India Itineraries: 7, 10 and 14 Days

How to Plan an India Itinerary

India rewards slow travel. Distances are long, roads are slow and trains and flights are sometimes delayed, so plan fewer places than you think you need. Aim for two or three nights in each base, use trains or short flights for the long legs, and keep one flexible day for delays. The plans below start in Delhi and can be reversed or mixed to fit your time and season.

7 Days: The Golden Triangle

Day 1, arrive in Delhi: rest after the flight. In the evening, visit India Gate or a nearby market and have a relaxed dinner.
Day 2, Old and New Delhi: the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid and a walk through Chandni Chowk for street food. In the afternoon, visit Humayun’s Tomb and drive past the government buildings of New Delhi.
Day 3, Delhi to Agra: take a morning train or a car to Agra (about two to four hours depending on the option). Visit Agra Fort, then watch the Taj Mahal glow at sunset from the river side.
Day 4, the Taj Mahal and on to Jaipur: visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise (it is closed on Fridays), then drive to Jaipur, stopping at the stepwell at Abhaneri on the way if time allows.
Day 5, Jaipur: Amber Fort in the morning, then the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal. Spend the evening in the old bazaars.
Day 6, Jaipur: a cooking class, a textile or block-printing workshop, or a day trip to a village. Leave time for shopping.
Day 7, return to Delhi: drive or take the train back to Delhi (about five hours by road) for your flight home.

10 Days: Add Varanasi or Udaipur

Days 1 to 6: as in the Golden Triangle plan above.
Day 7, fly to Varanasi: a flight from Delhi or Jaipur takes roughly one and a half hours. Explore the old city lanes and the ghats in the evening.
Day 8, Varanasi: a sunrise boat trip along the Ganges, then a visit to Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first teaching. Return for the evening aarti ceremony.
Day 9, return to Delhi: an early flight back to Delhi and some last shopping in a market or at a government emporium.
Day 10: fly home.

Alternative: instead of Varanasi, continue from Jaipur to Udaipur (a flight or a long day by road) for two nights of lakes and palaces, then fly back to Delhi from Udaipur.

14 Days: Add Kerala

Days 1 to 8: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi as above.
Day 9, fly to Kochi: a long travel day. Walk around Fort Kochi in the evening, with its Chinese fishing nets and old streets.
Day 10, Kochi: a morning walking tour, a Kathakali dance performance in the evening and local seafood.
Days 11 and 12, the backwaters: head to Alleppey or Kumarakom for a houseboat trip, and enjoy village life, canals and rice fields.
Day 13, hills or beach: either go up to Munnar for tea plantations, or relax at a beach such as Varkala.
Day 14: return to Kochi or fly out from Trivandrum.

Other Itinerary Ideas

Rajasthan in 10 days: Delhi, Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, with a night in a desert camp.
South India in 10 days: Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Madurai, Kerala backwaters and Kochi. Good in winter when the north is cold.
Ladakh in 8 days: Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake and monasteries. Visit in summer, and allow the first two days to adjust to the altitude.
Beach and culture in 8 days: Mumbai, Goa and Hampi, a good mix for a second trip.

Practical Tips for Planning

Trains: fast trains such as the Gatimaan Express from Delhi to Agra and the Vande Bharat services between major cities are comfortable and good value. Foreign visitors can book through the IRCTC website or app, and seats sell out early.
Drivers: for the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan, a car with a driver is a popular choice and not very expensive when split between a few people. Agree the price, route and extra charges in writing.
Flights: domestic flights save a lot of time on long legs. Book early for better fares.
Season: follow the weather. Do the north in winter, the south or the mountains in other months. See the best time to visit India guide.
Buffer day: keep at least one empty day in case of fog, train delays or illness, which is common for first-time visitors.
Visa: apply before you buy flights, using our India visa guide.

Opening Days and Timing Tips

The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so plan your Agra day around that. Book tickets in advance where you can.
The Red Fort in Delhi is closed on Mondays, and many museums also close on one day a week, so check opening hours before you go.
Start early. Popular forts and monuments are cooler and much less crowded in the first hour after opening.
Allow for travel time. A distance that looks short on the map can take much longer by road because of traffic and rough sections.
Adjust for the season. In summer, shorten sightseeing days and spend afternoons indoors. In winter, expect cold mornings in the north.

If you have extra days, add them where you enjoyed yourself most rather than adding more cities. A slower trip is nearly always a better one.

Choose Your Pace

If you like to see a lot, you can follow the plans above as written, with early starts and one new city every two days. If you prefer a slower pace, drop one city from each plan and spend the extra time on a cooking class, a village visit or simply a long lunch. Families with young children and older travelers usually enjoy India more when they have a rest day after every two or three busy days.

Back to the full India travel guide. Choose stops with our best places guide, find where to stay and compare flights to India.