3 WEEK INDIA ITINERARY

Now you’re ready to see the best of Rajasthan and Delhi in 3 weeks. So get movin’ theirs a tonne to see!

Day 1 : Get Your Bearings in Delhi

Most international flights will be landing in Delhi so it’s a great place to begin your India Itinerary. Please note that 1 day is simply not enough time to really dig deep into this fascinating city. Delhi is the second most populous city in India and the sheer amount of people living there from all over central Asia make it an extremely interesting place to people watch. It’s a baptism of fire for your first day in India and it might leave you feeling mentally drained but don’t let it get you down, Delhi isn’t a true reflection of the rest of India so relax and try to enjoy the chaos.

I recommend you check out Humayun’s Tomb (pictured below) while in Delhi. It’ll give you a nice warm-up of what’s to come on your India trip and you’re bound to be in awe of the amazing detail and intricacy of the tomb which holds the body of the Mughal Emperor.

Days 2-4 : Agra, Rescued Elephants & The Taj Mahal

You will next be visiting the city of Agra, home of the countries most iconic landmark; The Taj Mahal. I’m not going to lie to you here, Agra ain’t a pretty site. It seems almost comical that one of the most beautiful buildings in the world should be built in one of the most abysmal cities in the world but I guess that’s India for you, the stark contrast between beauty and unsightliness is a strong theme here.

There isn’t much to do inside the city bar the Taj so we made a fantastic decision to visit a nearby Elephant Sanctuary. ‘Wildife SOS’ is a not-for-profit organisation in India dedicated to rehabilitating animals that have been abused in the tourism trade. The work they are doing for these elephants is phenomenal but the visit to the sanctuary is very sobering. The elephants here are healing from physical and mental abuse caused by their trainers so there is no interaction with the elephants but rather an educational and heartbreaking insight into the recovery process. There is an entrance fee to this sanctuary but as I said all this money is put back into the organisation to give the much-needed care these elephants deserve.

The next morning get up at 5am and make your way to the Taj Mahal for sunrise. You won’t be alone as every other tourist in Agra is here to do the same thing but it doesn’t take away from the beauty of the moment. The sun rises over Agra and as it does the marble walls of the Taj change colour from cool white to a glowing gold; pure magic!

Day 5-6 : Ranthambore National Park for TIGERS!

The little town of Ranthambore is perched on the edge of the vast National Park. It’s filled with hotels and tiger safari booking offices but it has a lovely, quiet atmosphere that is rare to find in India.

Tiger Safaris are offered by every hotel in the town but you should still book in advance to avoid being disappointed. Read my post on the Ranthambore Tiger Safari here for advice and tips on booking and preparing for it!

It all comes down to luck and the time of year you go whether you’ll see a tiger or not. We got really lucky and managed to spot four tigers on our safari, a mother and her two cubs and just 2 minutes down the track we seen another most likely the father of the cubs. It was incredible experience and I highly recommend you slot this into your India itinerary.

Day 7-9 : Udaipur ‘The City of Lakes’

This is my favourite city I visited while in India and I have a feeling that most people would fall in love with Udaipur. It has a romantic air about it with it’s narrowed cobbled streets and white-washed buildings. Almost a Greece or Italy vibe going on but Indian style. Although It’s still got that Indian chaos thing going that you will grow to know and love about India. Check out these 8 Incredible things to do in Udaipur while you’re there.

Day 10-11 : Jodhpur ‘The Blue City’

Next, on the itinerary is Jodhpur known as The Blue City because of the many houses painted a powdery blue colour. This is said to be so the houses reflect the heat and keep the inside cooler but whether it actually works remains a mystery to me.

Jodhpur is a small, crowded city. The Old City is very pretty; narrow cobbled streets and blue houses galore and right in the centre you will find a famous photo spot; the Jodhpur stepwell. Without a doubt, the most popular thing to do in Jodhpur is to pay a visit to Mehrangarh Fort which overlooks the city.

Day 12-14 : Jaisalmer, Deserts and Camels

As you travel further out West, the landscape becomes more dry and arid as you enter into the desert, this is very apparent in the Desert city of Jaisalmer. The sand-coloured city is a shimmering mirage amongst the vast nothingness of the desert. There is, of course, a fort here because this is Rajasthan and you don’t get a city or town without a fort. This fort happens to be one of the only ones in India that are still inhabited – yes, there is a fully fledged village living inside of Jaisalmer Fort complete with Cafes and Bazaars with all kinds of souvenirs to tickle your fancy.

The highlight of a visit to Jaisalmer is of course the overnight camel safari. I loved this experience as it was truly unique to this part of the world and we got to camp out under thousands of stars in the Thar desert! Find out more about the camel safari here.

Day 15 : Back to Jodhpur

After the desert safari you will head back to Jodhpur. This is to break up the long travel time to Pushkar. If you would prefer to go straight to Pushkar that’s fine too!

Day 16-18 : Pushkar, Hippies and Holies

Make your way to the Holy town of Pushkar for your next stop. Pushkar is a weird and wonderful little town complete with loveable weirdos in abundance. This is where the alternative kids come to ‘find themselves’ and sometimes they just end up staying forever. It’s a place of great spiritual significance to the Hindus and Sikhs of India and it’s the site of the famous Pushkar Camel Fair.

I found that the most entertaining thing to do in Pushkar was to wander around the market streets gazing at all the incredible hand made clothes, jewellery and trinkets that the many stalls flaunt. You should really save some money for Pushkar if you want to buy gifts and souvenirs for your family and friends as it has the biggest variety of ‘stuff’ and it’s all really cheap too as there is so much competition between the marketeers.

Day 19-21 : Jaipur ‘The Pink City’

The final destination of your 3 week India trip will be Jaipur also known as ‘The Pink City’ because yep, some of the buildings are painted pink! This city is the largest in Rajasthan and forms part of ‘The Golden Triangle’ route. There is so much sightseeing to be done in Jaipur! There’s an amazing fort (India!? FORTS!? Who would have thought?) called the Amer Fort, sadly there are still elephants transporting tourists up and down the steep hill to the fort all day, every day.Even If you only had one day to explore Jaipur then you could still see all the sights comfortably.

You also have to visit the very photogenic Hawa Mahal which is probably my favourite building in all of Rajasthan with it’s pink walls and thousands of intricate windows! The City Palace is also a must-see.

Jaipur has an international airport so you may be flying out of here. I hope you enjoy the life-changing magic of India. People aren’t exaggerating when they say it’s the most intense place they’ve been to but it’s also the most eye-opening heart-wrenching, poetically beautiful place that I’ve ever visited and I’m glad I got to see it with my own eyes. Happy exploring!