Hello Fodorites!
My DH and I are mid 40s from Florida and will be going to India on October 30. We plan to use Castle & King based on reviews here. For those who have been, would you please have a look at the itinerary and give me your feedback on it? I am trying to balance not being too rushed with trying to see as much of the country as possible. I am breaking up the distances by flying wherever possible. I have longed to see India ever since I was a girl. The Taj is the main thing I have dreamt of seeing but I have heard Agra only needs one night and you should try to see it both in the evening and early morning hours. We are trying to see the contrasts in the country, the tiger and camel safari, the back waters, the temples, the historic sights etc. We will arrive Nov 1 in Delhi and plan to spend two nights there (we will pay for 3 since flt arrives at 2 a.m. and we will need our sleep).
Nov 3 Fly from Delhi we will fly to Varanasi and spend 2 nights.
Nov 5 Fly from Varanasi to Agra and spend 1 night
Nov 6 Drive from Agra - Fatehpursikri -Ranthambore for 2 nights in Ranthambore
Nov 8 Drive from Ranthambore to Jaipur for 2 nights
Nov 10 Fly from Jaipur to Jaisalmer for 2 nights
Nov 12 Drive from Jaisalmer -Jodhpur for one night
Nov 13 Drive from Jodhpur - Ranakpur Temple - Udaipur for 3 nights in Udaipur
Nov 16 Fly from Udaipur to Mumbai for 2 nights
Nov 18 Fly from Mumbai to Cochin and transfer to Kumarakom for 3 nights with one of those nights being on houseboat.
Nov 21 Fly Cochin-Mumbai then out of Mumbai to US

Thanks for your help!

You will have less time in each place than what you anticipate. Two nights yields just one full day in a place, one night yields a few hours on one day and a few on the next. I'd cut anyplace you think is worth just an overnight and add those nights to places you are more interested in. I try to never have less than three nights in a location. There is no way you can see all the places you want to see on your first trip. You will have more trips to India. So think abut it this way - What places do you want to see on this trip, vs. What places you want to save for your next trip?

Thanks Kathie! That’s the dilemma. DH is not as keen on India as I am so I’m not sure I’ll get to return ☺️. I do fear my trip is too long. I have never jammed so much in any trip before. We took a trip to SE Asia and had a few nights in different cities in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia and I recall 2 nights in Siem Reap being enough for us. For that reason I think 2 nights might be ok in some places? I will take another look and see what can be pared down. Thanks again!

Dnf - full disclosure demands that I tell you that I have not yet been to India so feel free to ignore what I say. I too have wanted to go there for a long time but your itinerary encapsulates my dilemma - all the tours I have seen move at far too fast a pace, so I am taking longer over it to try to plan my own, so that I see what I want to see at my own speed. And on a first visit I suspect that it will take a while to acclimatise and to adjust to the atmosphere and Indian way of doing things.

So immediately I would want longer in my first place - 2 whole days as a minimum, to get over jet lag and get your "India" feet. And then I would not want to follow that by going back to the airport if I could possibly avoid it; why not get the train from Delhi to Agra which I understand takes only a couple of hours? Spend the rest of that day seeing the Fort in Agra then see the Taj that evening and the following morning, then fly to Varanasi, and fly from there to Jaipur.

I have plotted your trip on google and unless you have some imperative to go to Jaisalmer, it is very much out on a limb and seems a very long way to go even for two nights. The map suggests that Jaipur, Ranthambore, Jodhpur, Udaipur would make a much easier trip and there would still be plenty to see. And that would give you at least one more night for Cochin which I would certainly want at the end of a trip like that.

I'll be interested to see what you decide to do.

Hi Ann,
You might not have been yet but it is obvious you have done your research! By way of full disclosure too, we have decided to splurge on business class tix for this trip because of the long flights involved. Last October we were fortunate enough to do that on the 15-16 hours to/from JFK and Johannesburg and we noticed it definitely lessened the jet lag we felt on a similar length trip between the US and SE Asia a couple years before. For us, since we arrive at 2 am, once we get out of airport and check into hotel even by 4 am, we can sleep till 10 ish and be ok. I mentioned before that my husband is not as interested in India as I am so I am booking some very luxe accommodations to enhance his enjoyment . Let me be totally frank with you, maybe you too have experienced some of what I am feeling but I am a bit intimidated by India. I worry that my romanticized image of her beauty, her character, her culture, colors and spices will clash too much with the reality. I worry that the overcrowding, the pollution, the obvious abject poverty, the smells etc. may be more than I have bargained for. I am not trying to be elitist, but like may of us on this site able to travel for pleasure we do live very comfortable lives and are not accustomed to seeing this type of hing for extended periods. I have done my research but I am not sure how much different experiencing it in person will be from reading about it and seeing it on TV; for those reasons I am not sure that I want to extend time in certain places. We usually travel at a much slower pace. For e.g., we had 16 nights in Italy last May and of those we did 5 in Positano and 4 in Rome and we could have done more in each place. Contrast that with a safari we did in Tanzania a few years back with our children where we moved by car from park to park across the country spending 1-2 nights at different lodges etc. and while it was a fast past, it was appropriate for that trip. In an FB travel group, someone who had gone told me that Delhi only needed one night and I should skip Mumbai all together- and she had flown into Delhi from JFK. Granted she has more energy at 28, than we have at 45/46. I cannot imagine staying one night and leaving the next day after such a trip and I wouldn't want to go so far and not see Mumbai.

In regard to your Q about the train. I love using trains throughout Europe but my research has led me to believe that the trains in India are much less efficient and less comfortable than those. Have you read/heard differently? Please share. We will be in a comfortable car with guide and driver and they will handle our bags from when they first greet us in India to when they set us off on our flight back home. Of course we will still have to deal with the hassle of airport security and the possibility of lost bags... so do share anything you know regarding the efficiency of train travel please.

TBH, I just added Jaisalmer because I wanted to see the sand dunes and do the evening camel safari so Arvind added an overnight in Jodhpur to break up the journey. Originally both those cities were out and for relaxation I was just doing a three night stay on the lake in Udaipur and a three night stay in Kerala. The boathouse is with the resort so there is no additional travel on the end of the trip. But I do worry that maybe adding Jaisalmer is a mistake and I've made the trip too long?
I so appreciate your suggestions and welcome your input!

Seems like you have really done your research! I've been to India twice, traveling solo. I was there for ten weeks in 2001, in my fifties, using day trains, night trains and an occasional car and driver (see Travels Round Asia 2001 -- Wilhelm's Words ). I went back for six weeks in 2010, in my sixties, using day trains, car and driver, and one flight (almost all south India, so the TR is not much use to you). I am dubious about traveling there solo again, as I think it has become more dangerous for women (not that it was that safe for local women in the first place).

India is, as you realize, a full-on assault on all your senses. Staying in upmarket hotels and using a car and driver will provide some insulation, but you should be prepared to say no firmly and keep walking when accosted by touts, and to ignore beggars (except, perhaps, elderly women). I give to a charity instead. You should also consider going vegetarian for the duration. The only time I got sick on my last visit was in the most expensive hotel of the trip.

I would give Delhi at least two and perhaps three nights, and skip Mumbai altogether. In Delhi you can skip the fort since you will be going to Agra, but don't miss Humayan's tomb, the Qutb Minar, and the Raj Ghat. I thought the Lotus temple worth seeing, too. I don't see the point of going to Mumbai just to fly home - look at Emirates out of Kochi.

From what I have read Ranthambore will be a disappointment after Africa.

I have ridden a camel in China, Morocco and Jordan, and declined the opportunity in India and Uzbekistan. I found all of them uncomfortable. I did ride a jeep out to the desert in Jaisalmer, and sat at a camp fire listening to Gujeratis singing folk songs, which was great but I wouldn't go all the way to Jaisalmer just for that. I actually went for the fort, but it was in 2001 with hardly any other tourists there. On a short trip, with a husband not keen on India, I would spend the time in Jodhpur instead.

Not all trains are the same. See https://www.seat61.com/India.htm for loads of info on them. If you take the Shatabdi express to Agra it shouldn't be that different from European trains, but you will get a look at the train stations. I wouldn't recommend night trains for your husband, but a day trip on a regular express could be interesting. I have traveled in 1AC, which seemed to be mostly populated by government and business types (all men), and 2AC, which is more families and which I prefer. I would not recommend the other classes.

Good luck!

Dnf - I understand your thinking, I think, and I know about wanting to cocoon oneself - I have been known to do that when I've been travelling solo in a new place. But I'm not sure that rushing around will necessarily achieve that and if I am spending a lot of money on a nice hotel I like to be in it long enough to enjoy it!

I defer to Thursdaysd in all things to do with India, so I'm glad to see that she endorses what I said about the Delhi to Agra train. I think it would be a shame to go all that way without getting at least one train and that seems to be the ideal one to take.

Jaisalmer is a long way out. There’s a great desert experience quite close to Jodphur, where we rode camels into the sunset in November 2018. Hacra is the name. There’s detail in my trip report from late last year. That was our third trip to India, despite the fact that husband didn’t fall in love on the first visit. It was the second trip (after much convincing) that swayed him to recently take our third, and be looking forward to a fourth. Your husband may surprise you, fingers crossed.

I think your your pace is good, it’s always hard to know how much time to spend in a place. If anything I’d suggest more time in Jaipur. The Amber fort is not to be missed and there are many other worthy sites. My suggestion would be cut Jaisalmer, add a day to Jodphur (Merangarh is one of the most amazing forts, plus add a night at Hacra for the camel ride.

I question Ranthambore, but have not been yet. Our one tiger experience in India was disappointing, only a recent footprint. At least in Ranthambore there is a fort, but I’d check sighting frequency as best you can.
There’s Bharatpur bird sanctuary between Agra and Jaipur that’s very popular, I haven’t been yet.

The weather for our trip in November 2018 was very pleasant. Air pollution in Delhi is awful, take a mask.

For Delhi-Agra, if you do decide on a train journey, the new Gatimaan express is an even better choice than the Shatabdi.

Hi Thursdays!
Thanks for the tips! I looked at the Gatimaan express which appears to be a new line with infrequent delays, especially if you get the earliest train. Not sure it would be best for me though since we will visit Varanasi first which is well East of Delhi before heading back to Agra and onward to Ranthambore. This is part of the challenge, eh? What direction should the trip take to minimize the travel, etc. Yes, I am considering skipping Jaisalmer altogether even though I have visions of camels climbing sand dunes in search of magnificent sunsets. As it relates to Mumbai: I cannot miss it. I must see it. I can't imagine trekking all the way to India and not visit the heartbeat of the country; plus I want to (and husband agrees to) visit to the Dharavi slums because I read a book once that described the ingenuity of the people there fashioning lives out of little. I want to see it. I can't fly back to the US out of Kochi because it is much more expensive for me than leaving out of either Delhi or Mumbai. I may however, bypass Mumbai on the way from Udaipur and save it until the end after visiting Kerala. Thanks again for taking the time to give me some helpful tips.

Yep, Ann, you're right but I feel like I mightn't get an opportunity to return. India isn't somewhere I would want to travel solo any time soon and since I am not in the market for a new hubby yet I will have to squeeze all I can out of this trip

Hi Sartoric!
You give me hope regarding the pace and the husband liking it! I have heard about the pollution and will definitely take a mask. I have never heard of Hacra but will definitely look into it as an alternative to Jaisalmer! You think more than 2 nights in Jaipur even though I am spending three in Udaipur? Ranthambore apparently opens up for the season on October 1. I am figuring that by the time we get there in early November they should have all come out of hiding .
I will go check out your trip report. Thanks!

thanks galactus!

Not sure how you decided that was Mumbai. I suspect the inhabitants of other cities/areas of India might disagree.

Maybe they would. That’s ok too.

Many years ago, too long to offer any current information, we had a similar dilemma regarding Jaisalmer. We were in India nearly two months and debated making the trek out there. In the end we decided not to, but in exchange we got more time in Udaipur, and a couple of full days each at Mount Abu and the Ajanta & Ellora caves. You probably know about them but the master carvers at the Mount Abu Jain temples were paid in gold equal to the weight of marble they carved, so the story goes. At Ajanta & Ellora entire temples and cave systems were carved out of the hillside, it's astonishing.

While we might have some regret that we skipped Jaisalmer, in no way would we have wanted to have missed either of those two places. Not suggesting you add more destinations, but just relating another experience with the Jaisalmer Dilemma.

Mumbai (Bombay back then) was our least memorable stop, but sounds like you are headed there, so enjoy.
Good luck and have a great trip.

Thanks Nelson. I appreciate your perspective

The drive from Agra to Ranthambhore is simply too much. You will miss the afternoon safari and in India it is the afternoon safaris which are more fruitful.
It is better to take the train.
The Jaipur to Jaisalmer flight arrives in Jaisalmer at about 4:40PM by the time you exit and reach the hotel, the day is practically gone. So in effect you have just one day of sightseeing in Jaisalmer. Going that far and then in a hurry needs correction.
I am a great fan of rural, colourful Rajasthan and especially in November, when the mustard fields are all flowering yellow. A night in one of those delightful luxury Fort-Palaces is a must.
In Kumarakom, where will you visit the Spice Plantations, which Kerala has been known for, for times immemorial? For the spices, along came the Portuguese, Dutch and finally the Brits!! The plantations are in the hilly tracts of Kerala viz. Thekkady & Munnar.
The Backwaters are on the western coast.
Enjoy your travels!

I have lived in India and ravelled there many times. I have been to Rajasthan four times - different parts each time, but using Jaipur as a central base. We travelled from Agra to Ranthambore by train arriving early morning. Our hotel (Ranthambore Regency) sent someone to collect us for the long drive to the hotel. Early morning safaris - don't take the gypsies but arrange a jeep. Safaris in India are very different to Africa - don't expect the same experience. Good luck with seeing Mr Stripes. We have been to three Tiger areas and never seen a Tiger (doing several safaris in each).
Your trip seems very scattered and you are wasting a lot of time travelling between airports and waiting for your flight which could be delayed. Also note that there are not always direct flights from city to city and you may find that you are travelling via some other city before you get to your destination. For the time you have, I would stick to either north or south but not try to combine both. Please note that for anyone who has not travelled in Asia, India will be an assault on your senses and the dirty and poverty can be overpowering. If you travel via private car from luxury hotel to luxury hotel, you will avoid all of that but not see anything of the real India. You will be confronted by women with drugged babies begging for money and abandoned children who survive in gangs operated by a rich overlord somewhere. They will beg and harass you for money. Don't give money - if you have bananas or roti give that to them. No lollies or sweets. I often buy food from a roadside tea stall and hand that out to them. If you give one you will have a swarm around you.

I would suggest dont try to complete or rush as per your trip plan as it seems too hectic, enjoy everyplace with peace so that you have some memorable moments while going back to US.