3 popular destinations across India — compare prices from 500+ airlines and OTAs, find the cheapest fares from any UK airport.
Heathrow has direct daily service to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad on British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air India and Vistara. Birmingham–Delhi runs Air India, and Manchester runs onward connections via Doha or Dubai. Most regional UK airports rely on Emirates (Dubai), Qatar (Doha) or Lufthansa (Frankfurt) connections.
| Visa (UK passport) | UK passport holders need an e-Visa (e-Tourist Visa) — apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in before flying. Tourist e-Visas come in 30-day, 1-year and 5-year varieties. |
|---|---|
| Currency | Indian rupee (INR, ₹). Cards work in cities; cash is essential outside big urban centres. Use ATMs (HDFC, ICICI, Axis are reliable) — avoid airport-counter exchanges. |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) — five and a half hours ahead of UK winter. |
| Language | Hindi and English (both official); 21 other scheduled languages plus regional. English fluent in business contexts and tourist areas; very widely spoken. |
| Plug type | Type C/D/M (European 2-pin works in C; some Type D 3-pin). UK three-pin does NOT fit — adaptor essential. |
| Best months | October–March (cool dry season — good for everywhere). Avoid May–June (hot) and July–September (monsoon, except Ladakh). |
| Flight times from UK | Delhi (DEL) 8h 30m; Mumbai (BOM) 8h 50m; Bengaluru (BLR) 9h 20m; Chennai (MAA) 9h 15m; Goa (GOI) 9h 40m via Mumbai |
Yes. UK passport holders need an e-Tourist Visa (e-TV), applied for online at indianvisaonline.gov.in 4–14 days before travel. Cost is around $25 for 30 days, $40 for 1 year, $80 for 5 years. Allow 72 hours processing.
Direct LHR–DEL is 8h 30m eastbound, 9h 30m westbound. Mumbai is around 20 minutes longer each way. Connecting via Doha or Dubai adds 4–6 hours total including layover.
For Heathrow, direct is usually within £50 of the Dubai connection and saves 4 hours — direct wins. From Manchester, Birmingham or Edinburgh, Emirates via Dubai often beats the connecting BA/Virgin LHR option by £80–£200 return.
February (post-Christmas) and June–August (monsoon discount) are cheapest. October–January is peak season for tourism (post-monsoon, cooler), so fares run 30–60% above lows.
London Heathrow (BA, Virgin, Air India, Vistara) and London Gatwick (IndiGo, newly launched 2024) for Delhi/Mumbai. Birmingham (Air India) for Delhi. Manchester relies on connections. New direct routes are being announced regularly under Air India's Tata-led expansion.
