India Advice
 

HI All....
Super vague question I realize. Going to be in Rishikesh for Yoga Teacher Training July. Will have 5 days on my own to travel somewhere else in India before moving onwards to Europe. I have not done any reseacrh on India yet as I find that this forum serves as a good starting point for me. Here's what I know so far:)
~travelling alone (female)
~first time India so looking for a destination that's easy to navigate
~will be flying out of New Delhi at the end of the 5 days
~I enjoy markets, beaches, laid back vibe
~interested in taking the train if it will be safe and straight forward..
~open to all opinions as I have not yet formed any expectations for this part of my travel
Thanks everyone:)

I was thinking Shimla, but it would be a bit of a pain to get there. Amritsar would be a bit easier. Do you want to see the Taj Mahal? If so, you might settle for Delhi and Agra. Beaches means Goa, but probably nor worth it in the time you have.

The trains should be fine, I would recommend 2AC class - see https://www.seat61.com/India.htm

However, you should be aware that India is not as safe as it should be for women. You should not be on the streets alone after dark.

If you are travelling this summer, you could take a train from Haridwar for Kathgodam Rail station. It starts at about midnight and arrives in Kathgodam by early morning around 7AM. It is the Dehradun-Kathgodam Express. We consider the Garhwalis & Kumaonis as very gentle and so do not apprehend any problem in your doing this night travel. From Kathgodam, you could take a bus/taxi to a wonderful Home-stay called The Retreat at Bhimtal, some 15 miles due east. Laid back and yet you can do a lot while keeping The Retreat as base. Nothing in India beats the Hikes as we have in our Kumaoni foothills! Nainital will be about 25 miles west of Bhimtal.
Enjoy your travels!

Yes, the beaches will be way too far to get to by train in 5 days. Also will be very hot and steamy or rainy, depending on which beaches.
I'd stay up north. Shimla, Amritsar, Dharmsala would all be nice. Check into budget flights for perhaps one leg of the journey. If one of the other Yoga students wants to travel, sharing a car & driver for parts of the trip may make sense.
I find Delhi very interesting, with lots to see & do. I also like Agra; the Taj, the Fort, and the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah. Both cities are easily reached by train, including an express from Delhi to Agra.
If you're on an overnight train, I'd do as Thursdaysd recommends and go 2AC class. It's a little less isolated for a woman traveling alone.
Just remember that travel in India is often not as reliable as some countries, so don't pack too much on your schedule. Get back into Delhi at least the day before your flight home.

Yes now that I have thought about it I think the Taj would be silly to miss. Thanks for the advice. Overnight train would be safe for me? Thanks again

thursdaysd thanks for the link...

vp_singh interesting! I will look into it..thank u.

Good suggestions above, Head to the hills probably towards Kausani,Raniketh, Almora and Binsar. Unreal views of the Nanda Devi , Trishul & Panchchuli peaks ,,,before making your way back to Delhi.There are some wonderful resorts with magnificent & panoramic perspective of the Garhwal Himalayas.

For 5 days I would stick to Delhi and Agra. You can do enough to fill your time. I always suggest a visit to the home of Indira Gandhi which is a shrine to her life and tragic death.
In addition to the Taj you can see Agra Fort and Fatephur Sikri.

https://akshardham.com/

In Delhi this is amazing

Hi,
You can spend your vacation in Rishikesh itself. Because, rishikesh is one of the best adventurous spot in India. Just try river rafting and camping in Rishikesh. Try to spend 2 days in rishikesh and then leave towards Himachal, it will take only 8 hours to reach there. Himachal is best for paragliding, rafting, trekking, camping, ice skating and more. Spend 2 days and then leave Himachal with adventurous memory.

Else visit Manali from rishikesh, it's just 500 km and you can complete it in a night. Rohtang pass, Solang valley, Hadimba temple, Vashist hot water spring, Beas river and Himalayan national park are the places which never fails to entertain you. Check some other funstay places of Manali in google and spend a maximum of 2 days here. Then start towards Ladakh by air or train to have lifelong memories of India. Magnetic hill, Kargil, Indian army museum, Pangong lake, Zansker river are the best places to visit for a solo traveler.

Thanks so much everyone for your knowledge and input. TBH, I prefer exploring cities over hiking/rafting etc...I have looked into all your suggestions and have done some research:) I am thinking I would like to do the following:
Travelling from from Rishikesh....
1. Spend one day in Agra only to see the Taj (don't stay overnight)
2. See Jaipur-one/two night? (comments??) (Is Jaipur a good choice??)
3. Have 1 whole day in New Delhi and then fly out the next day (so 2 nights I guess)

Would anyone be able to suggest an order/transport /accomodations... recommendations based on these preferences? I can depart my yoga school in Rishkesh on July 15th and fly out of Delhi 11:00am on July 20th
THANK YOU:)

Not sure about your travel plans. Are you travelling by (?) to Agra from Rishikesh?
If you travel to Agra by the Taj Express you will be going to Delhi. The Taj will take you a whole day, especially if you go on to the Agra fort which you should and Itimad-ud-Daulah. If you add Fathepur Sikri to that, that will be a very full day. Will you hire a car to get you to Fathepur Sikri?
In Jaipur - it all depends on what you want to see. Jaipur is quite spread out and there are a lot of one way streets at certain times of the day. What looks like a straight line to get somewhere will turn out to be a long and convoluted journey because of the one way traffic flows. Please do not take an elephant ride up to the Amber fort. You will need transport if you go out to any of the paper factories. If you go to Pushkar you will need transport.
Delhi is very very large and traffic is difficult. What do you want to do there? Where you stay depends on what your must dos are. The metro is a good way to travel. Taxis late at night are a problem for single women or even two together. Don't ever get into a taxi where there is a second man in the taxi next to the driver. We did not go to the Akshardam temple because you cannot wear your shoes and cannot even take a bottle of water, let alone a camera. It is also only open at certain times, generally in the heat of the day.
Jan Path is full of trinket stores, one after the other. Jan Path lane has cheap clothing that will soon fall apart. Connaught Circus now has only high end international shops. You might as well purchase these in your own country. Palaka Bazar underground is not a place to be on your own at any time.
I would not waste your time in Nainital unless you have some connection with it. It has gone to the dogs to say the least. We were there in March 2018. Sorry we went back.