Best Honeymoon Destinations from India: 15 Picks by Budget and Season

How do you choose a honeymoon destination?

Three things decide it, in this order: the month you can travel, the budget per couple including flights, and how much you want to do. A wedding in late November or December points you towards the Maldives, Thailand, Dubai, Kerala or Andaman, which are all in season. A wedding in April or May opens up Bali, Kashmir, Switzerland and Greece. Couples who want to rest should pick one island or resort and stay put; couples who want to explore should pick a country with two or three bases.

The prices below are starting figures per couple (two people, twin sharing) in 3★–4★ hotels. International figures include return economy flights from Delhi or Mumbai in a normal fare week. Indian figures are land only (hotels, breakfast, transfers and sightseeing by car), so add ₹15,000–30,000 per couple for domestic flights.

Which honeymoon destinations suit which budget?

Expect higher prices from 20 December to early January and during the May–June school holidays, when flights and resorts sit at peak rates.

Which international honeymoons work best?

Maldives: for doing nothing, well

Indian passport holders get a free 30-day visa on arrival, and Malé is about four hours from Delhi and under two from Bengaluru. The real decisions are the resort, the transfer and the meal plan. Speedboat resorts in the North and South Malé Atolls keep costs down; seaplane resorts are more remote but add roughly USD 500–900 (₹44,000–79,000) per person for the return transfer. Take half board or all-inclusive, because ordering every meal from the menu at a resort costs far more. Three nights suits a speedboat resort; take four or five if you are paying for a seaplane. See the Maldives trip cost for a full breakdown. November to April is the dry season; May to October is cheaper, with heavier showers.

Bali: villas and variety

Split the trip between Ubud (two or three nights among rice terraces and temples) and the south (Seminyak, Uluwatu or Nusa Dua) for beaches and sunsets. Private-pool villas cost a fraction of an overwater villa in the Maldives. The Indonesian visa on arrival is IDR 500,000 (about ₹2,700) per person, plus the Bali tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about ₹810). Allow for traffic: Ubud to Uluwatu can take two hours. April to October is dry, and July and August are the most expensive months.

Thailand: the value pick

For a honeymoon, base yourselves in Krabi or Phuket and take day trips to the Phi Phi islands and Phang Nga Bay; leave Pattaya out. Indians get visa-free entry for up to 30 days, with a free online Thailand Digital Arrival Card. November to April is calm on the Andaman coast. From May to October the west-coast sea turns rough, and Koh Samui on the Gulf side is the better bet in June–August.

Mauritius: resort time plus road trips

Mauritius is visa-free for Indians, many Mauritians understand Hindi, and vegetarian food is easy to find. Most couples stay on the east or north coast and spend a day or two driving the south-west: Chamarel, Le Morne and the Black River Gorges. It is about six hours non-stop from Mumbai. May to December is dry and mild; January to March brings cyclone risk.

Sri Lanka and Bhutan: short flights, slower pace

The Sri Lanka ETA fee is waived for Indians at the time of review, and a six-night loop of Kandy, the Ella hill train and a south-coast beach covers a lot for the money. Bhutan suits couples who want quiet: Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, with the Tiger's Nest hike as the highlight. Indians pay a Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 per person per night.

Switzerland and Greece: the big-ticket Europe trips

Switzerland works most of the year: May to September for lakes and mountain trains, December to March for snow. Two bases (Lucerne or Interlaken, plus Zermatt or St. Moritz) are enough for seven nights; the Switzerland trip cost page breaks down the spend. Greece is a May–June or September–October trip, usually Athens plus Santorini and one more island. Both need a Schengen visa (EUR 90 per adult), and summer appointments fill up, so apply six to eight weeks ahead.

Which are the best honeymoon destinations in India?

Kashmir is the most requested: a night on a Dal Lake houseboat, the Gulmarg gondola and Pahalgam's river valleys. Tulip season is late March to April, and December to February is for snow; check the best time to visit Kashmir before fixing dates.

Andaman suits beach couples. Base yourselves on Swaraj Dweep (Havelock) for Radhanagar beach and a try dive, and book the private ferries as soon as your flights are fixed. Our list of things to do in the Andaman Islands covers the rest.

Kerala pairs Munnar's tea hills with a night on an Alleppey houseboat and a quiet beach at Marari or Kovalam. Rajasthan is for palace-hotel couples: Udaipur's lakes plus Jaisalmer's dunes from October to March. Sikkim and Darjeeling give snow-peak views in spring and autumn without high costs, and Goa remains the easiest three-night escape when leave is short.

When should you book, and what do couples get wrong?

Book international honeymoons 8–12 weeks ahead, and longer for Christmas and New Year. Many resorts add honeymoon touches (a cake, a decorated room, a dinner) if you show a wedding card or marriage certificate dated within the past few months. Ask for these in writing when you book.

Keep a 5–7 night honeymoon to two bases. Four hotel changes in six nights is the complaint we hear most often after a trip.

The other common mistakes:

• Booking a 6 a.m. flight the morning after the reception.
• Ignoring the season: Phuket in July and Goa in August are wet, rough-sea months.
• Choosing a party base such as Pattaya or Baga when you want quiet.
• Forgetting the extras: visas for Dubai and Bali, 2% TCS on overseas packages (adjustable against your income tax), and travel insurance.

When you have a shortlist, compare inclusions side by side on our honeymoon tour packages page.