Colourful wooden boats on the Ganges by the ghats of Varanasi in golden evening light

Sample journey · 11–13 days

From Delhi to the Ganges: a first journey through North India

Delhi, Agra, Orchha, Khajuraho & Varanasi

Photo: Martijn Vonk / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

This is the classic North Indian arc that the Rajasthan route doesn't cover. It begins in Delhi, where the tombs of Mughal emperors stand in gardens amid the modern city, and continues to Agra, where the Taj Mahal looks even more delicate close up than in photographs. Then the route turns into a less visited heart of India: Orchha, a quiet town of palaces and royal cenotaphs beside the Betwa river, and Khajuraho, where gods, dancers and lovers carved in stone have adorned the temple walls for a thousand years.

To finish, Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Early in the morning a boat drifts past the ghats where pilgrims bathe in the Ganges, and in the evening a ceremony of fire lights up the riverfront. The journey is shaped as a first encounter with India: trains and short flights instead of long drives, two or three nights in each place, guides who help you make sense of what you see, and calm places to stay, from heritage homes to hotels with gardens, where you can breathe after a full day.

The route

The journey

Delhi
Agra
Orchha
Khajuraho
Varanasi
Sarnath
Delhi

01Days 1–3 · Delhi
Two cities in one
Two nights in Delhi, so there's time to recover after the flight. On the first full day, Old Delhi with a guide: the courtyard of the Jama Masjid glowing red in the morning sun, a rickshaw through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk between spice and fabric shops, and a Sikh gurdwara where volunteers feed thousands of people every day. In the afternoon, New Delhi with its broad colonial boulevards and Humayun's Tomb, the first great Mughal garden tomb and an inspiration for the Taj Mahal. In the evening, when the heat eases, a walk in the Lodhi Gardens, where Delhiites jog among tombs five hundred years old. On the third morning, a fast train to Agra, about two hours away.
02Days 3–5 · Agra
The Taj Mahal from both banks
On arrival, Agra Fort, the red sandstone citadel from which, the story goes, the emperor Shah Jahan spent his last years gazing at his wife's tomb. At sunset, the Mehtab Bagh garden on the far bank of the Yamuna, where the Taj Mahal is seen without the crowds, reflected in the river. The next morning, the Taj Mahal itself, as soon as the gates open: early in the day the marble turns pink or pearl, and there are fewer visitors. With a guide it's worth lingering over the inlay of semi-precious stones, which from a distance looks like painting. In the afternoon, the 'Baby Taj', the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, and rest. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so we plan the days in Agra around that.
03Days 5–7 · Orchha
A forgotten capital on the Betwa
On day five, a train south to Jhansi, about two and a half hours, then half an hour by road to Orchha. In the 16th and 17th centuries this was the capital of the Bundela kings; today it's a quiet town where palaces, temples and cenotaphs stand among the trees as though time had stopped. Two nights here slow the pace after Delhi and Agra. In the morning, the domed and balconied Jahangir Mahal and the murals of the Raja Mahal; in the afternoon, the Ram Raja Temple, where the god Rama is worshipped as a king, and the market around it. In the evening, the royal cenotaphs, tall domed monuments on the bank of the Betwa: at sunset their silhouettes are reflected in the river, and vultures often wheel above. There's time here simply to be, too: a walk by the river or a book in a garden.
04Days 7–9 · Khajuraho
Stone that dances
On day seven, about four hours by road through the villages and fields of Bundelkhand to Khajuraho. A thousand years ago the Chandela kings built dozens of temples here, of which around twenty survive. The next morning, while the light is soft, the Western Group with a guide: the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple rises like a range of peaks, and its walls are covered with hundreds of figures: gods, musicians, warriors, dancers and lovers. The famous erotic scenes are only a small part, and a guide helps place them in a whole view of the world. In the afternoon, the quieter Eastern and Southern groups, including the Jain temples. In the evening there's a sound and light show, or simply a walk through the village.
05Days 9–12 · Varanasi & Sarnath
Morning on the Ganges
On day nine, a short flight to Varanasi if one is operating at the time; otherwise an overnight train or a longer drive. Three nights here. On the first evening, a walk along the ghats to Dashashwamedh, where at dusk the ganga aarti takes place, a ceremony of fire, bells and chanting for the river. The next morning, before sunrise, a boat on the Ganges: pilgrims bathe and pray, washermen beat clothes against the stones, and at Manikarnika Ghat the funeral pyres burn. This is a place where death isn't hidden, so a guide explains how to behave respectfully and what not to photograph. In the afternoon, Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, with its stupa and museum. The third day is for the lanes of the old city, silk weavers and free time, and on day twelve, a flight to Delhi and the connection home.

Experience highlights

01
The Taj Mahal in two lights
Sunset from the Mehtab Bagh garden across the river, and early morning at the tomb itself.
02
The cenotaphs of Orchha
A quiet Bundela capital and domed memorials reflected in the Betwa river.
03
The sculpture of Khajuraho
Thousand-year-old temples whose walls carry hundreds of gods, dancers and lovers.
04
Varanasi from the water
Morning on the Ganges among pilgrims, washermen and the steps of the ghats, and a fire ceremony on the riverfront at dusk.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

At a slower pace
One more night in Orchha or Varanasi turns the journey gentler, with free afternoons after each full morning.
With Rajasthan
Jaipur is only a few hours from Agra, so the journey extends naturally into a week of Rajasthan's forts and palaces.
With tigers
Panna National Park lies close to Khajuraho, with Bandhavgarh a little further: a few morning safaris add an entirely different India.
Around a festival
If you'd like to see Diwali or Dev Deepavali, when thousands of lamps light the ghats of Varanasi, we would build the journey around those dates, which change each year.

Practical considerations

The best time is roughly October to March, when days are warm and nights cool. April to June is very hot, and roughly July to September brings the monsoon rains.
In December and January, thick fog is common across North India and can delay trains and flights, especially in the mornings, so at that time of year we leave more time between connections.
The Taj Mahal is closed to visitors on Fridays; train and domestic flight timetables change, so we check them before you travel.
In temples and mosques, shoulders and knees should be covered and shoes removed; in Varanasi we don't photograph at the cremation grounds. A guide always explains local customs.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.