Delhi Agra Jaipur Jodphur Udaipur Varanasi Advice Needed

I'm planning a trip to India with an idea to visit the following places..

- Delhi
- Agra
- Jaipur
- Udaipur
- Jodphur
- Varanasi

I arrive in Delhi on 16th December and plan to fly to Goa on the 29th December. But i am at a loss of which way to visit all these places. I'd like only one overnight train and as flying from Delhi to Goa - need to be back in Delhi for 29th December around noon to get my flight. Happy to do a couple of cars, trains but no buses! And as few flights as possible due to cost.

Can anyone advise me of best itenery for this please.. I am very confused:

I guess I'd go to Varanasi first, then head back into Rajasthan; though it is an overnight trip from Delhi to Varanasi, and (can be) from Varanasi to Agra. Seems to me and my snail-like pace quite a few stops for you in a short time; lotsa movin' . . .

Delhi-Varanasi-Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Delhi (or reverse)

If you want to tackle the chaos of Varansi last, you would do reverse

All of them are overnight or 5-6 hours of train ride.
Jodhpur-Udaipur can be done as a car drive and combined with Ranakpur (Jain temples) and Kumbhalgarh fort on-route


You can also do... Delhi-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Jaipur-Varanasi-Agra-Delhi. Not much difference though.

Varanasi is the offshoot in all of this.

Look at a map to get a better idea.

Hmmm

Varanasi Vs Jaisalmer, very different, but both amazing places, Xmas in the sand dunes....

Hope your flight to/from Goa, and your Goa accommodation are already booked.

bond has a good point - if this is your first trip to India, Varanasi (and it's associated mayhem and magic, chaos and catharsis) might be best saved for last . . . Varanasi comes at you 24/7 . . . Jaiselmer/much of Rajasthan, sleeps some

There would be a minimum of 2 overnight trains for the destinations that you need to go.

Thanks Guys. Thankfully have done Mumbai a few times and Goa 6 times. Uk / Delhi / Goa flights booked and usual guest house in Goa also booked! I know Varanasi confuses it all but I really want to see it. Looks like I'll go Delhi to Varanasi and work my way back down.

Thanks for all your help