Itineray advice/suggestions Delhi-Agra-Varanasi -

Lea

I will be leaving for India next month for 2 weeks, it will be first time to India and would like some advice about my trip route...

Delhi - 4 days
Agra - 2 days
Mathua - day trip
Fatehpur Sikri - day trip
Varanasi - 3 days
Jaunpur - day trip (has anyone been to Jaunpur? I'm wondering if it's worth stopping by)
back to Delhi

do I have sufficient days for each city? Anything on the way I should not miss? any suggestion's appreciated.

iyou

Do you mean Mathura? I think your itinerary is remarkably sensible. Most people try to fit too much in, but you've wisely confined yourself to a relatively small region. You won't be spending half of your time in India sitting in trains. I haven't been Jaunpur, so I can't comment on its worth as a place to visit, but I will say that Varanasi is a really worthwhile place, and that I'd cut a day or two off of Delhi, fascinating place that it is, to some anyway, in favor of spending more time in Varanasi. The river will be high, depriving you of one of the best walking routes, the ghats, but you'll still find it an amazing place. It's wise to keep it for the end. You'll be acclimated to Indian culture by then, more comfortable in your surroundings, and fully capable to relaxing and taking everything in. You're going to have an adventure, for sure. Horrible and great, often on the same day, but that's what makes India so great for visitors. Enjoy, and do write about your adventures when you get back. Post pics, too. You are taking your camera, aren't you?
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machadinha

I'll second what Iyou says, looks OK. 2 Weeks just isn't long & India can be difficult sometimes but I assume you knew that

I haven't been to Agra but most people seem to visit it just for the day to see the Taj, apparently it's a stressy city. So you could save a day there maybe. Jaunpur had a small report here a while ago and I read up on it some and it seemed very interesting.

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dan37_123

These are two important places, if feel you can easily include in your trip:

1. Jaipur
2. Bodhgaya

This is how i will modify the trip to accomodate these two places:

1. Chopoff one day from Delhi and use that day for going to Jaipur
2. Again chopoff one day from Agra and use that for going to Bodhgaya

So the changed plan may look like this.

1. Delhi (3days)-Agra(1day)-Jaipur (1day)-Delhi (TOTAL 5DAYS)
2. Mathua - day trip
3. Fatehpur Sikri - day trip
4. Varanasi (3 days)-Bodhgaya (1 day) -Varanai (TOTAL 4days)
5.Jaunpur - day trip (has anyone been to Jaunpur? I'm wondering if it's worth stopping by) -NO I HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT IS THERE IN JAUNPUR

Good luck
dan

guerik

It would probably make more sense to do the Mathura day trip from Agra, or on the way back to Delhi. And maybe Fatehpur Sikri from Agra too? But I think that may be what Lea meant in the OP.

Otherwise Dan's suggestions above look pretty good, and not completely unlike my plan for my next trip

But the real reason I'm posting is also to find out - what's in Jaunpur?

SHIMLA

Some information on Jaunpur at:

http://www.up-tourism.com/destination/jaunpur/main.htm

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guerik

Hmm ok looks interesting, thanks Shimla!

Lea: If you go there will you PM me with some feedback on it? Am thinking about going there now

machadinha

Or rather post a report on IndiaMike clearly entitled "Jaunpur: the good, the bad & the ugly" for all posterity to see of course!

Lea

Bodhgaya sounds interesting, but is there a direct train from Varanasi to Bodhgaya? my lonely planet didn't mention it.

by the way, thanks for all the inputs people. i have backpacked extensively throughout europe, but this india trip will be quite an adventure out of the ordinary i'm sure. i can't wait! i know i don't give it enough time as it deserves, but such is life working in the real world, only 2 stinky weeks of vacation a year.

dan37_123

By Train from Calcutta or Delhi (they stop either in Varanasi cantt or MugalSari -which is just 15 kms from varansi)
Trains run daily between New Delhi and Calcutta and most stop in Gaya, just 15km. from Bodhgaya. Good trains to catch are the Rajdhani Express, Purushottim Express, Poorva Express, Kalka Mail and Doon Express.

just google u will find tons of materila on bodhgaya. Its very important for buddhists, its like what Jerusalem is for christians and Mecca is for muslims.

good luck and enjoy your trip

dan