The Travelpin 25

How we scored it

Each country gets up to 100 points. The flight and the visa carry the most weight, because that's where most trips from India get easy or hard.

How the 100 points split across the five ingredients.

• Getting there30 points

  The shortest nonstop flight from an Indian city. Up to 3 hours scores 30, up to 5 hours 26, up to 7 hours 22, up to 9 hours 18, longer 14. No nonstop at all scores 8.

• Entry25 points

  Visa-free scores 25. Visa on arrival or a free online authorisation 20, an eVisa 14, an agent or pre-arranged visa 8, and an embassy visa (Schengen, UK, US) 4.

• Safety20 points

  India's MEA doesn't publish graded advisories, so we use Australia's Smartraveller levels. Level 1 scores 20, Level 2 scores 13, Level 3 scores 5, Level 4 scores 0.

• Value15 points

  What everyday spending costs there compared with home, from World Bank price levels. As cheap as India or cheaper gets full marks, falling to zero at five times India's prices.

• Heritage10 points

  UNESCO World Heritage sites, on a sliding scale. It misses beaches and mountains, which is why it counts for least.

We scored countries, not cities, because visas, safety advice and prices are set nationally. The city shown is where most trips start.

The top 10

1. 1

   Bhutan 90

   Two hours from Delhi, no visa, normal-precautions safety and prices close to home. The one catch is the daily Sustainable Development Fee, which our value score doesn't count. It's still the easiest great trip you can take.

2. 2

   Kazakhstan 88.9

   The surprise of the list. Almaty is a 3½-hour nonstop from Delhi, visa-free for 14 days, with mountains you can see from the city.

3. 3

   Nepal 87.4

   No visa, a 1½-hour flight and an open border. Australia lowered its advisory to Level 2 in March 2026, which is what kept it off the top spot.

4. 4

   Malaysia 85.6

   Visa-free for 30 days and one of the best-value long weekends in Asia.

5. 5

   Thailand 83.9

   Visa-free for 30 days, cut from 60 in September. Bangkok is a four-hour flight, and you already know why you want to go.

6. 6

   Mauritius 81.1

   The best-scoring island. Visa-free for 90 days, 6½ hours from Mumbai, and Level 1 safety.

7. 7

   Vietnam 80.2

   It needs an eVisa, which costs it points, but nothing else does. Short flight, great value, nine UNESCO sites.

8. 8

   Sri Lanka 78.8

   A free online authorisation, 3½ hours away, eight heritage sites. Closer than Goa feels from some Indian cities.

9. 9

   Philippines 77.7

   Air India's new nonstop to Manila changed this one. Visa-free for 14 days, or an eVisa for longer.

10. 10

    Uzbekistan 77.6

    Samarkand and Bukhara, 2½ hours from Delhi. Silk Road cities where everyday prices sit close to India's.

The full list

All 46 countries, with what drove each score.

1. 1
   Bhutan Paro No visa needed; daily SDF applies · 2h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 1
   90.0
2. 2
   Kazakhstan Almaty Visa-free, 14 days · 3½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 1
   88.9
3. 3
   Nepal Kathmandu No visa needed (open border) · 1½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2Lowered from Level 3 in Mar 2026.
   87.4
4. 4
   Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Visa-free, 30 days · 5½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 1
   85.6
5. 5
   Thailand Bangkok Visa-free, 30 days (from 15 Sep 2026) · 4h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2
   83.9
6. 6
   Mauritius Port Louis Visa-free, 90 days · 6½h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 1
   81.1
7. 7
   Vietnam Hanoi eVisa, 90 days · 4½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 1
   80.2
8. 8
   Sri Lanka Colombo Free ETA / visa on arrival, 30 days · 3½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2
   78.8
9. 9
   Philippines Manila Visa-free, 14 days (eVisa for 59) · 7h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2
   77.7
10. 10
    Uzbekistan Tashkent eVisa, 30 days · 2½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2
    77.6
11. 11
    Georgia Tbilisi eVisa, 30 days · 4½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 1IndiGo nonstops were suspended in early 2026.
    77.0
12. 12
    Seychelles Mahé Visitor permit via online EBS · 4½h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 1
    76.6
13. 13
    Cambodia Siem Reap eVisa / visa on arrival, 30 days · 4h nonstop from Kolkata · Safety level 2
    76.4
14. 14
    Maldives Malé Visa-free, 90 days · 2½h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 2
    76.1
15. 15
    Indonesia Bali e-VOA / visa on arrival, 30 days · 7h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2
    75.1
16. 16
    Kenya Nairobi Electronic Travel Authorisation, 90 days · 6½h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 2
    73.9
17. 17
    Qatar Doha Visa-free, 30 days · 3½h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 2Lowered to Level 2 in Oct 2026. Middle East advice is still changing.
    72.7
18. 18
    Azerbaijan Baku eVisa, 30 days · 4h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2Nonstops were disrupted in early 2026.
    71.7
19. 19
    Egypt Cairo eVisa, 30 days · 6½h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 2
    70.1
20. 20
    Japan Tokyo eVisa · 8h nonstop from Delhi · Safety level 1
    68.0
21. 21
    Laos Luang Prabang eVisa / visa on arrival, 30 days · No nonstop from India · Safety level 1
    67.7
22. 22
    Tanzania Zanzibar / Dar es Salaam eVisa / visa on arrival, 90 days · 6½h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 3
    66.8
23. 23
    Mongolia Ulaanbaatar eVisa / visa on arrival, 30 days · No nonstop from India · Safety level 1
    65.7
24. 24
    Fiji Nadi Visa-free, 4 months · No nonstop from India · Safety level 1
    65.1
25. 25
    UAE Dubai Pre-arranged visa (VOA only with US/UK/EU visa) · 3h nonstop from Mumbai · Safety level 2Lowered to Level 2 in Oct 2026. Middle East advice is still changing.
    61.1
26. The 25 ends here

What fell out, and why

Europe didn't make the 25. Greece (30th), Italy (31st), Spain, France and the UK are all wonderful, and all held back by the same things: an embassy visa and a long flight. That's not a verdict on the places. It's an honest picture of how much effort the trip takes from India.

The Middle East is moving. In October, Australia lowered its advice for the UAE and Qatar to Level 2. That lifts Qatar to 17th and brings the UAE onto the list at 25th, nudging Hong Kong out. Oman and Jordan are still at Level 3, at 34th and 38th. We'll re-score as the advice changes.

What this isn't

• It's not a popularity or review ranking. Nobody voted.
• It's not travel advice. Visa rules, flights and safety levels change, so check them before you book.
• It deliberately favours trips that are easy from India. A Schengen visa costs Italy points, not charm.

This list runs on public data for now. Once enough of you are pinning your trips, the next one will run on where Travelpin travellers actually go. If your favourite country is missing, tell me on Instagram. I read every message.

P.S. Visa rules and safety advice change, especially in the Middle East this year. Check both before you book. Scores as of 18 October 2026.