14 days in India: itinerary

Fourteen days is enough for India if you accept that India is a region, not a country you tick off. The route below is the Rajasthan loop: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, then a flight back to Delhi. It uses the fastest rail and road links in the north, keeps every leg under a day, and gives you two or three nights in each place.

The alternative is the south: Kochi, the Kerala backwaters, Munnar and a beach, or a Tamil Nadu temple run from Chennai. Both work in 14 days. Doing Delhi, Rajasthan and Kerala together does not — you lose two days to flights and arrive tired.

Fly any leg over a day's travel. Book trains as soon as your dates are fixed, and add one buffer day per week for fog, delays or stomach trouble.

The loop runs clockwise from Delhi and ends with a short flight back, so you never repeat a long overland leg. Distances below are road or rail, not straight lines.

Each day lists a morning, afternoon and evening block. Treat them as a menu, not a schedule — the point of 14 days is that you can drop one.

Trains are the backbone. Delhi–Agra is the fastest run in the country, and Jaipur–Jodhpur is a comfortable half-day. Book on the official Indian Railways portal or an authorised agent; seats on popular routes sell out weeks ahead in peak season.

For Agra–Jaipur and Jodhpur–Udaipur, a car with driver is faster than the train and lets you stop at Fatehpur Sikri and Ranakpur. Expect ₹4,000–₹7,000 per car per leg (2026 estimate). Domestic flights are cheap enough that Udaipur–Delhi beats a 12-hour overnight train.

Within cities, use app-based cabs or a hotel-arranged car. Agree the fare or use the meter before you set off, and carry small rupee notes.

Base yourself near the sights you came for, not at the airport. In Delhi, Paharganj and Connaught Place put you near the metro; south Delhi is quieter. In Agra, stay within walking distance of the Taj's east or south gate so you can walk in at sunrise.

In Jaipur, the old city around Hawa Mahal and Bani Park both work. Jodhpur's old town below Mehrangarh is the reason to be there. In Udaipur, a lakeside haveli near Lal Ghat or a quieter spot across the water.

Five bases in 14 days is the practical limit. Every extra hotel change costs you half a day.

These are 2026 estimates for one person, excluding international flights. Budget travellers who use trains, guesthouses and street food sit at the low end; mid-range hotels, cars with drivers and restaurant meals push you to the top.

If you have less time, the 10-day version drops Jodhpur and Udaipur and adds Varanasi; the 7-day version is the Golden Triangle only. If you have more, add a Kerala week on top rather than stretching Rajasthan.

Swap the whole loop for the south if you travel in April or May: Kochi, the backwaters, Munnar and a beach handle the heat better than Rajasthan. In June to September, head for Leh and Ladakh instead.