India 6 Day Itinerary

October through March is when the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Rajasthan circuit actually works. Show up in May and Mehrangarh Fort’s sandstone bakes at 45 degrees, the Taj’s white marble is too hot to touch, and no romantic boat ride on Lake Pichola makes up for heat exhaustion. Get the timing right and this is one of the best six days you can spend anywhere.

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi

Skip the tourist taxis queuing outside arrivals. The Airport Express Metro runs from Terminal 3 to New Delhi Railway Station in under 20 minutes for around 60 rupees, making it the fastest and cheapest way into the city. A prepaid taxi booth inside the terminal will quote you 800 to 900 rupees to Connaught Place if you prefer a car.

Drop your bags and head straight to Old Delhi. The Red Fort’s red sandstone ramparts are impressive from the outside, but the interior can feel thin on substance compared to Agra Fort the next day. Spend serious time instead at the Jama Masjid, one of India’s largest mosques, then take a cycle-rickshaw through the lanes of Chandni Chowk at dusk when the food stalls come alive with chaat and kebabs. Karim’s restaurant near the mosque has been serving Mughal-style mutton curry since 1913 and costs almost nothing. That is the meal to have on your first evening.

Finish at Qutub Minar in the late afternoon light. The 73-metre tower is actually more moving than many people expect.

One firm advice: ignore anyone who approaches you on the street offering a “government tourist office” or “special marble factory.” There are no government tourist offices outside railway stations, and every such offer leads to a commission-driven shop.

Day 2: Delhi to Agra

The Gatimaan Express departs Hazrat Nizamuddin station and covers the 230 kilometres to Agra Cantt in roughly 100 minutes. It is the most civilised option. Book tickets weeks ahead on IRCTC because the tourist quota fills fast.

Arrive at the Taj Mahal for your booked sunrise slot. Entry for foreign tourists is 1,100 rupees plus an optional 200 rupees to enter the main mausoleum, which is worth paying. Children under 15 enter free. Book tickets online before you travel: it saves 50 rupees per person and, more importantly, saves queuing. The monument closes every Friday, so never schedule this day for a Friday.

After the Taj, walk 2 kilometres to Agra Fort. Entry costs 650 rupees for foreigners. It takes a good two hours to do it properly and many travellers rush it, which is a mistake: the fort’s private royal apartments and audience halls are architecturally richer than most people expect. By afternoon, browse the local market around Sadar Bazaar for marble inlay work, though prices start high and are always negotiable.

Stay the night in Agra to catch the Taj at dawn a second time from Mehtab Bagh, the garden directly across the river, where entrance is cheap and crowds are a fraction of those at the south gate.

Day 3: Agra to Jaipur

The drive from Agra to Jaipur takes four to five hours by road and passes through Fatehpur Sikri, a ghost Mughal city abandoned 400 years ago that almost nobody visits relative to its quality. Stop for an hour. It costs 610 rupees for foreigners and you will likely have whole courtyards to yourself.

Jaipur earns its Pink City name because a law passed in 1876 required buildings near the old city wall to be painted that ochre-pink shade, and it is still enforced. The Hawa Mahal, five storeys of screened windows from which the royal women could watch street life without being seen, is worth the 200 rupee entry fee and ten minutes of your time. The bigger commitment is Amber Fort: 11 kilometres out of town, it requires two to three hours and the views down to Maota Lake justify the 500 rupee foreign entry fee. Skip the elephant rides, which are uncomfortable for the elephants and not the experience they look like in photographs.

Dinner in Jaipur: the neighbourhood around MI Road has good thali restaurants serving Rajasthani dal baati churma at prices that make you wonder if you are being undercharged.

Day 4: Jaipur to Jodhpur

An overnight train or a five-hour drive brings you to Jodhpur, the Blue City. The blue paint originally marked Brahmin households but spread city-wide across the dense neighbourhood below Mehrangarh Fort, which is best viewed from the rooftop cafes of Navchokiya.

Mehrangarh Fort itself is the single best fort in Rajasthan, and that is not a close contest. Entry costs 800 rupees for foreigners, which includes an excellent audio guide, and the elevated views over the city are worth every rupee. Allow three to four hours. The museum inside covers Rajput weaponry, palanquins and miniature paintings with enough context to make sense of everything.

The Umaid Bhawan Palace is still a functioning royal residence and hotel. The museum section open to the public is mildly interesting, but do not spend more than an hour there if Mehrangarh still awaits.

At the blue streets of Brahmpuri, go without a guide. Self-appointed guides here are a known problem: they walk tourists through a maze of lanes and end at a family carpet shop where you will feel significant social pressure to buy. Walk yourself, get pleasantly lost, and find your own rooftop chai spot.

Stay in a haveli guesthouse in the old city. The proximity to Mehrangarh at sunrise is worth it.

Day 5: Jodhpur to Udaipur

The drive south to Udaipur takes roughly four hours and crosses through dry scrubland that feels genuinely remote. Udaipur earned the City of Lakes label because the Aravalli hills trap water in a series of interconnected lakes, and when the monsoon has been generous the entire city reflects off the water beautifully.

The City Palace complex is the main draw and entry costs around 300 rupees, with the museum occupying the best upper sections. Book a sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola in advance: shared rides run 400 rupees for adults, private sunset boats run higher. The Jag Mandir island palace (accessible by the same boats) is worth an extra stop. Do not confuse it with the Taj Lake Palace hotel on Jag Niwas island, which is a functioning five-star property that non-guests can visit for a minimum spend.

The Lal Ghat neighbourhood, with its narrow lanes, traditional havelis converted to guesthouses, and lake-facing rooftop restaurants, is where to base yourself. It is walkable to everything and the views at sunset from Ambrai Ghat are genuinely arresting.

One local tip most generic itineraries skip: the Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace on the hill above the city is open until sunset and the panorama over the lakes and plains is better than anything you get at lake level.

Day 6: Udaipur Departure

Allow two hours to reach Udaipur airport. Flights to Delhi or Mumbai connect to international departures. If your flight is late afternoon, a morning stroll around Fateh Sagar Lake (quieter and more local than Pichola) and a farewell breakfast at a Lal Ghat rooftop cafe rounds the trip out properly.

Pack any marble, textile or silver purchases carefully. Indian customs allows you to bring home goods worth up to 50,000 rupees duty-free when returning, but check your home country import rules for textiles and handicrafts, which sometimes have separate allowances.

Visa

Citizens of 166 nationalities can apply for an India e-Tourist Visa entirely online. A 30-day visa costs USD 25, a one-year multiple-entry visa costs USD 40. Processing takes three to five business days. Apply at least ten days before travel, and do not cut it closer than four days before arrival. The official application site is indianvisaonline.gov.in.

Transport Summary

The Gatimaan Express is the best Delhi-Agra option: book early on IRCTC. From Agra to Jaipur and onwards, private hired cars with a driver give maximum flexibility at a cost of roughly 3,000 to 5,000 rupees per leg depending on vehicle class. Overnight trains work for the Jaipur-Jodhpur segment if budget matters. Within cities, app-based auto-rickshaws through Ola or Rapido avoid the haggling that otherwise precedes every short trip.

One standing rule: never let a driver or guide take you to a “government emporium” or a “cousin’s shop.” The commission system is universal and anything sold in those shops is available nearby for significantly less.