First Time to India, lady alone
 

Hi Thanks for your candid advice.
December 1st through 23, 2015 I'll be in Pune for a week , then have 9 days to travel. I'd like to see Rishikesh, Jaipur and other NW. places of interest.
Is it better to purchase airfare before I go.
I'll be arriving/ returning from Mumbai from there to Arahgabhad then to Pune for 7 days work, so day trips are in the plan.
Any suggestions on must see, best accommodations, easy cheep flights??

Yeah India is a beautiful country. There are so many type of culture and very traditional people. I have seen historical lovable places in India like Taj Mahal, India Gate, Lal Quila, Qutub Minar, Gate way of India,

I had also really enjoyed there. I wish to visit again to india.

Jack Albert
Hanoi Tour Tailor

from Mumbai, you can fly to Udaipur and then start your tour of North India:

Udaipur (2 nights)- Drive to Jaipur (2 nights)- Drive to Agra (1 Night)- Drive to Delhi (1 night)- Train/Drive to Haridwar/Rihikesh (2 nights)- Drive to Dehradoon airport and fly back to Mumbai.

Accommodation- You can check hotels as per your budget. All these hotels have good accommodation options. But Will suggest, not to go below 3 star category

Flights- If you can book low-frill airlines operating in India, it would be better as they are offering discounted fares due to the festival season. Not on all routes but on many routes.

Be extremely cautious as a woman alone, avoid being out after dark and stay amongst crowds. Be sure to dress conservatively. We love India and are returning in February, but I am not certain I would go alone.

On the safety issue, you might read this:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...dharamsala.cfm

Ignore Pawan's itinerary, it is far too rushed. India is not a place for fast-paced travel.

I like to travel by train in India (see seat61.com for info), but you may be too late to get tickets for the holiday season. Otherwise flights or a car and driver (not as expensive as you might expect).

@4Mary did you check out the historical stuff in Pune.?