Safety Hub
Every destination guide on this site carries a researched safety score and women's-safety score, not a generic disclaimer. This page collects the India-wide basics — emergency numbers, how those scores work, and general guidance — so you don't have to hunt for them on each trip.
Emergency numbers (all of India)
112
National emergency
108
Ambulance
100
Police
1363
Tourist helpline
How we score safety
Safety score reflects general traveller safety — crime levels, road conditions, and how easy it is to get help if something goes wrong. Women's safety score is a separate rating specifically about how comfortable solo and group women travellers tend to find a destination, based on local reporting and traveller accounts we've reviewed. Both are out of 5, editorially researched by us — not a crowd-sourced average.
LGBTQ+ travellers
India's Supreme Court decriminalised consensual same-sex relationships in 2018, and same-sex couples can legally live together — but same-sex marriage isn't legally recognised, and the Supreme Court has left that decision to Parliament. Attitudes vary a lot by region: Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Goa have visible LGBTQ+-friendly spaces and most travellers on well-trodden routes report positive experiences, while smaller towns and rural areas tend to be more conservative.
Public displays of affection are best kept modest for any couple in India, not just same-sex couples — this is more about general social norms than a legal risk. Mumbai is generally considered the most consistently welcoming major city.
Money & scams
- UPI is widely accepted in cities and most tourist towns; carry some cash for rural areas and small vendors.
- Agree on taxi/auto fares upfront or insist on the meter — ask your accommodation what a fair local rate looks like.
- Be wary of unsolicited "helpful" strangers steering you to a specific shop, hotel or guide — commissions drive a lot of this.
Solo & women travellers
- Prefer registered taxis or app-based rides over hailing unmarked vehicles late at night.
- Share your live location with someone you trust when heading somewhere remote.
- Each destination guide includes a women's safety score — check it alongside the general safety score before you go.
Transport
- Book long-distance trains in advance during festival season and summer holidays — tatkal quotas fill fast.
- In the hills, avoid night driving on ghat roads; landslides and poor lighting are real risks in monsoon.
- Download offline maps before heading to low-connectivity regions (forests, high mountain passes, remote coastline).
Health
- Stick to bottled or filtered water, and be cautious with street food if you have a sensitive stomach — go where there's a steady local crowd.
- Carry basic medication (rehydration salts, any personal prescriptions) — pharmacies are common in towns but not always in remote areas.
- At altitude (Ladakh, high Himachal), acclimatise for a day before exerting yourself; altitude sickness is common and manageable if you pace yourself.
Highest safety scores
Best-rated for women travellers
Safety conditions change. This page is general guidance based on our research, not a substitute for official travel advisories from your government or the latest local news before you travel.