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Description
This 5 Week India Itinerary led us from Delhi to Rajasthan and down the coast to Mumbai, Goa and Kerala. It was a nice mixture between the different cultures of north and south India as well as between bustling cities and quiet nature.
We tooked the train wherever it was possible to get around.
| Our 5 Week India Itinerary |
|---|
| 1. Delhi |
| 2. Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri |
| 3. Jaipur |
| 4. Pushkar |
| 5. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve |
| 6. Udaipur |
| 7. Mumbai |
| 8. Goa (Anjuna Beach) |
| 9. Varkala Beach & Periyar National Park |
Gallery
Overall costs
$ 2000
Duration
35 days
Rating
Itinerary:
1. Delhi
We arrived in Delhi and walked through the old town in the morning. There is a big mosque near the Red Fort where you can go up the minaret to see the whole city from above. We also walked through New Delhi to the India Gate.
Delhi is also a good place to extend your vacation into the Himalayas. A possible route would be Varanasi, Chitwan National Park, Pokhara and a hike to the Annapurna Base Camp.
2. Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri
We did a day trip from Delhi to the Taj Mahal and to Fatehpur Sikri. You will find many offers in Delhi with that exact itinerary.
After a two hours drive the tour starts at Fatehpur Sikri which is the former capital of the mughal empire and has some well preserved palaces, mosques and courtyards.
In the early afternoon you proceed to the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal. In the evening they brought us to the opposite river side to see the Taj Mahal on sunset.
3. Jaipur
In all Indian cities you will find Riksha drivers that take you around town for one day, just ask in your accommodation. Very likely they know somebody reliable.
We went with our guide to Jantar Mantar which is a historical astronomy side, to the palace and to Hawa Mahal which is on the back of the of palace. It’s a red and pink sandstone building with the former purpose to enable the women of the palace to see daily life through the many windows without being seen in public.
In the afternoon we went to the Amber Fort and had a little stop at the water palace Jal Mahal.
4. Pushkar
We visited the Pushkar Camel Fair which is a mixture of a regular fair and a pilgrim festival. The little town itself is nice to see and you can make excursions into the desert but the Camel Fair tops everything with unique shows like a beard competition.
So if you can make it to Pushkar during the Camel Fair you should definitely do that.
5. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is one of the best places in India to see tigers. We did some safari tours but only saw countless deers. Anyway it’s a beautiful landscape and you will enjoy nature after the previous hectic cities.
6. Udaipur
Udaipur was one of our favourite places in India since it has a laid back vibe, pleasant weather in November and just looks cool. Because of the nice scenery it was the setting in many movies like the 13th James Bond film Octopussy.
There are many palaces, forts, temples and gardens to visit and in the evening you can always find a nice spot on the lake.
Our hostel organised a cooking lessons which was also fun.
7. Mumbai
After a long drive with a night bus we arrived in Mumbai and you instantly feel the difference to the north. It is much more greener and humid than in Rajasthan.
We walked through the old centre of Mumbai, to the Gateway of India and tooked the open door overcrowded subway trains to get around.
We’ve also been to Elephanta Island where you can see old Buddha statues and did a bike tour through Sanjay Gandhi National Park which is a National Park inside the city.
8. Goa (Anjuna Beach)
Goa is a good place to party but is also a relaxed place to hang around. We had some rental scooters for the few days which was an easy and cheap way to get around. A drivers license is appreciated by the local police.
We’ve also been diving in Goa but the visibility was very bad. Don’t know if there is a better season so if possible better ask other people in advance.
9. Varkala Beach & Periyar National Park
We ended the trip in Varkala Beach which is a small town on the coast of Kerala.
From here we did a two day organized tour into the mountains to Periyar National Park and to some spice anf tea plantations.
You can easily connect from Kerala to Sri Lanka where we drove across the island with rental scooters.