Traveling With Kids

India can be a genuinely rewarding place to travel with children, but it rewards preparation. What follows is practical and non-medical: for health and vaccination guidance, talk to a travel health clinic or your pediatrician, since recommendations depend on your child's age, history, and where exactly you're going.

We have travelled extensively with our children since they were 3 or 4. Children love the outdoors: take short walks and even day treks and watch them explode with joy. India has great opportunities for kids to enjoy the outdoors.

Transport safety

Car seats are not standard in Indian taxis, rideshares, or hired cars, and most drivers won't have one on request. If a car seat matters to you, bring your own and ask specifically for a vehicle that can take it.

Food and water

The adult precautions (bottled or purified water, freshly cooked hot food, caution with unpeeled raw produce) apply more strictly to kids, who dehydrate faster and get sicker from stomach upsets. Carry packaged snacks and familiar foods for the days when nothing on offer looks kid-friendly.

Managing attention

Foreign children, especially younger ones, attract a lot of friendly but persistent attention: strangers asking for photos, wanting to touch or hold a child, or just staring. It is almost always well-meaning curiosity, but it can overwhelm both kids and parents if you're not expecting it. It is completely fine to politely decline photos or move on from an interaction that's gone on too long.

Everyday supplies

Diapers, wipes, formula and baby food are easy to find in city supermarkets and pharmacies, in familiar international brands alongside local ones. Availability thins out in rural areas; stock up before heading off the beaten path.

Picking kid-friendly stops

Packed itineraries backfire with children: long travel days, heat and crowds add up. Build in downtime, prefer accommodation with a pool or garden, and alternate heavy cultural sites (forts, temples) with physically engaging ones (wildlife parks, beaches, boat rides). That beats a monument-a-day pace every time.