Planning a wedding is stressful enough. Now add “pick one city out of a country with 28 states” to the list, and you’ll understand why so many couples freeze up at this stage.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to guess. A 2024 Skyscanner survey of 2,000 Indian respondents found that 85% are either planning a destination wedding or have already had one, and Gen Z leads the shift at 49%, compared to 33% of Millennials. So if you’re hunting for the best places for destination wedding in India, you’re in good company, and there’s real data on where everyone else is headed.
This guide breaks down India’s top wedding destinations by vibe: royal palaces, beaches, hills, spiritual riverside towns, and offbeat spots for couples who want to skip the crowd.
Quick Takeaways
- Rajasthan (Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur) remains the top pick for royal, palace-style weddings.
- Goa still leads beach weddings, with Kerala and the Andaman Islands as calmer alternatives.
- 26% of Indian couples want a beach wedding, 20% want a royal palace wedding, and 19% each prefer mountains or city celebrations, according to Grand View Research.
- Offbeat spots like Gokarna, Kalimpong, and Rishikesh are rising fast as couples look to avoid crowded hotspots.
Best Places For A Royal & Palace Wedding
If your Pinterest board has more palaces than people, start here.
Udaipur sits on Lake Pichola and looks like someone designed it specifically for wedding photography. The City Palace and Taj Lake Palace host some of the most photographed weddings in the country, and it’s no accident. Aravalli hills, still water, marble everywhere. Couples come here for the fairy-tale factor, and the city delivers it without much effort.
Choose Udaipur if you want:
- A palace backdrop without building a set for it
- Boat entries and lakeside ceremonies
- A wedding that looks expensive in photos, even on a moderate budget
Jaipur earned its nickname, the Pink City, and it wears it well. Rambagh Palace and Samode Palace turn a wedding into a full royal production, complete with forts, courtyards, and Rajasthani hospitality that actually feels warm instead of staged.
Choose Jaipur if you want:
- Grand architecture with real history behind it
- Traditional Rajasthani music and rituals woven into the celebration
- Strong hotel infrastructure for large guest lists
Jodhpur got a permanent spot on every couple’s shortlist after Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas married at Umaid Bhawan Palace in December 2018. The Blue City has its own character, separate from Jaipur and Udaipur; it’s rawer, desert-facing, and less polished. Mehrangarh Fort rises 400 feet above the city, and that view alone does most of the decorating for you.
Choose Jodhpur if you want:
- A desert-palace combination instead of just palace
- A city with a proven track record for large, high-profile weddings
- Something that feels distinct from the “typical Rajasthan wedding” look
Best Places For A Beach Wedding
Sand, sunsets, and zero interest in indoor banquet halls? This section’s for you.
Goa remains the number one pick for beach weddings in India, and honestly, it earned that spot. Portuguese-era churches, white-sand beaches, and a wedding culture that already knows how to throw a party. You get barefoot ceremonies at sunrise and lively receptions by night, all in the same trip.
Choose Goa if you want:
- A relaxed, holiday-style wedding rather than a formal one
- Beachfront resorts with wedding packages already built in
- Guests who’d rather party than sit through a five-hour ceremony
Kerala takes a quieter approach. Think houseboat ceremonies on the backwaters, coconut palms instead of skyscrapers, and a pace that doesn’t rush anyone. Resorts around Kumarakom and the Vembanad backwaters specialize in this kind of intimate, nature-heavy wedding.
Choose Kerala if you want:
- A calm, low-noise wedding away from typical tourist chaos
- A backwaters or houseboat setting that nobody else in your friend group has done
- Regional food and culture built into the celebration, not tacked on
The Andaman Islands take “beach wedding” to its most literal extreme. Turquoise water, coral reefs, and a genuine sense of isolation from the mainland set this apart from Goa or Kerala. Havelock Island and Neil Island host most of the resort weddings here, and both give you a private-island feel without needing a private island budget.
Choose the Andaman Islands if you want:
- A tropical, almost destination-within-a-destination feel
- Fewer crowds than Goa, since it’s harder to reach on a whim
- Water activities like snorkeling or diving built into the wedding trip
Best Places For A Hill Station Wedding
For couples who’d rather exchange vows in a jacket than a lehenga soaked in sweat.
Both hill stations offer cool weather, mountain views, and heritage hotels that know how to run a wedding. Shimla brings old-world charm; Mussoorie leans slightly more scenic with its layered Himalayan views. Either way, you skip the heat entirely.
Choose a hill station if you want:
- A wedding that doesn’t need artificial cooling or misting fans
- A cozier, more intimate guest experience
- Photos with mountains instead of manicured lawns
Jim Corbett offers something the palace circuit can’t: actual wilderness. Ceremonies happen against a backdrop of sal forests, and yes, wildlife sightings during your wedding are a genuine possibility. This is for couples who want nature as a witness, not a backdrop.
Choose Jim Corbett if you want:
- A forest setting instead of a palace or beach
- A smaller, more nature-immersed guest list
- A wedding your guests will actually talk about for the novelty of it
Best Places For A Spiritual & Riverside Wedding
Some couples don’t want grandeur. They want meaning. This one’s for them.
Rishikesh sits on the banks of the Ganga, right where the Himalayan foothills begin, and it brings a different energy to a wedding than any palace or beach can. Ceremonies happen with the river as a backdrop, often paired with a Ganga aarti, and the whole city carries a calm that’s hard to fake. Riverside resorts here run through the wedding season from October to March, when the weather stays cool and the skies stay clear.
Choose Rishikesh if you want:
- A wedding rooted in spirituality, not just scenery
- A smaller, more intimate guest list rather than a 500-person production
- A more affordable alternative to Rajasthan’s palace circuit, without losing the “destination” feel
Best Offbeat Wedding Destinations In India
The market research keeps flagging one clear trend: couples are tired of the same three cities. A recent Skyscanner survey found that 83% of Indian respondents would trade typical hotspots like Shimla or Goa for something less crowded.
Gokarna sits quietly in Karnataka, offering the same coastal charm as Goa without the crowds or the price tag. Boutique resorts and seaside venues give it a more bohemian, low-key feel, ideal for couples who want a beach wedding minus the tourist noise.
Kalimpong sits in the eastern Himalayas of West Bengal and brings cool weather, heritage churches, and views of Kanchenjunga. It’s a calmer alternative for couples who want mountains without competing with every other hill-station wedding in Himachal.
This UNESCO World Heritage town near Chennai blends centuries-old temple architecture with a working coastline. Couples can marry near ancient stone carvings or in luxury resorts overlooking the Bay of Bengal, a combination you won’t find anywhere else in India.
Just outside Jaipur, Kukas offers the same Rajasthani hospitality as the city itself, but in a quieter, boutique setting. It’s becoming a popular pick for couples who want the royal aesthetic without the crowds that come with Jaipur proper.
Quick Comparison: Best Places For Destination Wedding In India
| Location | Best For | Vibe | Guest Comfort |
| Udaipur | Royal, lakeside weddings | Fairy-tale, photogenic | High, strong hotel infrastructure |
| Jaipur | Grand, traditional weddings | Regal, historic | High, large guest lists |
| Jodhpur | High-profile, desert-palace weddings | Rawer, dramatic | High, proven for big events |
| Goa | Relaxed beach weddings | Festive, holiday-style | High, resort packages built in |
| Kerala | Intimate backwater weddings | Calm, tropical | Medium, quieter logistics |
| Andaman Islands | Tropical island weddings | Isolated, exclusive | Medium, travel takes planning |
| Shimla/Mussoorie | Cool-weather hill weddings | Old-world, scenic | High, established heritage hotels |
| Jim Corbett | Nature-immersed weddings | Wild, novel | Medium, smaller guest lists work best |
| Rishikesh | Spiritual, riverside weddings | Calm, meaningful | Medium, best for intimate groups |
| Gokarna, Kalimpong, Mahabalipuram, Kukas | Offbeat, crowd-free weddings | Bohemian, personal | Medium, boutique-scale venues |
Final Thoughts
India doesn’t run short on the best places for a destination wedding. It runs short on decision-making time, because every region genuinely has something worth choosing. Palaces in Rajasthan, beaches in Goa, Kerala, and the Andamans, hills in Himachal and Uttarakhand, a spiritual riverside setting in Rishikesh, and a growing list of offbeat spots for couples who’d rather skip the crowd entirely.
Pick the vibe first, not the venue. The venue will follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is best for destination weddings in India?
There’s no single “best” city; it depends on the vibe you want. Udaipur leads for palace-style weddings, Goa for beach weddings, and Rishikesh for spiritual ones. If you want the single most popular overall pick, go with Udaipur.
Where was Kiara Advani’s wedding?
Kiara Advani married Sidharth Malhotra at Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, in February 2023.
Which region of India is best for weddings?
Rajasthan, hands down. Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer between them cover almost every palace-wedding need, from lake views to desert forts.
Where did Priyanka Chopra get married in India?
Priyanka Chopra married Nick Jonas at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in December 2018.
Top destination wedding locations in India?
Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Goa, Kerala, Rishikesh, Jim Corbett, and the Andaman Islands cover most of what couples look for, from royal to riverside to island.
Best coastal locations in India for a beach destination wedding?
Goa remains the top pick, with Kerala’s backwaters and the Andaman Islands as strong alternatives for a quieter or more tropical setting.
Coastal towns ideal for a beach destination wedding?
Beyond Goa, look at Gokarna in Karnataka, Mahabalipuram near Chennai, and Havelock Island in the Andamans for a beach wedding without the usual crowds.
