Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra
India Holidays & Private Tours for American Travellers

India Tours from the USA

Private, tailor-made itineraries for US travellers, built around your dates — with straight answers on flights, visas and what to expect before you go.

India is one of the most rewarding trips an American traveller can take, and one of the least straightforward to plan alone from overseas — a 14+ hour flight, a visa process with its own rules for US passports, and a country large enough that choosing where to go is half the challenge. As a Jaipur-based, IATO-registered agency, every itinerary we build is private and tailor-made around your own dates and interests, with a private air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking guide throughout — and for many American travellers, a Rajasthan or Golden Triangle trip is easily combined with Kerala, a wildlife safari, or a Nepal and Bhutan extension for one longer, more complete journey.

Why Book a Private India Tour from the USA?

Every Detail Handled, End to End

Private Vehicle & Chauffeur

A private, air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the whole trip — no shared transport, no fixed timings, no waiting for a group.

English-Speaking Guides

A local guide meets you at each stop to explain the history and culture — not just a driver reciting facts from memory.

Tailor-Made, Not Templated

Every itinerary is built from your dates and interests — extend a city you love, drop one that doesn't interest you.

Airport Pickup, Every Time

Land after a 14+ hour flight and your driver is already waiting, ready to take you straight to your first hotel.

Hotels Vetted Directly

We book every hotel ourselves with properties we know personally, so you're not comparing listings blind from overseas.

Sightseeing Planned in Advance

Entry tickets, timings and routes are arranged ahead of time, so you spend your trip seeing India, not queuing or researching.

WhatsApp Throughout Your Trip

Plan the whole thing over WhatsApp, and keep the same line open once you've landed — no long email threads, no phone tag.

Transparent Pricing

Every quote spells out exactly what's included, with any card-payment charge disclosed upfront — never added as a surprise later.

Planning From the USA

Everything American Travellers Need to Know

Flights from the USA

Air India flies JFK to Delhi nonstop, daily, in around 14 hours 45 minutes — the longest-running and most reliable US-India route. Newark, Chicago and San Francisco also connect (via Air India and United), though nonstop availability on those specific routes has fluctuated over the past year, so it's worth confirming current options once your dates are set.

e-Visa for US Citizens

American passport holders can apply for a 30-day, 1-year, or 5-year e-Tourist visa online. US citizens get up to 180 days per visit on the 1-year and 5-year options — longer than most other nationalities get. Applications go through the official government portal directly; it's your own application to complete, not something we file for you.

e-Arrival Card (New Since 2026)

Separate from the visa, every foreign national must now submit a free digital e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before landing — covering flight details, purpose of visit, and your accommodation address. It replaces the paper form once handed out on the plane and takes a few minutes online.

Best Time to Visit from the USA

October through March avoids both the Indian summer and the worst of the US winter, and lines up well with Thanksgiving or winter-break travel windows if you're planning around school or work calendars. India is 9.5-10.5 hours ahead of the continental US, worth factoring into planning calls with us.

Traveller Stories

What Our Guests Say

Real reviews from Google and Tripadvisor, verified by us word-for-word.

“Incredible experience with colorful Indian holidays. All the 12 days trip was very comfortable with good car and very good driver Bunti who had a professional behavior helping us to everything that we need. Highly recommend Colourful”
David Bernat
“Booked a tour of Agra and Rajestan with CIH. Narendra helped us plan our trip and itinerary - worked through a few options before final plans were fixed. The tour was excellent with great guides at each stopover. The hotels were all good, especially the Haveli in Jaipur and the Taj in Agra. The price we paid was great value too. Would recommend CIH and hope to tour with them again soon.”
Sanjiv Shah
“Our second trip with CIH, tour Chennai to Cochin. Excellent trip, great hotels , except LA Woods, great guides, really good safe driver, food wonderful. We have recommended them to our friends who have also been. Runs like clockwork”
Pete Wellock
“Way back 2013, I with my family visited Delhi for a family function. At that time, as it was our first trip to Delhi, colourful travels chalked out our tour trip and made it an enjoyable one!! Perfect planning indeed”
Chandramouleeswaran Doraiswamy
“The service we received from Narendra Poonia was superb.”
Joss Harrow· United Kingdom
“Would recommend Colourful Indian Holidays to anyone thinking of travelling to India.”
Chloe Lawlor· Ireland
“Highly recommended to anyone who would like to discover the rich culture and heritage of India.”
KD Yu· Philippines
FAQ

Questions American Travellers Ask Most

Can't find your answer? Our team responds within 2 hours on WhatsApp and within 12 hours by email.

Typically 14 to 17 hours in the air. Air India's JFK-Delhi route runs nonstop daily in around 14 hours 45 minutes and is the most established option; other US gateways like Newark, Chicago and San Francisco also connect, sometimes with one stop depending on current schedules.

Yes — American travellers need an e-Tourist visa (30-day, 1-year, or 5-year options), applied for online through the official Indian government portal before departure. US citizens get a longer per-visit stay allowance (up to 180 days on the longer visas) than most other nationalities.

Yes, it's separate — a newer requirement (mandatory since April 2026) that every foreign national must submit online within 72 hours before landing, regardless of visa type. It replaces the paper arrival form, takes a few minutes, and has no fee.

Given the flight length, most of our American guests find 10 to 14 days worth it — enough for the Golden Triangle plus one more region (Rajasthan, Kerala, or a wildlife safari) rather than feeling like the travel time outweighs the time on the ground.

Often, yes — a US-based agency reselling India tours typically adds its own margin on top of ours. Booking directly means you're working with the people who actually know the hotels, drivers and routes personally, without an extra layer of markup or a middleman relaying your questions back to us.

India is 9.5 hours ahead of US Eastern time and 12.5 hours ahead of Pacific time (adjusting slightly with daylight saving, since India doesn't observe it). We're happy to schedule calls around your evening or our morning, whichever works better.

Yes — most hotels and larger vendors accept international cards, though it's worth carrying some Indian Rupees in cash for smaller purchases, local markets, and tips. A 2% bank/gateway charge applies if you pay your tour balance by card, disclosed upfront in your quote.

Yes, on every itinerary — your driver will be waiting at arrivals with your name, ready to take you straight to your first hotel after the flight.

Yes — given how far you're already travelling, many American guests extend their trip into Nepal and/or Bhutan rather than making a separate journey later. Tell us how much time you have and we'll build the route around it.

2 to 3 months ahead gives the most flexibility on hotels and guides, especially for October to March travel, which is peak season. Given the flight length involved, most of our American guests prefer to lock in dates well ahead rather than book last-minute.

We strongly recommend it, though it isn't something we arrange on your behalf — a policy covering trip cancellation, medical care and lost luggage is worth having for a trip this far from home.

Start Your Journey

Ready to Plan Your Trip From the USA?
Tell Us Your Dates.

Send us your dates and interests and we'll draft a real itinerary around them within 24 hours — no US agency markup, no middleman.

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