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Itineraries · Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan

India in 10 days: the Golden Triangle and Udaipur

The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur fits into a week, and three more days carry you west by train to Udaipur, the city of lakes and palaces in southern Rajasthan, from where a short flight takes you back to Delhi for the journey home. This plan gives Delhi two nights at the start and one at the end, Agra one, Jaipur two and Udaipur three, and it is built around the weekly closures that decide the order: the Red Fort on Mondays, the Taj Mahal on Fridays and Jaipur's bazaars on Sundays.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 12 min read
The City Palace of Udaipur rising above the shore of Lake Pichola
Udaipur's City Palace from Lake Pichola: three nights by the lakes at the end of the loop.
Suggested time
10 days / 9 nights
Where to stay
Delhi for 2 nights; Agra for 1; Jaipur for 2; Udaipur for 3; Delhi for the last night
Season and timing
October to March, the season Delhi Tourism recommends; November to February are the coolest months, but also the smoggiest in Delhi and Agra.

The short answer

Plan 10 days and 9 nights: Delhi 2, Agra 1, Jaipur 2, Udaipur 3 and a last night in Delhi. Take the train to Agra on day 3, see the Taj Mahal at sunrise on day 4 and drive to Jaipur by way of Fatehpur Sikri, ride the train from Jaipur to Udaipur on day 6 and fly from Udaipur to Delhi on day 9, which Air India's direct flight does in about 1 hour 25 minutes. The plan works as written if you land on a Monday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. All in, with rooms, meals, trains, the car, the flight, tickets, an e-Visa and a SIM, it costs about INR 75,000 (about USD 850) per person for two sharing a room, checked on 23 October 2026.

Route map: Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Udaipur1234Hazrat NizamuddinFatehpur SikriUdaipur AirportDelhi AirportDelhi2 nights + 1 nightAgra1 nightJaipur2 nightsUdaipur3 nightsTrainBus or carFlight
The route at a glance. Positions are approximate: lines show the order and the type of transport, not the exact road or railway. Map data: Natural Earth.

Nine nights, four cities, one loop

The route makes one loop: east from Delhi to Agra, west to Jaipur and on to Udaipur, then back to Delhi by air. Two nights in Delhi at the start give a day to Old Delhi; one in Agra is the minimum for the Taj at sunrise; two in Jaipur give the walled city and Amber Fort a day; three in Udaipur give two unhurried days by the lakes; and the last night in Delhi keeps the domestic flight apart from the flight home, with the southern tombs on the afternoon you land.

Sleep around Connaught Place in Delhi, in Taj Ganj near the Taj's east gate in Agra, inside the walls or on MI Road in Jaipur, and in the old city by Jagdish Temple or on Gulab Bagh Road in Udaipur. Our Golden Triangle itinerary is the seven-day version without Udaipur.

  • Days 1–2: Delhi: India Gate at dusk, then Old Delhi, Jama Masjid and the Red Fort.
  • Day 3: the morning train to Agra; Agra Fort, the Baby Taj and Mehtab Bagh.
  • Day 4: the Taj Mahal at sunrise, then by car to Jaipur by way of Fatehpur Sikri.
  • Day 5: Jaipur: Amber Fort, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the bazaars.
  • Day 6: the train from Jaipur to Udaipur.
  • Days 7–8: Udaipur: the City Palace, Lake Pichola, Bagore ki Haveli and Hathi Pol.
  • Day 9: fly to Delhi; Humayun's Tomb or Qutb Minar if you land in time.
  • Day 10: fly home.

The weekdays that decide the order

Four weekly rules fix the plan. The Red Fort is closed on Mondays, as the Ministry of Tourism's page says. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays for general viewing. The Gatimaan Express, the fast morning train to Agra, was launched in 2016 to run every day except Friday. And Rajasthan Tourism says Jaipur's markets are generally closed on Sundays.

Land on a Monday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday and the plan works as written. Land on a Tuesday and day 4 is a Friday: see the Taj on the afternoon of day 3, as soon as you reach Agra, and drop Itimad-ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh. Land on a Wednesday and day 3 is a Friday, so take one of the other Delhi–Agra trains, and day 5 is a Sunday, so see Amber, the City Palace and Jantar Mantar that day and walk the bazaars on the morning of day 6, before the train. Land on a Sunday and day 2 is a Monday: see the Red Fort on the afternoon of day 1 if you land early, give day 2 to Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid and Humayun's Tomb, and keep Qutb Minar for day 9.

The white marble Taj Mahal and its minarets seen across the garden
The Taj Mahal, seen at opening time on day 4 before the drive to Jaipur.

What to book first

The trains. Foreign visitors book on IRCTC with an international mobile number, under the Foreign Tourist quota; our transport guide explains the account, the fees and the classes. Indian Railways' normal booking window is 60 days, not counting the day of travel, and the Foreign Tourist quota can be requested up to 365 days ahead, but IRCTC says berths booked that early are allotted later, so a request is not yet a seat. Indian Railways publishes current times and fares only in its journey search, so check IRCTC for your dates.

The car from Agra to Jaipur. Ask a licensed operator for one written price for the whole day, with the driver waiting at Fatehpur Sikri, and check that it includes tolls, parking and the driver's allowance. Delhi Tourism publishes car packages, such as an Agra–Jaipur round trip from Delhi at INR 20,289 with tolls and parking extra, but no one-way Agra–Jaipur fare, so this guide's budget carries an estimate.

The flight from Udaipur to Delhi. Air India's Udaipur–Delhi page gives about 1 hour 25 minutes for its direct flight and says the number of daily direct flights varies; search your date on the airline's own site and check the baggage and the Delhi terminal.

Days 1–2: Delhi

Day 1, arrival. Fill in the e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before you land; our India entry guide covers it with the e-Visa. The Airport Express Line runs from Terminal 3 to New Delhi Railway Station in around 25 minutes, with first trains at 04:45; from there, a short taxi ride takes you to Connaught Place. At dusk, walk Kartavya Path to India Gate.

Day 2, Old Delhi (not a Monday). Start in Chandni Chowk with chole kulche for breakfast, then walk the spice market of Khari Baoli. Jama Masjid, the great mosque Shah Jahan finished in 1650, is open every day; Delhi Tourism lists foreign tourists' hours from 08:00 until sunset and an entry fee of INR 400. Spend the afternoon in the Red Fort, Shah Jahan's red sandstone palace-city with its halls of public and private audience; ASI's online price for foreign visitors is INR 550. Eat dinner near Jama Masjid and go to bed early: the Agra train leaves first thing.

Days 3–4: Agra, the Taj at sunrise and Fatehpur Sikri

Day 3, Agra. Take the morning train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt; at its 2016 launch the Gatimaan Express was timetabled at 08:10, arriving 09:50, and UP Tourism also names the Shatabdi and the Taj Express. Leave your bags in Taj Ganj and spend the early afternoon in Agra Fort, the sandstone fortress Akbar built and Shah Jahan filled with marble palaces. Cross the river to Itimad-ud-Daulah's inlaid tomb, the "Baby Taj", and end at Mehtab Bagh, the garden facing the Taj across the Yamuna, at sunset.

Day 4, the Taj, then west (not a Friday). UP Tourism lists the Taj's hours from 30 minutes before sunrise; be at the east gate before it opens, with a small bag. A foreigner's ticket costs INR 50 less online, and the main mausoleum is INR 200 extra. After breakfast, your car takes you to Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned red sandstone capital, 37 km from Agra; UP Tourism says to allow at least half a day there. Reach Jaipur by evening and drive in daylight: the UK Foreign Office advises avoiding road travel at night.

The pink sandstone screen of Hawa Mahal above a Jaipur street
Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, in Jaipur's walled city on day 5.

Day 5: Jaipur

Be at Amber Fort for 09:00, before the heat and the crowds. Raja Man Singh I began it in 1592 in the hills about 11 km from Jaipur; go first to the Sheesh Mahal, the hall of mirrors. Come back past the Jal Mahal to the walled city for the City Palace, where the courtyards lead to the seven-storey Chandra Mahal, then Jantar Mantar, whose 18th-century stone instruments still tell the time by the sun, and the latticed front of Hawa Mahal. Spend the evening in Johari and Bapu bazaars. The City Palace sells its own tickets, while Amber, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar are state monuments with a composite ticket; our Jaipur guide explains both and the gem-selling scam to avoid.

Day 6: the train to Udaipur

Keep this day for the journey. Rajasthan Tourism lists Udaipur among the cities with rail links to Jaipur, and an older Indian Railways list shows a train leaving Jaipur at 14:00 and reaching Udaipur City at 21:30; that is a guide to the length of the trip, not a current timetable, so check IRCTC for your date. Spend the morning at the Albert Hall Museum or the bazaars you missed, eat an early lunch and take a taxi from Udaipur City station to your hotel. Book no evening show for tonight.

Days 7–8: Udaipur's palace and lakes

Day 7. The City Palace Museum opens at 09:00 and charges every adult INR 400, Indian or foreign; give it the morning, with its courtyards, mirror work and views over Lake Pichola. In the afternoon, take HRH Group's boat from Rameshwar Ghat to Jag Mandir, the island palace, past the palace front and the ghats. Its published timetable has regular trips until 3 pm in summer and 2 pm in winter, and sunset trips later; HRH had not published its 2026–27 boat fares when we checked, so confirm the price and the day's sailings at the jetty.

Day 8. Start at Bagore ki Haveli on Gangaur Ghat, the 18th-century mansion of a Mewar prime minister, now a museum where the West Zone Cultural Centre charges foreign visitors INR 150. Walk up to Jagdish Temple, built in 1651, and through the bazaars of Hathi Pol, then spend the late afternoon by the lake. If you have energy left, take an auto-rickshaw to Saheliyon ki Bari, the Garden of the Maidens, or up to the Monsoon Palace for the view; our Udaipur guide has the details.

Red sandstone minarets and marble domes of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi
Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, the first stop of day 2.

Days 9–10: fly to Delhi, and home

Day 9. Udaipur's airport is 20 km from Udaipur City station; take a taxi booked through your hotel and fly to Delhi. If you land in time, see Humayun's Tomb, the garden tomb that prefigured the Taj, or Qutb Minar, the 72.5 m tower of the first Delhi Sultans; both are ASI monuments open from sunrise. Sleep in Delhi near the airport or in Connaught Place.

Day 10. Fly home. The night in Delhi is your margin: in December and January, fog delays flights and trains in north India, and IMD's Delhi table counts about 20 fog days in each of those months.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

01

Chole kulche

Boiled, spiced chickpeas with soft white-flour kulcha bread, finished at Lotan's with a sharp amchur (dried mango) chutney.

Where to look
Lotan Chole Wala in Chandni Chowk, near Chawri Bazar and Jama Masjid metro stations (07:30–10:00 daily, Delhi Tourism lists).
Fit it into your day
Breakfast on day 2; it closes by mid-morning.
02

Butter chicken

Chicken in a rich butter gravy, the Delhi classic; vegetarians come for the tandoori soya chaap.

Where to look
Aslam Butter Chicken Corner in the main bazaar by Jama Masjid (16:00–00:30 daily, Delhi Tourism lists).
Fit it into your day
Dinner on day 2, after the Red Fort.

Rich and creamy; say so if you avoid dairy or nuts.

03

Bhalla chaat

The chaat UP Tourism calls Agra's favourite: a fried potato patty smashed open and topped with ginger and a spicy-sweet tamarind sauce.

Where to look
The chaat lane (chaat wali gali) in Sadar Bazaar, which UP Tourism names.
Fit it into your day
An evening snack on day 3, after Mehtab Bagh.
04

Kachori and mirchi bada

Jaipur's street snacks: kachori, a flaky fried pastry with a spiced filling, and mirchi bada, a large green chilli stuffed with potato and fried in batter.

Where to look
Masala Chowk in Ram Niwas Garden, an open-air court of 21 street-food stalls that Rajasthan Tourism describes; entry costs INR 10.
Fit it into your day
Dinner on day 4, after the drive from Agra.
05

Ghevar

A lacy disc of flour fried in ghee and soaked in sugar syrup, which Incredible India counts among Udaipur's street-food specialities.

Where to look
Hathi Pol Bazaar, one of the two streets Incredible India names as food havens in Udaipur.
Fit it into your day
An afternoon sweet on day 8.

What ten days cost, all in

For two adults sharing a room, the whole trip costs about INR 75,000, or about USD 850, per person, everything on the ground included, checked on 23 October 2026 and converted at a round USD 1 = INR 88. The rooms are dated official tariffs; the trains, the car and the flight are estimates, because IRCTC's search cannot be read without booking and no one-way car tariff is published.

  • Rooms, about INR 19,300 (USD 220). Half of a double with breakfast each night: the Delhi and Agra rooms priced in our Delhi and Agra guides, RTDC's Hotel Gangaur in Jaipur (INR 3,000 plus 5% GST) and RTDC's Hotel Kajri in Udaipur (INR 2,800 plus GST).
  • Trains, the car and the flight, about INR 17,600 (USD 200). Delhi–Agra about INR 1,600, half the Agra–Jaipur car about INR 5,000, Jaipur–Udaipur about INR 2,000 and the Udaipur–Delhi flight about INR 9,000, all estimates.
  • Food, about INR 12,300 (USD 140). About INR 1,200 a day each for lunch, dinner, water and snacks; breakfast comes with the rooms.
  • City transport, about INR 7,500 (USD 85). The Airport Express, taxis to stations and airports, and a car for Amber.
  • Tickets, about INR 9,000 (USD 100). The Red Fort, Jama Masjid, the Taj with the mausoleum, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Itimad-ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh (INR 5,010 in all), Jaipur's palace and state tickets, the City Palace Museum and Bagore ki Haveli in Udaipur, and the Jag Mandir boat.
  • e-Visa and SIM, about INR 3,000 (USD 35). The 30-day e-Tourist visa costs USD 25 plus a 3% bank charge from July to March for many passports, among them the UK's; the fee depends on your nationality.
  • Buffer, about INR 6,900 (USD 80). About 10% for price changes and an extra transfer.

Season, air and entry

Delhi Tourism recommends October to March. The UK Foreign Office names October to February as the worst months for air pollution in north Indian cities, so check the day's air-quality reading before the outdoor days in Delhi and Agra. April to June is very hot, and Delhi's mean daily maximum in May is about 40°C on IMD's table; the monsoon follows from June to September.

Most visitors need a visa: the e-Tourist visa is applied for online before travel, and Delhi is one of its designated arrival airports. The e-Arrival card is separate and is not a visa. Check the fee, the length of stay and the rules for your passport on the official e-Visa site; our entry guide covers both.

Practical questions

Is 10 days enough for India?

Ten days is enough for one region done well. This plan covers Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur and Udaipur in north India, with one flight and two trains. The south and the Ganges at Varanasi need a separate trip or our 14-day plan.

How do I get from Jaipur to Udaipur?

By train from Jaipur to Udaipur City station; an older Indian Railways list shows a train leaving at 14:00 and arriving at 21:30, so keep the whole day for it and check IRCTC for current times. A hired car is the alternative.

Which days should I avoid?

The Red Fort is closed on Mondays, the Taj Mahal on Fridays for general viewing, the Gatimaan Express does not run on Fridays, and Jaipur's markets are generally closed on Sundays. Landing on a Monday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday makes the plan work as written.

How much does 10 days in India cost?

About INR 75,000, or about USD 850, per person for two sharing a mid-range room, all in: nine nights, meals, trains, the car to Jaipur, the flight from Udaipur, city transport, tickets, an e-Visa, a SIM and a 10% buffer. The flight to India is extra.

Why end with a night in Delhi?

It keeps the domestic flight from Udaipur apart from the flight home. In December and January fog can delay flights and trains in north India, and the extra night gives you the margin and an afternoon for Humayun's Tomb or Qutb Minar.

Sources and checks before you travel

Reference sources for the version dated 23 October 2026. Confirm opening times, access, transport and conditions for your travel dates.

Editorial policy →

Photo credits

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