India resists the single itinerary. Unless perhaps you have 12 months to spare! It is too vast, colourful, layered and generous in its offerings to visitors. For first-timers, it makes sense to divide the subcontinent into distinct chapters to do it justice.
Rajasthan is where most begin, and understandably so. Jaipur’s Amber Fort and block-printed bazaars set the tone; Udaipur slows everything down with Lake Pichola, the City Palace and an atmosphere that makes lingering feel obligatory. Jaisalmer delivers the dramatic finale: a sandstone fortress rising from the Thar Desert, camel safaris at dawn, silence that has real weight. Karma Haveli puts you inside Jaipur’s old walled quarter; Karma Seven Lakes, a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award winner for 2026, commands lake views in Udaipur along with our newest addition to the portfolio, Karma Amaatra; and Karma Golden Camp delivers luxury deep in the dunes outside Jaisalmer.
The Himalayas can feel like an entirely different world. Dharamshala carries the gentle gravity of Tibetan culture; Manali opens into high-altitude passes and Solang Valley adventure; Gangtok in Sikkim remains the hidden gem most first-timer guides ignore, a Buddhist kingdom with Kangchenjunga, the world’s third tallest mountain, filling the horizon. In the forest foothills of Uttarakhand, Corbett National Park holds one of the country’s highest tiger densities alongside leopards, elephants and exceptional birdlife. Karma Tashi, Karma Utopia, Karma Martam Retreat and Karma Sitabani place Members at the heart of each.
Goa and Maharashtra reward those who look beyond the obvious. North Goa’s Portuguese colonial quarter and old fishing villages are a world apart from the party beaches; Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats offers strawberry farms, walking country and cool air. Karma Royal Haathi Mahal, Karma Royal Palms and TripAdvisor award-winner Karma Royal MonteRio cover the coast, while TripAdvisor award-winner Karma Lakewood anchors the hill station.
Kerala closes the journey in gorgeously atmospheric style. Kerala in particular earns its reputation: backwaters by houseboat at Karma Chakra, high-altitude tea estates at Karma Munnar and the ancient Wayanad rainforest at Karma Vythiri. Karma Sunshine Village offers a green, unhurried base in Bangalore before heading deeper into a part of India that tends to change people’s minds about the country entirely.
