Planning your India route
India rewards a route that flows rather than a checklist that sprints. Most visitors arrive at Delhi (DEL) / Mumbai (BOM) and link a handful of standout places — a classic loop runs Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Goa / Kerala.
Below is a ready-to-use one-week plan, how to stretch it to two weeks, and how to tailor it to how you like to travel. For the full picture see the India travel guide, and once you’ve fixed your dates read the best time to visit India so you travel in the right season.
The perfect 7-day India itinerary
Seven days is the sweet spot for a first trip: enough to see the headline sights without living on buses. This plan keeps you to two or three bases and a sensible pace.
- Days 1–3 · Delhi (3 days) — Mughal monuments, bazaars and the country’s gateway. Best for culture, history.
- Days 4–5 · Agra (2 days) — Home of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Best for history, iconic.
- Days 6–7 · Jaipur (2 days) — The Pink City — palaces and hilltop forts. Best for culture, shopping.
Budget roughly $175–$1,540 per person for the week depending on your style (excluding international flights) — see the India budget guide for a full breakdown, or estimate yours with the Budget Calculator.
Stretching it to 10–14 days
With more time you can slow down and add the places a one-week trip skips. A relaxed two-week version looks like this:
- Days 1–4 · Delhi (4 days) — Mughal monuments, bazaars and the country’s gateway. Best for culture, history.
- Days 5–8 · Agra (4 days) — Home of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Best for history, iconic.
- Days 9–11 · Jaipur (3 days) — The Pink City — palaces and hilltop forts. Best for culture, shopping.
- Days 12–14 · Goa / Kerala (3 days) — Beaches, backwaters and houseboats in the south. Best for beach, relax.
Two weeks also leaves room for a day trip or two between bases — see the “day trips” section on each city guide, starting with Delhi.
Tailoring the route to your style
The skeleton above flexes easily. Adjust where you spend your days based on what you’re travelling for:
- History & culture: give more time to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and the country’s main museums and old towns.
- Adventure: add hikes, dives or day-treks around the national parks.
Getting between stops
Fly into Delhi (DEL) / Mumbai (BOM), then move between cities by a mix of domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis or ride apps. For multi-city trips, an open-jaw ticket (into one city, out of another) saves backtracking.
Book the longer hops ahead in Oct–Mar. Distances between the main spots in India are very doable — most of this route is short, scenic legs rather than epic overland days.
Before you go
Three things to sort early: your visa (evisa for most — see the India visa guide), your season (when to visit), and your packing (India packing list). It’s also worth a quick read of our India safety guide and the food & culture guide so you arrive ready to dive in.
Want a plan built around your exact dates and interests? Generate one in seconds with the AI Trip Planner.
