What's Included in a Private Tour of India
What is in the price, what costs extra and how to check any quote.
By Dhruv Poonia, Digital & Marketing Manager, Colourful Indian Holidays · Published 26 October 2026
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A private tour of India usually includes your own driver and air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking guide, hotels twin-sharing with daily breakfast, monument entry fees as set out in the itinerary, and hotel and transport taxes. It usually does not include flights, visa fees, most lunches and dinners, tips, travel insurance or personal expenses. That is how our standard tours work, and a good test for any quote. Bhutan and multi-country trips differ, and are covered below.
What Is Included, and What Is Not?
| In the price? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Private vehicle and driver | Included | Air-conditioned, for transfers and sightseeing, for your group only |
| English-speaking guide | Included | With you at your stops, per the itinerary |
| Hotels | Included | Twin-sharing, chosen for your route and category |
| Breakfast | Included | Daily |
| Monument entry fees | Included | As set out in the itinerary |
| Hotel and transport taxes | Included | All applicable taxes |
| Flights | Not included | International and domestic flights are priced separately |
| Visa fees | Not included | Most visitors apply for an e-Visa online |
| Lunches and dinners | Not included | Unless the itinerary says otherwise |
| Tips, insurance, personal costs | Not included | Budget for these separately |
What Does Each Inclusion Mean in Practice?
- Private vehicle and driver: the car is yours for the whole trip, so you set the pace of the day and can stop on the way. See our car rental fleet.
- Guide: an English-speaking guide at your stops. Ask any operator whether its guides are government-licensed, which is required at protected monuments.
- Hotels: chosen for your route and category, from comfortable 3-4 star hotels to heritage palaces. The category is the biggest single change to the price.
- Entry fees: the monument tickets listed in the itinerary. Optional extras, such as an additional ticket for a special area, are separate.
- One point of contact: from first enquiry to departure day, so you are not passed between teams.
What Costs Extra?
- Flights: we book them only on request. Long distances, such as Rajasthan to Kerala, usually need an internal flight.
- Visas: most visitors need an e-Visa. See our e-Visa guide, or our guide for US citizens.
- Meals: breakfast is included, and lunches and dinners are paid by you, so you can eat where you like. Our payments guide explains cash and cards.
- Tips: see our tipping guide for what is usual.
- Insurance and personal costs: travel insurance, shopping, drinks and laundry.
How Do Inclusions Differ for Bhutan, Nepal and Multi-Country Trips?
- Bhutan: the price includes the government Sustainable Development Fee, all meals, a licensed guide, a private vehicle and entry fees. The visa fee is listed as extra and is arranged in advance through your licensed operator. Flights to and from Paro are not included.
- Nepal: the Nepal visa fee is extra and is available on arrival for most nationalities.
- India and Nepal or Bhutan: our combined tours include the connecting flight between the countries, such as Delhi to Paro or Delhi to Kathmandu, but not your international flights.
See our combined-trip guide and our Bhutan guide.
How Do You Compare Two Quotes?
Put both quotes next to the list above and look for the gaps. A lower price often means a lower hotel category, a shared vehicle, fewer entry fees or no guide. Our operator checklist lists the questions to ask, and our cost guide shows what a trip costs. Starting rates are about $100 per person per night with 3-4 star hotels, two sharing, and about $250 with 5-star and palace hotels.
Want to see exactly what is in a quote for your dates? Get a free quote
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in a private tour of India?
A private vehicle and driver, an English-speaking guide, hotels twin-sharing with daily breakfast, monument entry fees as set out in the itinerary, and hotel and transport taxes.
What is not included in a private tour of India?
International and domestic flights, visa fees, lunches and dinners unless the itinerary says otherwise, tips, travel insurance and personal expenses.
Are flights included in a tour of India?
Not on our standard tours. International and domestic flights are priced separately. Our combined India and Nepal or Bhutan tours include the connecting flight between the countries but not your international flights.
Are meals included?
Breakfast is included daily in India and Nepal. Lunches and dinners are extra unless the itinerary says otherwise. In Bhutan, all meals are included.
Is the Bhutan visa included in the tour price?
No. The Sustainable Development Fee is included, but the visa fee is listed as extra and is arranged in advance through your licensed operator.
Dhruv Poonia is the Digital & Marketing Manager for Colourful Indian Holidays, working alongside a family travel business that has arranged tours across India, Nepal and Bhutan since 2007. He also oversees the company's sister sites, Rajasthan Travel Agency and Palace on Wheels Tour.
He writes and maintains the destination guides, route information and travel advice published on this site, drawing on his day-to-day work planning itineraries for international travellers to keep every page accurate and current.
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