In her late thirties, she and her sister Fanny travelled to India, where her brother George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland was in residence as Governor-General from 1835 to 1842.

[5] While the emphasis of her Indian writings was on travel descriptions, local colour and details of the ceremonial and social functions that she attended, Eden also provided a perceptive record of the major political events that occurred during her brother's term of office.

These included the total destruction of a British and Indian army during the retreat from Kabul in 1842, a disaster for which George Eden was held partly responsible.

[6] Eden was also an artist who, during her years in India, created portraits and paintings of Indian princes, soldiers, and servants with both technical skill and "psychological insights".

[12] In a 2013 history of her brother's term as Governor General of India, Emily Eden is described as a "waspish but adoring" sister, whose diary was to become one of the most celebrated travel accounts of the period.