There is absolutely nothing on earth quite like India. It is a country that completely captures your heart, hits you like a beautiful wave (of absolute chaos) and leaves you permanently changed. To date, we have been to India a total of seven times! This is our honest and ultimate guide for planning a trip to India.
Planning a Trip to India
My love affair with this chaotic vibrant nation began years ago as a young backpacker exploring the rails with my sister, taking our first overnight bus up into the hills of Darjeeling and later travelling solo to the spiritual city of Varanasi.
Since those early days, Gavin and I have been back a further six times travelling together as a family with our boys, Harry and Oscar. Our very first visit as a family was when the boys were just 4 and 6 years old, proving that you can absolutely tackle India with kids in tow!
Today, we also share our favorite corners of the country by running custom group travel tours through the historic desert and palaces of Rajasthan.
Planning your very first journey here can feel incredibly overwhelming. But we have broken down exactly how to plan, pack, and pace your maiden voyage so you can dive straight into the magic.
Ready to plan that first trip to India?
How Long to Visit For?
India is immense, and its train networks and city streets are high-energy. For a first-time trip to India, we highly recommend dedicating 10 days to 2 weeks.
This gives you enough time to combine a few distinct areas without succumbing to travel burnout. (Or overwhelm by the chaos of choice and planing before you even arrive!).
If you are lucky enough to have 3 to 4 weeks, you can expand your loop to see more rural landscapes, but 14 days is the sweet spot to get a rich, unforgettable taste of the subcontinent.
Those Boring Travel Logistics
Before you pack your bags, you need to sort out the boring but essential bits:
- The Visa: Most nationalities require a tourist visa to enter India. The electronic tourist visa (e-Visa) is easy to fill out online via the official government portal. Make sure to upload a proper passport photo and apply within the window of your arrival date.
- Best Time to Go: Aim for the winter months between October and March. The weather is beautifully pleasant and dry, making it much easier to explore the desert cities and sights without melting in the fierce summer heat or wading through heavy monsoon rains (which do happen!).
Which Destinations for a First Trip to India?
For an unforgettable first trip to India, you want the classic architectural wonders, but you also need room to breathe.
We recommend focusing on five iconic hubs: Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Agra.
However, we have a specific routing strategy that we use for our own family travels and group trips: Fly straight out from Delhi to Jaisalmer on day one.
Most travelers do the classic Golden Triangle loop (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) by road or rail right away, which drops you straight into the most chaotic, high-intensity cities when you are at your most vulnerable. You can do this and it is popular.
But by zipping straight out to Jaisalmer on an internal flight, you start your trip in a smaller, quieter, and far more manageable desert town. It lets you gently more gently adjust to the sights and sounds of India.
From there, you train-hop, bus or taxi your way back across Rajasthan, ending at the majestic Taj Mahal in Agra once you are “India-savvy”!
Independent vs. Group Travel for a First Trip to India
Should you go it entirely alone or join a group trip to India?
Independent travel is highly rewarding, but the logistical heavy lifting can wear you down. If you aren’t joining a group tour, our best tip for independent travelers is to hire local drivers in each destination. Having a trusted, private driver takes the stress out of navigating chaotic traffic and leaves you free to enjoy the views.
Over our seven visits, we have built a trusted network of awesome local drivers and hosts whom we recommend to everyone:
- In Delhi: Contact our fab driver Sunny and his brother. They are protective, highly reliable, and make conquering the capital as smooth as can be.
- In Jaipur: We always use and highly recommend Raja. He knows the Pink City inside out.
- In Jaisalmer: You cannot find a better team than Padam and the crew at Wanderlust Guesthouse. Padam is a legendary host who treats you like family and can sort out your dream desert camel safaris. Phoenix is a great local guide and the kind of guy who will invite you for lunch in his family home!
Contact These Awesome Guides 🙂
- Sunny in Delhi: +91 95997 59259
- Raja in Jaipur: +919928130309
- Padam at Wanderlust Guesthouse in Jaisalmer: +919461157753
- Phoenix (Bhawani) in Jaisalmer: +919414763000
Example 2-Week “India-Savvy” Itinerary
Here is the exact blueprint we recommend. This is to maximise your time and protect your energy:
- Days 1–2: Arrive in Delhi & Fly to Jaisalmer. Land in Delhi, get Sunny to take you to see Delhi Gate and buy a Kurta. Then catch your internal flight, and check into the golden desert town.
- Days 3–5: Jaisalmer. Check into Wanderlust Guesthouse, visit the massive living Jaisalmer Fort, Gadisar Lake, and head into the Thar Desert for an overnight camel safari to sleep under the stars.
- Days 6–8: Udaipur. Move onward to the city of lakes. Take a boat cruise on Lake Pichola and tour the incredible City Palace.
- Days 9–11: Jaipur. Arrive in the Pink City. Have Raja take you to marvel at the Hawa Mahal and the sprawling hilltop Amber Fort.
- Days 12–13: Agra. Head to Agra to see the magnificent Taj Mahal at sunrise. It is every bit as jaw-dropping as you imagine. Explore Agra Fort in the afternoon.
- Day 14: Return to Delhi & Depart. Head back to the capital for a couple of days tour with Sunny and ready for your flight home, completely in love with India.
Planning That First Trip to India
India can be a shock to the senses, but if you do the forward planning, pack your patience, dress modestly, and use trusted local experts to help guide your path, it will be the greatest travel adventure of your life.
Have an open mind, go the flow, and let the country work its magic!
Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our Ultimate Golden Triangle Itinerary to see how to link Jaisalmer with Jaipur and Agra!
Did you give our drivers and guides a message? Let us know in the comments if you connect with Sunny, Raja, Phoenix and Padam!
Safe travels, adventurers!
Read More India Inspiration
- Our Detailed & Easy 2-Day Itinerary Of Jaipur.
- Train Travel In India.
- India Tourist e-Visa: Our Step-By-Step Guide.
- 10 Things To Do In Mumbai.
- 10 Things To Do In Kochi & Kerala.
- Best Tourist SIM Card For India.
- What To Wear In India.
- 4-Day Kochi & Kerala Itinerary.
- Travelling India By Bus: Intercity, Tourist & Sleeper Buses.
Travel Planning for India & Beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. It’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere in Asia through 12Go.
- Skyscanner – Our favourite flight search engine. They can search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide – A huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for short or longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance before booking that first trip to India!
Hi! I’m Sarah. I am the self-confessed dreamer, travel-schemer and the main editor behind this blog. I love to write, and it is a dream come true to share so many experiences together and inspire others in our stories.
