Hello there! Are you visiting India and just wondering what to pack? Then you have come to the right place! I am going to tell you what to pack for India as a female traveller. Because truth be told – it is no easy feat to dress in India. That’s because you will have to balance two almost impossible things here: on one hand, you want to dress modestly, especially when you are planning on entering mosques and shrines, but on the other hand, the heat in India is absolutely no joke.
As someone who was born and is living in Germany, that heat almost got me on my knees every time I entered an air-conditioned room after spending too much time outdoors. My skin is quite fair, so it isn’t only the heat but also the sun. I burn very easily and therefore had to consider the sun in all of my outfits too. So, if you are a white female traveller, you can for sure copy & paste how I dressed in India. This way, you are ready for all the amazing places on your India Itinerary!
What to Pack for India: Covering the Basics
When you are travelling in India, you should dress modestly. For women, this means covering your shoulders, chest and legs. There are places where you can play it a little more loosely; however, this applies mostly for the hotel pool. If you want to enter mosques or temples, you may even be denied access if you are wearing too little. You really don’t want to be standing in front of the top places in India and miss out on seeing them from the inside.
Furthermore, covering up will also ensure your skin a well-deserved respite from the Indian sun. Nothing would ruin your trip faster than burned shoulders, and you driving all day only not to enter some of the most breathtaking monuments in human history, only because you didn’t think to cover your shoulders.
For me, that meant that I focused on the following type of outfit. Type A was: a flowy long skirt paired with a basic tee + a long-sleeved shirt over that. Type B was a long dress paired with one of my favourite cover-ups ever: a flowy crop top. This way, I could combine most of my tops and cover-ups with each other, creating many outfits for me to choose from during the trip.
What to Pack for India: Choosing the right fabric
Ok, so now that we are set on the baseline of our outfits, you also have to consider picking the right fabrics. However, Indian heat will make you want to lose as many layers as you can; however, we already established that this is not possible. So the layers you are going to choose will have to be made from light, breathable materials. Because when you are standing in Jodhpur at Mehrangarh Fort, you don’t want to be sweaty in polyester clohting.
So make sure to pick natural, lightweight fibres like linen or cotton that will allow your skin to breathe and also save you from feeling stinky while exploring all the top places of India!
What to Pack for India: Additional Tips
As a woman travelling to India, it might be very useful to always bring a headscarf for exploring. Especially when you want to enter the mosques in the country, you might not want to rely on the publicly available scarves. Just one lightweight headscarf will do the trick here.
Furthermore, make sure to bring comfortable, yet breathable shoes for your days exploring. As someone who worries a lot about bacteria and cleanliness, I wore sneakers for most of my trip to India, because I preferred to wear closed shoes while exploring, especially in places like Jagdish Temple in Udaipur. You will also be asked to remove your shoes while visiting some of the temples and shrines. However, as a tourist, you will be allowed to keep your socks on, which I gladly did.
In conclusion: Light Layers & Natural Fibres
Packing for India is not an easy task. However, there are ways to make the most of your outfits and have them work with you instead of against you. Layering, light fabrics and covering up will protect you, while keeping you as airy and breathable as possible.
