India 2 Week Itinerary
Two weeks in India: the classics, then the mountains.
Six days for Delhi, the Taj Mahal and Jaipur, then eight days up in the Himalaya — Shimla’s ridge, the Kullu valley at Manali and the Tibetan town of McLeod Ganj above Dharamshala. One car, one driver, honest distances, and a plan you can shorten or stretch. We are based in Himachal, so the second week is our home ground.
- 14 days Delhi · Agra · Jaipur · Himalaya
- Oct – Nov · Mar – Apr the months we recommend
- Private car one driver for the whole trip
- 20% deposit full refund within 48 h
What is a good 2-week India itinerary for a first visit?
A classic 2-week India itinerary starts with the Golden Triangle — Delhi (2 nights), Agra for the Taj Mahal at sunrise (1), Jaipur (2) — then heads north into the Himalaya: Shimla (2), Manali (3) and Dharamshala (2). Go October–November or March–April, by private car with one driver. Suzu Travels plans it with a US-dollar quote; a 20% deposit locks your dates.
The route: the Golden Triangle first, the Himalaya second
The plains are best seen first, while you adjust to India’s pace and time zone; the mountains are the reward. This order also puts the long hill drives in the second week, when jet lag is gone.
Delhi → Agra (204 km / 127 mi) → Jaipur (232 km / 144 mi) → back via Delhi → Shimla (370 km / 230 mi from Delhi) → Manali (260 km / 162 mi from Shimla) → Dharamshala → fly out from Kangra airport. Official road distances; hill roads are slow, so each hill drive gets a full day.
Fourteen days in India, day by day
A sample we build from, not a fixed package. Every night can move; the quote changes, the pace stays human.
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DAY 1Arrive in Delhi
Your driver meets you at the airport — name, photo and car number are shared with you before the trip. Check in and rest; international flights often land late at night.
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DAY 2Old and New Delhi
Old Delhi’s lanes in the morning, then New Delhi and Humayun’s Tomb in the afternoon light. A good first day to learn how traffic, tickets and tipping work, with your driver close by.
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DAY 3Delhi → Agra
204 km (127 mi) by road. Agra Fort in the afternoon — it is open sunrise to sunset every day. Agra has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
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DAY 4Taj Mahal at sunrise → Jaipur
The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise — the calmest hour. It is closed on Fridays, so we never plan this day on a Friday. Then Fatehpur Sikri on the road west and on to Jaipur, 232 km (144 mi) from Agra.
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DAY 5Jaipur, the Pink City
Jaipur’s old walled city is UNESCO-listed. Start at Hawa Mahal’s pink latticed facade and spend a full day in the old city at your own speed.
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DAY 6Jaipur → Delhi → north
Back to Delhi by train or car (check current train timings on IRCTC), then onwards towards Chandigarh and Kalka, or a last night in Delhi. This is the one long transfer day of the trip.
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DAY 7Up to Shimla
Ride the Kalka–Shimla toy train — 96 km (60 mi) of narrow-gauge line, part of the UNESCO-listed Mountain Railways of India — or go up by car; Shimla is 119 km (74 mi) from Chandigarh by road. Your driver takes the luggage either way.
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DAY 8Shimla
Christ Church on the Ridge, the town strung along deodar-forested ridges, and slow walks. A gentle first full day in the hills.
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DAY 9Shimla → Manali
260 km (162 mi), a full day: we plan around 30–40 km/h (20–25 mph) averages on hill roads, in our experience, and stop for lunch and tea on the way up the Kullu valley.
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DAY 10Manali: Solang and the Atal Tunnel
Solang valley is 13 km (8 mi) from Manali. When the road is open, the 9.02 km Atal Tunnel at about 3,000 m takes you through to Sissu in Lahaul. Rohtang Pass, 51 km (32 mi) away, needs a vehicle permit and is closed from late November until May — it is not part of this plan.
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DAY 11Old Manali and Naggar
A slow day: the old village above the town, and Naggar further down the valley.
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DAY 12Manali → Dharamshala
A full-day drive west across Himachal to Dharamshala, under the snow line of the Dhauladhar range.
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DAY 13McLeod Ganj
The upper town at 2,082 m (6,831 ft) is the seat of the Tibetan Government in exile, where the Dalai Lama settled in 1959. Namgyal Monastery and the Tsuglagkhang complex, St John in the Wilderness church, Bhagsunag falls, the tea gardens and the Norbulingka Institute.
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DAY 14Kangra → Delhi → home
Kangra airport at Gaggal is 14 km (9 mi) from Dharamshala: a short flight to Delhi for your connection, or a drive back. Check airline schedules — in our experience, hill airports can cancel in bad weather, so we keep a margin before your international flight.
How long are the drives? Honest distances
The question every first-timer asks. Official road distances where they exist; where no official figure exists, we say so.
| Leg | Distance | How we do it |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi → Agra | 204 km / 127 mi | Morning drive, Agra Fort the same afternoon |
| Agra → Jaipur | 232 km / 144 mi | Via Fatehpur Sikri, after the Taj at sunrise |
| Jaipur → Delhi | — | Train or car; check current train timings on IRCTC |
| Delhi → Shimla | 370 km / 230 mi | Split at Chandigarh/Kalka; toy train for the last 96 km (60 mi) if you like |
| Shimla → Manali | 260 km / 162 mi | A full day on hill roads, stops included |
| Manali → Dharamshala | — | A full-day drive; no official distance published |
| Dharamshala → Kangra airport | 14 km / 9 mi | Short transfer to the flight to Delhi |
We avoid driving at night: the UK Foreign Office advises avoiding travel at night and in fog, as accidents are common due to low visibility.
Shorter, longer, or in winter: how the plan changes
Only 10 days?
Keep days 1–10 and drop Dharamshala and one Manali day: from Manali we drive you back down to Chandigarh or Delhi for your flight.
Three weeks?
Add Amritsar and the Golden Temple after Dharamshala, a few slower days in Rishikesh — see our Rishikesh yoga retreat guide — or more nights in the Himachal valleys, our home region.
Travelling December to February?
Snow can close the roads above Manali and slow the Shimla–Manali drive, and Rohtang Pass is closed from late November until May. In winter we keep Shimla and Dharamshala, and we never promise snow.
Warmth instead of mountains?
Swap the second week for the South: fly from Delhi to Kochi for our 8-day Kerala tour — tea hills, spice forests and a houseboat night.
When to go on a two-week North India trip
Our recommendation, built on the official season facts:
October – November: go
The monsoon has withdrawn (its normal final withdrawal over south India is around 15 October, per the India Meteorological Department), the plains are pleasant and the hill roads are open.
March – April: go
Spring in the plains and clear days in the hills; the high pass above Manali stays closed until May, but everything on this plan is open.
December – February: the winter version
Snowfall is common around Dharamshala in winter and roads above Manali can close; fog can slow the plains. We plan the winter version with buffer days.
Late June – September: monsoon
The IMD’s normal monsoon onset in New Delhi is 27 June. We usually suggest other dates for this route.
What's included — and what isn't
Included
Private air-conditioned car and the same English-speaking driver for all 14 days, fuel, tolls, parking and state taxes; hotel nights with breakfast in the tier you choose (3★, 4★ or heritage); Delhi airport pick-up and drop.
Not included
International flights and the Kangra–Delhi flight, the India e-Visa, monument tickets, the toy-train seat, local guides, lunches and dinners, tips. We can pre-book tickets, guides and the toy train in the same quote.
Your driver
Your driver’s name, photo and car number are shared with you before the trip. One driver for the whole trip means one person who knows your plan, your luggage and your pace — see how our private car with driver works.
Who you deal with
Suzu Travels, a small team with a real office in Himachal Pradesh, from the first message to the airport drop. One WhatsApp chat, one US-dollar quote.
Practical notes before you book
Visa
Apply yourself only at the official site indianvisaonline.gov.in — beware look-alike sites that charge extra. We are not a visa agency. Our India e-Visa guide walks you through it.
Safety
The UK FCDO advises against travel within 10 km of the India–Pakistan border and to Jammu and Kashmir (except Jammu city) — this itinerary does not go there (advice as of 7 Oct 2026; check before you travel). It also advises avoiding travel at night and in fog; we plan daytime drives.
Altitude and health
Manali and McLeod Ganj are above 2,000 m. If you have a heart or lung condition, consult your doctor; see CDC or NHS Fit for Travel.
The Taj on a Friday
The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. If your dates put Agra on a Friday, we move Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri around it rather than skip the Taj.
Prices
The full 14 days are quoted on request — hotel tier, car, month and flights change the total. You receive a day-by-day plan with a US-dollar total and what it covers before you pay anything. The Golden Triangle part has published prices:
| Option | From | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| India in 2 weeks — 14 days / 13 nights (this itinerary) | on request | Private car and driver throughout, hotels with breakfast, Delhi airport transfers; tickets, guides, toy train and the Kangra flight on request |
| Golden Triangle — 4 days (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) | from US$299 | Per person, two sharing: private air-conditioned car and driver, hotels with breakfast, airport pick-up and drop, local guides at the main monuments |
| Golden Triangle — classic 6 days | from US$449 | Per person, two sharing: private air-conditioned car and driver, hotels with breakfast, airport pick-up and drop, local guides at the main monuments |
Prices are per person in US dollars, indicative for the season shown, and confirmed on your quote. Taxes included; international flights excluded.
Booking terms (20% deposit, 48-hour refund window) are stated once, under Plan it with a local.
Questions travellers ask
Is two weeks enough for India?
Two weeks is enough for North India: the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) plus a week in the Himalaya of Himachal Pradesh. It is not enough to add the South as well without spending days in transit — if you want Kerala, swap it for the mountain week.
What is the best 2-week itinerary for India?
For a first visit we suggest Delhi (2 nights), Agra (1), Jaipur (2), a night on the way north, Shimla (2), Manali (3) and Dharamshala (2), then a flight from Kangra to Delhi. It joins India’s most famous sights with its calmest mountain towns, and every leg is a day drive.
What is the best month for a 2-week trip to India?
October–November and March–April for this route. December–February is cold in the hills, with snow that can close roads above Manali. The monsoon normally reaches New Delhi around 27 June (IMD), so late June to September is the wettest time.
Can I see the Taj Mahal and the Himalayas in one trip?
Yes — that is exactly this plan. The Taj Mahal is on day 4 at sunrise, and from day 7 you are in the Himalayan foothills at Shimla, then Manali and McLeod Ganj at 2,082 m (6,831 ft).
Is it better to travel India by train or by car?
Both, in the right places. A private car with one driver is the most flexible way through Agra, Jaipur and the hill roads, and it carries your luggage. Trains are good for some legs — the Kalka–Shimla toy train is a highlight in itself, a UNESCO-listed mountain railway. Check current timings on IRCTC.
How long are the drives?
Delhi–Agra is 204 km (127 mi), Agra–Jaipur 232 km (144 mi), Delhi–Shimla 370 km (230 mi) and Shimla–Manali 260 km (162 mi). In the hills we plan around 30–40 km/h (20–25 mph) averages in our experience, so each hill drive is a full day with stops.
Do I need a visa for India?
Plan on needing one. Apply yourself only at the official site indianvisaonline.gov.in — beware look-alike sites that charge extra. We are not a visa agency; our e-Visa guide explains the steps.
How much does 2 weeks in India cost, and how do I book from abroad?
The full 14 days are quoted on request, because hotel tier, car, month and flights change the total; the Golden Triangle part is published from US$299 (4 days) and US$449 (6 days) per person, two sharing. A 20% deposit locks your dates and price, with a full refund if you cancel within 48 hours of paying; pay by card through Razorpay (international cards accepted) or PayPal, and the balance before the trip.
Tell us your dates — we'll shape the two weeks around them
Your month, how many of you, the hotel tier you like and whether you’d rather end in the mountains or the South. You get a day-by-day plan and a US-dollar quote, then decide.
We usually reply within 2 hours, 9 am–9 pm IST (UTC+5:30). Email info@suzutravels.com if you don’t use WhatsApp.
Booking: A 20% deposit locks your dates and price. Full refund if you cancel within 48 hours of paying. Pay by card (Razorpay, international cards accepted) or PayPal; the balance is due before the trip.
Your message goes only to the Suzu Travels team in Himachal and is used only to answer your enquiry — we do not sell or share it. Privacy policy.
Keep exploring
Sources
- Taj Mahal (official) — getting around Agra: road distances, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri hours
- Taj Mahal (official) — visiting hours and Friday closure
- Taj Mahal (official) — Agra's UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- UNESCO — Mountain Railways of India (Kalka–Shimla Railway)
- National Portal of India — Shimla, Manali and Kalka–Shimla railway distances
- Himachal Tourism — Manali (Rohtang Pass, Solang, distances)
- PM India — Atal Tunnel
- Himachal Tourism — Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj
- Incredible India — Dharamshala
- India Meteorological Department — normal monsoon onset and withdrawal dates
- UK FCDO — India travel advice
- UK FCDO — India: safety and security
- India e-Visa — the only official site
Written by the Suzu Travels team in Himachal Pradesh, India. Facts checked 19 Oct 2026. Prices, visa rules and road conditions change — we re-check this page regularly; ask us before you book.
