Hi,
This is my first trip to India. We'll go two friends in our own. We've almost planned our days in Delhi, Amritsar and Varanasi. But we have problems to decide the itinerary through Rajasthan because of the distances and the bad roads.
We'd really thank you if somebody could help us to make an itinerary. These are our dates: we'll leave Delhi on August the 11th and we'll fly from Khajuraho to Varanasi on August the 29th.
Also, which is the best way to get from Agra to Khajurako? Flying or train and car? If we take the train and car, how long can it take?
Thank you in advanced an feel free to give us any suggestion about our trip.

Hi,
As you told the best route can be as follows:-

11 Aug – Delhi Arrival
12 Aug –Day Train to Amritsar
13 Aug –Amritsar ( Your car must be waiting for you in Amritsar Train station.)
14 Aug –Bikaner by car – 500km 9hrs drive
15 Aug –Jaisalmer – 350km 5-6hrs drive
16 Aug –Jaisalmer
17 Aug –Jodhpur – 275km
18 Aug – Jodhpur
19 Aug –Udaipur – 275km
20 Aug –Udaipur
21 Aug –Bundi – 280km
22 Aug – Pushkar – 300km
23 Aug – Jaipur – 150km
24 Aug – Jaipur
25 Aug –Agra – 250km
26 Aug –Orchha
27 Aug –Orchha
28 Aug –Khajuraho
29 Aug –Khajuraho to Varanasi (by flight or by train from Satna.)
Just for your information I want to tell you that roads are very good now.

Best way to go from Agra to Khajuraho is by Car so that you can visit Orchha also, another way is to go by train from Agra to Jhansi and take bus or car from there.
Agra to Khajuraho – 40okm
Agra to Orchha – 230km
Orchha to Khajuraho 190km

I hope all this information will help you.
Thanks.
Raju India.

Hi,
Have a look at this itinerary

11 Aug: Arrive Delhi and overnight train to Amritsar
12 Aug: Sightseeing Amritsar
13 Aug: Flight to Delhi
14 Aug: Sightseeing Delhi
15 Aug: Drive to Mandawa
16 Aug: Drive to Bikaner
17 Aug: Sightseeing and Drive to Jaisalmer
18 Aug: Jaisalmer
19 Aug: Drive to Jodhpur
20 Aug: Drive to Udaipur enroute visit Ranakpur Jain Temple
21 Aug: Udaipur
22 Aug: Drive to Jaipur
23 Aug: Jaipur
24 Aug: Drive to Ranthambhore
25 Aug: Ranthambhore
26 Aug: Drive to Agra
27 Aug: Overnight train to Jhansi and drive to Khajuraho enroute visit Orchcha
28 Aug: Khajuraho
29 Aug: Fly to Varanasi

Agra to Khajuraho is about 420 kms and it will be better to take a train as by car it is 8/9 hrs drive and the road is not good.
in Rajasthan roads are very good.
Require any clarification then let me know

As we just established on another thread, before coming up with an itinerary we need to know what kind of traveler you are. These offerings assume you want to see as many places as possible in the time available. If that's what you want, pick the first, since at least he read your post carefully enough to note that you'd already spent time in Delhi.

But I suspect you're not interested in a "this is Tuesday so it must be Jaipur" type trip, and India is particularly badly suited to that kind of travel. Partly because the country itself is its biggest sight, and needs to be savored slowly, and partly because travel there can be tiring (to say the least).

If you want something less hectic I would suggest you would need a minimum of two nights each for Agra, Khajuraho and Orccha, which would leave you 12 nights for Rajasthan. You should pick just the three places in Rajasthan you most want to visit, and then come back and ask about the logistics for them.

For a car and driver trip to Rajasthan, see rhkkmk's http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34911577 I did Delhi to Jaipur to Jodhpur to Jaisalmer to Agra by train, with a car and driver for a side trip to the painted havelis in the Shekhawati region - see www.wilhelmswords.com/asia2001 for my TR. For loads of info on Indian trains see seat61.com/India.htm, and the Indian railways website now has a route map - http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/Tag...le_No_2007.pdf

I wouldn't do either of these itineraries, unless you want to be carried out on a stretcher at the end of it.

13 places in 18 days.
Look closely at the driving/travelling times.
Look at the assumptions behind the itineries.
How old are you?
What are your interests?
Where in your post did you indicate you wanted to see every square inch of Rajasthan?
How can somebody make an itinerary without knowing anything about you?

There are now aeroplanes in India.

Hi again,
Thank you everybody for your answers because they're very helpful for us.
I'm sorry if in my previous I didn't explain what type of travellers we are. Ok, here some tips: sport women, in our 40s, experienced travellers but first time in India, looking for high quality hotels. As this is our first time, we'd like to visit the highlights and as many places as we can but enjoying them, not just running thought them.
Since we posted the message, we booked some flights:
We arrive to Delhi on August the 5th.
We fly Delhi-Amritsar on August the 8th and Amristsar-Delhi on August the 10th.
We fly Khajuraho-Varanasi on August the 29th
We fly Varanasi-Delhi on August 31st
We leave Delhi on September 2nd
Although we're working hard to make decisions, India is unfamiliar for us. So, sorry if I ask very obvious questions:
1) I understand that the Teej Festival in on August 18-19 in Bundi. Do you think is a festival worth visiting?
2) I'm not sure if we have enough time to enjoy the visit to Ranthambore. Is august a good season to visit the park? Do you think is a place worth visiting?
3) What could you add or delete from this itinerary:
8/11 Bikaner
8/12 Jaisalmer
8/13 Jaisalmer
8/14 Jodhpur
8/15 Jodhpur
8/16 Udaipur
8/17 Udaipur
8/18 Bundi
8/19 Bundi
8/20 Pushkar
8/21 Jaipur
8/22 Jaipur
8/23 Jaipur
8/24 Jaipur-Agra
8/25 Agra
8/26 Agra-Jhansi-Orcha
8/27 Khajuraho
4) In Agra, we have two possibilities for lodging: Sheraton or Taj Hotel. We chose the Taj hotel because of the views of the Taj Mahal but we read some bad reviews. What could you choose?
My apologies for this long message but, as you can see, we need help to plan the trip.
Thank you in advanced.

Ladies: how are you planning to get to these places?

Young and fit you may be - but you've sentenced yourself to, on average, a five hour drive every second day. On these days, you may just choose to have breakfast, even perhaps lunch. Add 90 minutes. Find, then check in and out of your hotels - add 60 minutes.

Which, in effect, gives you a late afternoon [if you're lucky] and a day in each place.

Enjoy.

Just one additional word:

Monsoon.

Hi Dogster, we plan to rent a car with driver but probably you're right and our itinerary is too ambitious.
What would you delete?
All suggestions are welcome,
Ty

Ladies: I'm sorry to be blunt, but there's no point anybody advising you, if you haven't done the most basic research. That you've taken nearly two weeks to come to the most obvious conclusion doesn't bode well for the future. You'll be eaten alive - and I don't mean by mosquitos.

Buy a travel guide. Get a map. Search these forums. Google 'monsoon'.

Let me say that word again. Monsoon.

Above all: beware of Indian travel agents on the net - a particularly carnivorous form of low-life that feed off people just like you.

Good luck.

I second everything dogster said!

Plus "we'd like to visit the highlights and as many places as we can" is incompatible with "enjoying them, not just running thought [sic] them". Choose one or the other.

As I said above, you need to pick three places in Rajasthan. We can't do that for you - read the guide books and the trip reports, and decide on the basis of what attracts you. I already told you I picked Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, but that may not be your choice.

1) I understand that the Teej Festival in on August 18-19 in Bundi. Do you think is a festival worth visiting?
Ans: Yes, teej festival in not intresting although it is intresting in Jaipur
2) I'm not sure if we have enough time to enjoy the visit to Ranthambore. Is august a good season to visit the park? Do you think is a place worth visiting?
Ans: 2 Nights are enough in Ranthambhore and you mighty be very lucky to see tigers in Ranthambhore.
3) What could you add or delete from this itinerary:
8/11 Bikaner
8/12 Jaisalmer
8/13 Jaisalmer
8/14 Jodhpur
8/15 Jodhpur
8/16 Udaipur
8/17 Udaipur
8/18 Bundi
8/19 Bundi
8/20 Pushkar
8/21 Jaipur
8/22 Jaipur
8/23 Jaipur
8/24 Jaipur-Agra
8/25 Agra
8/26 Agra-Jhansi-Orcha
8/27 Khajuraho
Ans: Eliminate 1 Night or Bundi and Pushkar from the Itinerary. As compare to Pushkar, you can stay one night in Chittorgarh.
4) In Agra, we have two possibilities for lodging: Sheraton or Taj Hotel. We chose the Taj hotel because of the views of the Taj Mahal but we read some bad reviews. What could you choose?
Ans: From my opinion Taj View is best place to stay in Agra.

Bidaia: meet TravelIndia.
TravelIndia: meet Bidaia.

I think you'll be a perfect match.

Although, I have a sneaking feeling that you both might just be the same person...

Mr. Dogster, I think you have a very big problem from me from my posts. Even I think you are a fake person. We are here to suggest people as per their interest. But you always prefer to stay for 8 or 9 nights at every destination. I don know what is your motive. Every things depends on the budget and the interest of traveler. As per your thinking if a traveler is doing only 1 or 2 nights in varanasi or somewhere else you think he is justing his time. Now What i say to you? every thing is useless to you.

Hi,
First, I'd like to thank TravelIndia for his/her help; and, I'd like to thank too to those who criticize my itinerary because it helps me to correct what I do wrong. My mistakes are not because I didn't make my homework but because I have not enough knowledge about the country.
Second, please relax. I came to this forum trying to find information of experience travellers, not to see a fight. Dogster, you're not blunt, you're rude and I don't know why. I could be TravelIndia as I could be dogster but I'm not. I'm a traveller asking for help to learn. It supposes that this forum is to share travel information, not to demonstrate who the best traveller is.
Third, answering to Thursdaysd, I think you’re right and I could limit my destinations but if I choose Jaisalmer, Jodhpur,Udaipur and Jaipur. What's the best driving route from Delhi to Jaisalmer?
Ty in advanced.

I guess as travel time from the US takes atleast 14 to 16 hours, a traveller tries to cover as many destinations as possible in the restricted time at his/her desposal. However, ladies & gentlemen, this is no way of enjoying your holiday in India! India & you deserve better planning!!

Hello Bidaia,
Yes, you are right. Dogster seems to be very rude.
Delhi to Jaisalmer is about 800 Kms and 12 hrs drive. Best way to reach Jaisalmer is via Bikaner which is 450 kms from Delhi and Jaisalmer is 330 Kms from Bikaner. So, you can spend 1 night in Bikaner and explore the history and culture of Bikaner.
Also, I would suggest you to continue with your itinerary as you have almost one month to travel in India. Suggestion is that do more research on your itinerary.

Ladies:
Let me refer you to eyeski's post where all these issues were canvassed at length when TravelIndia first came on this board - just last week:

'Trip to India in December Booked!'

Hi,
I read eyeski's post.
Dogster, I think you're right. It's great to spend 8 days in Varanasi and 8 in Jaipur and so on. So, you're a clever and lucky guy.
But the bad news are that I have to work to pay my travels. So, I can't spend as long time as I could like in every destination.
That's the reason because I'm trying to find a balance to visit some destinations with my time limitation.
So, thank you Dogster and thank you TravelIndia. But please don't use my post to start a dispute. It doesn't help anybody