One Week Itinerary for North India

A week is the perfect length for a first, unforgettable taste of North India, long enough to see the region's very greatest highlights properly at a comfortable, unhurried pace, but short enough to fit into a single trip. The classic and most popular one-week itinerary is the Golden Triangle, the iconic circuit linking Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, which takes in the best of India's Mughal and Rajput heritage, with time to spare for a rewarding extension if you wish. This guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages sets out a full day-by-day one-week North India itinerary and how to adapt and extend it to suit you, ideal for planning a Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years guiding the Golden Triangle for Experience My India I have planned countless one-week North India trips, for first-time visitors and returning travellers alike. Here is the clear, practical guide.

One week in North India at a glance

The classic one-week North India itinerary

This is the classic, tried-and-tested, well-paced route, the famous Golden Triangle, which takes in the very best of North India's Mughal and Rajput heritage, its greatest monuments, forts, palaces and bazaars, over a comfortable and rewarding week without ever feeling rushed. Here it is set out clearly, day by day.

Day 1: Delhi, Old Delhi

Arrive in Delhi, India's grand, ancient and endlessly fascinating capital and begin your trip with the atmospheric old city. See the mighty red-sandstone Red Fort, the great Mughal fortress-palace from which India's independence is proclaimed each year; the grand Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque, from whose gate you look out over the rooftops of the old city; and the bustling, colourful, wonderfully chaotic lanes of Chandni Chowk, perhaps with a cycle-rickshaw ride through the crowded bazaars and some famous, delicious street food along the way. Old Delhi is a wonderful, vivid, sensory first introduction to the colour and life of India and our things to do in Delhi guide covers the whole capital in full.

Day 2: Delhi, New Delhi

Explore imperial New Delhi, the elegant, spacious garden city built by the British in the early twentieth century, with the grand ceremonial avenue leading up to the memorial arch of India Gate, the exquisite red-and-white Humayun's Tomb, a beautiful garden tomb that was a direct architectural forerunner of the Taj Mahal itself and the soaring, twelfth-century Qutub Minar, along with the stately domed government buildings and, if you wish, a serene Sikh or Hindu temple or a peaceful garden. This second full day gives you a rich, rounded and layered picture of Delhi, from ancient ruins to Mughal splendour to imperial grandeur to modern capital, before you head onward to Agra the following morning.

Day 3: Delhi to Agra

Drive to Agra, about four hours away on the smooth Yamuna Expressway, in the morning, leaving Delhi behind and crossing into the state of Uttar Pradesh. On arrival in the afternoon, visit the magnificent Agra Fort, the great walled red-sandstone Mughal fort and palace from which the emperors once ruled much of India and from whose marble pavilions the imprisoned Shah Jahan gazed across the river at the Taj he had built. Settle in to your hotel for the evening, perhaps with a first, tantalising distant view of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna at the Mehtab Bagh garden at sunset, as our things to do in Agra guide describes the Taj city in full.

Day 4: Agra to Jaipur

Rise early for the Taj Mahal at sunrise, its most beautiful, peaceful and magical time, when the soft, changing morning light turns the flawless white marble through delicate shades of pink, cream and gold and the great daytime crowds have yet to arrive. Take your time to admire this incomparable wonder of the world, a monument of love and one of the great sights of a lifetime and to hear its story. Then, after breakfast, drive on towards Jaipur, about four to five hours away, stopping en route at the magnificent, hauntingly abandoned Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri, with its palaces and great gateway, arriving in the vibrant Pink City of Jaipur by the evening.

Day 5: Jaipur

Explore Jaipur, the vibrant Pink City and the grand capital of Rajasthan, starting with the majestic, honey-coloured hilltop Amber Fort just outside the city, reached up a winding road or by open jeep, with its grand courtyards, gardens and dazzling mirror palace. Then, back in the city, see the grand City Palace, still home to the royal family, the beautiful pink honeycomb facade of the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds and the fascinating Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory with its giant stone instruments, as our things to do in Jaipur guide covers the Pink City and its many treasures in full.

Day 6: Jaipur or an extension

Enjoy more of Jaipur at a relaxed, unhurried pace, its wonderful colourful bazaars full of textiles, gemstones, jewellery and handicrafts, its lovely gardens and palaces and its famous, hearty Rajasthani food, perhaps with a cooking class, an elephant or heritage experience or a visit to the hilltop Nahargarh Fort for glorious sunset views over the whole Pink City. Alternatively, use this valuable extra day for a rewarding extension, such as a nearby tiger safari, a sacred temple town or the very start of a deeper Rajasthan journey, as described in the section below.

Day 7: Jaipur to Delhi

Drive back to Delhi, about five to six hours on the highway, for your onward journey within India or your international departure, with a wonderful, memorable and full week of North India, its Mughal grandeur and its Rajput colour, its monuments, forts, palaces and bazaars, behind you. If your flight departs late in the evening, there may even be a little time for some last-minute shopping, a farewell meal or one final sight in Delhi on the way to the airport.

Variations and extensions

The real beauty of a one-week North India itinerary is just how easily it can be adapted, shaped and extended to suit your particular interests, since the core Golden Triangle circuit itself takes only about five to six comfortable days. With a full week to play with, you have room to slow down or, better still, to extend the classic circuit in several genuinely rewarding directions, each adding a whole new dimension to the trip:

• Add Varanasi: fly to the sacred, ancient city of Varanasi on the banks of the holy Ganges for a profound and moving spiritual highlight, with its riverside ghats, the spectacular evening Ganga Aarti and a serene sunrise boat ride on the river, as our Golden Triangle with Varanasi guide describes in full.

• Extend to Udaipur: continue on from Jaipur, deeper into southern Rajasthan, to the beautiful and famously romantic City of Lakes, with its shimmering lakes, floating island palaces and grand City Palace, as our Golden Triangle with Udaipur guide covers in detail.

• Add a tiger safari: include the famous tiger reserve of Ranthambore, conveniently near Jaipur, for a thrilling wildlife and jungle-safari dimension and the chance of a wild tiger sighting, as our Golden Triangle with Ranthambore guide describes.

• Add Mathura and Vrindavan: stop at the twin holy Krishna towns, which lie right on the Delhi to Agra road, for a taste of India's living devotion, as our Golden Triangle with Mathura and Vrindavan guide covers.

You can also, of course, simply take the classic Golden Triangle route more slowly, spending an extra night in each city to soak it in or start or finish the trip somewhere different. However you shape it, we tailor the whole week entirely to your interests, your pace and your travel dates.

How to travel on a one-week North India trip

For a one-week trip, where every day counts, the way you travel between the cities matters a good deal:

• By private car and driver: the most flexible and comfortable way by far for the Golden Triangle, letting you travel between the three cities entirely at your own pace, stop where you like along the way and keep your luggage with you throughout. This is what we usually arrange for our travellers.

• By train: fast, comfortable trains connect Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and can be a good, restful and scenic option for some legs, especially the quick Delhi to Agra express services, which some travellers prefer to drive.

• By flight: for the further extensions like Varanasi, a short domestic flight saves a great deal of time and keeps a one-week trip comfortably manageable, so you spend your days at the destinations rather than on long journeys.

For most one-week trips, a private car and driver through the Golden Triangle is the ideal choice, giving you complete flexibility and comfort, with a short flight added for any far-flung extension such as Varanasi to keep the pace relaxed and the days full of sightseeing rather than travel.

Best time to visit

The best time for a one-week North India itinerary is the cool season, October to March, when the weather right across the northern plains is cool, dry, sunny and pleasant and ideal for long, comfortable days of sightseeing at the Taj Mahal, the great forts and the opulent palaces, as our best time to visit North India guide explains in detail for the wider region.

Within this window, the shoulder months of February, March and October are often the very sweet spots, with the most pleasant weather and the clearest skies. Summers, from April to June, are very hot on the plains and best avoided altogether, while the monsoon, from July to September, brings humidity and some rain. So for the most comfortable and enjoyable week, aim firmly for the cool season from October to March.

Tips for your one-week trip

• Follow the classic Golden Triangle route for the very best of North India in a week.

• See the Taj Mahal at sunrise, its most beautiful, atmospheric and least crowded time.

• Use the spare day to relax and slow down or to add an extension that matches your interests.

• Travel by private car and driver through the Golden Triangle, with a short flight for far extensions.

• Visit October to March for the most pleasant weather and avoid the fierce summer heat.

• Pack light, comfortable clothes and good walking shoes, with a warm layer for winter mornings.

• Let us handle all the driving, timings and logistics so that you simply enjoy the trip itself.

Want a one-week North India itinerary planned around your interests, with everything sorted? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you.

Plan your trip with us

A one-week North India trip is easiest and most rewarding when the route, the driving, the timings and the stays are all carefully handled and coordinated for you, so that you never have to worry about the logistics and that is exactly what we do, a comfortable vehicle and a good driver, a well-paced day-by-day itinerary built around what you most want to see, any flights arranged for extensions and your hotels and sightseeing all sorted, so that you can simply relax and enjoy the very best of North India.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. Start with the classic circuit on our Golden Triangle tours and adapt the week as you wish or see the Taj at its finest on our Sunrise Taj tour. We can build it all within our wider Delhi Agra Tour Packages.

For another rewarding extension, our Golden Triangle with Rishikesh and Haridwar guide covers the Ganges and yoga.

Related guides

• New Delhi tour: the capital's imperial landmarks.

• Old Delhi tour: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.

• Delhi day tour: the best of the capital in a day.

Experience My India has personally hosted 50,000+ travelers and the service he leads is rated 4.9 from 2,600+ reviews, operating since 2015. Delhi Agra Tour Packages is a unit of Experience My India.