Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel or budget travel are often used interchangeably with backpacking. A backpacker may wish to unravel the unexplored sites of the world. For people of western world Indian pilgrim sites would serve as an exhilarating and a useful trip. India being a nation of different cultures and having practitioners of various religions offers a good place for all kinds of pilgrims that backpacker may not have perceived of. Many Israelis make nearly religious pilgrimages to India after they serve in the army

There are a variety of Indian temples, mosques and churches the credit goes to the orthodox Indian history. The various places of importance like vaishno Devi temple, Badrinath , Kedarnath, Varanasi, Gaya, Haridwar, Sikh temples at Amritsar, Golgumbaz Gurudwar, golden temple, kajuraho, cave painting at Ajanta and Ellora, Somnath temple at Gujarat, the famous Tajmahal at Agra, the holy church at velankanni the historic temples of Tamilnadu, and Kerala provide the hikers a through gratification of their visit. These site are mainly located near the tropical beaches in Goa and Kerala, the beautiful Himalayan valleys in Himachal Pradesh, breathtaking mountain views in Ladakh, and of course near backpacker centers like Manali or Gokarna, where many travelers end up staying a lot longer than they had originally planned.

As a backpacker hikes through various regions he comes to know about the custom of various people, acclimatize himself to the chill winds of Kashmir and the hot desert of Thar, and the gentle warm weather of the south. As these are areas of high communal sensitivity the backpackers have to be more vigilant on not raising any religious issues. Criticism comes from many sides, including the host countries and other travelers who disagree with the actions of backpackers although the perception of backpackers seems to have improved as backpacking has become more main stream. Even though one of the primary aims of backpacking is to seek the authentic, the majority of backpackers spend most of their time interacting with other backpackers and interactions with locals are of secondary importance.

The factors that traditionally differentiate backpacking from other forms of tourism include use of public transport as a means of travel, preference of youth hostels to traditional hotels, length of the trip vs. conventional vacations, use of a backpack, an interest in meeting the locals as well as seeing the sights, but are not limited only to these. There are many tours that lead groups through the hills. Including backpackers and other travelers, these tours lead hikes safely and know the best locations to camp. Higher-end tours are also available, which can bring travelers to the various festivals across India that are known for their atmosphere. With options for many different kinds of travelers, from budget to luxury, all who are interested can enjoy the natural beauty of India.

There are frequent express trains between all major cities and local buses link up to cover smaller towns not serviced by the rail network. There are six classes of travel all of which are relatively inexpensive so most travelers opt for the second-air conditioned class, which is relatively comfortable and cheaper than first class travel whilst retaining the main benefit of the air conditioning. Getting a ticket can be a hassle, but many routes have foreigner quotas and most stations foreigner .The sheer size of India means that unlike most countries internal flights are something worth thinking about.

One could spend years in the country and still could not see half of its cultural values.