I visited India for a month as part of a few months’ travel in Asia and Oceania. I knew there was etiquette around what is appropriate to wear in India, and I also knew I wouldn’t want to carry around too much stuff. Here’s my advice for what to pack for a month in India.
How much stuff should you pack for a month in India?
How much stuff should you pack for a month in India? Well, I reckon about the same as you would pack for one week in India.
Hotels in India have the best and most efficient laundry services I’ve ever come across. For mere pennies you can have your whole bag of clothes cleaned, dried, ironed and neatly folded within 24 hours.
There’s no need to carry around more than one week’s worth of clothes – save the space in your bag for your inevitable souvenir shopping!
Clothes to pack for a month in India
A few T-shirts
India is a mainly Hindu country, so as a woman you need to be covering your shoulders and your knees. Leave your sleeveless tops at home and opt for short sleeve, cotton mix (they crease less than 100% cotton) t-shirts.
India can be hot and humid, so take one week’s worth or pack some travel laundry liquid to give them a rinse in between full laundry loads.
A long sleeve shirt
A lightweight long sleeve shirt is a good idea in India as you can use it to cover up if necessary and to protect from mosquito bites in the evenings. Choose a linen or cotton style to keep cool.
A few pairs of cotton joggers
I love cotton joggers for travel in hot climates. As a woman in India you need to wear clothes that cover your knees, so a few pairs of lightweight trousers are a must.
Cotton joggers are perfect as they scrunch up really small and take up next to no space in your bag.
A dress or two
Dresses are great in India as they look great and keep you nice and cool. Just make sure you pack dresses which cover your shoulders and your knees.
A silk scarf
You don’t really have to pack one of these when you’re at home, because opportunities to buy beautiful silk scarves at a great price will be plentiful in India.
But do make sure you get one within your first few days. They are great for covering up in temples, using as a light blanket on a breezy train, or just for accessorising your outfit.
Some statement jewellery
I’m not really one for accessories, but for those of you that find wearing a week’s worth of clothing over and over again a bit dull, you can mix things up with a few well-chosen accessories.
Just make sure you pick things that will look good with multiple outfit combinations.
Toms Shoes
Toms are just about my favourite shoes, not least because they give a new pair of shoes to a child in need every time you buy a pair! I live in them (except in Winter!).
Toms are absolutely brilliant for travelling because they are just so comfy and just so light! They also squish up as small as flip-flops (or thongs, or jandals, depending on where you’re from!)
In India the streets can be kinda dirty, so Toms are perfect as they cover your whole foot, but are cool and lightweight. They’re pretty good for climbing to the top bunk on a sleeper train too (see pic above!).
Socks (if you’re visiting the Karni Mata temple)
See those rats? See the state of the floor? This is the Karni Mata temple (aka. the Rat Temple) and it’s a temple, so you can’t wear shoes. So yeah… you’re gonna want socks. And you’re gonna want ones you won’t mind throwing in the bin as you leave.
A down jacket for the plane
I don’t know how I coped before, but I only discovered down jackets a few years ago. Mine has changed my travel life! I live in the UK (which is often a wee bit chilly!) so, even when travelling to somewhere hot, I need a coat to get to the airport. That used to mean lugging around a heavy jacket in a hot country for weeks/months and not using it!
Down jackets are SUPER LIGHT and can scrunch up to about the size of a tennis ball – perfect for packing light on a multi-climate trip
And obviously…
Underwear, PJs, etc.
Other things to pack for a month in India
Travel hair dryer
The weather can be hot and humid in India, and also the water tends to leave your hair feeling a bit… grubby. So your locks can be harder than usual to tame.
I wrote a post about my favourite travel hair dryer a while back.
Power bank
Electricity in India’s hotels can be somewhat unreliable and you’re highly likely to experience a lot of power cuts whilst you’re there.
Not to mention the fact that it can be difficult to make sure you have the right plug adaptor. Indian builders seem to put in whichever type of socket they have to hand, so whilst one hotel room might have 3-pin UK sockets, the next might be European or American.
So a power bank can be super handy! I have an Anker PowerCore 20100 – Ultra High Capacity Power Bank and I really love it. I took it to Jordan recently and charged my iPhone multiple times without anywhere near running down the powerbank.
Noise cancelling headphones
Travel in India means long train journeys (if you want to know what the trains are like, you can read my post about them). So noise cancelling headphones can be a godsend.
Bose QuietComfort are generally reported as the best, or here’s a review of my favourite budget noise cancelling headphones!
Kindle
Also amazing for passing time on a long train journey, don’t forget to pack your Kindle. Make sure you pre-load it with plenty of good reads before you leave the UK, as the WiFi in India can be somewhat sketchy.
A decent camera
India is one of the places that I’ve taken the most photos. Everything there was interesting to me and it’s great to have the memories captured and printed in a photobook (and posted on Insta…).
If you’re new to photography but don’t trust your iPhone to produce good enough shots, I recommend investing in an entry-level DSLR. I have a Nikon D3500 which I love to bits – it’s light, great for learning and it’s pretty good on Automatic too!
Toiletries
Of course, you’ll need to take your usual set of toiletries (shampoo, soap, etc.) but there’s a couple of other things you’ll want in India too.
Don’t forget to pack insect repellent containing Deet. It stinks, but you do not want to get Dengue Fever.
And make sure you pack some hand sanitiser. Contrary to popular belief, the toilets really aren’t that bad, but the water for washing your hands might not be very clean.
Also, make sure you nab a loo roll or two from your hotel to carry around with you. You’ll appreciate it.
First Aid Kit
Depending on where in India you are travelling, it may be difficult to get hold of good first aid supplies, so make sure you take a decent first aid kit with you. Don’t forget plasters and antibacterial wipes, plus a good supply of Immodium… (I actually didn’t get sick AT ALL in India, but I was glad to have a safety net!).
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