India's regions run on their own logic; some sit close together on a fast rail line, others are a separate flight and a separate season away. The number of days you have should decide how far you travel, not the other way round. This guide breaks the country down by length first, then by region and by interest, with links to a full route guide for each one.
For when to go and what it costs, see our best time to visit India and India cost guide. For the country as a whole, including our pick of towns within each region, see the India travel guide.
How long do you need?
Budget roughly a week per region as a starting point, and use a short domestic flight, not an overland slog, to bridge any two regions that don't share a train line.
| Days | What fits |
|---|---|
| 1 week | One region: the Golden Triangle, Kerala, Rajasthan without Jaisalmer, or Goa, Gokarna and Hampi |
| 10 days | One region in full, or two neighbouring ones: the Golden Triangle plus Varanasi, the full Rajasthan circuit, or Goa, Hampi and Kerala |
| 2 weeks | Two regions, or one region done slowly: Golden Triangle and Rajasthan together, Himachal Pradesh end to end, or Tamil Nadu into Kerala |
| 3 weeks | North and south together without rushing either, or a full regional loop plus a nearby detour |
| 1 month | A complete north-to-south trip, plus a separate high-altitude or island leg with its own season |
Choose by length
1 week
Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Three cities close enough together that a week is spent sightseeing, not travelling, with the Taj Mahal at sunrise on day 3 or 4.
Best for First-timers, monuments and forts
Kerala: Kochi to the Varkala cliffs
Fort Kochi's old port, Munnar's tea estates, a night on the backwaters and a finish on Varkala's clifftop.
Best for Backwaters, tea hills, a gentler pace
Rajasthan without Jaisalmer
Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, the classic Rajasthan loop minus the long desert detour that needs an extra week.
Best for Forts, palaces and desert towns
Goa, Gokarna and Hampi
North Goa's beaches, the Kudle-to-Om Beach trek at Gokarna, and a look at Hampi's boulder-strewn temples.
Best for Beaches, a coastal trek, ruins
See the 7-day India itinerary for the full day-by-day plan and how to choose between them.
10 days
Golden Triangle plus Varanasi
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, then an overnight train folds in Varanasi's ghats and evening aarti without losing a day to it.
Best for First-timers who want the Ganges as well as the Taj
Rajasthan in full
The five headline stops, Jaipur to Jaisalmer to Udaipur, including the overnight desert camp a 1-week route has to cut.
Best for Desert forts, camel safaris, palaces
Goa, Gokarna and Hampi's ruins
Adds the long overnight hop to Hampi onto the 1-week coastal route, with two full days among the boulders.
Best for Beaches, ruins, a slower coastal pace
Kerala in full
Extends the 1-week route with more coast time and, season allowing, a detour to Wayanad for wildlife.
Best for Backwaters, hills and beaches, all three
See the 10-day India itinerary for both day-by-day plans and how to pick between them.
2 weeks
Golden Triangle and Rajasthan together
Delhi and Agra lead into Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, the route our Rajasthan and Varanasi trip is built from.
Best for First and second trips wanting the full northern loop
Goa, Hampi and Kerala together
A week on the coast at Goa, Gokarna and Hampi, then a week south in Kerala for the backwaters and Varkala's cliffs.
Best for Beaches, ruins and backwaters in one trip
Himachal Pradesh end to end
Dharamshala, Bir Billing, Kasol and Manali, with Delhi as a bookend on either side.
Best for Backpackers and the hostel-trail crowd
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry into Kerala
Chennai's temples, Pondicherry's French quarter and Madurai's towers, finishing with a shorter run through Kerala.
Best for Temples, a French quarter, then backwaters
See the 2-week India itinerary for the full route.
3 weeks
North India in full
The full Rajasthan circuit with Jaisalmer, plus Varanasi's ghats and a Rishikesh weekend worked in from Delhi.
Best for A complete first trip without flying south
North to south: Rajasthan, Goa, Hampi and Kerala
Mumbai bridges Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal to the coastal train down to Goa, Hampi's ruins and a finish in Kerala, the route our India North to South trip runs in 21 days.
Best for Seeing both halves of the country without rushing either
Himachal Pradesh and Spiti Valley
One continuous loop out of Manali, since the road connects both regions when Kunzum Pass is open.
Best for Fit, adventure-first travellers
See the 3-week India itinerary for the full breakdown.
1 month
A full north-to-south trip, at a slower pace
The 3-week north-to-south route with extra days built in, plus a proper rest day in Goa and time to add Wayanad or Munnar in Kerala.
Best for A relaxed, complete first trip
North India plus Ladakh or Spiti
The Himachal and Spiti circuit, or Ladakh reached overland from Manali, added as a separate high-altitude leg with its own summer-only window.
Best for Adventure travellers happy to plan around a short season
Gujarat, Mumbai, Goa and Kerala
The White Rann and Dholavira's ruins, then south through Mumbai and the caves at Ajanta and Ellora to Goa and Kerala.
Best for Off the well-trodden path, still ending on a beach
See the 1-month India itinerary for the full breakdown.
Choose by region
- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. India's most connected corner, and the natural start for a first trip: fast trains link Delhi and Agra in under two hours, and Agra to Jaipur is about five hours by road. See the Golden Triangle itinerary.
- Rajasthan beyond Jaipur. Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer's desert forts and Udaipur's lakes stretch the Golden Triangle into a full circuit. See the Rajasthan travel guide.
- Varanasi and the Ganges. A single dense city on the river, best reached by a fast train from Delhi rather than combined with the south. See the Varanasi guide.
- Rishikesh and the Himalayan foothills. Rafting, yoga and the evening aarti, reached from Delhi by the Vande Bharat to Haridwar (about 3 hours 20 minutes) and then about 25 km by road. See the Rishikesh guide.
- Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala, Bir Billing, Kasol and Manali, a backpacker-hostel loop that suits 10 days to 2 weeks. See the Himachal Pradesh travel guide.
- Spiti Valley. A high-altitude desert reached from Shimla or Manali, open roughly mid-June to early October only. See the Spiti Valley guide.
- Ladakh. Leh, Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri, open by road from around June to September and by air year-round. See the Ladakh guide.
- Kerala. Backwaters, tea hills and beaches, at a gentler pace than the north. See the Kerala travel guide.
- Goa, Gokarna and Hampi. North Goa's beach clubs, Gokarna's quieter cliffs and Hampi's temple ruins, linked by the Konkan Railway. See the Goa travel guide.
- Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Temple towns, a French quarter and a hill-station finish at Kodaikanal or Ooty. See the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry itinerary.
- Gujarat and the Rann of Kutch. The White Rann salt desert and the Harappan ruins at Dholavira, best from November to February. See the Rann of Kutch guide.
- Meghalaya, Assam, and Sikkim and Darjeeling. Three distinct Northeast routes rather than one: living root bridges and clear rivers in Meghalaya, Kaziranga's rhinos in Assam, and mountain monasteries in Sikkim and Darjeeling.
- The Andaman Islands. Beaches and diving in the Bay of Bengal, reached by flight only and best kept as its own week or 10 days. See the Andaman Islands guide.
- Mumbai. The usual gateway to the south, and a base for a side trip to the Ajanta and Ellora caves. See the Mumbai travel guide.
Choose by interest
Beaches. Goa and Gokarna on the west coast, Kerala's Varkala and Kovalam, and the Andaman Islands further out in the Bay of Bengal. See the Goa, Kerala and Andaman Islands guides.
Mountains and treks. Himachal Pradesh's backpacker towns, Spiti's high-altitude desert, Ladakh's passes and lakes, and the gentler Rishikesh-to-Mussoorie loop. See the Himachal Pradesh, Spiti and Ladakh guides.
Culture and cities. The Taj Mahal and Rajasthan's forts and palaces, Varanasi's ghats, and Tamil Nadu's temple towns. Start with the Golden Triangle itinerary or Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry itinerary.
Food. Kerala's fish curries and Goa's Portuguese-influenced dishes each have their own guide: see Kerala food and Goan food.
Festivals. Diwali lights up the whole country; Ladakh's Hemis Festival and Gujarat's Navratri are worth timing a trip around. See our Diwali guide and Hemis Festival guide.
Nightlife. North Goa's beach clubs and Anjuna's flea market are India's main draw for a night out. See the Goa travel guide.
Every route compared
| Route | Days | Best months | Daily budget | Pace | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Triangle (plus Varanasi) | 1 week or 10 days | October to March | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Easy | First-timers, short trips |
| Rajasthan | 1 week, 10 days or 2 weeks | October to March | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Moderate | Forts, palaces, camel safaris |
| Kerala | 1 week or 10 days | November to February | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400, more with a houseboat night | Easy to moderate | Backwaters, hills, a gentler pace |
| Goa, Gokarna and Hampi | 1 week or 10 days | November to February | ₹1,200 to ₹2,500 | Easy | Beaches, a coastal trek, ruins |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1 week, 10 days or 2 weeks | March to June, September to November | ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 | Moderate | Hostel-trail backpackers |
| Spiti Valley | 1 week or 10 days | Mid-June to early October | About ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 for a 10-day circuit | Moderate | High-altitude desert, monasteries |
| Ladakh | 1 week or 10 days | June to September | Higher than the plains: jeeps and permits add up | Moderate to demanding | Passes, lakes, motorbike trips |
| Uttarakhand (Rishikesh, Mussoorie) | 1 week | September to June, avoiding July and August | ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 | Easy | Yoga, rafting, a short Delhi add-on |
| Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry | 1 week or 10 days | December to February | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Easy to moderate | Temples, a French quarter |
| Gujarat and Kutch | 1 week | November to February | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Moderate | The white salt desert, off the well-trodden path |
| Meghalaya | 1 week | October to April, best November to February | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Moderate to demanding | Root-bridge treks, a very different India |
| Sikkim and Darjeeling | 1 week or 10 days | March to May, October to mid-December | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Moderate | Mountains and monasteries without Ladakh's altitude |
| Assam | 1 week | November to April | ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 | Easy to moderate | Kaziranga's rhinos, river culture |
Prefer to travel with a group?
However many days you have, our small-group trips for solo travellers aged 18 to 40 cover several of these same routes, with a Trip Host travelling with the group throughout and a licensed local guide at the major sights. Compare all of them on our India group trips page.