)