Quick Answer
Planning an India Itinerary? Get the Visa and the Calendar Right First
Land in Delhi on a whim, pencil in your Taj Mahal day for whatever date happens to fit, and there’s a real chance you’ve picked a Friday - the one day of the week the Taj closes its doors to sightseers for prayers inside the mosque on the complex. It trips up more first-timers than any packing mistake ever will, and it’s completely avoidable once you know the rule.
The other first-timer trap is the visa. India doesn’t hand out visa-on-arrival to US, UK, EU, Canadian or Australian passport holders - the e-Tourist Visa has to be approved online, through the official government portal, before you board. Get both of those sorted early and the rest of the trip is genuinely straightforward: a compact, train-linked loop through Delhi, Agra and Jaipur that rewards a slow pace over a rushed one. Below are three itineraries that hold up at 7, 10 and 14 days, plus exactly where to add or cut.
The Route at a Glance
| Days | Route | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Delhi (3n) → Agra (1n) → Jaipur (2-3n) | First-timers, the classic Golden Triangle only |
| 10 | Delhi (3n) → Agra (1n) → Jaipur (2-3n) → Udaipur (2-3n) | The sweet spot - Rajasthan in full |
| 14 | 10-day route → Kerala backwaters (3-4n) | A slower, greener finish after the north |
The 7-Day India Itinerary (the Golden Triangle)
A week is enough for Delhi, Agra and Jaipur if you don’t try to squeeze in a fourth base. The Gatimaan Express and the Ajmer Shatabdi do the heavy lifting - both point-to-point IRCTC trains rather than long road transfers - so travel days stay short.
| Day | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi | Land, settle in near Connaught Place or Paharganj, evening at Chandni Chowk and India Gate |
| 2 | Delhi | Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Jama Masjid |
| 3 | Delhi → Agra | Gatimaan Express (around 100 minutes); Taj Mahal (not on a Friday) and Agra Fort |
| 4 | Agra → Jaipur | Onward by road or rail; late-afternoon and sunset at Amber Fort |
| 5 | Jaipur | City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal |
| 6 | Jaipur | Johari and Bapu bazaars, a slower day for a day trip or rest |
| 7 | Jaipur → Delhi → home | Ajmer Shatabdi back to Delhi (about 6h45m), connect to your flight |
The one cut if you’re tight on time: treat Agra as a single overnight instead of a full day - the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort both fit into one focused day if you arrive early. Don’t shorten Jaipur to do it; you’ll spend the saved time on a road transfer, not at the forts.
See the full Delhi travel guide and Jaipur travel guide for where to base yourself in each city.
The 10-Day India Itinerary (the sweet spot)
This is the one worth booking. It keeps the full Golden Triangle and adds real time in Rajasthan via Udaipur, without pushing past three or four bases.
| Day | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Delhi | Arrive, settle near Connaught Place, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort |
| 3 | Delhi → Agra | Gatimaan Express (~100 min); Taj Mahal (not Friday) and Agra Fort |
| 4 | Agra → Jaipur | Onward by road or rail; Amber Fort at sunset |
| 5-6 | Jaipur | City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Johari Bazaar |
| 7 | Jaipur → Udaipur | Onward by train, road or a short domestic flight |
| 8-9 | Udaipur | City Palace complex, Lake Pichola, the old city’s bazaars and Jagdish Temple |
| 10 | Udaipur → Delhi → home | Fly back to Delhi to connect, or straight home if Udaipur has an international-connecting flight that works |
Where to cut to 8-9 days: drop one Jaipur day and treat Udaipur as a 2-night add-on rather than 3. Where to add: an extra Jaipur day for a slower Amber Fort visit and a day trip, or an extra Udaipur night around Lake Pichola, is never wasted.
The 14-Day India Itinerary (add Kerala)
Two weeks lets the trip breathe. Take the 10-day route and close it out with Kerala’s backwaters - a genuinely different India from the forts and bazaars of the north.
| Days | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Delhi | As above: Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort |
| 3 | Delhi → Agra | Gatimaan Express (~100 min); Taj Mahal (not Friday), Agra Fort |
| 4 | Agra → Jaipur | Onward by road or rail; Amber Fort at sunset |
| 5-6 | Jaipur | City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, bazaars |
| 7 | Jaipur → Udaipur | Onward by train, road or short flight |
| 8-9 | Udaipur | City Palace, Lake Pichola, old city |
| 10 | Udaipur → Kerala | Domestic flight (typically via Delhi or Mumbai) into Kochi |
| 11-12 | Kerala | Fort Kochi’s old town, then a backwaters houseboat around Alleppey or Kumarakom |
| 13 | Kerala | Munnar’s tea hills, or a slower day back in Kochi’s markets |
| 14 | Kerala → home | Fly out of Kochi, or connect back through Delhi or Mumbai |
The alternative fortnight: swap Udaipur and Kerala for Varanasi instead - the Ganges ghats and a very different rhythm from Rajasthan’s forts - if the north’s history-and-desert theme appeals more than a beach-and-backwaters finish. See our Kerala guide and Goa guide to pick a coastal add-on, or stay inland with a longer Rajasthan loop instead.
Getting Between Stops
The transport question first-timers overthink most: which train class, and whether the visa and eSIM are sorted before they land.
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Budget for This Route
Expect a 10-day Golden Triangle-plus-Udaipur trip to land in the budget range around $20-40/day (guesthouses, street food and thali meals, local transport, sightseeing) or mid-range around $40-80/day (private AC rooms, a mix of restaurants, some private transport) - more once you add the 14-day Kerala leg with a houseboat night. A simple thali or street-food meal at a local dhaba runs around $1-2.50 (₹80-200), rising to $6-9 for a sit-down regional thali at a nicer restaurant. Budget separately for attraction tickets: the Taj Mahal is around ₹1,300 for foreign nationals (plus ₹200 to enter the mausoleum chamber), Agra Fort around ₹650 on weekdays, and Amber Fort around ₹1,000, with Jaipur’s 2-day Composite Ticket (Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall and more) running around ₹1,500.
For where to sleep, Delhi is genuinely affordable: budget 2-4 star rooms in Paharganj, Connaught Place or Aerocity run around $13-22/night (2-adult search, August 2026), mid-range 3-4 star rooms in Connaught Place or Hauz Khas around $25-40/night, and upscale airport-area hotels like the Aerocity Hilton around $50-55/night. Those bands are from a monsoon-season (August) search - October-March, the best sightseeing weather, tends to book out earlier and can run a little higher. See our Delhi where-to-stay guide for area-by-area picks, and compare rates directly:
Shorter or Longer?
Cutting to 4-5 days: do Delhi and Agra only, as a long weekend, and save Jaipur for a return trip - the Gatimaan Express makes Agra a realistic day trip if a full itinerary won’t fit. Stretching past 14 days: Varanasi, Mumbai or Goa each work as a self-contained 3-4 day add-on at either end, since they’re reached by domestic flight rather than the Golden Triangle’s rail spine; treat any of them as its own short leg bolted onto the main loop rather than forcing it into the same train-based flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 7 days enough for India?
Seven days is enough for the classic Golden Triangle - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - linked by train, at a pace of 2-3 nights per stop plus travel days. It’s not enough to add Udaipur, Varanasi or Kerala properly; those need 10-14 days. Seven days also leaves no slack for a Friday landing in Agra, since the Taj Mahal is closed to sightseeing every Friday.
Do I need a visa for India in 2026?
Yes, and it must be arranged online before you fly - India does not offer visa-on-arrival for most Western passport holders. Apply through the official e-Tourist Visa portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in, 4-120 days ahead of arrival. A 30-day multiple-entry e-Visa runs around $25 (around $10 under an April-June promo), a 1-year around $40, and a 5-year around $80, plus a 2.5% bank charge.
How do I get from Delhi to Agra and Jaipur?
The Gatimaan Express covers Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) to Agra Cantt in around 100 minutes, with Chair Car fares around ₹750 and Executive Class around ₹1,495. The Ajmer Shatabdi links Delhi to Jaipur in about 6 hours 45 minutes, fares roughly ₹805-2,590 by class. Book both through IRCTC; foreign visitors can use the Foreign Tourist Quota up to 365 days ahead with just a passport number.
What’s the best time of year for a Golden Triangle itinerary?
October to March is the clear window for Delhi, Agra and Jaipur: cool, dry days that make sightseeing at the forts and the Taj comfortable. April to June regularly pushes past 40°C, and July to September brings the humid southwest monsoon with heavy rain. Plan the Agra leg for any day except Friday, when the Taj Mahal is closed for prayers.
Should I add Udaipur, Varanasi or Kerala to a longer India itinerary?
At 10 days, Udaipur is the easiest add from Jaipur - another Rajasthan city with a similar rhythm of forts, lakes and bazaars - while Varanasi suits travelers who want the Ganges ghats and a very different pace instead. At 14 days, Kerala’s backwaters make the strongest contrast to the north: houseboats, tea hills and a slower, greener trip to close out the loop.
How much does a Golden Triangle trip cost per day?
Budget travelers can expect around $20-40/day covering guesthouses, street food and thali meals, local transport and sightseeing; mid-range travelers land around $40-80/day with private AC rooms, a mix of restaurants, and some private transport. A simple thali or street-food meal runs around $1-2.50 at a local dhaba, rising to $6-9 for a sit-down regional thali.
Book the Bones of the Trip
Sort the visa first - it’s the one step with a hard lead time - then lock in flights into Delhi, your Gatimaan and Shatabdi train tickets through IRCTC, and a first-night hotel near Connaught Place or Paharganj. Travel October-March for the easiest weather, skip Fridays in Agra, and let the trains carry you from Delhi to Agra to Jaipur - extending to Udaipur or Kerala once the Golden Triangle is booked.
Compare prices and lock in your dates:
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Keep planning with our India pillar guide , Delhi , Jaipur , Kerala , and Goa guides, our getting around India and Delhi where-to-stay guides, plus our eSIM , hotels , and travel insurance hubs for the rest of the trip.