Cheapest Countries to Visit From India For a Budget Dream Vacation!

Nepal is the cheapest international trip an Indian passport can make. No visa is required under the India-Nepal treaty, the Nepali rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee so there is no exchange-rate shock, and Kathmandu can be reached overland if you want to skip airfare entirely. Guesthouses, dal bhat and local buses cost roughly what they do in the Indian hills. Trekking around Pokhara and the Annapurna foothills is the main spend, and guides are inexpensive.

Sri Lanka packs beaches, tea country and ruined cities onto an island you can circle in a week, and it carries one of the lowest package starting rates in Holidify's own data. The Sri Lankan rupee has weakened a long way against the Indian rupee, which keeps food, drivers and guesthouses cheap once you land. Flights from Chennai and Bengaluru are among the shortest international hops out of India. Colombo and Negombo for the coast, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for cool weather and tea estates.

Thailand is the default first trip abroad for Indian travellers, and it stays cheap because every part of it is competitive. Dozens of airlines fly the route so fares stay keen, street food and songthaews cost very little, and visa-free entry for Indian passports has recently removed the fee and the agent step, though rules change so check before booking. At the budget end accommodation is cheaper than Vietnam; alcohol is dearer. Bangkok, Pattaya and the Phi Phi islands anchor most itineraries.

Vietnam gives you the most for the least once you land, because the dong is very weak against the rupee. A bowl of pho, a night in a family-run guesthouse and a sleeper bus between cities all cost a fraction of the Thai equivalent. Son Doong in Phong Nha is the largest cave in the world; Halong Bay and the rice terraces at Sapa handle the rest of the scenery. An e-visa is generally available for Indian passports, so check current rules before you book.

Bhutan needs no visa for Indian passport holders, only a permit, and you can enter overland through Phuentsholing from West Bengal, which removes airfare altogether. The catch is the Sustainable Development Fee. Indians pay a much lower rate than other nationalities, but it is charged per night, so a short trip is far better value than a long one. Paro and Thimphu are the usual bases, with monasteries and Himalayan valleys in between.

Malaysia is cheap to reach because budget carriers fly there from many Indian cities, not only the big metros. Hawker food in Kuala Lumpur and Penang is some of the best-value eating in Asia, and intercity buses and trains cost little. Visa-free entry for Indian passports has been in place recently but is time-limited, so check current rules. Borneo adds rainforest, Kota Kinabalu and diving.

Indonesia is cheapest away from Bali. Holidify's lowest package rates in the country are for Lombok, Medan and Bandung rather than the Bali strip, and the rupiah is weak enough that local food and transport barely register. Bali suits a first trip; Lombok and the Gili islands give you the same coastline for less. Visa on arrival is generally available for Indian passports.

Cambodia carries the lowest package starting rate of any country on this list in Holidify's own data, which is an indicative internal signal rather than a quote. Angkor Wat is the reason most people come, and Siem Reap runs on cheap guesthouses and street stalls. Phnom Penh's riverfront, the colonial towns of Battambang and the island beaches off the south coast fill out a week. Visa on arrival and e-visa are generally available for Indian passports.

Laos is the quiet, slow and cheap corner of Southeast Asia. Luang Prabang's monasteries, the Mekong slow boat and the caves around Vang Vieng cost very little, and a rented bicycle is the normal way to get around town. Holidify does not currently list Laos packages, so plan it as an independent trip or as an add-on to Thailand or Vietnam. Visa on arrival is generally available for Indian passports.

The Philippines has more than seven thousand islands and some of the cheapest diving in Asia once you are there. The catch is getting between them: internal flights to Palawan, Siargao and Bohol add up, so the total sits above mainland Southeast Asia. Coron and El Nido are the value picks. Visa-free or e-visa entry is generally available for Indian passports.

Uzbekistan runs on Silk Road cities that cost very little to see. Samarkand's Registan, Bukhara's old town and the walled centre of Khiva have no real equivalent elsewhere, and the som is weak against the rupee. Direct flights from Delhi have made it much easier to reach than it used to be. An e-visa is generally available for Indian passports.

Georgia sits where Europe meets Asia and delivers a European-feeling trip without European prices. Tbilisi's old town, the mountains around Kazbegi and the wine valleys of Kakheti are the core of it, and wine, bread and family guesthouses are genuinely cheap. Flights are longer and dearer than Southeast Asia, so Georgia repays a longer stay. An e-visa is generally available for Indian passports.

Azerbaijan is called the Land of Fire for its Zoroastrian past and the natural gas flames still burning at Yanar Dag. Baku pairs a seafront promenade with the Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Centre, and mountain towns like Sheki and Quba sit behind it. Food and city transport are cheap; the flight is the main cost. An e-visa is generally available for Indian passports.

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country and the ninth largest overall. The capital, Astana, mixes Soviet-era planning with new architecture, while Almaty sits below the Tian Shan mountains and makes the better base for a first visit. On-ground costs are low, and the long flight is what you actually pay for. Short visa-free stays are generally available for Indian passports, so confirm current rules.

Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean to the north and the Red Sea to the east, and it turns cheap once the flight is paid for. The Giza pyramids, the tombs at Luxor and a Nile cruise make up the standard route, and Luxor is the cheapest of Holidify's Egyptian packages. Red Sea diving at Hurghada and Dahab costs little. An e-visa is generally available for Indian passports.

Oman is the affordable side of the Gulf. Wadis, the dunes of the Wahiba Sands and the Musandam fjords cost far less to see than their equivalents in the UAE, and Salalah during the khareef monsoon is the cheapest way in. It is a short flight from western India. Visa rules for Indian passports vary by category, so check before booking.

The UAE is not cheap on the ground, but it is cheap to reach, because the route from almost every Indian city is so heavily flown that fares stay low. Dubai is the least expensive of the emirates in Holidify's package data. Desert safaris, diving off Fujairah and free public beaches keep a trip affordable if you skip the malls and the brunches. Entry rules for Indian passports vary, so check before booking.

Jordan is compact enough that a week covers it: Petra, the desert camps of Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and the Roman theatre at Jerash. Amman is the cheapest base in Holidify's package data and the country is small, so getting around costs little. The sites themselves are the expensive part. Visa on arrival is generally available for Indian passports.

Turkey is cheap on the ground because the lira has fallen a long way, and dear to reach because the flight is long. Istanbul carries the lowest package rate of Holidify's Turkish destinations, and Cappadocia and the Antalya coast are the other two pillars. Eating out and intercity buses cost little; a balloon ride does not. Visa rules for Indian passports vary by category, so check before booking.

Known For : Gardens by the Bay Universal Studios Singapore Marina Bay Sands

Singapore is the most expensive stop on this list per day, and it earns a place only because flights from India are cheap and frequent and two or three days is enough. Hawker centres keep food costs down, the MRT is efficient and inexpensive, and Gardens by the Bay and the Botanic Gardens cost nothing or close to it. Treat it as a short city break rather than a full holiday.

Best Time: January to November

271 Singapore Attractions

Known For : Hong Kong Disneyland Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Tian Tan Buddha

Hong Kong is expensive to sleep in and cheap to move around. The Octopus card, the Star Ferry and the Peak Tram cost very little, the street food at Temple Street is affordable, and the hiking on Lantau and the Dragon's Back is free. Budget it as a short stop rather than a full holiday. Indian passport holders normally need pre-arrival registration, so check current rules.

Best Time: October to December (Autumn)

337 Hong Kong Attractions

Taiwan is a mountainous island with dense cities and cheap, excellent night-market food. Taipei's metro costs little and the round-island railway makes getting about simple, while Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake handle the scenery. Holidify does not currently list Taiwan packages, so plan it independently. Indian passport holders usually need an entry permit or visa, so check requirements early.

Qatar is a short flight and a cheap stopover if you use a transit programme, but it is the priciest country here on a per-day basis if you actually stay. The Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Waqif and the Doha Corniche are the core, with desert trips to the Inland Sea as the main excursion. Entry for Indian passports is usually straightforward, but confirm current rules.

Russia is cheap on the ground because the rouble is weak, but it is the hardest trip on this list to arrange. Flights are indirect and Indian cards often will not work, so plan cash and payments in advance. Moscow and St Petersburg carry the palaces, fortresses and churches, with historic towns like Suzdal and Pskov within reach. An e-visa is generally available for Indian passports.