Information
In short
- Before you fly
- The short checklist →
- Questions
- The most common ones, answered →
- Food & water
- How to avoid Delhi belly →
- Etiquette
- Small things that go a long way →
- A few words
- Hello, thank you, how are you →
Answers, health advice, etiquette, a rough budget and your before-you-fly checklist. If your question isn't here, please feel free to reach out to Simerjit — he is happy to help.
Before you fly — the checklist
Everything to sort before you board. Tick the boxes on screen, or print a paper copy and pin it to the fridge.
Viktoria & Simerjit · New Delhi · March 2027
Before you fly — checklist
Documents
- Apply for the one month e-Tourist Visa (e-T1 V) — and print the approvalThe visa you need is called the one month e-Tourist Visa (e-T1 V). Apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in, about 4 weeks before. Be warned: this can be really, really annoying, so give yourself time and do it early.
- Passport valid 6+ months beyond travel date
- Printed flight itinerary & hotel confirmation
- Travel insurance policy (printed + on phone)
- Photocopy of passport (kept separate from original)
- Wedding invitation / schedule (printed)
Phone & connectivity
- Airalo eSIM purchased & installedAn eSIM gives you mobile data everywhere at a very cheap price. Activate on landing — do not activate before.airalo.com
- Turn OFF mobile data on home SIMRoaming charges in India are brutal
- Download Uber, Ola and ZomatoZomato is the food delivery app everyone uses
- WhatsApp installed (everyone uses it in India)
- Universal travel adapter (Type D/M)
Health & medical
- Take the recommended vaccinesSee the recommended vaccines
- Hand sanitiser (small bottle in day bag)
- N95 mask for outdoor marketsOptional, but helpful if asthmatic
- Personal prescriptions in original packaging
Money
- Credit card
- Open your card for use in India if it has limits on it
- Plan to withdraw ~₹10 000 at airport ATM≈ 1 200 NOK
- Small notes for tips (₹50 / ₹100)
Wardrobe
- Outfits for each ceremonySee the Program & Ceremonies page for dress codes
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Light layers — March evenings are cool
- Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen
Safety — read once before you go
- Never drink tap water — sealed bottles only, even for brushing teeth
- Skip ice cubes and raw salads
- Eat hot, freshly cooked food
- Only use Uber / Ola / hotel cars — never unmarked taxis
- Agree tuk-tuk price before getting in (₹100–200 central trips)
- Travel in groups after dark; women not alone at night
- Don't give money to begging children or adults
- Keep hotel address card on you at all times
- Don't shake hands unless offered first
- Be patient with queues, traffic, and slow airport lines
Questions & answers
Recommended vaccines
Start well before you fly — vaccines need time to take effect. Norwegian guests can check which vaccines are already registered on them at helsenorge.no. You pay for travel vaccines and malaria protection yourself. Children and pregnant travellers may get different advice, so always ask your doctor.
Recommended for everyone
- dTP-IPV — diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio
- MMR — measles, mumps and rubella
In short: be up to date with the ordinary childhood programme and booster doses. For children aged 9–15 months travelling abroad, the MMR dose can sometimes be brought forward.
Recommended for many
- Hepatitis A
- Rabies
- Typhoid
These are advised for most travellers to India. Whether you need them depends on how long you stay, what you'll be doing, your health and whether you're in a risk group — let your doctor decide with you.
Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health · fhi.no / helsenorge.no
How to avoid Delhi belly
Many a visitor has ended up with tummy problems, and almost always for the same few reasons. Follow these and you will most likely be completely fine.
- Never drink water from the tap — only from sealed bottles.
- No ice cubes, and no salads or other raw, washed vegetables.
- Eat food that is freshly fried, grilled or peeled.
- Be a little careful about where you buy food — busy places with high turnover are usually the safest.
- Use hand sanitiser before you eat anything.
- Bring Imodium, and keep it with you rather than in the hotel.
And my favourite tip, offered with great confidence and no medical basis whatsoever: a little Underberg, Jägermeister or a shot of whisky now and then keeps everything in balance. Speaking of whisky — India consumes roughly half of all the whisky in the world, and the running joke is that Indians abroad happily drink the other half.
Quick do's & don'ts
The short version. Skim it on the plane.
- Wait for a hand to be offered before you shake it
- Give and receive everything with your right hand
- Skip hugs and cheek kisses with people you have just met
- Cover shoulders and knees outside hotels in traditional areas
- Shoes off in homes and places of worship
- Cover your head in a Gurudwara — scarves are provided
- Use common sense before taking someone's photo
- Point with your whole hand, never a finger or foot
- Tip around 10% in restaurants, ₹50–100 for drivers and porters
- Buy food rather than giving money to anyone begging
- Slow service and traffic are normal — never personal
Hello, thank you, how are you
Nobody expects you to speak Punjabi or Hindi — everyone at the wedding speaks English. But a single word in someone's own language opens a door, and people will light up when you try. Say it badly, proudly.
Sat sri akaal
ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
Hello / goodbye — the Punjabi greeting, said with hands pressed together
Namaste
ਨਮਸਤੇ
Hello — the Hindi version, understood everywhere in Delhi
Kiddha
ਕਿੱਦਾਂ?
How are you?
Main theek haan
ਮੈਂ ਠੀਕ ਹਾਂ
I'm good
Dhanvaad / shukriya
ਧੰਨਵਾਦ / ਸ਼ੁਕਰੀਆ
Thank you
Ji haan / ji nahin
ਜੀ ਹਾਂ / ਜੀ ਨਹੀਂ
Yes / no — 'ji' is the polite little word you add to everything
Maaf karna
ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨਾ
Sorry / excuse me
Chardi kala
ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ
Rising spirits — the Sikh idea of meeting life with high spirit and gratitude
Vadhaiyan
ਵਧਾਈਆਂ
Congratulations — the word for us on the wedding day
Balle balle!
ਬਲੇ ਬਲੇ!
Shouted on the dance floor — pure joy, no translation needed
A rough budget
India is far cheaper than Norway day to day — the flight is really the big-ticket item. Once you arrive, your money can go a very long way. The Economist's Big Mac Index regularly places India among the world's lower-cost economies, while Norway sits firmly at the expensive end of the scale.
That said, India can also be as expensive as you want it to be. Five-star hotels, private drivers, rooftop cocktails, tasting menus and serious luxury are all very easy to find. So whether you want to travel cheaply or go completely over the top, both are possible. In simple terms: getting to India may cost you, but being there does not have to. All prices below are approximate, per person, and in NOK.
Flights
6 000 – 12 000 krOslo → Delhi return in March
Economy return. Book 4–6 months ahead. KLM, Lufthansa and Finnair are often the easiest routes — and if you're flying on points, Virgin via London is usually the best value.
Hotels
From 700 krPer night, our recommended blocks
Budget pick from ~700 kr, mid-range ~1 800 kr, luxury (Taj, Oberoi) from ~3 500 kr. See the Recommendations page.
Food & daily spend
200 – 2 000 kr / dayMeals, snacks, water, coffee
A simple meal can be 100–200 kr, while a fine-dining evening in Delhi can easily reach 1 000 kr and up. Hotel breakfast is usually included.
Transport in Delhi
100 – 1 000 kr / dayHotel cars, Uber or a chauffeur
An Uber across town is often 50–150 kr; a hotel car or a chauffeur for the whole day sits at the top of that range. We'll arrange shuttles for the wedding events.
Taj Mahal day trip
1 000 – 4 000 krTrain or car + entry + guide
For anyone who wants to go, we will help you arrange the trip to the Taj Mahal — just let us know and we'll sort the details.
Outfits
From 1 000 kr to endlessOptional — buy in Delhi if you'd like
A custom lehenga or sherwani in Delhi costs a fraction of what it would in Europe. Or bring something festive from home — it's also worth checking second-hand on FINN (search lehenga or saree) or Tise before you buy new.
Cash on arrival
~1 500 kr (₹15 000)Withdraw at the airport ATM
Cards work almost everywhere, but cash is handy for tips, tuk-tuks, markets and the taxi to your hotel. Airport ATMs do sometimes run out of cash, so it can be smart to bring a small amount of rupees from home — Forex in Norway sells them.
Honestly — your presence in Delhi is the gift. Flying across the world for us means more than anything you could wrap.
To the venues
From Aerocity it's roughly 15–20 minutes to each venue — hopefully you won't have to experience Delhi traffic at its worst. In this order:
- 01
Uber
Download it before you land. Fixed price, card payment, no haggling.
- 02
Hotel taxi
Ask reception. Costs a bit more, but reliable — and the driver waits.
- 03
Driver for the day
Best for several stops. Prices start around ₹6,000 (≈600 kr) for a decent car. Your hotel can arrange it.
If you plan to travel around,