Tourism plays a significant role in the Indian economy. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the sector contributed to 5.22% of India's GDP in 2023-24 (provisional estimates), recovering from pandemic lows of 1.50% in 2020–21 to pre-pandemic levels of around 5%. The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that India's travel and tourism sector contributed nearly Rs 21 trillion to the economy in 2024, supporting approximately 46.5 million jobs (9.1% of total employment).
States and Union territories of India with their names.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, first settled around 26,000 years ago, form an archipelago of 572 tropical islands, of which only 37 are inhabited. Tourism plays a major economic role in the islands. According to official estimates, tourist arrivals tripled from 130,000 in 2016 to 430,000 in 2017.
The islands straddle the fault line between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Sunda Plate, and their topography reflects millions of years of volcanism and tectonics. Barren Island hosts South Asia's only active volcano, which typically erupts every one to two years; its most recent eruption occurred in 2024.
The most notable historical site is the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. Built in 1906 during the British Raj, it became notorious for its harsh conditions and use as a political prison for members of India's independence movement. The former prison complex now serves as a museum and memorial.
Andhra Pradesh
Tourism features numerous Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage destinations, along with beaches, caves, hill stations, and wildlife sites.
Pilgrimage sites Venkateswara Temple – Located in the hills near Tirumala, this temple is a major Vaishnavite pilgrimage centre dedicated to Venkateswara. Kanaka Durga Temple – A temple dedicated to Goddess Durga on Indrakeeladri Hill in Vijayawada on the Krishna River. Major festivals include Dussehra and Theppotsavam. Mallikarjuna Temple – Located at Srisailam in the Nallamala Hills, it is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines dedicated to Shiva. Kodandarama Temple – A 16th-century temple at Vontimitta, Kadapa district, dedicated to Rama. Pancharama Kshetras – Five ancient Shiva temples: Amararama (Amaravathi), Draksharama, Somarama (Bhimavaram), Ksheerarama (Palakollu), and Kumararama (Samalkota). Srikalahasteeswara Temple – Located in Srikalahasti, Chittoor district, it is associated with the Panchabhoota manifestation of Vayu (air). Shakta pithas – Important shrines at Draksharamam, Pithapuram, and Srisailam.
Buddhist centres Amaravathi – Guntur district Nagarjunakonda – Guntur district Bhattiprolu – Guntur district Ghantasala – Krishna district Sankaram – Visakhapatnam district Bavikonda – Visakhapatnam district Thotlakonda – Visakhapatnam district Ramatheertham – Vizianagaram district Salihundam – Srikakulam district Lingapalem – West Godavari district
Other Buddhist sites include Pavurallakonda, Chandavaram, Guntupalli, Adurru, Kummarilova, Kotturu Dhanadibbalu, Karukonda, Kapavaram, and Nandalu.
Places of interest Araku Valley – A hill station near Visakhapatnam known for its coffee plantations. Undavalli Caves – A multi-storey monolithic cave complex, largely dating to the early centuries CE. Gandikota Fort – Situated on the Penna River, it includes the Madhavaraya and Ranganatha temples. Thimmamma Marrimanu – A sprawling banyan tree noted for its extensive canopy. Prakasam Barrage – A road-cum-rail bridge across the Krishna River at Vijayawada. Kolleru Lake – A large freshwater lake situated between Krishna and West Godavari districts. Pulicat Lake – A brackish lagoon on the Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu border along the Bay of Bengal, much of which forms the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary. Uppalapadu Bird Sanctuary – A bird sanctuary near Guntur that attracts thousands of migratory birds each season. Ethipothala Falls – A waterfall on the Chandravanka stream near Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. Borra Caves – A cave system in the Ananthagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats near Visakhapatnam, renowned for its stalactite and stalagmite formations. Belum Caves – A cave system in Kurnool district featuring long passages, large chambers, and freshwater galleries. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park – A zoological park located within the reserve forests of Visakhapatnam district. Sri Venkateswara National Park – A national park in the Tirumala Hills of Chittoor district, containing waterfalls including Talakona. Horsley Hills – A hill station near Madanapalle in Chittoor district. Suryalanka Beach – A seaside resort near Bapatla in Guntur district. Rajahmundry – A city on the Godavari River known for landmarks including the Godavari Bridge, ISKCON Temple, and Pushkar ghats. Visakhapatnam – A major coastal city with attractions including the INS Kurusura Submarine Museum, Yarada Beach, and VUDA Park.
Arunachal Pradesh
According to Puranic and epic traditions, the region is associated with episodes in the Kalika Purana and the Mahabharata, including sites linked to Parashurama, Vyasa, Bhishmaka, and Krishna and Rukmini; these associations are matters of legend and require citations.
Places of worship and pilgrimage include Parashurama Kund and the 17th‑century Tawang Monastery. Tawang Monastery is the largest monastery in India and the second-largest in the world. Archaeological and heritage sites include Malinithan and Ita Fort in Itanagar. Lakes include Ganga Lake (Geker Sinying) near Itanagar and lakes around Sela Pass. The state offers opportunities for angling, boating, rafting, trekking, and hiking, and has multiple wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
Assam
Assam is a state in Northeast India and serves as a gateway to the other Seven Sister States. It has several protected areas, including Kaziranga National Park, home to the one-horned rhinoceros, Manas National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Nameri National Park, and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary; Kaziranga and Manas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The state also includes the large river island Majuli, known for its Vaishnavite Sattras, historic Sivasagar with monuments of the Ahom kingdom, the city of Tezpur, and tea estates and rubber plantations dating to the British Raj.
Other sites include Madan Kamdev, a temple complex noted for sculptural remains about 30 km from Guwahati; nearby is Gopeswar Mandir at Deuduar. Basudev Than is a satra more than 300 years old.
Assam's cultural heritage includes the period of the Ahom kingdom, which governed the region for centuries before British rule. Notable features include the Brahmaputra River, the bird-death phenomenon reported at Jatinga, and temples such as the Kamakhya Temple, associated with Tantra. Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (Damdama Sahib) is located in Dhubri on the Brahmaputra. Guwahati, the state's largest city, features markets, temples, and nearby wildlife sanctuaries.
Bihar
Bihar is among the world's oldest continuously inhabited regions, with human settlement dating back over 3,000 years. It is associated with figures such as Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya, and Aryabhata.
In 2024, Bihar recorded 65 million domestic and 700,000 foreign tourist arrivals.
Attractions Patna The state capital, known for its historical sites and riverfront. Gaya The site of Bodh Gaya, where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple; also the location of the Vishnupad Temple and the Mangla Gauri Temple. Muzaffarpur Known for lychee cultivation and local temples. Darbhanga Historic city with palaces and the Kali Mandir. Nalanda Site of the ancient Nalanda University. Kesariya Location of the Kesariya Stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas. Sasaram Contains the tomb of Sher Shah Suri. Sonepur Cattle Fair Asia's largest cattle fair, held annually in Sonepur. Takht Sri Patna Sahib A Sikh shrine at the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh. Munger Known for the Bihar School of Yoga and Shakta pithas. Vaishali Birthplace of Mahavira. Champapuri A Jain pilgrimage site associated with Tirthankara Vasupujya. Rajgir An ancient city sacred to Buddhism and Jainism, near the Son Bhandar Caves. Pawapuri Site of Mahavira's cremation and the Jal Mandir.
For further details, see List of tourist attractions in Bihar.
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a city and union territory at the foothills of the Himalayas and serves as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Nicknamed the "City Beautiful," it is among India's earliest planned cities and was designed by Swiss‑French architect Le Corbusier. Major attractions include Nek Chand Rock Garden, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Sukhna Lake, the Open Hand Monument, and the Capitol Complex, the last of which is part of the World Heritage property "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier." In 2025, Chandigarh was adjudged the second cleanest city in its population category in the Swachh Survekshan rankings by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh became a state on 1 November 2000. According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, forests cover about 44.2% of the state's area; the report is published biennially by the Forest Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The state features ancient monuments, temples, Buddhist sites, waterfalls, caves, rock paintings, hill plateaus, and protected forests.
Prominent attractions include Chitrakote Falls on the Indravati River; Kotumsar Cave; the rock-cut caves at Ramgarh (Sitabenga and Jogimara); Bhoramdeo Temple; Arang temples; Sirpur; Rajim; Ratanpur; and Malhar.
Delhi
Delhi is India's national capital and a union territory. Old Delhi has long served as a historic seat of power, while New Delhi was laid out in the early 20th century by architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. New Delhi is noted for axial planning, broad boulevards, and monumental government buildings such as Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament House.
Prominent landmarks include Qutb Minar, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, and the Lotus Temple, alongside museums, parks, and markets across the city.
Goa
A former Portuguese colony, Goa is a coastal state known for its beaches, historic churches and temples, forts, waterfalls, wildlife sanctuaries, markets, and water-based recreation. The Churches and Convents of Goa in Old Goa—covering sites such as the Basilica of Bom Jesus and the Se Cathedral—are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Other noted attractions include Shri Mangeshi Temple, Anjuna Beach, Fort Aguada, Chapora Fort, and Dudhsagar Falls.
The annual Goa Carnival is a pre‑Lenten festival featuring parades, floats, music, and dance held in towns including Panaji, Margao, Vasco, and Mapusa.
Gujarat
Gujarat is a western Indian state on the Arabian Sea, noted for archaeological sites, historic temples and mosques, coastal landscapes, and wildlife reserves. Its inscribed World Heritage properties include Rani ki Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, and Dholavira in Kachchh.
The last remaining wild population of the Asiatic lion occurs in and around Gir in Saurashtra, Gujarat. The Indus Valley site of Lothal in the Ahmedabad region is noted for an early dockyard and related maritime infrastructure.
Selected attractions - Rani ki Vav (Patan) — an 11th‑century stepwell inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. - Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park — a cultural landscape with fortifications, palaces, mosques, temples, and water systems spanning prehistoric to medieval periods. - Dholavira (Kachchh) — one of the best-preserved urban settlements of the Harappan civilisation, with sophisticated water management. - Gir Forest National Park — core area of the only wild Asiatic lion population. - Lothal — Harappan settlement with an early dockyard and archaeological museum.
Haryana