Accessible Travel in India: An Honest Guide

We would rather say this plainly than gloss over it: accessibility in India is uneven. Modern hotels, airports and shopping centres are generally well equipped with lifts and ramps. Many of the country's biggest draws, though, including centuries-old forts, palaces and ghats, were never built with step-free access in mind, and often involve stairs, uneven stone, or gravel paths that are genuinely difficult for wheelchair users or travellers with limited mobility.

A private vehicle and guide who knows the ground at each specific site helps enormously — they can tell you in advance which parts of a fort or temple are realistically manageable and which aren't, rather than finding out on the day. Planning with a specialist who can ask these questions ahead of a trip is worth more here than in almost any other kind of India travel.

• Easier — modern hotels, airports, malls and many museums, most of which have lifts and ramps.
• Harder — older forts and palaces (many involve significant stairs), ghats and riverside sites (steps and uneven stone), and some temples with strict footwear or approach requirements.

• Tell your operator your specific needs in detail before booking, not just "I need accessible travel" — the right plan depends on exactly what helps you.
• Where possible, travel with a companion for the sites that are genuinely difficult to navigate solo.
• Confirm room specifics (roll-in shower, step-free entry) directly with the hotel, rather than assuming from a general listing.
• Build slower days with fewer sites, so no single day depends on a difficult access point going smoothly.