A first trip to India suits a focused route rather than the whole country. Start in Delhi, then add Jaipur, Jodhpur and Varanasi in visiting order, with the best weather from October to March. Check visa rules on the official online portal before you book.

Indian nationals UK visa: what this guide covers, and how many days India deserves

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For a first-timer, I suggest 8 to 10 days in the north, which is an editorial estimate rather than a sourced figure. That is enough for Delhi, one stop in Rajasthan and a brief Varanasi visit without rushing. A route built around the Golden Triangle Tour Package is a sensible starting point if you want Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in one loop.

NRIs visiting family or pilgrimage sites usually need longer. Two to three weeks gives room for family time, a temple visit and a rest day. Every extra city means another long journey, so a good rule is one base per three or four nights. Covering many cities feels impressive on paper, but it leaves little time for darshan, meals and sleep.

Sights in a sensible visiting order

Begin in Delhi for two or three days. Give the first day to the older lanes and a major monument, and keep the second for the places you have chosen. Delhi is also the most common arrival point for direct flights from the UK, so it suits a first night before the train or road journey south.

Next is Jaipur, where I would allow two days (editorial estimate). Visit the Amber Fort Experience early, before the coaches arrive, and walk through the Sheesh Mahal, the mirror palace inside the fort. Allow the rest of the day for the City Palace and the bazaars.

Then travel on to Jodhpur, which gives you the Blue City and a long, quiet fort visit. Mehrangarh Fort, its museum and the ramparts take a full morning (editorial estimate), and Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial, takes about an hour. Two nights is a comfortable stay.

Varanasi comes after Jodhpur or as a separate leg. Plan two nights so you can see the nightly Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, which is a fire ceremony best watched from a boat on the Ganges or from the steps. The sunrise boat ride the next morning is the quieter counterpart to the evening. Ganga Aarti & Ghats Tour options exist if you want a guided introduction, which you can find through the Varanasi Ganga Aarti & Ghats Tour page.

Kerala is best treated as a separate southern leg rather than a continuation. It is known for its food: sadhya served on a banana leaf, karimeen pollichathu, appam with stew, Malabar biryani and payasam. Kochi and Alleppey are the key stops, and the backwaters suit a slower pace of three or four days (editorial estimate).

Best time to visit by season

October to March is the most pleasant window for the north-focused sights in this route. The months outside this window are hotter, and the monsoon brings rain and slower travel. Check current seasonal conditions for your dates, because I am not giving temperatures here.

Festival fairs and major pilgrimage periods bring very large crowds. If your dates fall near a fair, book transport and hotels earlier, and expect slower roads and busier temples. Some readers prefer a quieter weekday in the non-festival season, which I would recommend for calm darshan. Readers who want more detail can start with our page on Experience My India.

How to get there and the entry paperwork

Direct flights from the UK run to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with onward connections to the Golden Triangle, Kerala, Goa and Varanasi. If you are travelling from elsewhere, check connections carefully, as routings change.

For most foreign tourists, the entry route is the online e-Visa on the official portal, which is indianvisaonline.gov.in, described as the only official site. Applications open 4 to 120 days before travel, and payment must be made at least 4 days before arrival. The portal states no processing time, so leave a margin and wait for the grant email before flying. More on this is on our page on Ayodhya Ram Mandir Tour.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months when you apply and have two blank pages. Apply on the passport you will travel with. The 30-day tourist visa costs US$25, or US$10 in April to June, plus a 3% bank charge.

The portal names only Japan and South Korea as nationalities eligible for a visa on arrival, with the UAE allowed under conditions. Everyone else who is eligible must apply online and wait for a grant before flying. If you hold an Indian passport, an OCI card or NRI status, the rules are not covered in these sources, so confirm them separately.

Etiquette at temples, ghats and forts, and what to skip

Dress modestly at temples and ghats, with shoulders and knees covered as a baseline. Remove footwear where asked, and check photography rules before entering any shrine. Some areas forbid photos entirely, and a polite question to the staff is always welcome. Readers who want more detail can start with our page on Mehrangarh Fort Tour.

At Varanasi, arrive at the ghats before dusk for the aarti. Do not block the steps or the boats during the ceremony, and keep your voice down. The river is a place of worship as much as a viewpoint.

Skip rushed multi-city days if you want calm darshan. Skip crowded fair days too, unless the festival is the reason for your trip. I would rather you see one temple well than three in a hurry.