New Delhi Gateway: Multi-Day Routes

From New Delhi, four routes cover most multi-day plans. The outlines below say how long each takes, what to book first and which rules affect the plan. Timetables and fees change, so use them to decide, then confirm on the booking day.

Route 1: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur (3 to 5 days)

  • First leg. Take the Gatimaan Express, which leaves Hazrat Nizamuddin at 08:10 and reaches Agra Cantt at 09:50. It does not run on Fridays.
  • Taj Mahal. It is closed to visitors on Fridays, so an arrival on Thursday or Saturday works better than Friday. A foreigner ticket is Rs 1,100 plus Rs 200 for the mausoleum, per the Taj Mahal ticketing page .
  • Onward. Roads from Agra to Jaipur pass Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital. In Jaipur, set aside a full day for Amer Fort and the City Palace.
  • Transport. A hired car with a driver is the common choice for the road sections.

Route 2: Haridwar and Rishikesh (2 to 3 days)

The two towns are about 240 km north. Haridwar’s evening Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri is the main event, and crowds are dense, so keep bags in front of you. Rishikesh has ashrams and pedestrian suspension bridges. Rafting operates on the Ganges from Rishikesh and generally stops during the monsoon, so confirm the season with the operator. Delhi’s own Yamuna River has no safe swimming, boating or rafting.

Route 3: Amritsar (2 days)

Fly or take a train from Delhi. The Golden Temple, with its free community kitchen, welcomes people of all faiths; cover your head and remove your shoes. Jallianwala Bagh is a memorial to the 1919 massacre and calls for quiet. Because of the border, check the UK Foreign Office advice for India , which advises against all travel within 10 km of the Pakistan border except the Wagah-Attari crossing.

Route 4: Ranthambore (3 days)

This Rajasthan tiger reserve offers morning and afternoon safaris. It is closed in the monsoon, around July to September. Safaris are limited and booked through the official Rajasthan forest system, so reserve early, and do not expect a sighting to be guaranteed.

Before you go

Foreign nationals need a visa, and the e-visa application is made only on indianvisaonline.gov.in . From mid-October to January the air in the Delhi region is often poor, which can affect long road days. Hotels along any route can be compared through a Booking.com search .

Related pages: the one-day excursions , the family outing ideas and the 6-day itinerary .