Feels like another lifetime that we went for our ‘Grand India Trip’. Just thought I’d tidy up my itinerary and share it with you.
This guide is for anyone who is interested in seeing as much of India as possible in a limited time, in this case – just shy of 2 weeks. If you can afford more time though, I would recommend taking the extra days to see more or rush less.
In our 12 days, we visited Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Leh (and environs).
Why these places?
Most international flights only fly into Delhi anyway. Not visiting Delhi when you come to India is like not going to London when you visit England for the first time. However, because of this, there is a very high chance that you will encounter scams from the moment to exit the airport (best place to find unsuspecting international tourists, fresh of the boat). My advice is to make google your best friend – read up on common scams before the trip so that you are aware and on high alert, and if you can, get a local SIM card with data to cross-check any information someone feeds you.
Besides that, Delhi itself is an interesting mix of historical monuments, crazy mess India, hip & cool, and modern. There’s a good mix of ancient sites, bazaars, a wide range of dining establishments, and shopping malls (if it so pleases you).
Rajasthan (the state that Jaipur is in) is literally translated ‘land of kings’. It’s a state teeming with grand forts and palaces. Jaipur is the most visited one simply because it’s the nearest to Delhi. On a separate weekend trip, I’ve been to Udaipur, and other popular destinations within Rajasthan include Jodhpur and Jalsaimer. It is definitely worth it to pick out one or two of these places, but not all. In my opinion, it gets repetitive after a while (kinda like visiting every duomo in every city in italy). Unless, of course, you’re really passionate about forts and palaces.
Agra is where the Taj Mahal is. Fullstop. To be honest, there’s nothing much in Agra worth staying for. Instead, ask yourself: I’ve flown myself all the way to India, can I leave without seeing the legendary ‘Taj Mahal’? If the answer is ‘yes’, go ahead and skip it. We decided to just do a day trip to Agra from Delhi.
We chose the Ladakh region because it was so different from what you imagine India to be. And it really met and exceeded our expectations. Only an hour and a half by plane away from Delhi, Leh is at an altitude of 3,524m (11,562ft) and within the Himalayan Range. I’ve never been to Tibet, but I’m going to venture a guess that the region has been largely influenced by the Tibetans.
This is one of my favourite Indian destinations – the people were so so so hospitable and friendly, and the scenery was truly one of a kind.
So, how does everything fit into 12 days?
Day 1 – We flew in to Jaipur directly.
Day 2 – Full day in Jaipur. We hired a auto-rickshaw to take us around. (He tried to convince us to to go to a factory at the end of the day but we firmly refused).
Day 3 – Morning train to Delhi. Afternoon in Delhi.
Day 4 – Delhi.
Day 5 – Day trip to Agra.
Day 6 – Delhi.
Day 7 – Morning flight to Leh. Acclimatisation day, so light activities like walking around the market place.
Day 8 – Area around Leh.
Days 9-10 – Nubra Valley.
Day 11 – Pangong Lake.
Day 12 – Morning flight back to Delhi and out of India.
For my personal detailed itinerary, click here.
When to visit?
India gets unbearably hot in summer. The heat can really distract you from any kind of fun – and this is coming from someone who has lived on a tropical island her whole life. For Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, the dry winter months (November to February) would be the best. The temperature goes down to ‘nice and cooling’ and ‘may need a cardigan in the evening’.
Ladakh, on the other hand, freezes over in the winter months, the lakes will be frozen and it will be bitterly cold especially with the lack of good heating. The tourist season starts from April and lasts till.. maybe August? I’m not sure, but I’ve heard it’s nice and warm in the summer months. We went at the end of October and it was quite chilly. There wasn’t much in terms of bustling tourist scene and it felt like things were winding to a close for the year. In fact, we saw a sign along the way to Nubra Valley that said that the road would be closed starting from 1st November (we were there from 30-31 October!). The guesthouse we stayed at in Nubra Valley already had their electricity and water supply cut off or the year. From what I understand from the owner, they do that after the summer months and they have to start getting their water supply from the well. On the flip side, we got every place all to ourselves – no pushy tourists in all our photos (in fact every shot was a good shot), the peace and serenity you would expect from a mountainous region, and fiery golden autumn leaves.
In conclusion, I think September would be perfect for a trip including all these places. It won’t be too hot in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, yet not too close to the winter months in Ladakh.
While drooling, you might want to check out my previous posts on Ladakh with even more drool-worthy photos of the region, Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake.