The capital
Most trips begin in Delhi, a city of Mughal tombs, Old Delhi bazaars, leafy colonial avenues and some of the best street food in Asia. Give it two or three days to settle in and get over the jet lag.
The Taj Mahal
Agra is a short fast train from Delhi and home to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the abandoned royal city of Fatehpur Sikri. Stay one night so you can see the Taj at sunrise, when it is cooler and calmer.
Forts, palaces and desert
Rajasthan is the India of postcards: pink Jaipur with Amber Fort, lakeside Udaipur, blue Jodhpur under Mehrangarh Fort and golden Jaisalmer on the edge of the Thar Desert. Delhi, Agra and Jaipur together form the Golden Triangle, the classic first route.
The sacred river
Varanasi on the Ganges is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the holiest city in Hinduism. Sunrise boat rides, evening aarti and the cremation ghats make it the most intense and moving stop in India.
The green south
Kerala slows everything down: colonial Fort Kochi, tea hills at Munnar, houseboats on the backwaters of Alleppey and beaches at Varkala, with gentle Ayurveda and superb seafood.
Beaches and Portuguese heritage
Goa is India's beach state, with whitewashed churches, Portuguese era Latin quarters, spicy fish curry and a coast that ranges from lively in the north to quiet in the south.
How to link them
A classic two week route runs Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur, then flies to Varanasi or south to Kochi. With three weeks, add Kerala and Goa. Distances are huge, so use fast trains and domestic flights rather than long road days. Our free trip planner helps you set a realistic pace, and the places to visit list covers food, culture and stays in each city.