Best Cards · Travel

Best Travel Credit Cards in India (2026)

The best travel cards in India earn transferable miles or travel points, throw in lounge access, and keep forex markup low so you lose less on every foreign swipe. Whether you fly domestic or international, these cards stretch each rupee further on the road.

13 cards make the cut Top pick: HDFC Bank Infinia Metal
Our #1 pick for travel

HDFC Bank Infinia Metal

HDFC Bank · rated 4.8/5 — High spenders (₹10L+/year)

#1
HDFC Bank Infinia Metal
super premium

HDFC Bank Infinia Metal

HDFC Bank · Visa

★★★★½ 4.8/5
Annual Fee ₹12,500
Joining Fee ₹12,500
Forex 2% (effective ~2.36%)

Rewards 3.3% base (5 reward points per ₹150 = 1 RP ≈ ₹1); 10X on SmartBuy portal

  • Best reward rate in India for an all-round card — 3.3% effective base
  • Reward points transfer to Air India, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, InterMiles, Marriott Bonvoy, Club Vistara (via SmartBuy)
  • Complimentary golf rounds at select courses

Apply via issuer website

#2
HDFC Diners Club Black
super premium

HDFC Diners Club Black

HDFC Bank · Diners Club

★★★★½ 4.6/5
Annual Fee ₹10,000
Joining Fee ₹10,000
Forex 2%

Rewards 3.3% base; 10X on SmartBuy; 5X on dining

  • Same 3.3% earn rate as Infinia at a lower annual fee
  • Annual memberships (Amazon Prime + Swiggy One + MMT Black + Times Prime) often worth more than the annual fee
  • Diners Club acceptance is improving but still lower than Visa/MC — have a backup card

Apply via issuer website

#3
IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card
premium

IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card

IDFC FIRST Bank · Visa

★★★★½ 4.6/5
Annual Fee Free
Joining Fee Free
Forex 1.5% (best-in-class)

Rewards 3 reward points per ₹150 on online; 1.5 RP/₹150 offline; 10X on birthday; 6X on international

  • Only LIFETIME FREE card in India with generous lounge access
  • Best forex markup for a no-fee card: 1.5%
  • 10X points on your birthday is a great perk

Apply via issuer website

#4
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card
premium

RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card

RBL Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.3/5
Annual Fee ₹3,000
Joining Fee ₹3,000
Forex 0% — NO forex markup (one of the very few cards in India)

Rewards 5 Travel Points per ₹100 on travel; 2 TP/₹100 on all others; NO forex markup reward

  • ZERO forex markup — unique in India, saves 2–3.5% on every international transaction
  • Strong international lounge access (6 Priority Pass)
  • Travel Points transfer to airline miles

Apply via issuer website

#5
ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal
super premium

ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal

ICICI Bank · Visa

★★★★½ 4.5/5
Annual Fee ₹12,499
Joining Fee ₹12,499
Forex 1.5% (one of the lowest in India)

Rewards 4 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 (≈ 1% base); higher on travel bookings via ICICI

  • Best forex markup rate in India for a super-premium card (1.5%)
  • Metal card — strong tactile premium feel
  • Complimentary ITC Hotels, Oberoi, and Taj membership benefits via concierge

Apply via issuer website

#6
HDFC Bank Regalia Gold
premium

HDFC Bank Regalia Gold

HDFC Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.4/5
Annual Fee ₹2,500
Joining Fee ₹2,500
Forex 2%

Rewards 2% base (4 RP per ₹150); 5X on grocery and dining

  • Best sub-₹5K card in India for overall value
  • Reward points transferable to Air India, KrisFlyer, InterMiles, Club Vistara
  • Complimentary Swiggy One membership (3 months)

Apply via issuer website

#7
Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card
premium

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card

Axis Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.3/5
Annual Fee ₹10,000
Joining Fee ₹12,500
Forex 2%

Rewards 12 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 on travel (EDGE Travel portal); 6 EDGE RP/₹200 on dining; 3 EDGE RP/₹200 base

  • EDGE Reward Points transfer to 15+ partners (Air India, British Airways Avios, Singapore Airlines, Marriott Bonvoy, Accor)
  • Monthly spend of ₹1.5L unlocks 20,000 bonus points — great for large spenders
  • Complimentary Accor Plus membership = significant hotel value

Apply via issuer website

#8
Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card
premium

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

Axis Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.2/5
Annual Fee ₹5,000
Joining Fee ₹5,000
Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5 EDGE Miles on every ₹100 on travel; 2 EDGE Miles on all other spends

  • Purpose-built travel card — earn EDGE Miles specifically for airline/hotel redemption
  • EDGE Miles transfer to 25+ airline and hotel partners
  • Clear tier-based milestone structure is easy to plan around

Apply via issuer website

#9
Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card
premium

Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card

American Express India · Amex

★★★★☆ 4.2/5
Annual Fee ₹5,000
Joining Fee ₹3,500
Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5X Membership Rewards Points on Amex Travel Online; 1X on all other spends

  • Best card for IHCL Taj Hotels value — milestone benefits include free stays
  • Amex MR points transferable to IndiGo (6E Rewards), British Airways Avios, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors
  • IndiGo transfer ratio: 1 MR = 1 6E Reward Point; high value for domestic flights

Apply via issuer website

#10
HDFC Bank Millennia
mid range

HDFC Bank Millennia

HDFC Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.1/5
Annual Fee ₹1,000
Joining Fee ₹1,000
Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5% cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, BookMyShow; 1% on other spends

  • Best entry-level card for online shopping
  • 5% cashback is paid as CashPoints, redeemable against statement balance
  • No minimum transaction for 5% cashback (unlike some cards)

Apply via issuer website

#11
SBI Card ELITE
premium

SBI Card ELITE

SBI Card · Visa

★★★★☆ 4/5
Annual Fee ₹4,999
Joining Fee ₹4,999
Forex 1.99% (surprisingly low for this tier)

Rewards 5X (5 RP/₹100) on dining, department stores, grocery; 2X on all others

  • Better forex rate than most premium cards
  • Welcome vouchers almost cover the annual fee
  • Points transferable to Vistara, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and more

Apply via issuer website

#12
IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card
premium

IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card

IndusInd Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4/5
Annual Fee ₹9,999
Joining Fee ₹9,999
Forex 1.8% (one of the lowest among premium cards)

Rewards 2 reward points per ₹100 on all spends; 1.5X on international; 3X on IndusInd site travel

  • Best-in-class forex markup at 1.8% — ideal for international travel
  • Reward points transferable to IndiGo (6E Rewards) and other partners
  • Complimentary golf rounds

Apply via issuer website

#13
Kotak League Platinum Credit Card
mid range

Kotak League Platinum Credit Card

Kotak Mahindra Bank · Visa

★★★½☆ 3.7/5
Annual Fee ₹499
Joining Fee ₹499
Forex 3.5%

Rewards 8 reward points per ₹150 on weekends; 4 RP/₹150 on weekdays

  • Best weekend spender card for mid-range budget
  • PVR vouchers as milestone benefit — good for movie lovers
  • Easy annual fee waiver at just ₹50,000

Apply via issuer website