Tier-II cities driving demand for intercity trips; experiential travel on rise: Uber Survey
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Based on aggregated data by Uber Intercity Travel Index, weekend getaways to destinations such as Dehradun, Puducherry, Nashik and Aurangabad, alongside journeys to heritage and pilgrimage centres including Agra, Mysuru, Prayagraj, Ajmer and Udaipur, also saw strong demand over the summer travel season.
Uber Intercity Travel Index points to the role of India’s growing highway network in a new travel story. As improved road infrastructure makes driving between cities faster and more convenient, Indians are increasingly choosing the open road for everything from weekend escapes to longer leisure vacations. The data reveals while some of India's busiest Intercity corridors continue to connect major metros, the fastest growth is now coming from regional routes linking Tier-II cities and popular leisure destinations.
Based on aggregated Intercity trip data on Uber from the April-June 2026 period, the Index found that Mumbai-Pune, Delhi-Agra, Bengaluru-Mysuru, Lucknow-Kanpur and Ahmedabad-Vadodara remained among India's most popular Intercity routes. At the same time, routes such as Ahmedabad-Vadodara, Delhi-Dehradun, Bengaluru-Mysuru, Delhi-Chandigarh and Chennai-Puducherry emerged among the fastest-growing corridors, signalling rising demand for regional road travel.
Weekend getaways to destinations such as Dehradun, Puducherry, Nashik and Aurangabad, alongside journeys to heritage and pilgrimage centres including Agra, Mysuru, Prayagraj, Ajmer and Udaipur, also saw strong demand over the summer travel season.
Shiva Shailendran, Director – Revenue & Category Management, Uber India & South Asia, said: “A combination of safer intercity travel options like Uber Intercity along with an expanding and improved road infrastructure is driving road trips across India - not just between major cities, but increasingly across regional corridors and to destinations that offer unique cultural, spiritual and leisure experiences. This edition of the Uber Intercity Travel Index reflects how travel behaviour is evolving, with increased volume of road trips, new emerging intercity routes, and continued demand.”
Travellers cashing in on long weekends
The Index also points to a growing preference for experience-led travel and planned leisure leaves around long weekends. Uber Intercity demand spiked around May Day (May 1) and Bakrid (May 28) long weekends.
The index also shows India's intercity travel demand continues to be led by well-established routes, with Mumbai–Pune emerging as the most popular corridor by trip volume, followed by Delhi–Agra, Bengaluru–Mysuru, Lucknow–Kanpur and Ahmedabad–Vadodara. At the same time, Ahmedabad–Vadodara and Bengaluru–Mysuru are witnessing the year-on-year growth, alongside Delhi–Dehradun, Delhi–Chandigarh and Chennai–Puducherry. Heritage and pilgrimage destinations such as Agra, Mysuru, Prayagraj, Ajmer and Udaipur remain key attractions, while Puducherry, Dehradun and Kochi continue to draw travellers looking for beach and hill getaways. Weekend travel is also gaining momentum, with routes including Mumbai–Nashik, Mumbai–Aurangabad, Delhi–Dehradun, Delhi–Agra and Chennai–Puducherry emerging as popular short-break choices.
The data also points to a growing preference for travel across Tier-2 cities, with corridors such as Ahmedabad–Vadodara, Thrissur–Kochi, Indore–Ujjain, Kanpur–Lucknow and Ranchi–Jamshedpur driving strong growth. Round-trip bookings are particularly popular on shorter leisure and religious routes. In Hyderabad, travellers frequently book trips to Yadagirigutta and Kurnool, while Delhi travellers favour Agra and Sikar. From Bengaluru, destinations such as Nandi Hills, Magadi, Dharmapuri and Mandya are among the most booked, whereas Pune sees strong demand for round trips to Ahmednagar and Satara.
