India is a country of contrasts—chaotic yet serene, ancient yet modern. Over three weeks, I explored the bustling city of Delhi, the iconic sites of Rajasthan and the tranquility of Rishikesh. This blog will cover the route I took, the amazing experiences from cooking classes and yoga retreats to sleeping in the desert, my highlights and top travel tips. India is huge and can be overwhelming, so this blog will be the perfect guide for backpackers, cultural travellers, and foodies to help plan your trip.
Itinerary Overview
Delhi
We flew to Mumbai and had a transfer to New Delhi!
New Delhi
This city was quite a culture shock to be dropped into. We stayed in Bloomrooms @ New Delhi Railway Station and it was a nice slice of calm in the middle of the chaos of the city. It was reasonably priced (I’m pretty sure breakfast was included too), clean, really comfy beds, and friendly staff. They also helped us book our transport for the rest of India.
Whilst in New Delhi we had a driver take us round some key sites such as the markets, India Gate, Red Fort, Rajghat Memorial (where Mahatma Gandhi was creamated), Gandhi’s museum, Connaught Place, etc. We did get a little bit scammed by our driver as he told us we had to pay for a rickshaw to be taken around the markets and it was more money than we agreed.
All in all, I won’t be rushing back to Delhi as it felt dirty and busy, but I am glad I went and have seen it.
Rajasthan
Pushkar
Pushkar was probably one of my favourite places. It was less busy, a bit more peaceful and there was a market with lots of shops to get items and souvenirs. It was nice to walk around the market and in all the different shops selling a variety of items. Whilst here I bought some incense, an incense holder, and a pashmina shawl to keep covered while in India.
A focal point of the area is Pushkar Lake. This lake is seen as sacred for the Hindi’s and is an important pilgrimage site. We found a nice rooftop cafe serving lot of vegan food, (I had a lovely vegan shakshuka), that overlooked the lake and offered a moment of calm. There were plenty of options in the area to choose from.
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer was another favourite location of mine. It is known as the Golden City, due to its yellow sandstone architecture, which I thought made it look like a pretty city. We ate our dinner on a rooftop and it was nice to look out over the buildings, eating a Thali and Aloo Jeera. A key thing to do here is Jaisalmer fort. Make sure you leave plenty of time to stroll around the narrow streets and look in all the different shops.
One of my favourite experiences while travelling was when we got to sleep in the desert. And by sleep in the desert, I mean literally a two person cot, out under the sky and stars with a duvet. There isn’t a toilet so I wouldn’t recommend if you have Delhi belly (unless you don’t mind doing your business in a bush). The experience started by being shown a hut we could opt to stay in, having a drink and relaxing while everyone arrived, then people could do a camel ride, walk out to the desert or do a buggy ride in the sand dunes and visit a local town. We opted out of the camel ride for ethical reasons. Later in the evening there was a traditional dance show with live music and a meal. After this we were driven out to the desert to where we would be sleeping. It was incredible seeing the stars and falling asleep outside in such a peaceful setting. The next morning we woke up with the sun to see the sunrise and then got picked up early and taken back.
Jodhpur
Jodhpur, also know as the ‘Blue city’, is a busy city nestled in the Thar desert, with the Mehrangarh fort overlooking the blue buildings. It was very busy and noisy, but with lots of character. There was lots of shops to look for souvenirs and goodies in, especially teas and spices. There is an outdoor food market as a central point. The Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada were highlights of the city. It was nice to walk around and see the history, however, if you are of a different race, be prepared to be stopped often by locals. It did feel like a bit of a dirty city and was sensory overload at times, but where we stayed had a rooftop restaurant looking over the fort and the blue landscape of the city. At sunset with the children flying their kites it was beautiful, and (almost) peaceful.
Ranakpur
We weren’t originally going to stop here, but we wanted to see the temple and spend the night in a nicer hotel in a peaceful area. Ranakpur Jain Temple was genuinely one of the most beautiful temples we saw on our travels. There weren’t loads of hotel options here, especially in our backpacker budget, but we ended up staying at a really nice hotel that was an oasis after a lot of chaos.
Udaipur
I was expecting Udaipur to be a little less busy than it was, but we went during Krishna’s birthday, a huge cultural festival meaning it was busier and louder than usual. I did like walking around the Old Town and it felt a bit safer than other areas. Again, there were lots of shops to look in and rummage through, including book shops, souvenir shops, clothes stores, gift stores and art shops.
Alongside eating great food, going to cafes and looking in the shops, there is plenty to see and do here. One of my favourite things was doing a cooking class here. I did it at Durga’s cooking class, which was actually on the rooftop of where we were staying. I really enjoyed learning how to make a variety of things such as pakoda, aloo jeera, biryani, daal fry and paneer masala. It was very affordable and a lot of fun, I highly recommend. Plus Durga was really nice and an amazing teacher!
Other things to do include visiting the Lady Garden which was really nice to stroll through, the heritage walk through the Old Town, a painting class, visiting the lake, and the City Palace Museum. The palace was very beautiful and was nice to spend time walking around!
Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and has some beautiful buildings and architecture to explore, but it was probably one of my least favourite cities we visited. Our driver had pre-warned us of this but it was incredibly busy and loud and a bit overwhelming, however, there is a lot to see here. Hawa Mahal is a famous building to go and see, and is a beautiful piece of architecture. There are multiple forts to explore including the Jaigarh Fort, the Amer fort (aka the Amber Fort) and the Nahargarh fort. We visited them all but didn’t pay to go in any. When we got to the courtyard of the Amer fort, there were people riding elephants which ruined our experience so we left. Other things to see are the City Palace, Pana Meena ka Kund, and the Albert Hall Museum.
Agra
Here is where one of the most beautiful and famous buildings in the world is; the Taj Mahal. I still can’t quite believe I have seen it with my own eyes. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. It is seen as a monument of love and devotion, and is one of the seven wonders of the world. Built between 1632 and around 1653, the Taj Mahal is a blend of Persian, Islamic, and Indian styles, and involved the labor of over 20,000 workers, 1,000 elephants and the use of materials from across India and beyond. The white marble of the Taj Mahal can change colour throughout the day, appearing pink at dawn, white at midday, and golden at sunset. We opted to go at sunrise!
Other than the Taj Mahal, we didn’t do much, but some sights include: the Baby Taj, Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh, Fatehpur Sikri, Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Center, Sadar bazaar and the Jama Masjid.
Rishikesh
After seeing the key sights of Rajasthan, we had earned a bit of peace, yoga and meditation by the Ganges. Rishikesh is the birth place of yoga and meditation, so we wanted to do a retreat here and relax for a few days. The accommodation was incredibly basic, but the food prepared each day was lovely and the classes were great. We tried different types of yoga, meditation and pranayama. The classes were informative and I learnt a lot in the short time we were there. They also did a traditional Hindu ceremony for us one night, which was a lovely experience. Other than being mildly attacked by some monkeys when we left the complex, we had an amazing time here.
Amritsar
We just flew out of India from here, but can you can see the Golden Temple – a spiritual site for Sikhs – if you have time.
Travel Tips
Transport
There are many ways you can travel across India, from trains and tuk tuks to a personal driver. We opted to get a driver as it was very affordable for what it was, it took all hassle and stress out of getting around, they act as almost a tour guide taking you to all the popular spots, and we felt much safer. We did also get a few trains which is definitely an option for getting around if you don’t want to get a driver. Make sure you keep enough money at the end to tip the driver – we didn’t have much left and we felt bad not being able to give him much as we wanted, as he’d made our experience so amazing!
Clothing
Make sure you are covered up and wear respectful clothing e.g. no shorts, cleavage, shoulders out, etc. I bought a pashmina in a market to wear so I could cover up my shoulders and hair when required. Some places are better than others but you will get stared at if you go out in clothes that show your skin!
Safety
I wouldn’t say India is the safest place I’ve ever felt while travelling so I would recommend just being prepared for this. The people were always incredibly kind when I spoke to them, you just have to get to used to the fact there is still quite a strong colonial mindset evident here. This means you will likely get stared at, people will likely grab you for photos, and one the rare occasion, followed. At some points we had a queue of people waiting to take a photo with us! As with most places you travel, keep an eye on your belongings and keep an eye out for pick pockets. Be aware of scams before travelling and keep your wits about you. When I travelled there before, it was me and another young female; I probably wouldn’t travel without a male there again which is a shame.
Budget
India is definitely an affordable place to travel, with cheap accommodation options and incredible food. This makes it an easy place to travel on a backpacker budget. However, if you prefer a bit of luxury, there are some incredible hotels and restaurants too.
Costs
Driver: Around £250 (I think), for about 10 or 11 days. This also included one of our train tickets!
Food: Meals were around £3 – £10 depending on where and what you ate.
Accommodation: We didn’t do any hostels in India, instead opting for hotels, home stays and guest houses. These typically cost between £8 and £20 for a room for x2 people for a night.
Attractions: The sights were also affordable, the Taj Mahal, for example, only cost about £11.
India was an eye-opening country of amazing food, culture, history and architecture. It is somewhere I dreamed of seeing and still cannot quite believe I’ve seen it with my own eyes. While it was a busy, noisy and at times overwhelming country to travel, it is somewhere I will always cherish that I got to explore.
