India Itinerary 10 Days: Golden Triangle plus Varanasi or Rajasthan

Short answer: A 10 day India itinerary works best as the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) plus one extension. Choose Varanasi if you want the Ganges, the evening aarti and old India at its most intense, or choose Rajasthan (Jodhpur and Udaipur) if you want forts, lakes and slower days. Both versions fit in nine nights with one domestic flight, and both can be done entirely by private car and driver apart from that flight.

Why does 10 days suit the Golden Triangle plus one extension?

The Golden Triangle on its own needs five to six days to do properly: two nights in Delhi to recover from the flight and see Old and New Delhi, one night in Agra for the Taj Mahal at sunrise, and two nights in Jaipur. That leaves three or four nights spare in a 10 day trip, which is exactly the length of one good extension, and not enough for two.

In our experience, travellers who try to squeeze both Varanasi and Rajasthan into 10 days spend every second day in transit. If you have 14 days, our two-week India itinerary covers how to combine them. With 10, pick one.

All dollar figures below use ₹95 to the US dollar (October 2026) and are approximate.

Which extension should you choose: Varanasi or Rajasthan?

If you are still undecided, our Varanasi trip guide describes what the city is like in practice; the Rajasthan version is covered step by step below.

Days 1–5: the Golden Triangle core (same in both versions)

Day 1, arrive Delhi. Most flights from Europe and North America land in the early morning or late at night. Either way, keep this day empty apart from a walk around your neighbourhood.

Day 2, Delhi. Old Delhi in the morning: Jama Masjid, a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, and the Red Fort (closed Mondays). New Delhi in the afternoon: Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar or Lodhi Garden. A driver for the day keeps this manageable.

Day 3, Delhi to Agra. The Yamuna Expressway drive takes 3.5–4 hours door to door. In Agra, see Agra Fort and, towards sunset, the Taj from Mehtab Bagh across the river. We prefer an overnight in Agra to a day trip from Delhi because it puts you at the gate at sunrise.

Day 4, Taj Mahal at sunrise, then Jaipur. Gates open 30 minutes before sunrise, the foreigner ticket is ₹1,100 plus ₹200 for the main mausoleum (about US$14), and the monument is closed on Fridays, so plan the Agra night around that. Our Taj Mahal sunrise guide covers which gate to use. Then drive to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri and the Abhaneri stepwell, about 240 km and 5–6 hours with stops; our Agra to Jaipur guide has the details.

Day 5, Jaipur. Amer Fort early, before the heat and the coaches, then the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. Keep the late afternoon for the bazaars.

Variant A: Days 6–10 with Varanasi

Day 6, Jaipur to Delhi, fly to Varanasi. The simplest connection is a morning drive or train back to Delhi (our Delhi to Jaipur guide covers the options) and an evening flight to Varanasi. Nonstop Delhi–Varanasi flights take about 1 h 20 m and are operated by IndiGo several times a day, with Air India and others also on the route (airline timetable listings, checked 30 Oct 2026). There are also direct Jaipur–Varanasi flights on some days; ask us to check your dates. If you would rather take the overnight train from Delhi, our Delhi to Varanasi guide compares the two.

Day 7, Varanasi. A sunrise boat ride along the ghats, then rest through the heat of the day. In the evening, the Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat starts at about 18:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer and lasts around 45 minutes (TravelTriangle, checked 30 Oct 2026). Watching from a boat avoids the crush on the steps; our Ganga aarti guide explains how.

Day 8, Sarnath and the old city. Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, is about 10 km north. In the afternoon, walk the lanes behind the ghats with a local guide; the Kashi Vishwanath corridor is worth seeing even if you do not enter the temple.

Day 9, fly to Delhi. An afternoon flight gives you a final evening in Delhi for shopping or a good dinner.

Day 10, depart. Keep a buffer: fog in December and January delays morning flights out of Varanasi, so never book an international connection on the same day you leave Varanasi.

Our Golden Triangle with Varanasi guide goes deeper into this version, including a 9-day variant.

Variant B: Days 6–10 through Rajasthan

Day 6, Jaipur to Jodhpur. About 335 km and 5.5–6.5 hours by car on NH-48 and NH-62, or a daytime train. Arrive for sunset over the blue city from the fort ramparts.

Day 7, Jodhpur. Mehrangarh Fort in the morning (allow three hours with the audio guide), then Jaswant Thada and the Toorji stepwell in the old town. The clock tower market is the place for spices and tea.

Day 8, Jodhpur to Udaipur via Ranakpur. The drive is about 250–260 km and takes most of the day with a stop at the 15th-century Jain temples at Ranakpur, which open to visitors around midday. Our Udaipur–Jodhpur guide covers this road in the other direction.

Day 9, Udaipur. The City Palace, a late-afternoon boat on Lake Pichola, and dinner on a rooftop facing the lake. If you want fewer hours in the car, skip Jodhpur and go straight from Jaipur to Udaipur: a Vande Bharat train leaves Jaipur at 15:45 and reaches Udaipur at about 22:15 (Railmitra timetable, checked 30 Oct 2026; confirm running days), and our Jaipur to Udaipur guide compares the road and rail options.

Day 10, fly Udaipur to Delhi for your international departure, allowing at least four hours between flights.

How do you get around on a 10 day India itinerary?

For Delhi–Agra–Jaipur and the Rajasthan leg, a private car with driver is the practical choice for two or more people. The same driver stays with you for the whole road section, waits at each monument and handles tolls and parking. Self-drive is not something we recommend to visitors.

For the long legs, fly. Delhi–Varanasi, Varanasi–Delhi and Udaipur–Delhi are all short domestic flights with several departures a day. Book them yourself on the airline websites or let us hold them with the rest of the plan; either way, book early for December and January, when fares rise and fog disrupts schedules.

Trains work well for Delhi–Agra, Delhi–Jaipur and Jaipur–Udaipur if you enjoy rail travel; book Chair Car or Executive Chair Car on the daytime services.

What does a 10 day India trip cost?

These are planning ranges, not quotes. Our India trip cost guide breaks budgets down by travel style. For a fixed price on either variant, send us your dates and hotel preferences.

When should you go, and what should you sort out first?

October to March is the season for both versions. November, February and early March are the most comfortable. Late December and January bring cold mornings and fog in Delhi, Agra and Varanasi; sightseeing is fine, but build buffer time around flights. April to June is very hot on the plains, and July to September is the monsoon, when Varanasi’s ghats can be partly under water.

Before you book anything, apply for your visa: most nationalities use the e-Visa, and our India e-Visa guide walks through it. Then fix the Agra night so it is not a Thursday-to-Friday stay, since the Taj is closed on Fridays.

Want wildlife instead of either extension? A tiger safari fits the same slot: see our Golden Triangle with Ranthambore guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is 10 days enough for India?

Ten days is enough for one region done well, not for the whole country. The Golden Triangle plus either Varanasi or southern Rajasthan is the classic first trip and fits nine nights comfortably with one or two domestic flights. Trying to add Kerala or the Himalayas as well means spending most days travelling rather than seeing anything.

Should I choose Varanasi or Rajasthan for the extension?

Choose Varanasi if you want the Ganges, the evening aarti and a strong sense of religious India, and you are comfortable with crowds. Choose Jodhpur and Udaipur if you prefer forts, lakes, heritage hotels and a slower pace. Varanasi needs two flights; Rajasthan needs about 11–13 hours of driving over two days and one flight home.

Which day should I avoid in Agra?

The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday, so do not plan your only Agra morning for a Friday. The Red Fort in Delhi is closed on Mondays. Most other sites on this route, including Amer Fort, Mehrangarh and the Udaipur City Palace, open daily, but check hours in advance on public holidays.

How do I travel between the cities?

Use a private car with driver for Delhi–Agra–Jaipur and for Jaipur–Jodhpur–Udaipur, and fly for the long legs: Delhi–Varanasi (about 1 h 20 m), Varanasi–Delhi and Udaipur–Delhi. Trains are a good alternative for Delhi–Agra, Delhi–Jaipur and Jaipur–Udaipur if you book early, especially between October and March.

What is the best month for a 10 day India itinerary?

November, February and early March give warm days, cool nights and clear skies in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi. December and January are pleasant but foggy in the mornings, which can delay flights and trains. Avoid April to June for this route because of the heat, and expect rain from July to September.

Can I do this itinerary without a tour operator?

Yes, independent travel on this route is common. The parts that are hardest to arrange alone are reliable drivers for multi-day road sections, timed monument entries and backup plans when fog cancels a flight. A local operator handles those and costs little more than booking each piece separately, especially for two or more travellers.