Fourteen days is enough to see a region properly rather than rushing a whole country, and India has more than one good way to spend them. The route below, Delhi to Varanasi to Agra to Rajasthan, is the one most first-time visitors settle on and the one our own 14-day trip runs. Three other routes follow it, for anyone who wants the desert instead of the Ganges, the coast instead of forts, or the mountains instead of the plains. For the full range of lengths, see the India itinerary guide.
The recommended route: Delhi, Varanasi, Agra and Rajasthan
| Days | Place | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Delhi | Jama Masjid, a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, Humayun's Tomb | Parathas, chaat, the Bangla Sahib langar |
| 3 to 4 | Varanasi | The Ganga aarti at dusk, a sunrise boat on the Ganges, Sarnath | Kachori sabzi, a Banarasi thali |
| 5 | Overnight train to Agra | The Marudhar Express, in a 2A berth (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday departures only) | Dinner before boarding |
| 6 | Agra | Agra Fort in the morning, the Taj Mahal in the afternoon light | Petha, Mughlai kebabs |
| 7 to 8 | Jaipur | Amber Fort on foot, the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, a Nahargarh sunset | Laal maas, pyaaz kachori |
| 9 to 10 | Pushkar | The lake's ghats, a sunrise hike to Savitri Temple | Malpua, a Rajasthani thali |
| 11 to 13 | Udaipur | The City Palace, Bagore ki Haveli's folk-dance show, a sunset boat | Dal baati churma |
| 14 | Departure | Fly out from Udaipur | - |
Almost every stop connects to the next by a fast train, an overnight train or a half-day road transfer, so there's very little dead time. The one overnight leg, Varanasi to Agra on the Marudhar Express, turns what would otherwise be a wasted travel day into a night you'd have spent sleeping anyway. The Marudhar Express runs only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, so build your Varanasi dates around those days. See the Golden Triangle route guide for the Delhi-to-Jaipur section in full, and the Rajasthan route guide for more on Pushkar and Udaipur.
Other ways to spend 2 weeks
Golden Triangle plus full Rajasthan
Swaps Varanasi for Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, adding the Thar desert to the classic north loop.
Best for Forts, palaces, a desert camel camp
Goa, Gokarna and Kerala
Trades temples and forts for the west coast and a Kerala houseboat, linked by a short domestic flight.
Best for Beaches, a coastal trek, backwaters
Himachal Pradesh plus Delhi
A backpacker-paced loop through McLeod Ganj, Bir Billing, Kasol and Manali.
Best for Hostels, hills, paragliding
Ladakh or Spiti plus Delhi
Summer only, and worth doing only if you're fit and can build in a genuine rest day for altitude.
Best for High-altitude lakes and monasteries
Golden Triangle plus full Rajasthan (no Varanasi)
If the desert matters more to you than the Ganges, drop Varanasi and carry on west from Jaipur instead, adding Jodhpur's fort and a night in a camel camp near Jaisalmer.
| Days | Place | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Delhi | Old and New Delhi | Parathas, chaat |
| 3 | Agra | The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort | Petha |
| 4 to 5 | Jaipur | Amber Fort, the City Palace | Laal maas |
| 6 | Pushkar | The lake's ghats | Malpua |
| 7 to 8 | Jodhpur | Mehrangarh Fort, the Blue City's lanes | Makhaniya lassi |
| 9 to 10 | Jaisalmer | The living fort, a desert camel camp | Ker sangri |
| 11 to 13 | Udaipur | The City Palace, a sunset boat on Lake Pichola | Dal baati churma |
| 14 | Departure | Fly out from Udaipur | - |
The trade-off is the Jodhpur-to-Jaisalmer and Jaisalmer-to-Udaipur legs, both a full day on the road each way, since there's no direct train on either. See the Rajasthan route guide for the full version, including the 10-day cut that drops Jaisalmer.
Goa, Gokarna and Kerala
A complete change of scenery: beach time in Goa, a coastal trek in Gokarna, and a backwater houseboat in Kerala, linked by a short flight rather than an overnight train.
| Days | Place | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | North Goa (Anjuna) | Beaches, the Anjuna flea market, Chapora Fort | Goan fish curry, feni |
| 4 to 5 | Gokarna | Om Beach and the coastal trek to Paradise Beach | Coconut fish curry |
| 6 | Fly to Kochi | A short domestic flight, then straight to Fort Kochi | Appam and stew |
| 7 to 8 | Munnar | Tea estates, Eravikulam's viewpoints (the park is closed in February and March) | Filter coffee, banana chips |
| 9 to 10 | Alleppey | A backwater houseboat, on a shared cruise booked in advance | An on-board Kerala thali |
| 11 to 13 | Varkala | The cliff, Papanasam Beach, a slow finish | Fresh-catch seafood |
| 14 | Departure | Fly out from Trivandrum | - |
Solo travellers can book a room on a shared Alleppey houseboat instead of paying for a whole boat, and arranging it in advance is easier than turning up and asking. See the Kerala route guide for the full backwaters plan.
Himachal Pradesh plus Delhi
A backpacker-paced loop through Himachal's hostel trail, bookended by Delhi. This one runs March to June or September to November, not in the winter or the July-to-August monsoon.
| Days | Place | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Delhi | Old and New Delhi, then an overnight bus to the mountains | Parathas, chaat |
| 3 to 4 | McLeod Ganj | The Dalai Lama's temple complex, Bhagsu Falls | Thukpa, momos |
| 5 | Bir Billing | Tandem paragliding, weather permitting | A Himachali thali |
| 6 to 7 | Kasol | The Parvati Valley, a riverside walk to Chalal | Cafe food, alongside Himachali dishes |
| 8 to 9 | Manali | Old Manali's cafe lanes, Solang Valley | Siddu, river trout |
| 10 to 11 | Back to Delhi | A long road day or a short flight, then a free day | - |
| 12 to 13 | Delhi | An optional Agra day trip on the Gatimaan Express (it doesn't run on Fridays) | Mughlai kebabs |
| 14 | Departure | Fly out from Delhi | - |
See the Himachal Pradesh route guide for the full loop, including where Spiti Valley extends it further.
Ladakh or Spiti plus Delhi
Both only run in summer and both demand real respect for altitude. Ladakh's Leh airport sits at about 3,250 metres, and flying in from sea level means the first two days have to be properly restful, not a scheduling nicety. Spiti is reached overland from Shimla or Manali instead of flying, which gives your body a gentler climb, but its main town, Kaza, still sits at about 3,800 metres. Neither route suits a traveller who wants to be moving fast from day one.
| Days | Place | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Delhi | Arrive, Old and New Delhi | Parathas, chaat |
| 3 | Fly to Leh | Rest only; this is the trip's most important day | Thukpa, momos |
| 4 | Leh | More acclimatisation: Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa | Skyu |
| 5 | Nubra Valley | Over Khardung La, Diskit's giant Buddha, Hunder's dunes | Apricot products |
| 6 to 7 | Pangong Lake | The lake's colours through the afternoon and at sunrise | Butter tea |
| 8 | Back to Leh | A buffer day, built in on purpose | Chhurpi |
| 9 | Fly to Delhi | - | - |
| 10 to 13 | Delhi | An Agra day trip, or a slower finish | Mughlai kebabs |
| 14 | Departure | Fly out from Delhi | - |
Foreign visitors need a Protected Area Permit for Nubra, Pangong and beyond, which a registered agent in Leh arranges. See the Ladakh route guide and the Spiti Valley route guide for both versions in full, including why Spiti's road only opens from about mid-June to early October.
Choosing between them
| Route | Choose it if |
|---|---|
| Delhi, Varanasi, Agra and Rajasthan | You want the classic first India route: monuments, the Ganges, forts and lakes |
| Golden Triangle plus full Rajasthan | The desert and a camel camp matter more to you than the Ganges |
| Goa, Gokarna and Kerala | You want beaches and backwaters rather than temples and forts |
| Himachal Pradesh plus Delhi | You're comfortable with hostels and want a backpacker-paced mountain trip |
| Ladakh or Spiti plus Delhi | You want high-altitude landscape, you're fit, and your dates fall between June and September |
What this costs
Outside flights into and out of the country, a careful backpacker spends about ₹2,900 to ₹3,400 a day on the northern loop, food, a dorm bed and local transport, with the Taj Mahal's entry fee and Jaipur's composite ticket on top of that as one-off costs. Goa and Kerala run a little cheaper day to day; Ladakh and Spiti cost more, since jeep hire, permits and remote prices all add up. Our India cost guide breaks the whole trip down.
Best time to go
October to March suits both the northern loop and the South India route, when the plains are dry and Goa's beach season has started. Goa and Kerala are at their best from November to February, once the monsoon has cleared. Himachal works March to June or September to November, avoiding the monsoon landslide risk of July and August. Ladakh and Spiti are at their best from June to September, when the Leh to Manali highway and Spiti's high roads are open.
Getting around
Trains link every stop on the northern loop, and a shared taxi or bus covers the road legs between Rajasthan's towns. The South India route needs one short domestic flight, Goa or Mangalore to Kochi. Himachal and the high Himalaya routes run on shared taxis, jeeps and long-distance buses rather than trains, since none of these towns sit on a railway line.
