We have collected the main recommendations that will help you save your nerve cells if you have never been to this part of South Asia before. We have also selected a convenient tourist route for your first trip to India.
Which itinerary to choose for your first trip in India
India is a country with a huge number of nationalities with different traditions and cultures. And, as it often happens, getting to know one region will not give you an idea of the country as a whole.
A compromise way to tick the box for traveling in India is the so-called Golden Triangle. This is a popular itinerary that includes three cities in the north of the country.
- Delhi is the current and medieval capital of India during the Mughal Empire (now the capital is the New Delhi area).
- Jaipur is a colorful city in the state of Rajasthan, located southwest of Delhi.
- Agra is a place in the state of Uttar Pradesh where you can admire the Taj Mahal.
These cities are relatively close to each other, and they have many attractions. And yes, by drawing lines on the map between them, we do get a triangle.
It should be borne in mind that the north of India is not the resort Goa, where travelers usually hurry to fly after connections in Delhi and Mumbai. In these major cities, some level of independence will be required from the tourist.
Of course, you can buy a tour, but it will be more expensive than traveling independently, and the quality of package deals usually leaves much to be desired. So try to experience India on your own.
Confident travelers add Udaipur and Jodhpur (“white” and “blue” cities) to the triangle. And together with Jaipur, many of whose buildings are painted pink, they bring together the entire tourist palette of colored cities of Rajasthan.
Some people on their way from Jaipur to Agra visit the ancient step well of Chand Baori, while others from Delhi have time to visit the foothills of the Himalayas and the Ganges River in Rishikesh. For such an extended version of the itinerary, you should budget at least two to three weeks.
The classic “golden isosceles” will take ten days – that way the trip doesn’t turn into one very long and tedious excursion.
In order not to suffer from the heat, it is better to go in late fall, winter or early spring – at the same time you will have time for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or the Hindu holiday Holi (it takes place in February-March). However, you should understand that at this time of year a huge part of Indians also start traveling around the country, so there will be queues everywhere.
What you need to know before traveling
By the way, India is home to one and a half billion people – and you can feel it in everything. There is practically no personal space, there are crowds of people everywhere, and there is perpetual noise. The inhabitant of the country literally has to find a place under the sun. So urban India is not for introverts.
And be sure to take earplugs and a sleep mask with you – you will thank yourself later in the hotel, plane, train or bus. It is noisy almost everywhere in India.
The main rule remains attention to hygiene and health. A basic set of vaccinations and tested medications for the digestive system will come in handy.
Drink only bottled water and in the first few days do not eat street food if you do not want to catch an intestinal infection or poisoning.
What to do first after arriving in India
Buy a local SIM card right away – life will be more difficult without it. Wi-Fi is not everywhere, and you can easily use mobile internet to pay for public transportation and entrance tickets to attractions. In general, a SIM card is a must when traveling to India to avoid standing in queues and always be in touch.
You can also buy a card at the airport, but it will be more expensive and activation will take a few hours at best. It is better to do it at Airtel and Vodafone outlets in the city center or at major metro stations.
The Google Hindi translator will only help you translate the names of locations, and not everywhere – you won’t be able to talk to locals through it. But the navigation in public places is duplicated in English and is quite convenient if you can read the necessary word under a layer of Delhi dust.
Prices in India are democratic, but be prepared to bargain – a person who does not know how to play this game runs the risk of overpaying. The lower the price, the higher the markup: for a thing costing 50 rupees, they ask for 500 with the expectation that 500 is not much, especially for a tourist.
Name your price (but not too low so as not to offend the seller) and get ready to leave more often. Or even walk away. Don’t worry – they will catch up with you.
Exchanging currency in the cities of the Golden Triangle is not a problem. In Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, you don’t have to look for a bank or an exchange office: you can buy rupees in hotels, jewelry stores, stores and other inconspicuous offices at a pretty good rate.
How to travel in India
Between cities
Traveling within the Golden Triangle is most convenient by train, even though they can be late.
It takes 5-6 hours to travel from Delhi to Jaipur by train, and you can even find an overnight train. From Jaipur to Agra is a little less, and from Agra it takes a couple of hours to get back to Delhi.
Ideally, it is better to buy tickets in advance online or at the ticket offices at the stations (and without the services of the ubiquitous local travel agencies). Use the official IRCTC app/website or third-party RailYatri to search and purchase tickets.
There are several train stations in Delhi and Agra – study carefully which one you are departing from and where you are arriving.
Remember that in India the floor is not “lava” but a very comfortable place to rest. Many people have plaids with them, spread them out and wait for their trains, which, let us remind you, can be delayed for several hours. So come to the station a little earlier to have time to maneuver among other passengers.
In general, Indian railroads are not a scary thing at all. There are intuitive signposts, trains with power sockets, and carriages of every class – from economy cars with people hanging from the windows and doors to quite ordinary platzkart and compartments.
Inside the cities
Walking in smog and dust is not a pleasant adventure, so in India you have to use public transportation and cabs. On your own, you still have plenty of time to explore the bazaar streets, where it is physically impossible to pass even on a motoriksha (i.e. a three-wheeled motorcycle).
In some cities, cab drivers use meters, and the cars themselves come from an organized queue. But this is not the case in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, where drivers are almost guaranteed to quote you a price 5-6 times higher than the real one.
The ideal option in such a case is the Uber or Ola app. In them, by the way, you can even call a tuk-tuk, but it takes a long time and is not always successful. The main thing is to look in the app for a fair price for the route, to estimate the distance. And then you can bargain with the driver and reduce the price.
Keep in mind that in summer, in the traffic jams of big cities like Delhi, traveling in a tuk-tuk can be a real torment. During the hot season, it is better to call a normal air-conditioned vehicle through an app.
Don’t forget that Delhi has a convenient and quite extensive metro, where all information is duplicated in English, and one of the branches goes from the city center to the airport. In order not to get into eternal traffic jams by cab, travel long distances underground, and from the station take a tuk-tuk to your destination.
Jaipur has an overground metro, which is convenient for getting from the center to the station. In Agra, you can get around on foot and by motorized rickshaws.
Important: the classic Asian scooter rental (with a driver’s license, of course) is suitable only for rural roads in Goa or Kerala. Urban traffic in India is only for super-experienced motorcyclists and Bollywood movie characters. In other cases it is unsafe.
Where to live
The preferred option for finding accommodation is booking services. Many still don’t require a bank card, which is very convenient in the current climate.
However, even trusted sites in India should be used skillfully: do not be lazy to look at the comments and be able to recognize a real review from the one left by friends of the hotel owner. The room stock of inexpensive hotels often does not correspond to the photos at all.
Air conditioning is a must in any case: in summer for cooling, and in winter – for heating, because the nights in the north can be cold. It is also worth specifying the availability of Wi-Fi and hot water separately.
Avoid chain hotels OYO, Spot and Fab: in the best case you will get a completely ruined room there (and the worst is not even worth imagining). Some pictures of such hotels are blatantly photoshopped.
If you are able to use Airbnb, it is better to book an apartment in advance – many apartments are reserved for local tourists. To accept foreigners, the host will need to obtain a license in time.
Staying in an Indian hotel is an opportunity to feel like a real traveler from adventure novels: a bunk, a fan, a bedside table and noisy neighbors. But you will definitely not be without a roof over your head – you can find a night’s lodging just by walking down the street, looking at the signs and talking to callers. However, you will also have to bargain desperately.
By the way, the inscription hotel in India very often means a cafe, not a hotel, so pay attention to such names when looking not only for accommodation, but also for food.
Cuisine
It is also difficult to stay hungry in India: cafes and restaurants in tourist areas are located on every corner. A huge number of people in the country are vegetarians, but even in the north you can find meat, including pork and beef, on the menu.
If you like gastronomic experimentation, try something from Indian street food. But remember that it is often very spicy and not always safe. So favor heat-treated dishes, and avoid ice and sliced fruit.
Street food in India is extremely varied, but here are approximate prices for it within the Golden Triangle.
- Lunch at the local canteen is 100-200 rupees.
- Momo (dumplings), samosas (patties), pani puri (filled wheat balls), noodles – Rs 50-100.
- Masala chai (tea with milk and spices) – not more than Rs. 10-20.
You can start to get acquainted with street food at metro stations. Their prices are only slightly higher than on the street, but they look much nicer and clearly have access to running water.
If you think your stomach isn’t ready yet, pick up some of India’s popular packaged snacks – namkeens. These are usually made of different kinds of flour mixed with nuts and spices. Bottled water is also sold everywhere: a small bottle costs 10 rupees, a liter bottle – about 20 rupees.
If Indian food is not your cup of tea, the journey will be a little more difficult. But in general, it is possible to find European food.
What to expect from traveling in India in general
That everything is cheap in India, as many people think, is somewhat of a myth. It is easy to open a portal to unlimited spending in the country: individual tours, hotels of the level “I want to be like a maharaja” (i.e. an Indian prince), restaurants with European cuisine, service where a single person is responsible for every action. In general, a whole industry.
India is truly an inexpensive country only for the squeamish and unhurried. It is crucial to always remain calm and sociable, otherwise you will quickly lose out on another haggle in the market or risk being cheated.
But if you were attentive and this did not happen, then frankly noisy, chaotic and in some places shocking country will seem bright, tasty and very friendly. In short, “Incredible India”, as the official Indian tourist slogan says.
