India · Theme guide
Museums in India
Many Indian museums close one day a week, usually Monday or Friday. Check the closed day on each guide before you go.
Quick answer
The best museums in India are Mehrangarh Fort, the National Museum, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, the City Palace Jaipur and the Partition Museum. Rajasthan has the most (10 of 49). Visit between October and March, and check the weekly closing day first.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · Ranked on our published criteria
1Mehrangarh Fort · Jodhpur
2National Museum, Delhi · New Delhi
3Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
4City Palace Jaipur
5Partition Museum49
museums
17
states & territories
6
free to enter
Oct–Mar
best months
Top 10 museums in India
Ranked by our editors on the same criteria as every Traveliac guide: what you see for your time and money, how well it’s kept, and how easy it is to visit.
- 1Mehrangarh FortFort · Jodhpur, RajasthanFort museum of palanquins, arms and miniature paintings₹200 Indian3 hrs
- 2National Museum, DelhiMuseum · New Delhi, DelhiIndia’s national collection, from Harappa to the Mughals₹20 Indian2 hrs
- 3Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu SangrahalayaMuseum · Mumbai, MaharashtraMumbai’s main museum, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum₹85 Indian2 hrs
- 4City Palace JaipurPalace · Jaipur, RajasthanRoyal textiles, arms and giant silver urns₹400 Indian2 hrs
- 5Partition MuseumMuseum · Amritsar, PunjabPersonal stories of the 1947 Partition₹10 Indian2 hrs
- 6
Albert Hall MuseumMuseum · Jaipur, RajasthanRajasthan’s oldest museum, with an Egyptian mummy₹40 Indian1.5 hrs - 7
City Palace UdaipurPalace · Udaipur, RajasthanPalace museum high above Lake Pichola₹300 Indian2.5 hrs - 8
Bharat Kala BhavanMuseum · Varanasi, Uttar PradeshBanaras Hindu University’s museum of Indian art₹20 Indian1.5 hrs - 9
Himalayan Mountaineering InstituteMuseum · Darjeeling, West BengalEverest expedition gear and Tenzing Norgay’s story₹40 Indian1.5 hrs - 10
Jaganmohan Palace & Art GalleryPalace · Mysuru, KarnatakaPalace gallery with paintings by Raja Ravi Varma₹20 Indian1 hr
All 49 museums by state
Showing all 49 museums.
Rajasthan10 places
- Rajasthan
Mehrangarh Fort
Fort · Jodhpur
₹200 Indian3 hrs
- Rajasthan
City Palace Jaipur
Palace · Jaipur
₹400 Indian2 hrs
- Rajasthan
Albert Hall Museum
Museum · Jaipur
₹40 Indian1.5 hrs
- Rajasthan
City Palace Udaipur
Palace · Udaipur
₹300 Indian2.5 hrs
RajasthanPatwon Ki Haveli
Palace · Jaisalmer
₹100 Indian1 hr
RajasthanUmaid Bhawan Palace
Palace · Jodhpur
₹100 Indian1.5 hrs
RajasthanBagore Ki Haveli
Palace · Udaipur
₹60 Indian2 hrs
RajasthanJaigarh Fort (Jaivana Cannon)
Fort · Jaipur
₹35 Indian2 hrs
RajasthanJaisalmer War Museum
Museum · Jaisalmer
₹20 Indian1 hr
RajasthanVintage & Classic Car Collection
Museum · Udaipur
₹200 Indian45 min
Karnataka5 places
- Karnataka
Jaganmohan Palace & Art Gallery
Palace · Mysuru
₹20 Indian1 hr
![Tippu Sultan Summer palace, the place where Tippu Sultan used to stay[not for longer duration], and discuss the official matters. Location: Bangalore, India](/wm/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Tippu_Sultan%27s_Summer_palace.jpg/1280px-Tippu_Sultan%27s_Summer_palace.jpg)
KarnatakaTipu Sultan's Summer Palace
Palace · Bengaluru
₹25 Indian1 hr
KarnatakaRail Museum, Mysuru
Museum · Mysuru
₹20 Indian45 min
KarnatakaVisvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum
Museum · Bengaluru
₹100 Indian2 hrs
KarnatakaHAL Aerospace Museum
Museum · Bengaluru
₹50 Indian1.5 hrs
Tamil Nadu5 places
Tamil NaduFort St. George
Fort · Chennai
₹15 Indian1.5 hrs
Tamil NaduFree entryGandhi Memorial Museum
Memorial · Madurai
Free1.5 hrs
Tamil NaduGovernment Museum, Egmore
Museum · Chennai
₹15 Indian2 hrs
Tamil NaduDakshinaChitra
Museum · Chennai
₹150 Indian3 hrs
Tamil NaduVivekananda House
Memorial · Chennai
₹10 Indian45 min
West Bengal4 places
Himachal Pradesh4 places
Himachal PradeshFree entryTsuglagkhang Complex
Museum · Dharamshala
Free1.5 hrs
Himachal PradeshNaggar Castle
Museum · Manali
₹50 Indian1.5 hrs
Himachal PradeshNorbulingka Institute
Museum · Dharamshala
₹50 Indian2 hrs
Himachal PradeshViceregal Lodge (Indian Institute of Advanced Study)
Museum · Shimla
₹200 Indian1.5 hrs
Kerala4 places
Other statesDelhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Ladakh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Goa · 17 places
- Delhi
National Museum, Delhi
Museum · New Delhi
₹20 Indian2 hrs
- Maharashtra
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Museum · Mumbai
₹85 Indian2 hrs
- Punjab
Partition Museum
Museum · Amritsar
₹10 Indian2 hrs
- Uttar Pradesh
Bharat Kala Bhavan
Museum · Varanasi
₹20 Indian1.5 hrs
GujaratFree entrySabarmati Ashram
Museum · Ahmedabad
Free1.5 hrs
TelanganaChowmahalla Palace
Palace · Hyderabad
₹100 Indian2 hrs
LadakhLeh Palace
Palace · Leh
₹50 Indian1 hr
LadakhHemis Monastery
Monastery · Leh
₹50 Indian2 hrs
SikkimNamgyal Institute of Tibetology
Museum · Gangtok
₹10 Indian1 hr
TelanganaSalar Jung Museum
Museum · Hyderabad
₹20 Indian2.5 hrs
GujaratFree entryCalico Museum of Textiles
Museum · Ahmedabad
Free2 hrs
UttarakhandFree entryBharat Mata Mandir
Temple · Haridwar
Free1.5 hrs
Madhya PradeshJai Vilas Palace & Museum
Palace · Gwalior
₹550 Indian2 hrs
GoaReis Magos Fort
Fort · Panaji
₹25 Indian1.5 hrs
Uttar PradeshRamnagar Fort
Fort · Varanasi
₹20 Indian1.5 hrs
GujaratAuto World Vintage Car Museum
Museum · Ahmedabad
₹150 Indian1.5 hrs
Uttar PradeshSarnath
Museum · Varanasi
₹25 Indian2.5 hrs
Museums compared
| Place | State | Type | Indian fee | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mehrangarh Fort | Rajasthan | Fort | ₹200 Indian | 3 hrs |
| National Museum, Delhi | Delhi | Museum | ₹20 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya | Maharashtra | Museum | ₹85 Indian | 2 hrs |
| City Palace Jaipur | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹400 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Partition Museum | Punjab | Museum | ₹10 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Albert Hall Museum | Rajasthan | Museum | ₹40 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| City Palace Udaipur | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹300 Indian | 2.5 hrs |
| Bharat Kala Bhavan | Uttar Pradesh | Museum | ₹20 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Himalayan Mountaineering Institute | West Bengal | Museum | ₹40 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Jaganmohan Palace & Art Gallery | Karnataka | Palace | ₹20 Indian | 1 hr |
| Sabarmati Ashram | Gujarat | Museum | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Victoria Memorial | West Bengal | Memorial | ₹30 Indian | 2.5 hrs |
| Patwon Ki Haveli | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹100 Indian | 1 hr |
| Tsuglagkhang Complex | Himachal Pradesh | Museum | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Chowmahalla Palace | Telangana | Palace | ₹100 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Fort St. George | Tamil Nadu | Fort | ₹15 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Gandhi Memorial Museum | Tamil Nadu | Memorial | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Indian Museum | West Bengal | Museum | ₹75 Indian | 2.5 hrs |
| Leh Palace | Ladakh | Palace | ₹50 Indian | 1 hr |
| Naggar Castle | Himachal Pradesh | Museum | ₹50 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace | Karnataka | Palace | ₹25 Indian | 1 hr |
| Umaid Bhawan Palace | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹100 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Hemis Monastery | Ladakh | Monastery | ₹50 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Hill Palace Museum | Kerala | Palace | ₹15 Indian | 2 hrs |
| KDHP Tea Museum | Kerala | Museum | ₹75 Indian | 1 hr |
| Krishnapuram Palace | Kerala | Palace | ₹20 Indian | 1 hr |
| Namgyal Institute of Tibetology | Sikkim | Museum | ₹10 Indian | 1 hr |
| Rail Museum, Mysuru | Karnataka | Museum | ₹20 Indian | 45 min |
| Salar Jung Museum | Telangana | Museum | ₹20 Indian | 2.5 hrs |
| Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum | Karnataka | Museum | ₹100 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Bagore Ki Haveli | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹60 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Calico Museum of Textiles | Gujarat | Museum | Free | 2 hrs |
| Government Museum, Egmore | Tamil Nadu | Museum | ₹15 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Kerala Folklore Museum | Kerala | Museum | ₹200 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Marble Palace | West Bengal | Palace | Free | 1 hr |
| Bharat Mata Mandir | Uttarakhand | Temple | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Norbulingka Institute | Himachal Pradesh | Museum | ₹50 Indian | 2 hrs |
| DakshinaChitra | Tamil Nadu | Museum | ₹150 Indian | 3 hrs |
| HAL Aerospace Museum | Karnataka | Museum | ₹50 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Jai Vilas Palace & Museum | Madhya Pradesh | Palace | ₹550 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Jaigarh Fort (Jaivana Cannon) | Rajasthan | Fort | ₹35 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Reis Magos Fort | Goa | Fort | ₹25 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Viceregal Lodge (Indian Institute of Advanced Study) | Himachal Pradesh | Museum | ₹200 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Jaisalmer War Museum | Rajasthan | Museum | ₹20 Indian | 1 hr |
| Ramnagar Fort | Uttar Pradesh | Fort | ₹20 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Vivekananda House | Tamil Nadu | Memorial | ₹10 Indian | 45 min |
| Auto World Vintage Car Museum | Gujarat | Museum | ₹150 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Sarnath | Uttar Pradesh | Museum | ₹25 Indian | 2.5 hrs |
| Vintage & Classic Car Collection | Rajasthan | Museum | ₹200 Indian | 45 min |
Fees are the Indian-visitor ticket; foreign-visitor and camera fees are on each place’s guide.
Four kinds of museum
National & city
The big collections
Sculpture, coins, textiles and paintings spanning several thousand years.
National Museum, Delhi · Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya · Albert Hall Museum
Palaces & forts
Royal collections in place
Arms, howdahs, costumes and portraits shown in the rooms they came from.
History & memory
Modern history
Partition, wars and independence, often told through personal objects and testimony.
Specialist
One subject, done well
Mountaineering, railways, vintage cars and folk art.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute · Rail Museum, Mysuru · Vintage
Map of museums in India
Numbers match the ranking; the top 10 are orange. Tap a pin for its guide. 2 places have no map position yet.
Tips for visiting museums in India
Check the closed day
Most museums shut one day a week, and national holidays can change it. Each guide lists the day.
Budget for camera fees
Many museums charge separately for a camera or phone photography, and some ban it.
Allow two hours
The big collections reward a slow visit; an audio guide, where offered, is usually worth it.
Bags may go in a locker
Larger bags often have to be left at a cloakroom near the entrance.
Museums FAQs
Which museums in India are free to visit?
On our list, Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Tsuglagkhang Complex in Dharamshala, Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai, Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad, Marble Palace in Kolkata and Bharat Mata Mandir in Haridwar have no entry fee.
Do foreign visitors pay more at Indian museums?
Often, yes. Mehrangarh Fort, for example, costs ₹200 for Indian visitors and ₹700 for foreign visitors. 36 of the 49 places on this list charge foreigners more; each guide lists both prices.
What is the best time of year to visit museums in India?
October to March suits most of them. Each guide gives the best months for that place.
Which day are museums closed?
13 of the 49 places here close on Mondays. Check the closed day on each guide before you go.
How much time do you need at Mehrangarh Fort?
Allow about 3 hours. Arrive at opening time for the smallest crowds.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records; see How we write these guides. Last updated . How we rank and check places · All themes