Planning an India trip from the US
Flight routes and duration, the jet-lag math, and what's different about arriving from the US specifically.
4 min read
The US-to-India leg is the longest part of most Americans' trip, and it shapes the first couple of days more than people expect. Here's what to actually plan around.
Flight routes and duration
Air India, United and American all run nonstop flights between the US and India. From the East Coast, Newark and JFK to Delhi or Mumbai typically run 14–15 hours nonstop. From the West Coast, San Francisco to Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru runs longer — around 16–17.5 hours nonstop, depending on winds.
If a nonstop isn't available on your route or dates, connecting through the Gulf (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi) or Europe (London, Frankfurt) usually adds a layover but opens up far more schedule options and often costs less.
The jet lag math
India Standard Time is a fixed UTC+5:30 year-round — India doesn't observe daylight saving. That puts it roughly 10.5 hours ahead of US Eastern Time (9.5 hours during US daylight saving) and about 13.5 hours ahead of Pacific Time (12.5 during daylight saving).
That's a big enough jump that most travellers feel it for 2–3 days. Building a light first day or two into the itinerary — rather than a packed schedule starting the morning you land — makes the rest of the trip noticeably better.
Before you fly
Confirm your e-Visa is approved and printed (see our visa and entry guide), check your bank's foreign transaction fees and let them know you're travelling, and pack a universal power adapter — Indian outlets are typically 230V/50Hz, different from the US 120V standard, so laptop and phone chargers with dual-voltage support work but hairdryers and similar high-draw devices usually need a real converter, not just a plug adapter.
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