Two ways to spend ten days, really: stay in the north and go deeper, or head south for something completely different. Below is our recommended route, plus three alternatives that fit these ten days just as well, each with the full day-by-day.
The recommended route: Golden Triangle plus Varanasi
This route adds the Ganges to the classic Delhi, Agra and Jaipur loop, using an overnight train to fold Varanasi in without spending a whole extra day on the road.
| 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 | Parathas and chaat |
| 3 | Varanasi (Vande Bharat, 06:00 to 14:00) | Settle near the ghats, evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat | Breakfast and lunch served on board |
| 4 | Varanasi | A sunrise boat ride on the Ganges, an afternoon at Sarnath | Kachori sabzi |
| 5 | Overnight train to Agra (Marudhar Express, 17:10 to about 06:35) | A free morning in the old city or at Kashi Vishwanath Temple first | Pick up dinner before boarding |
| 6 | Agra | Agra Fort in the morning, the Taj Mahal in the afternoon light | Petha, Agra's ash-gourd sweet |
| 7 | Jaipur (about 4.5 to 8 h by road) | A stop at Fatehpur Sikri and the Abhaneri stepwell if driving | A roadside stop at Fatehpur Sikri |
| 8 | Jaipur | Amber Fort on foot, the Pink City's bazaars | Laal maas and pyaaz kachori |
| 9 | Jaipur | A hand block-printing workshop, or a free day; Nahargarh Fort at sunset | A rooftop dinner |
| 10 | Jaipur to Delhi (Vande Bharat to Delhi Cantt, 07:47 to about 11:30, not Wednesdays) | A free afternoon before an evening flight out | A last bazaar-stall snack |
Arriving off an overnight train is a poor way to start a sunrise Taj Mahal visit, so this route saves the Taj for the afternoon of day 6 instead, when the marble turns gold and pink in the fading light. Full detail on tickets, entry fees and the Varanasi extension is in the Golden Triangle itinerary.
Other ways to spend 10 days
Rajasthan in full
Jaipur to Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, the five headline stops a 1-week route has to cut down to four.
Best for Desert forts, camel safaris, palaces
Goa, Hampi and Kerala together
North and South Goa, an overnight train to Hampi's ruins, then a flight south to Kerala's backwaters and the Varkala cliffs.
Best for Beaches, ruins and backwaters, all three
Ladakh: Leh, Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri
Two rest days in Leh before crossing Khardung La, then a loop to Nubra Valley's dunes and two remote lakes.
Best for High-altitude passes, lakes and monasteries
Rajasthan in full
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaipur | Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar | Laal maas and pyaaz kachori |
| 2 | Jaipur | Hawa Mahal, old-city 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 5 to 5.5 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 | Jaisalmer (about 5 to 6 h by road or train) | The living fort, still home to shops and houses; sunset on the ramparts | A merchant-haveli thali |
| 7 | Jaisalmer | Patwon ki Haveli, then a camel ride to an overnight desert camp near the Sam dunes | A fire-cooked thali and ker sangri, a desert bean-and-caper dish |
| 8 | Udaipur (about 7 to 8 h by road, or an overnight sleeper bus) | City Palace complex, a sunset boat on Lake Pichola | Dal baati churma |
| 9 | Udaipur | Saheliyon ki Bari gardens, an evening folk-dance show | A rooftop dinner over the lake |
| 10 | Depart | From Udaipur's Maharana Pratap Airport, or onward | A last stop at a lakeside café |
The overnight desert camp near Jaisalmer is what a 1-week Rajasthan route has to cut, and it's the single most-remembered night on this longer version. Winter nights in the Thar Desert get cold, close to freezing in December and January, so proper bedding matters more than it sounds like it would. Full detail, including the road and train options between each city, is in the Rajasthan itinerary.
Goa, Hampi and Kerala together
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anjuna, North Goa | Arrive, settle in, sunset and a first shack meal | A Goan fish thali |
| 2 | North Goa | Chapora Fort, Anjuna and Vagator's beaches, the Wednesday flea market if timing allows | Prawn balchão |
| 3 | Palolem, South Goa (about 1.5 h) | Settle into a beach hut, a kayak trip to Butterfly Beach | Fresh grilled fish |
| 4 | Hampi (Vasco-Shalimar Express from Madgaon, 07:00 to about 14:30, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays only) | Settle in, sunset from Hemakuta Hill | A simple thali |
| 5 | Hampi | Virupaksha Temple, Vittala Temple's stone chariot, the Royal Enclosure, a coracle ride on the Tungabhadra | River-side snacks |
| 6 | Overnight train to Bengaluru (Hampi Express, 21:10 to about 06:00) | A free morning, or cycle across the river to Anegundi first | Pack dinner before boarding |
| 7 | Kochi (flight, about 1 h 20 min) | Fort Kochi's old buildings and Chinese fishing nets, an evening Kathakali show | Meen curry and appam with stew |
| 8 | Alleppey (about 1.5 h) | Mattancherry's palace murals and spice warehouses, board a houseboat at noon | An on-board Kerala thali |
| 9 | Varkala (about 2.5 h) | A canoe through narrow canals, then the clifftop path | Fresh-catch seafood |
| 10 | Depart | Varkala's cliffs and Papanasam Beach, then Trivandrum airport (about 40 min) | A last coconut water |
This route works best from November to March, when Goa's beach season is in full swing and Kerala is past its monsoon; start it on a Saturday, Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, since the Goa-to-Hampi train doesn't run every day. Most Alleppey operators book houseboats as couples' cabins rather than shared solo bunks, so plan on a group-booked boat.
Ladakh: Leh, Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leh | Arrive by flight, do nothing strenuous; at most a short walk to Leh Market | A light meal, no alcohol |
| 2 | Leh | Continued acclimatisation: Leh Palace, the old town, Shanti Stupa at sunset | Thukpa and momos |
| 3 | Leh | A buffer acclimatisation day, or an easy half-day at Hemis and Thiksey monasteries | Skyu, a Ladakhi pasta-and-vegetable stew |
| 4 | Nubra Valley (about 5 to 6 h over Khardung La) | Diskit Monastery's giant Buddha statue, Hunder's sand dunes | A Bactrian-camel-ride stop at Hunder |
| 5 | Pangong Lake (about 5 h) | Watch the lake change colour into the evening, an overnight lakeside camp | A simple camp-cooked meal |
| 6 | Tso Moriri (about 6 to 7 h, the toughest driving day) | Sunrise at Pangong first, then a long, remote transfer | Pack food; little is available en route |
| 7 | Tso Moriri | A quiet walk around Korzok village on the lakeshore | A homestay-cooked meal |
| 8 | Leh (about 6 to 7 h return) | A rest evening back at lower altitude | Rehydrate, an early night |
| 9 | Leh | A buffer day, or Hemis and Thiksey monasteries if not already done | A last thukpa and momos |
| 10 | Depart | A morning flight out of Leh; afternoon flights rarely operate, given mountain winds | Coffee before an early start |
Ladakh's non-negotiable is altitude, not distance: Leh airport sits at about 3,250 metres, and every credible source recommends a full rest day before any onward travel, which is why this route builds in two. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri, issued through a registered agent in Leh. It usually needs at least two applicants, so a solo traveller joins a group departure. Check the current rules before you book. Full detail is in the Ladakh itinerary.
Choosing between them
| Choose... | If... |
|---|---|
| Golden Triangle plus Varanasi | You want temples, forts and the Ganges without a domestic flight |
| Rajasthan in full | The desert camp and camel safari near Jaisalmer matter more to you than an extra city |
| Goa, Hampi and Kerala | You want a complete change of scenery partway through: beaches to ruins to backwaters |
| Ladakh | Mountains, passes and monasteries appeal more than temples or forts, and your trip falls between June and September |
Costs, best time and getting around
Outside international flights, budget about ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 a day on the Golden Triangle, Varanasi or Rajasthan routes, closer to ₹1,200 to ₹1,800 a day in Goa, and more in Ladakh, where jeeps, permits and flights push costs above the national average. Our India cost guide breaks this down further.
The Golden Triangle, Varanasi, Rajasthan and Goa-Hampi-Kerala routes all run best from October to March, narrowing to November through February for Goa and Kerala specifically. Ladakh runs the opposite calendar: June to September suits this loop, because the Leh to Manali highway closes for winter and the Srinagar to Leh road closes from about November. Trains cover the long hops on three of the four routes; the Goa-Hampi-Kerala route also uses one domestic flight, and Ladakh is reached by flight into and out of Leh.
