Trying to cover more than one region in a week means spending most of it on trains, planes and buses instead of at the places you came to see. The four routes below are the ones that genuinely fit 7 days: pick whichever one matches what you want from the trip, then follow its day-by-day plan.
The recommended route: the Golden Triangle
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is the one classic India route built for exactly this length: three cities close together, linked by a fast train and a straightforward road, so the only real "getting there" day is day 4. The Gatimaan Express to Agra means you don't lose a day getting there, and Jaipur gets three full nights, the longest stop of the week.
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi | Arrive, settle in near Connaught Place or Paharganj | Street food near your guesthouse |
| 2 | Delhi | Jama Masjid, a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib's free kitchen, Humayun's Tomb at golden hour | Parathas and chaat in Chandni Chowk |
| 3 | Agra | Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin, 08:10 to 09:50; Agra Fort; sunset at Mehtab Bagh, across the river from the Taj | Petha, Agra's ash-gourd sweet |
| 4 | Agra to Jaipur | Taj Mahal at sunrise, gates open 30 minutes before; then a shared taxi or private car to Jaipur, 4.5 to 8 hours depending on stops | A roadside stop at Fatehpur Sikri if you're driving |
| 5 | Jaipur | Amber Fort on foot, the Pink City's bazaars | Laal maas and pyaaz kachori |
| 6 | Jaipur | A hand block-printing workshop in Bagru or Sanganer, Nahargarh Fort at sunset | A rooftop dinner overlooking the fort |
| 7 | Jaipur to Delhi | Vande Bharat Express, 07:47 to about 11:30, free afternoon before an evening flight out | A last stop at a Jaipur bazaar stall |
Book the Gatimaan Express as early as you can: regular bookings open 60 days ahead on IRCTC, and seats can go quickly in December and January. It doesn't run on Fridays, which happens to be the one day the Taj Mahal is closed too, so avoid landing your Agra day on a Friday. The Vande Bharat back to Delhi on day 7 doesn't run on Wednesdays. Full detail on tickets, entry fees and the road option via Fatehpur Sikri and the Abhaneri stepwell is in the full Golden Triangle itinerary.
Other ways to spend a week
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 red clifftop.
Best for Backwaters, tea hills, a gentler pace than the north
Rajasthan without Jaisalmer
Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, the Rajasthan loop minus the long desert detour that needs an extra week.
Best for Forts, palaces and a holy lake town
Goa, Gokarna and Hampi
North and South Goa's beaches, then the Kudle-to-Om-Beach cliff trail at Gokarna, with a first look at Hampi's ruins if you push on.
Best for Beaches, a coastal trek and temple ruins
Kerala in a week
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kochi | Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace, an evening Kathakali performance | Meen curry (fish curry) with red rice, appam with stew |
| 2 | Munnar (about 4 h by road) | First tea-estate walk, the Tea Museum | Banana chips and filter coffee |
| 3 | Munnar | Mattupetty Dam, tea-garden viewpoints at Top Station, and Eravikulam National Park (closed in February and March for the calving season) | Appam and vegetable stew |
| 4 | Thekkady (about 3.5 h) | Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary boat safari, a spice-plantation walk | Spice-rubbed grilled fish |
| 5 | Alleppey (about 4.5 h) | Board a shared houseboat cruise through the backwaters | An on-board Kerala thali |
| 6 | Varkala (about 4 h) | The clifftop path, Papanasam Beach | Fresh-catch seafood at a cliff café |
| 7 | Kovalam, or fly out | A short drive to Kovalam, or straight to Trivandrum airport | Puttu and kadala curry for breakfast |
Most Alleppey operators book houseboats as couples' cabins rather than shared solo bunks, so a group booking through a local partner works better than turning up and asking to join a boat. The full route, with alternatives if you'd rather cut Thekkady for more beach time, is in the Kerala itinerary.
Rajasthan without Jaisalmer in a week
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaipur | Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar's stone instruments | Laal maas and pyaaz kachori |
| 2 | Jaipur | Hawa Mahal, the old city's bazaars, Nahargarh Fort at sunset | A rooftop dinner |
| 3 | Pushkar (about 2.5 h) | The 52 ghats around Pushkar Lake, the Brahma Temple | Malpua; the town is strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free |
| 4 | Jodhpur (about 4 to 5 h) | The Blue City's lanes below the fort | Mirchi bada and makhaniya lassi |
| 5 | Jodhpur | Mehrangarh Fort, Sardar Market's spice stalls | A rooftop restaurant beneath the floodlit fort |
| 6 | Udaipur (about 4 to 5 h) | City Palace complex, a sunset boat on Lake Pichola | Dal baati churma |
| 7 | Udaipur | Saheliyon ki Bari gardens, an evening folk-dance show, depart from Udaipur airport | A last rooftop dinner over the lake |
Cutting Jaisalmer is what makes this fit a week: the desert town sits at the end of a long spur, and reaching it and coming back costs two to three days a shorter route can't spare. If the desert camp matters more to you than an extra Udaipur day, the Rajasthan itinerary has the 10-day version with Jaisalmer included.
Goa, Gokarna and a first look at Hampi
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Goa (Anjuna or Baga) | Arrive, settle in, beach time and a shack dinner | A Goan fish thali |
| 2 | North Goa | Anjuna's Wednesday flea market or Chapora Fort, Vagator's cliffs | Prawn balchão, bebinca for dessert |
| 3 | South Goa (about 1 h) | Old Goa's UNESCO churches, Palolem or Agonda beach | Goan pork vindaloo |
| 4 | Gokarna (about 2 h by the Konkan Railway) | Settle in, sunset at Om Beach | Grilled kingfish at a beach shack |
| 5 | Gokarna | The Kudle to Om to Half Moon to Paradise Beach coastal trek | A coconut-based fish curry |
| 6 | Gokarna | Mahabaleshwar Temple, an old-town walk | A thali away from the tourist-shack strip |
| 7 | Depart | Onward from Gokarna, or back to Goa's airport | Fresh coconut water on the beach |
This route works best from November to February, when Goa's beach shacks are in full swing and the coastal trek at Gokarna isn't washed out by monsoon rain. Hampi itself needs a long overnight journey each way, so this week only gets you as far as the coast; the full route with Hampi added is in the Goa itinerary.
Choosing between them
| Choose... | If... |
|---|---|
| Golden Triangle | It's your first trip to India and you want the Taj Mahal without an overnight train |
| Kerala | You'd rather start somewhere green and slower-paced than the plains |
| Rajasthan without Jaisalmer | Forts and palaces matter more to you than the desert, at least this time |
| Goa, Gokarna and Hampi | Beaches and a coastal walk matter more to you than temples or forts |
Costs, best time and getting around
Outside international flights, a careful backpacker spends about ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 a day on the Golden Triangle or Rajasthan routes, and closer to ₹1,200 to ₹1,800 a day in Goa. Add the one-off costs: the Gatimaan Express fare, Jaipur's composite ticket, the Taj Mahal's entry fee, or a houseboat cruise in Kerala. Our India cost guide breaks all of this down.
All four routes run best from October to March. Kerala and Goa narrow that further to November through February, since both get heavy monsoon rain outside that window. Trains cover every leg on the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan routes; Kerala and the Goa-Gokarna route mix trains, buses and private cars, and none of the four needs a domestic flight if you start and end in the right city.
