TQ1

Thanks to everyone here for the wealth of information you provide. Between guidebooks and info on this forum and others, I've created a tentative itinerary for my first trip to India in late-February or March. Please take a look, let me know what you think, and any other advice you think would be helpful.

Here goes:

Fly into Delhi
Delhi (3 nights),
Fly to Patna or Gaya
Bodygaya (3 nights, including a daytrip to Nalanda and Rajgir)
Train to Varanasi
Varanasi (2 nights, with sidetrip to Sarnath)
Fly to Khajuraho
Khajuraho (1 night)
Taxi to Orchha
Orchha (1 night)
Car and driver to Agra via Gwalior
Agra (2 nights)
Car and driver to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri
Jaipur (3 nights)
Car and driver to Udaipur
Udaipur (2 nights)
Fly to Mumbai
Mumbai (2 nights)

Once again, many thanks.

rhkkmk

looks quite good to me... busy with little down time

indianapearl

The last part, the drive from Orccha onward, is roigh. The road is terrible and you will. Eed dental work once you arrive in Jaipur. I'd rethink that part.

Marija

You can take an express train from Jhansi, which is half an hour from Orchha, to Agra. It's a pleasant two hour or so train ride. The road from Agra to Jaipur is new and quite good.

TQ1

Thanks to everyone for your responses.

IndianaPearl and Marija, thanks for letting me know about the road conditions and for recommending the train option. Do you know what the road condition is like between Jaipur and Udaipur?

dgunbug

I agree that the roads are long and miserable. You may want to consider taking the train but adding a stop to Gwalior before Agra. We thought it was extremely interesting and liked it better than Orchha. The town is less touristy and the people were very friendly without the begging that is so common in the touristy towns. The palace there is very different from others you will see. The grottoes along the cliff coming down from the palace were terrific. Also, there is an interesting museum where the maharaja lived at one time. Half of it was made into a museum to support himself. The opulence is amazing. Depending on the timing, you may want to stay overnight and leave for Agra the next morning.

We did not think that fathepur sikri was all that spectacular after being to so many other forts. The highlights of the drive between Agra and Jaipur was our stops at the stepping well and the monkey temple.

We did not drive between Jaipur and udiapur so I cannot comment on the roads there. We stopped at jodhpur which I think is also worth a day or two.

Your itinerary looks good though. You can shave a night off Agra, especially if you take a night in Gwalior and arrive in Agra early the next day. That way you can see the taj at night and then the next morning as well.

TQ1

Thanks dgunbug. I appreciate your advice, especially on Gwalior. I would consider an overnight in Gwalior, but I prefer not having to move from hotel to hotel every night so I try to minimize one-nighters where possible. In your opinion, is it better to stay overnight in Gwalior rather than in Orchha?

Also, based on advices here and on other forums, I'm leaning towards trains for the journeys between Orchha and Agra and between Jaipur and Udaipur. This leaves me with a car and driver only for the leg between Agra and Jaipur, so that I can include Fatehpur Sikri. What do you folks think? Is it more reasonable?

Fly into Delhi
Delhi (3 nights)
Fly to Patna or Gaya
Bodygaya (3 nights, including a daytrip to Nalanda and Rajgir)
Train to Varanasi
Varanasi (2 nights, with sidetrip to Sarnath)
Fly to Khajuraho
Khajuraho (1 night)
Taxi to Orchha
Orchha (1 night)
Train to Agra via Gwalior
Agra (2 nights)
Car and driver to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri
Jaipur (3 nights)
Train to Udaipur
Udaipur (2 nights)
Fly to Mumbai
Mumbai (2 nights)

Thanks again for the wealth of advice you're providing me.

rhkkmk

we found that road to be quite decent, but it is a long ways

dgunbug

The road between Khajuraho and Orchha are not great, but it is definitely an experience to drive through the small villages and see the countryside. Just realize that while the distances are not great, the driving can take a good portion of the day.

The road between Jaipur and Agra was not bad. I think we started out from Jaipur around 7:00 AM, stopping at the Stepping Wells, the Monkey Temple (both highly recommended) and Fatehpur Sikri. We didn't arrive in Agra until late afternoon, with just enough time to view the Taj at sunset from across the river.

I think traveling on the trains is also an interesting experience.

dgunbug

Forgot to mention - we enjoyed Gwalior more than Orchha, but there are many here that have loved Orchha. I don't think many have been to Gwalior, so I'm not sure if anyone else can compare the two. We felt that the kids in Orchha were all over us for money and they actually became a bit nasty when we didn't give them money or buy them all cokes. Also, the sites in Gwalior were more unique in contract to the sites we had already seen.

TQ1

Thanks again dgunbug. From what I've read, Gwalior seemed unique and this piqued my interest. I'm going to try to do both. And I'll check out the additional sights between Jaipur and Agra that you mentioned.

dgunbug

Please be sure to post a report afterward. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Gwalior as I haven't heard of anyone else spending time there.

TQ1

Will do.

CaliNurse

The stepwell that Dgunbug mentions is probably the one in Abhaneri village --in itself, an interesting place--very much a local village--rather, "hamlet" is more like it.The monkey temple--you mean Galtaji, on the hilll just above outskirtss of Jaipur? Fantastic place. No other tourists when i was there, or at Abhaneri.

dgunbug

CaliNurse - thanks for providing the names!