Last Updated on November 3, 2024
JC and I had India on our bucket list for the last few years. During COVID we had become Indian food aficionados; cooking Indian food online with a chef based out of Jodhpur, we soon were cooking homemade Indian food weekly. I watched my favorite YouTubers Steve & Jess of Flying the Nest travel to India and fell in love with the idea of a trip to India. Between the delicious food and the awe inspiring sights, we knew that India would be the trip of a lifetime. With so many musts on our India bucket list, it was a daunting trip to plan. Even after so much research, we felt that it would make sense to enlist the help of locals. For this reason, we hired the Delhi based travel agency India for Beginners to help us plan and coordinate our trip to India. With their assistance, we were able to piece together the ultimate first-time trip to India. Read below for all the details on how to plan your first trip to India, including our 8-day itinerary covering many of the major sites of Rajasthan, Northern India.
Our 8-Day Northern India Itinerary
Arrival day: Fly Berlin to Delhi. Land in Delhi at 11:30 pm. Stay the night at Prakash Kutir Bed and Breakfast located 17 minutes driving from the airport in New Delhi. This bed & breakfast is a homestay, meaning you will be sleeping at a family’s home.
Day 1: Wake up and have a homemade Indian breakfast at your homestay. Meet your guide and driver for a full-day of sightseeing. Start in New Delhi with a visit to Qutb Minar, the highest tower in Delhi. Continue by driving to Old Delhi, walking the crowded streets of Chandni Chowk and taking a thrilling rickshaw ride. Experience the spice market on Khari Baoli road. Follow your guide on a street food walking tour. Visit the Sikh temple Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib. Finish with a visit to Humayun’s Tomb.
Day 2: Your driver will pick you up to take you on your first India train journey aboard the Gatimaan Express headed to Agra. Check in at The Coral Tree Homestay. Have your first peek at the Taj Mahal that evening from the Agra Fort and then later from a viewpoint.
Day 3: Wake up bright and early to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise! We left our hotel at 5:20 am in order to get in line (about 15 minutes walking). The gates opened around 6:40 am and we were one of the first in line. Later in the afternoon, head to your next destination by car (5 hours): Ranthambore. Check in at Ranthambore Heritage Haveli.
Day 4: Go for morning (6 am) and afternoon (4 pm) safaris in Ranthambore National Park in a shared jeep (6 people).
Day 5: Have one last safari in the morning and then drive to Jaipur (3.5 hours). Check in at Welcomheritage Traditional Haveli. Eat at the excellent rooftop restaurant at Hotel Sweet Dream.
Day 6: Day of Jaipur sightseeing, including: Amer fort, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. Later go shopping for souvenirs at Nehru Bazar. Eat dinner again at Hotel Sweet Dream, because it is that good.
Day 7: Take the train from Jaipur to Jodhpur (7 hours). Drive from train station to Chotta’s homestay. Take an evening cooking class with Chotta and his family.
Day 8: Make breakfast with Chotta’s family. Observe the family tradition of rug weaving. Relax before heading to the airport for your internal flight back to Delhi before heading home.
How to plan your first trip to India – fly into Delhi
For our first trip to India, we flew to the city of Delhi. Unfortunately, Berlin has no direct flights, so we flew with Lufthansa to Munich, and then from Munich to Delhi. We stayed at Prakash Kutir Homestay in Delhi, located only 15 minutes driving from the airport. The rooms were nothing fancy, but the breakfast was very delicious and the proximity to the airport was convenient.
The next morning, after breakfast, we were picked up by our driver and guide for a full-day of sightseeing in Delhi. FYI in India, do not expect your driver and guide to be the same person. The qualifications to be a driver versus the qualifications to be a guide are very different. Therefore, we were always accompanied by two different people.
Our first sightseeing was to visit the Qutb Minar. This tower is the tallest in Delhi and constructed in the Islamic style. It is very different from Hindu style architecture; you will notice the differences as you do more sightseeing in India. Afterwards, our driver and guide drove us toward Chandni Chowk, which is a specific area of Old Delhi. The traffic was so bad that we actually had to get out of the car at one point and walk there. And speaking of traffic, watch out! Between the motorcycles and the cows, walking in Delhi is not for the faint of heart! The good news is that drivers do seem to watch out for pedestrians, and we did not witness any accidents. It was what could call ‘friendly chaos.’
Enjoy a street food tour in Chandni Chowk
In Chandni Chowk we went on a walking street food tour with our guide. However, since I was 3 months pregnant at the time, we only looked at the food on the streets, we did not actually eat anything. The main concern in India is getting ‘Delhi belly’, usually from unhygienic food places using tap water rather than bottled water. Originally, our agency did not want us to go on a food tour due to my pregnancy. But since we insisted, our guide took us to see all the food on the streets (a real tease), but then took us to eat at Haldiram’s. There, you can eat all the street food in a hygienic setting. Our guide did let us get lassis on the street, though, which were delicious and very different from the mango lassis we usually drink at home. (For one thing, there is no option of mango lassi). When going to Delhi we would definitely recommend a street food tour in Chandni Chowk!
Visit the Sikh temple Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and help to feed visitors
In Chandni Chowk we had the opportunity to visit the Sikh temple Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib. Here, anyone can come and worship, no matter their religion. All are welcome. There is also a full kitchen here that is operated by volunteers. The kitchen serves up to 30,000 meals a day here to anyone who wants one. We watched volunteers making chapati in a large circle, kneading the dough in their hands. We could have eaten here, but we had just finished our food tour and eaten at Haldiram’s. Overall, it was a very nice environment, and if we had gone back another day I would have gladly stayed to help roll chapati and eat a meal.
Take a rickshaw ride through the streets of Chandni Chowk
After the temple visit, we took a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk and to our next destination. A rickshaw is a type of cart driven by a bike rider. Experiencing Chandni Chowk on rickshaw is definitely not for the faint of heart! It is a thrilling ride through crowds of people. It was fun to see the market streets from the perspective of the rickshaw.
How to plan your first trip to India – travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal
On our second morning in India, we took the Gatimaan Express train to Agra. This is a quick train ride, only 1 hour and 40 minutes. This is a tourist train, so it is perfectly safe to eat the food on the train (we asked our tour agency). During our train ride we were continuously eating! We received a breakfast box, coffee and tea, as well as cereal with milk, fruit and more. Since it is a short train ride, you sit in chairs as opposed to the sleeper trains which have bunk beds.
Once in Agra, we checked into our bed and breakfast, The Coral Tree Homestay. The Coral Tree is ideally located walking distance from the Taj Mahal West Gate Entrance. That afternoon, we went with our guide to visit the Agra Fort. From the fort you can already see the Taj Mahal, which was a fun precursor to the next day’s viewing. The Agra fort also has white marble in certain parts, just like the Taj. Later that evening, we chose to get an even closer sneak peek of the Taj from a viewpoint. Here, we saw the Taj from across the river. While it was fun to get a first look, nothing compared to seeing the Taj Mahal up close the following morning at sunrise.
See how the white marble of the Taj was made
After seeing the Taj from afar, our guide brought us to a white marble shop where they also did a demonstration of how the gemstone designs are placed on the white marble. This is the exact same process that was done to create the Taj Mahal. It was very impressive to see the amount of work and skill that goes into the design process. Of course, after the demonstration they want you to shop. We ended up buying a small tea light holder for my parents of white marble with red gemstones. The red gemstones glow in the dark, just like the red stones of the Taj glow in the moonlight.
Plan to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise for the least crowds
We had planned to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. In October, when we went, sunrise was at around 7 am. This meant we were in line at around 5:30 am. We woke up at 5 am, met with our guide at the bed & breakfast, and walked to the West Gate entrance. We had already purchased our tickets online, which I would recommend doing. You can buy them online here. The Taj is the only monument that you can buy tickets for online. Notice that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, and be sure to buy entrance to the mausoleum as well if you would like to go inside the Taj. The gates opened at about 6:30 am and we had passed security, presented our tickets and were inside by 6:45 am. And wow! Was it worth getting up early. We were one of the first people inside and we had the Taj practically to ourselves. Our guide informed us that Indians will never get up so early, so the timing was perfect to avoid crowds and the heat. We had completely unobstructed views and got photos of ourselves in front of the Taj with no one in them!! I would 100% recommend seeing the Taj at sunrise to have the best experience.
How to plan your first trip to India – travel to Ranthambore for safari
After staying 2 nights in Agra, our driver picked us up to drive us to Ranthambore. We stayed at the Heritage Haveli, which is a short drive away from the majority of the entrance gates to the National Park. We decided to do safari in India because it is one of the few places in the world where you can see wild tigers. After our safari honeymoon in Kenya the previous year, we were safari obsessed, and the thought of spotting the elusive tiger was all too appealing. However, rather than a private safari, which is very expensive, we opted for the 6-seater jeep. The choice is between a 6-seater jeep and a canter bus, which fits 50 people. A bus, we assumed, would be much slower and more difficult to view wildlife from. And after our private safari vehicle in Kenya, we thought it would be too much of a downgrade.
Read more: How to Plan a Safari in Kenya | Everything You Need to Know
Ranthambore National Park works with a zoning system
What we did not know prior to our safari in Ranthambore was that the national park works in a zoning system. The entire park is divided into 10 zones. Each vehicle leaving for safari is assigned a zone and cannot leave that zone for the duration of the drive. The problem with zones 6-10 is that they are on the opposite end of the park; therefore, you have to spend a long time driving there. For example, to reach zones 9 and 10 it is an almost 45 minute drive from the entrances to zones 1-5. There are around 80 tigers in Ranthambore, but most of them are living in parts of the park not accessible to the public. Each zone accessible by tourists has around 1-2 tigers living there. Sometimes the tigers cross from one zone to the adjacent zone. The best time to see the tigers is early morning before sunrise. Unfortunately, since we were assigned the higher zone numbers, we spent valuable tiger spotting time driving long distances to the entrances. This already made our chance of seeing tigers by the time we got there very low. If you have the chance to choose your zones when booking your safari drives (we did not), choose zones 1-5.
The safari guides in Ranthambore do not speak great English
One thing that really surprised us about our safari drives in Ranthambore was that the guides did not speak very good English. Some even spoke little to none. This made things difficult because we could not communicate properly with the guides and ask questions about what we were seeing. In our last drive, one of the tourists spoke Hindi, so this helped us to communicate a lot. We asked our travel agency about a guaranteed English speaking guide, and they told us that it would be an extra cost that we would pay, but that all guests in our vehicle would benefit from. We elected to do it in the end, but unfortunately there was no one available on such short notice. Our recommendation would be to pay extra for an English speaking guide.
Do not expect an African safari in India
I think the biggest mistake we made going into the safaris in Ranthambore was comparing it with Kenya. An Indian safari is not equivalent to an African safari. The terrain is completely different. Also the quantity of animals and the types of animals you see is drastically different. In Ranthambore, we mainly saw deer. We were even excited to see deer. You cannot compare with our safari drives in Masai Mara in Kenya where we saw over 30 different species of animals on our first day including lions, hyenas and leopards. In Ranthambore, we saw one leopard on our last drive and it was from very far away and for a few seconds. In the Masai Mara we had a pack of lions literally next to our car to observe at our leisure. We had leopard cubs wrestling in front of our car in Tsavo West in Kenya. In summary, if you want an incredible wildlife experience, go to Africa. If you want to spot a Bengal tiger in the wild, you can try your luck in India, but prepare to be disappointed.
How to plan your first trip to India – visit the pink city of Jaipur
Eat at Hotel Sweet Dream Restaurant while in Jaipur
After our two nights in Ranthambore, our driver picked us up to drive us the 3.5 hours to Jaipur. In Jaipur we stayed in a hotel called Welcomheritage Traditional Haveli. The hotel is very beautiful, like a palace. On our first night there, we asked for a dinner recommendation from the hotel staff, and were highly recommended the rooftop restaurant at Hotel Sweet Dream. We ordered the Maharaja thali and two fruit lassis and the food was incredible! It was also a lot of fun because they brought out turbans for us to wear while eating and took our photo. There was entertainment in the form of fireworks plus live music. And the staff working there was so kind! We loved our meal and experience there so much that we ate there again the following night. I would highly recommend paying Hotel Sweet Dream restaurant a visit while in Jaipur!
Prepare for a full day of sightseeing while in Jaipur
We started our day in Jaipur with a quick stop in front of the ‘Wind Palace’ or Hawa Mahal. The pink sandstone facade is particularly beautiful. The palace was built with many windows so that the ladies in waiting inside could watch what was happening outside without being seen themselves. Afterwards we visited the Amber Fort, which is remarkable inside. The beautiful carvings and decorations of the interior structures, as well as the gardens make it a must-visit. We saw many couples taking wedding photos inside the fort, which definitely attests to its interior beauty. Next, we visited The City Palace. The royal family of Jaipur still resides in the palace, but they open up part of the interior to visitors. There are also museums within the palace featuring photos and artifacts of the past royal families. It is quite interesting and also beautiful to visit with many intricately decorated exteriors and entrance ways. We ended our day in Jaipur at Jantar Mantar , an astrological garden located across the street from the palace.
Shop the markets for souvenirs while in Jaipur
Jaipur is known worldwide for its jewelry and gemstones. If you are looking to buy real jewelry while in India, you should do it while in Jaipur. Unfortunately for us, our budget did not afford us to buy any jewelry. However, we did do some souvenir shopping while in Jaipur: at the Chandpole Bazaar. This is a collection of inexpensive shops selling scarves, shirts, saris, costume jewelry, etc. We bought a sari and shoes for Isabella and JC bought some shirts and scarves to give to his family at Christmas. Be sure to negotiate! We were will to barter for everything we bought in the market – it is expected.
How to plan your first trip to India – finish your trip at Chotta’s homestay
When planning our first trip to India, we knew we had to make a visit to Chotta. We have been cooking online with Chotta since 2021 during the Corona pandemic. We fell in love with his home cooked food and have been cooking with him online ever since. Our dream was to go and visit him and his family and cook with him in person. He operates a homestay, so this was definitely a dream we could make a reality. His homestay is about 40 minutes driving outside of the city of Jodphur. We took a train (1st class AC) 6 hours (!!!) from Jaipur to Jodphur and then were picked up by our driver to take us the rest of the way. It was a long journey! But well worth it to finally meet Chotta in person.
Read more: How to ‘Travel’ During Coronavirus | Without Leaving Your Home
A note about trains in India – We took a lot of time in planning our trip to India, including our transportation. We really wanted to experience everything that we could during our trip, including train travel. However, traveling by train in India is not so straightforward. 1st AC Class, 2nd AC Class, Executive Class…. the fare types and cabins are not necessarily straightforward. When we took the train from Delhi to Agra it was very much like any train we have taken in Europe (except with a lot more food!). However, the train from Jaipur to Jodhpur was very different. We took 1st AC Class which meant that we had a bunk bed to lie down on. We shared the cabin with one other couple with another bunk bed. (Although you can book an unshared cabin with only one bunk bed). We got really lucky and our cabin mates were a very nice couple who we befriended and talked with for the entire 6 hour trip. This definitely made the time pass quickly!
Take a cooking class with Chotta and his family at Chotta’s homestay
Chotta’s homestay is made up of charming huts that offer all the modern amenities you could ask for. We were very comfortable staying there for one night. The first night we arrived we immediately got to work cooking dinner with Chotta’s wife, Mamata. It was such a cool experience to finally cook the dishes in person after years of cooking separated by a computer screen. While online is always a great option, nothing can really substitute hands on instruction. We learned how to make perfectly round chapati, cooked delicious soft potato and cauliflower with spices, made rice and vegetables over a wood burning oven. The finishing touch was eating the meal we had cooked with Chotta’s entire family as well as other guests, seated on the floor outside of the kitchen. The food was out of this world delicious and the experience was like non other. Truly a highlight of the entire trip. After dinner and a shower, Chotta’s sister-in-law applied henna die to my hands and feet. It is important not to wash where you apply the henna for the best results.
Observe the tradition of rug weaving while at Chotta’s
The next morning, we cooked breakfast with Mamata, including learning how to make perfect puri and delicious chai. The food in India really is par to none. After breakfast, Chotta gave us a rug weaving demonstration. His entire family’s trade is rug weaving. They operate as a collective, and Chotta travels with the villages’ rugs to different trade fairs in other cities. We bought one rug for ourselves and one rug for JC’s mom as a 60th birthday surprise gift. It was the perfect way to take a little bit of India and our time with Chotta and his family home with us to Berlin. Afterwards, our driver came to pick us up and take us to the Jodhpur airport to catch our domestic flight back to Dehli before continuing home to Berlin.
You can see our entire India itinerary below:
