Best Credit Card for Travel in India (2026): Top Picks Compared by Data

Picking the best credit card for travel in India isn't as simple as picking the one with the prettiest welcome offer. Two cards can both promise "free airport lounge access," and one will save you ₹15,000 a year while the other barely covers two visits before a spend condition kicks in.

To cut through that noise, we analyzed over 100 active travel-focused credit cards from Indian banks, comparing joining and annual fees, domestic and international lounge visits, forex markup, reward value per point, travel insurance cover, and real eligibility criteria (income and credit score). What follows is a data-backed shortlist, not a list ranked by who pays the highest commission.

Right now, HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card leads our travel credit cards rankings, with a BesCa score of 7.9 and a ₹2,500/yr fee.

Whether you're after the best travel credit card for international travel, a free card for occasional domestic trips, or a points machine for a long-haul honeymoon, there's a pick below for you.

Quick Picks: Best Travel Credit Cards in India at a Glance

Fees and benefits are revised by issuers from time to time. Always check the bank's latest terms before applying.

Looking for something more specific? This guide covers the full travel-card landscape, but if you already know your use case, jump straight to the dedicated guide: Air travel · Business class travel · International travel · Free lounge access · SBI travel cards · Travel & hotels · Domestic travel · No annual fee · Family travel · Secured travel cards

How We Ranked These Cards

Most "best travel credit card" lists online rank cards by marketing copy. We instead scored each active card out of 10 on six measurable factors:

1. Real reward value: what one reward point/mile is actually worth in rupees, not just the headline rate
2. Lounge access usefulness: visit count, and whether it's truly complimentary or buried under a spend condition
3. Forex cost: the markup you actually pay on international transactions
4. Fee-to-benefit ratio: whether the annual fee is justified by what you get back
5. Travel insurance and protection cover
6. App experience and customer ratings on Play Store/App Store

Cards scoring 7+ are tagged "Strong," 6 to 6.9 "Competitive," and below that "Below Average" in our internal scoring. This is why you'll see a few popular, heavily-advertised cards rank lower here than expected once their devaluations and spend conditions are factored in.

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1. HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card: Best Overall Travel Credit Card in India

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹2,500 + GST (waived on spending ₹4,00,000/year) Our Score: 7.9/10 (Strong)

HDFC Regalia Gold sits at the sweet spot most Indian travelers actually need: a mid-range fee, genuinely usable lounge access, and a reward rate that was revised upward in May 2026 (5 points per ₹200, up from 4 per ₹150).

Why it stands out:

• 12 domestic + 6 international lounge visits a year (international via Priority Pass)
• Up to 20X reward points on flight/hotel bookings via SmartBuy
• Points worth ₹0.35 to ₹0.50 each on redemption, among the better redemption rates in the mid-premium segment
• Up to 15% off on partner hotels

Watch out for: Domestic lounge visits now require ₹60,000 spend in the preceding quarter (revised May 2026), and you'll need a salaried income of ₹1,00,000/month to qualify.

Best for: Salaried professionals and frequent domestic flyers who want one well-rounded card without a five-figure annual fee.

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2. Federal Bank Scapia Co-branded Credit Card: Best Lifetime-Free Travel Credit Card

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹0, genuinely lifetime free Our Score: 7.9/10 (Strong)

If you're searching for "best travel credit card for casual travelers" or want your first card without committing to an annual fee, Scapia is hard to beat. It's also one of the few free cards with a 0% forex markup.

Why it stands out:

• 10% (Visa) or 5% (RuPay) reward rate on everyday online and offline spends
• 20% accelerated rewards on flights/hotels booked through the Scapia app
• Zero forex markup on international spends, rare for a free card
• 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits/year on ₹20,000 combined monthly spend

Watch out for: No international lounge access, and Scapia devalued some category exclusions (insurance, utility, rent, money transfer) in February 2026, so check the current terms before relying on those categories.

Best for: First-time credit card users, occasional travelers, and anyone who wants a no-fee companion card purely for its zero forex markup. For more options like this, see our full guide to the best travel credit cards with no annual fee.

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3. Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card: Best for Airport Lounge Access

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹1,000 + ₹3,000 + GST (fee reversed on ₹1,50,000 annual spend) Our Score: 7.4/10 (Strong)

For pure lounge value per rupee spent, nothing in the mid-premium segment beats Axis Horizon: up to 32 domestic lounge visits a year with no spend condition, which is unusual even among premium cards.

Why it stands out:

• Up to 32 domestic + 8 international lounge visits/year
• 5,000 EDGE Miles welcome bonus on the first transaction
• 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on flight bookings (Travel EDGE portal and direct airline sites)
• ₹10 lakh travel insurance on partner airlines

Watch out for: Forex markup is on the higher side at 3.5%, so pair it with a zero-forex card for spends abroad.

Best for: People who fly often within India and want to actually use lounges without tracking quarterly spend thresholds. We rank every option purely on lounge value in our best travel credit cards with free lounge access guide.

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4. HDFC Infinia Credit Card (Metal Edition): Best Super-Premium Travel Card

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹12,500 + GST (waived on ₹10,00,000 annual spend) Our Score: 6.5/10 (Competitive)

Infinia is still the card most frequently recommended to high spenders and HNIs in India, and for good reason: unlimited domestic and international lounge access, no spend condition, plus a strong SmartBuy travel redemption rate.

Why it stands out:

• Unlimited lounge access (primary + add-on cards), domestic and international
• Up to 10X reward points (effectively ~5%+ value-back) on flights/hotels via SmartBuy
• Reward points worth up to ₹1 each when redeemed for travel
• Up to 20% off on partner hotels

Watch out for: Minimum income requirement of ₹3,00,000/month and a 800+ credit score. This is an invite-heavy, high-eligibility card, not a starter card.

Best for: High net-worth individuals and frequent international flyers who want one card that does everything without lounge-visit anxiety. If priority check-in, concierge access, and business-class-style perks matter most to you, see our best credit card for business class travel guide.

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5. UCO Bank SBI Card ELITE: Best Hidden-Gem for Points & Milestone Rewards

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹4,999 + GST Our Score: 7.7/10 (Strong)

This one rarely makes other "best travel credit card" lists, which is exactly why it deserves a mention if you're searching for the best travel credit card for points in India. Co-issued with SBI Card, it carries the same reward engine as SBI's premium ELITE cards but with a smaller-bank backing.

Why it stands out:

• Up to 50,000 bonus points a year on milestone spends
• 5X reward points on dining, groceries, and department stores
• 8 domestic + 6 international lounge visits/year, including a complimentary Priority Pass (worth $99)
• Club Vistara Silver membership and Yatra.com travel benefits bundled in

Watch out for: A relatively high 3.5% forex markup, so this is better used for domestic and booking-platform spends than for spending abroad.

Best for: Travelers who want a points-maximizing card with strong milestone bonuses and don't mind a lesser-known issuer. We cover this card plus every other SBI-affiliated option in our best SBI credit card for travel guide.

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6. ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card: Best for Premium Points Accumulation

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹12,499 + GST (or ₹1,000/month) Our Score: 6.4/10 (Competitive)

Emeralde earns a flat 6 reward points per ₹200 on every single spend, with no category restrictions, plus unlimited lounge access thrown in, making it a strong "set and forget" points card.

Why it stands out:

• Flat 3% effective value-back on all spends, up to 12X on iSHOP purchases
• Unlimited domestic and international lounge visits, no spend condition
• 1.99% forex markup, among the lowest for a super-premium card
• 15 to 25% discounts on hotel and flight bookings

Best for: High spenders who want simple, category-agnostic point accumulation rather than chasing accelerated categories.

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7. Niyo Global SBM Credit Card: Best Zero-Forex Card for International Travel

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹0 (lifetime free) Our Score: 7.6/10 (Strong)

If "best travel credit card for international travel" is your exact search, Niyo Global is built specifically for that use case: 0% forex markup, no annual fee, ever, and it's accepted wherever Visa is.

Why it stands out:

• Genuinely zero forex markup on every international transaction
• 10 Niyo Coins per ₹100 spent online/in-store, with bonus coins on international spends
• Complimentary lounge access (domestic and at international terminals in India) on quarterly spend thresholds
• Built-in app for forex cards, location-based travel deals, and flight/hotel bookings

Watch out for: No bundled travel insurance, and eligibility is fairly relaxed (no minimum income requirement), so reward rates are modest compared to premium cards.

Best for: NRIs, students studying abroad, and frequent international shoppers who want to eliminate forex markup entirely without paying for a premium card. See our dedicated best credit card in India for international travel guide for more zero-forex options.

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8. IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card: Best for Family Travel & Travel Insurance

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹5,999 + GST (waived on ₹7,50,000 annual spend) Our Score: 6.5/10 (Competitive)

When the search is "best credit card for family travel," insurance cover matters as much as rewards, and Mayura leads here with ₹50 lakh trip cancellation cover and ₹1 crore air accident cover, alongside genuinely balanced lounge access.

Why it stands out:

• 8 domestic + 8 international lounge visits/year, an equal split that's rare
• Up to 50X bonus points on hotel bookings and 30X on flights via the app
• ₹50 lakh travel insurance (trip cancellation) + ₹1 crore air accident cover
• 1.50% forex markup, reasonable for a premium card

Best for: Families planning international trips who want strong insurance protection alongside decent lounge access for multiple travelers. For more family-friendly picks, see our best credit card for family travel guide.

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9. MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card: Best for Direct Flight & Hotel Booking Rewards

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹2,999 + GST (waived from year 2 on ₹3 lakh spend) Our Score: 7.0/10 (Strong)

If most of your travel spend happens directly on MakeMyTrip, this card converts that spend into outsized value: 6% back on hotel bookings and 3% on flights, paid out as myCash, valued 1:1 with rupees.

Why it stands out:

• 6 myCash per ₹200 on MMT hotel bookings, 3 myCash per ₹200 on flights/bus/cab
• Low 0.99% forex markup
• MMTBLACK Gold Membership and an ₹1,000 MMT voucher on joining
• 8 domestic lounge visits/year, no spend condition

Best for: MakeMyTrip loyalists and anyone who books most trips through one platform and wants direct, simple cashback-style value. For more hotel-and-flight-bundled options, see our best credit card for travel and hotels guide.

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10. HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card: Best Ultra-Premium Lifestyle + Travel Card

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹10,000 + GST (waived on ₹8,00,000 annual spend) Our Score: 6.6/10 (Competitive)

Diners Club Black earns its keep through breadth: strong travel benefits plus dining, golf, and bundled memberships (Club Marriott, Swiggy One, Amazon Prime) that most pure travel cards don't offer.

Why it stands out:

• Unlimited domestic and international lounge access, no spend condition
• Up to 10X reward points via SmartBuy on flights/hotels
• 20% off on partner hotels plus Club Marriott membership
• 2.00% forex markup

Best for: High spenders who want a single card covering travel, dining, and lifestyle rather than a travel-only card. This is also one of the top picks in our best credit card for business class travel guide.

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11. DBS Vantage Credit Card: Best for Big-Ticket Spends (Honeymoons, Weddings, Large Trips)

Joining/Annual Fee: ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 + GST depending on variant Our Score: 7.6/10 (Strong)

For readers asking about the best credit card around a big life event (a destination wedding, honeymoon, or any large one-off travel spend), what actually matters is a high credit limit, strong international earn rate, and premium hotel/golf perks, all of which DBS Vantage delivers.

Why it stands out:

• 8 Vantage Points per ₹200 on international spends (double the domestic rate)
• Unlimited domestic and international lounge access via LoungeKey
• Complimentary membership to Taj Epicure, ITC Culinaire, or Club Marriott (your choice)
• 4 complimentary golf sessions/year

Worth a look too: Axis Bank Magnus (₹12,500 + GST) offers a similar high-limit profile with up to 35 EDGE points per ₹200 above a monthly threshold and ₹40 lakh travel insurance, a solid alternative if you're already in the Axis ecosystem.

Best for: Big spenders planning one major trip or event where a high credit limit and premium perks matter more than everyday earn rate.

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Best Co-Branded Airline & Hotel Travel Cards in India

If you're loyal to one airline or hotel chain, a co-branded card often out-earns a generic travel card on that specific spend. Here's how the major ones stack up. For a deeper dive into airline-earning specifically, see our best credit card for air travel guide, and for hotel-loyalty cards, our best credit card for travel and hotels guide.

A practical caution: the IndiGo IDFC FIRST card has no airport lounge access at all, an unusual gap for an airline co-brand, so don't pick it expecting lounge perks. Similarly, Air India SBI Platinum has no domestic lounge access, only international.

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Secured Travel Credit Cards: A Different Category

Every card above is an unsecured credit card, approved on income and credit score alone. If neither of those is where you'd like them to be yet, a secured travel card (backed by a fixed deposit, usually equal to your credit limit) is a separate path worth knowing about: easier approval, and a way to build credit history while still getting some travel-relevant perks, in exchange for tying up a deposit and generally lower lounge/reward value than the unsecured cards above.

Worth knowing before you apply:

• These aren't a substitute for the cards above on raw travel value. Think of a secured card as a stepping stone toward qualifying for an unsecured travel card once your score improves, not a long-term travel-rewards strategy.
• Your deposit is locked for as long as you hold the card, and is typically returned (or available to close out) only on closing the card or upgrading to an unsecured product. Confirm the exact terms with the issuing bank.
• Anywhere a card on this page is FD-backed, we flag it with a 🔒 Secured label, even outside this section. For instance, if a secured card appears in our Premium or Rewards live rankings elsewhere on this site, it'll carry the same label so you're never caught out by it ranking well on score alone.

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Best Travel Credit Card by Traveler Type

Since "best" depends heavily on who's asking, here's a quick persona-based shortcut:

• Best for casual/occasional travelers (1 to 2 trips/year): Federal Bank Scapia, zero fee, zero forex markup, no reason not to carry it.
• Best for frequent international flyers: HDFC Infinia or HDFC Diners Club Black, ideally paired with Scapia or Niyo Global for day-to-day spends abroad.
• Best for travel within India only: Axis Bank Horizon or HDFC Regalia Gold, where domestic lounge count matters more than forex markup. See our best credit card for domestic travel guide.
• Best for points/miles collectors: UCO Bank SBI Card ELITE or ICICI Bank Emeralde, depending on whether you value milestone bonuses (UCO) or flat-rate simplicity (Emeralde).
• Best for family travel: IDFC FIRST Mayura, for its balanced lounge access and high insurance cover that protects the whole trip.
• Best for first-time credit card users: Federal Bank Scapia or MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Card, both of which have lighter eligibility bars and genuine starter-friendly value.
• Best for big spenders/destination weddings & honeymoons: DBS Vantage or Axis Bank Magnus, for the higher limits and premium hotel/golf perks.
• Best for rewards program flexibility: HDFC Regalia Gold, with redemption across flights, hotels, vouchers, and merchandise rather than being locked to one airline.

The Two-Card Strategy (What Experienced Travelers Actually Do)

Across credit card forums and frequent-flyer communities in India, one pattern comes up repeatedly: nobody relies on a single travel card for everything. The common combinations are:

• Frequent flyers (5+ trips/year, ₹5L+ annual international spend): A premium lounge/rewards card like HDFC Infinia, used alongside a zero-forex card like Scapia for actual spending abroad.
• Regular travelers (2 to 4 trips/year): A mid-premium card like HDFC Regalia Gold for lounge access and booking rewards, paired with Scapia or Niyo Global to avoid forex markup on the trip itself.
• Occasional travelers (1 to 2 trips/year): Just one zero-forex, zero-fee card (Scapia or Niyo Global). A premium card's annual fee usually isn't justified at this frequency.

This mirrors the data: the only card on our list with a genuinely 0% forex markup and zero annual fee is Scapia (and Niyo Global), which is exactly why both keep coming up as the "second card" recommendation regardless of which premium card someone is using.

Full Comparison Table

Axis Magnus lounge access is unlimited subject to ₹50,000 spend in the preceding 3 months. All fees exclude applicable GST. Figures current as of June 2026. Banks revise terms frequently, so confirm on the issuer's website before applying.

Current Welcome Bonuses & Milestone Offers (2026)

If "best travel credit card bonus offers" or "best travel credit card deals" is what brought you here, these are the joining and milestone offers currently running:

• Axis Bank Horizon: 5,000 EDGE Miles on your first transaction
• Axis Bank Magnus: 15,000 EDGE Reward Points (worth ~₹3,000) as welcome bonus
• IDFC FIRST Mayura: 4,000 reward points on fee payment
• IndiGo IDFC FIRST Dual: Up to 25,000 IndiGo BluChips as a milestone bonus
• RBL Bank World Safari: ₹3,000 MakeMyTrip voucher plus up to 25,000 bonus travel points on milestones
• SpiceJet Axis Voyage: ₹1,500 SpiceJet e-voucher after 2 transactions in 30 days
• UCO Bank SBI Card ELITE: ₹5,000 e-gift voucher on fee payment, plus up to ₹12,500 in milestone rewards annually

Welcome offers change often and are usually time-bound, so treat the long-term reward rate and lounge access as the real decision factors. The joining bonus is a nice-to-have, not the reason to pick a card.

How to Choose the Right Travel Credit Card for You

1. Work out your real reward value, not the headline rate. "10% rewards" means little if 1 point is worth ₹0.10. Check the rupee value per point on redemption, not just the points-per-spend number.
2. Be honest about how often you'll actually use lounges. A card with 32 free visits is wasted if you fly twice a year. A free card with 4 visits may be plenty.
3. Check the forex markup separately from everything else. This is the cost most people forget to compare, and it ranges from 0% to 3.5%+ across cards on this list, a meaningful gap on any international trip.
4. Match the annual fee to your spend, not your aspiration. Most premium cards waive their fee above a spend threshold. If you're unlikely to hit it, the "free" premium card isn't actually free.
5. Don't ignore eligibility. Income and credit score requirements vary widely (from no minimum to ₹3,00,000/month). Check before applying to avoid a hard inquiry on your credit report for a card you won't get approved for.
6. Factor in travel insurance only if you'd otherwise buy it separately. A card with ₹50 lakh trip cancellation cover has real value if it replaces a policy you'd have paid for anyway.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Letting points expire. Most reward points expire in 2 to 3 years; airline mile transfers and devaluations (several cards on this list were revised in the last year) can also erode value if you sit on points too long.
• Assuming "lifetime free" means no conditions. Some lifetime-free cards still gate lounge access or top reward rates behind monthly/quarterly spend thresholds. Read the fine print.
• Carrying only a high-forex card abroad. If your main card charges 3%+ forex markup, carry a zero-forex card like Scapia or Niyo Global specifically for the trip.
• Chasing the welcome bonus over long-term value. A big sign-up offer on a card with a poor ongoing reward rate or high renewal fee rarely pays off over 3+ years of ownership.

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This guide is based on a comparative analysis of active travel credit cards in India as of June 2026 and is intended for general information, not personalized financial advice. Card terms, fees, and reward structures are revised by issuers periodically. Always verify current details on the bank's official website or with a financial advisor before applying.