Hi, here is our tentative plan for our 10-day trip to Northern India (1st time to India, vacation for my wife and I, we?re 25)?any thoughts, advice, comments would be greatly appreciated:

Arrive Saturday night at midnight, sleep at Imperial Hotel in Delhi. Wake up Sunday morning, see a little of New Delhi, try to adjust to life in India. Stay the night at the Imperial again Sunday night.

Wake up and catch train to Jaipur first thing Monday. Spend total of three nights in Jaipur, hoping to do a day trip someplace fun and interesting. We don?t want to spend every night in a new hotel, but also want to see a lot, hopefully three nights in Jaipur will allow this?we decided against Udaipur due to the distance from Jaipur, relatively similar sights, and our lack of time. Leave Thursday morning for Delhi, spend day sightseeing and catching up on rest if needed, stay Thursday night in Delhi.

Wake up Friday and take early train to Rishikesh/Haridwar/Mussorie area. Not sure which city to stay in, would like to spend two nights at the same hotel and see all three cities. See religious ceremonies in Haridwar, visit hill station in Mussorie, etc. We were advised by several people to do this trek instead of Varanasi. It looks to me like we can experience many of the Hindu religious ceremonies and pilgrimages that we would have seen in Varanasi, but that Rishikesh and Haridwar are more beautiful, has more nature, may provide a slight break from the heat, and is closer to Delhi?anybody think this is a mistake? This are isn?t covered much in the books we have.

Return Sunday to Delhi, spend three nights in Delhi before leaving. Plan to see all the sights in delhi and take a day-trip to Agra during this time. I would like to spend the night in Agra, but think I have decided against it so we can stay a few nights in a row at the same hotel in Delhi before leaving.

Any thoughts, advice, comments would be greatly appreciated?especially if you have been to the Rishikesh/Haridwar/Mussorie area and can share your experiences. We have a total of 10 full days (11 nights)?are we trying to do too much? We already cut Udaipur and replaced Varanasi with Rishikesh to try to make our schedule a little more doable. We will be in India the last week of July?we know it will be unbearably hot and it isn?t a good time of year to visit, but really don?t have a choice on the timing.

i just read your plan. I am 28 and I was in India in april for 10 days and had a very different itineray. Delhi is quite a horrible place and 2 nights (one full day sightseeing)really is enough.Then we drove to Agra stayed one night (recommendable). Then drove to Jaipur satyed for 2 nights (enough for me but an extra night would have been fine), then 1 night in Pushkar and finally 3 nights in Udaipur (the Udaivilas !!)which was the best part of the entire trip. Udaipur is by far a superiour and prettier place and much nicer then Jaipur. We flew back from Udapuir (Jet airways) to Delhi)You should reconsider your itinerary, speak to other people about Delhi, imo you have far to much time planned in Delhi. I m telling you 1 days is enough. If you wish more information please feel free to ask.

Hi, Alejandra!
I am interested in your reply, but curious: what did you find so "horrible" about New Delhi (which, on another post, it is described as "great for tourists&quot?

My comments on your plan :- Agra definitely deserves a night. The Taj by sunrise is a gorgeous experience as it is much less crowded than evenings. Also, the marble catches the light differently at diff times of day so I would recommend seeing it more than once. Also, Amar Vilas is a breath taking property and very well situated for the Taj. So, take a morning train to Agra then spend a night in Agra and return the foll day. Alternatively go from Agra to jaipur by rd or train. 3 days in Jaipur is ok. U will spend a day at Amer Fort. In case u need to reduce a night make it 2 nights in Jaipur and 1 in Agra. That still gives u plenty of time in both cities. Wud u like to consider Shimla instead of mussorrie? There is a flt there from Del and also a girgeous Oberoi hotel, Wildflower Hall. Take a look on the Oberoi website. One option near Delhi u cud consider is the Neemrana Hotel - www.neemranahotels.com. In case u drive back from Jaipur is en rooute and u cud break there for a night.

I'm not sure where to begin. You are passing through Delhi a lot. I find it a fascinating city - but maybe only if you have time to wander, rather than keeping to a schedule, which seems to be what you must do - in which case you are giving it more days that it deserves pro rata.
Take that first day in Delhi for sure. Train to Jaipur is a good idea, but 2 nights is enough. Check out the city first day and Amber Palace the second. Next day take a bus to Agra. You will get there in time to visit for sunset; and then dawn next day.

THEN: well it's a shame it's July but I think I would still go to Varanasi. You'll be staying doubtless in a place with a/c - so you just have to get up early.

I have been to Varanasi and I have been to Hardiwar. And many places inbetween.
If it's Hindu rituals you are after then Vararasi is the place - though be aware that they are real rituals for real people. I found Hardiwar a sad sort of place - rituals overlaid with serious commercialism.

If you are really commited then why let the heat put you off? If you are not then Shimla is a reasonable choice for mountain air. And if you have the money and the inclination there are places you can visit from there. Saharan would be top of my list but it still needs a little commitment as it is 5-6 hours from Simla by road.

Then spend yr last two night in Delhi with a whole day inbetween before departure.

You can go easy or you can make an effort - up to you. It's really not so hard to move hotels unless you have mountains of luggage - and why should you? It's only 10 days!!
But whatever you end up doing - enjoy it loads.

If this is your 1st trip to India my suggestion is to be careful about what yoiu eat and drink. Drink bottled H2O only and go to a travel clinic before you go. Usually malarial prophylaxis, thyphoid and tetanus are recommended. My other suggestion is to have a suit made. In Delhi you can get a tailor made suit for a fraction of the cost it would incur in Europe or the US. have fun and how about a trip report when you return?

Thanks for the feeback; I agree that I am passing through Delhi a lot, often with a night in a hotel just to wake up the next morning and catch a train. Alternatively, I could take an overnight train from Delhi to Haridwar and/or from Jaipur to Agra. These seem like short trips for an overnight train, but it would get me places very early in the morning (around 5:00AM). Has anybody done this? Would you recommend it? Thanks.

Overnight train from Delhi to Haridwar is a great idea. Jaipur - Agra driving may be your best option. If you get into these places early morning ensure you have a car waiting for your hotel transfer. Unlike Europe and the US early check in to hotels is generally not a problem unless hotels are sold out so you can go straight to your hotel at that time and still pay only for the night you are there.

did you take this trip; we are planning a similar trip at the same time of the yearand would like to know what your esperiences were like.
thanks

Two unforgetable experiences for you in Dehli: Visit Ashalayam, the orphanage for street children run by the Silesians. There are hundreds of thousands of street children in Dehli (and every major Indian city), most of whom live sad and exploited lives. Those who end up at Ashalyam are among the lucky ones, but their stories will move you, and give you some insight into how children end up begging in the streets and living in the railway stations, or worse. There is no cost to visit (which you need to schedule in advance), but you will definitely want to make a contribution. I am awed by the priests who dedicate their lives to helping these kids.

Another opportunity to learn more about India is through a visit to Pratham, a remarkable literacy organization that teaches basic reading skills to child laborers and the impoverished children attending, and failing, the equally impoverished public school system. They will take you to a public school as well as the various places other they go to find the children they teach. Go to their web site, Patham.org, to arrange a visit in any of the 27 cities where they operate. Again, the tour is free but if you aren't moved to make a donation, I'd be astonished.

Which brings me to my final point: One of the hard things for westerners about visiting India is oppressive poverty. Rather than just dropping money into random begging bowls, decide in advance to give generously to an organization like Pratham or Ashalayam that provides vital social services in a cost-effective, humane way. That way, you can enjoy your trip without the continuous guilt and internal debate over whether, how much and to whom to give.

If this were not your first trip to India, I would not say this as strongly as I am saying it: really, really consider doing this trip in a better, cooler season. India is a great place, but it is graduate school traveling, places like Thailand are kindergarten. In the heat, humidity and rainfall of July I think you may really not enjoy this as a first trip. At a minimum, bear in mind that you will be hitting north India just about the same time as the monsoon, which means flooding and transportation delays.

On the good side, it seems you are only trying to do 2-3 places in 10 days which is a realistic itinerary. I think you might want to look into air travel for Delhi to Jaipur and other legs as the trains may not be as air conditioned as you would want.

I agree with the above posters that a day trip to Agra is not the best way to see the Taj, esp as you would miss sunrise and sunset, the most beautiful times of day. You also won't get to see Fatephur Sikri which is really interesting IMO. If you are staying at one hotel the whole time in Delhi, you can leave big luggage in Delhi and just take a small bag to Agra for overnight. Also, you may find real deals at some of the good hotels in Agra in July, its worth a look.

Well, as for going to Rishikesh/Haridwar/Mussorie versus going to Varanasi. Varanasi is the place where ALL Hindus want to go at some point and certainly want to go when they die, so you cannot get the same feeling anywhere else. It's like going to Notre Dame in Paris for Christmas Mass and expecting to have the same experience you would at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem where Christ was born; both are Christian churches, and Notre Dame is certainly beautiful and moving, but both are totally different experiences. If you want to go to Mussorie because the temps are better that is certainly a valid reason, but don't think you will have anywhere near the same kind of experience; you will probably have a unique experience, but you will not the Varanasi experience. I think Haridwar is going to be well over 110 F most days, that is so hot you can hardly imagine it.

Your travel schedule in the Rishikesh/Haridwar/Mussorie area looks really rushed, are you going to be able to "see" all three places in three days? I have not been to these areas, but even just logistically getting to all of them as a day trip and then seeing the sights it seems unrealistic to expect you can do this. Adding heat and the inevitable delays of Indian travel into the mix seems even more troublesome.

Varanasi is about a 2-3 hour flight from Delhi so I don't see the big advantage of the other areas in terms of access, you could even do a circuit of Delhi, fly to Varanasi, fly to Jaipur, drive to Agra (visit Fatephur Sikri on the way) and then train or drive up to Delhi and then back home. That would save you a lot of backtracking. In 10 days this would be pushing it a bit, but with good flights it would be doable.

I think Jaipur over Udaipur is fine, it's a tough choice, both are interesting.

My husband and I are leaving for inida in a few weeks for a business trip. we have a few days off in between meetings in Dehli and would love to get some thoughts on good side trips. We fly into Dehli on a Sunday and wereplanning to spend Monday night in Agra and then returning to Dehli for meetings. We then have three days and two nights off. We were going to go to Varanasi, but two nights and three days may be a bit much. Are there any good day trups from Varanasi? Then we have about 3 nights and four days at the end of our trip. We are thinking of taking the train to shimla and spenind time in himachal pradesh. Are there good day trips from Shimla? Is the train ride from Dehli as spectacular as I hear it is? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Varanasi is wonderful! Magical... But if you really need a day trip, try Sarnath, where the Buddha preached his first sermon.

We're definitely going to Varanasi. Is Sarnath a day trip from Varanasi or Dehli?

Sarnath is a day trip from Varanasi. I took a rickshaw and the driver waited in Sarnath for me, but I'm sure you could arrange a car and driver if you'd rather do that. There were deer in the Deer Park, and the museum was good.

great! Any thoughts on Sherla in Himachal Pradesh?

it looks just about right to me, but i assume you know that moving from one place to another can be very difficult...we had a car for our 11 days and it worked will....we only visited delhi, agra and jaipur...

a nice visit outside of jaipur is to go for lunch at samode palace....another side trip is to go to sanganer to see the cloth being made....both are easy 1/2 trips outside of jaipur...

how about one nite in agra...i understnad your reasoning, but a round trip in one day would be hard physically even at your ages...why end up tired...only take an overnite bag...store your suitcases at your delhi hotel and return there for an overnite...travel lightly...

Don't agree that moving around in India is difficult. I spent 10 weeks doing it almost entirely by rail, with one plane and a few car+driver days. I used rickshaws (or feet) in town. I arranged the car+driver through a local travel agency after I arrived in India. For day trips I mostly arranged a car+driver through the hotel, or took a bus tour with the local state Tourist Development Corporation.