Best Honeymoon Destinations in India: How to Choose
Almost every honeymoon list in India names the same ten places in the same order. The more useful question is which of them suits your dates, your budget and how much travelling you want to do in the first week of married life.
Here they are grouped by what kind of trip they actually are.
Destinations at a glance
| Destination | Best season | Travel effort | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala (Munnar and Alleppey) | October to March | Moderate | Backwaters, hills and quiet |
| Andaman Islands | November to April | High, flights via Port Blair | Beaches and diving |
| Goa | November to February | Low, direct flights | An easy first trip together |
| Udaipur | October to March | Low | Palaces and short distances |
| Kashmir | April to October | Moderate | Mountains, meadows and shikaras |
| Coorg | October to February | Low from Bangalore | Coffee estates and rain forest |
| Sikkim and Darjeeling | March to May, October to November | High | Mountain views and tea gardens |
| Meghalaya | September to November | High | Waterfalls, caves and living root bridges |
| Ladakh | June to September | High, altitude | An adventurous honeymoon |
| Lakshadweep | October to March | High, permits needed | The quietest beaches in India |
If you want beaches
Goa is the easy answer: direct flights, every price point, and you can do as much or as little as you like. The Andamans are the better beaches by some distance, with Havelock and Neil Island the usual base, but they cost more and take a day each way. Lakshadweep is quieter still and needs permits arranged in advance through an authorised operator.
- Goa: November to February, north for activity, south for quiet.
- Andaman: November to April. Allow a full day of travel at each end.
- Lakshadweep: October to March, permit-controlled and limited accommodation.
If you want hills and cool weather
The Himalayan options are seasonal in a way the southern hills are not. Kashmir is at its best from April to October, with Gulmarg and Pahalgam as the usual pair and a houseboat night on Dal Lake. Himachal and Uttarakhand work through summer. Sikkim and Darjeeling give you Kanchenjunga on a clear morning, and October to November is the most reliable window.
- Kashmir: April to October. Tulips in April, cooler and quieter in September.
- Sikkim and Darjeeling: March to May and October to November. Permits are needed for parts of north Sikkim.
- Coorg, Munnar and Ooty: October to February, and far easier to reach from the south.
If you want palaces and heritage
Rajasthan is the shortest-travel luxury honeymoon in India: Udaipur in particular keeps distances small, so you're not spending the week in a car. Jaipur pairs well with it, and both are at their best between October and March.
- Udaipur: lake palaces, short distances, the most photogenic of the group.
- Jaipur: forts and a bigger city, good for a few days rather than a week.
- Jaisalmer: desert camps, best from November to February.
If you want somewhere less obvious
Meghalaya and Kerala's monsoon are the two that repay going against the calendar. Meghalaya from September to November is green and empty, with waterfalls still running. Kerala in the monsoon is the traditional season for Ayurvedic treatment, and hotels cost substantially less.
- Meghalaya: September to November, for Cherrapunji, Dawki and the root bridges.
- Ladakh: June to September. Allow two days to acclimatise before doing anything strenuous.
- Gokarna or Pondicherry: quieter coastal alternatives to Goa.
Gifting a honeymoon stay
If you're contributing to someone's honeymoon rather than taking one, a stay voucher lets the couple choose the hotel and the dates, and stays valid for 12 months.
- Honeymoon Staycation Gift Box, one night at 700+ hotels — ₹8,999
- Romantic Stays, two nights at 100+ boutique hotels — ₹17,998
- Romantic Three-Day Staycation, 1,000+ premier hotels — ₹17,000
- Castle & Palace Staycation, 700+ hotels — ₹7,999
- One night with a couples massage, 800+ hotels and spas — ₹13,499
Planning notes
- Book the first two nights near the airport you land at. Nobody enjoys a five-hour drive on day one.
- Two destinations in a week is plenty; three is a logistics exercise, not a honeymoon.
- Tell the hotel it's a honeymoon when you book, not on arrival, if you want the room decorated.
- Check permits: parts of north Sikkim, Lakshadweep and some Andaman islands need them arranged in advance.
- Travel insurance is worth it for Ladakh and the Andamans, where weather cancels flights.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best honeymoon destination in India?
Kerala and the Andamans for beaches and quiet, Udaipur for palaces, Kashmir for mountains. The right answer depends mostly on your travel dates.
How many days do we need?
Five to seven nights for one destination, or seven to ten if you want two.
Which is the cheapest honeymoon destination?
Coorg, Munnar, Pondicherry and Goa outside peak weeks. See our budget honeymoon guide.
When is the best time for a honeymoon in India?
October to March covers most of the country. April to October is the window for Kashmir, Himachal and Ladakh.
See also our guides to the best honeymoon season in India and budget honeymoon destinations.