What to book before you travel to India?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

8 activities to book · about €212 per person

Delhi

Days 1-2
Days 1-2Old Delhi by rickshaw, guidedHalf dayThe lanes behind Chandni Chowk at cycle speed, which is the only speed that works there.€25Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-2Qutub Minar and Humayun's TombHalf dayA brick minaret begun in 1193 and the garden tomb of 1572 that gave the Taj Mahal its plan.€30Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: India Gate · Chandni Chowk market · The Lotus Temple · The city gardens

All activities in Delhi on GetYourGuide

Agra and the Taj Mahal

Day 3
Day 3The Taj Mahal at sunrise, guidedHalf dayFirst light turns the marble from grey to pink to white in about an hour. Go early, and go with someone who can read the inlay.€35Book on GetYourGuide →
Day 3Agra Fort2hThe red sandstone fort where Shah Jahan spent his last years as a prisoner, with a view of the tomb he had built.€15Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The Taj seen across the river from Mehtab Bagh · The bazaars · Itimad-ud-Daulah, from outside

All activities in Agra on GetYourGuide

Jaipur, the pink city

Days 4-6
Days 4-6Amber Fort and the City Palace, guidedFull dayA full day between the hill fortress above Jaipur and the working palace the royal family still occupies in part.€40Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 4-6Dyeing workshop and the bazaarsHalf dayHow the cloth gets its colour, then the streets where it is sold, sorted by trade as they have been for centuries.€25Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The facade of Hawa Mahal · Jantar Mantar, from outside · The colour of the markets · Man Sagar Lake and its sunken palace

All activities in Jaipur, the pink city on GetYourGuide

Udaipur, the city of lakes

Days 7-10
Days 7-10City Palace and a boat on the lakeHalf dayThe largest palace in Rajasthan, then an hour on Lake Pichola looking back at it from the water.€30Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 7-10An evening of Rajasthani dance1hAn hour of folk dance and puppetry in a courtyard, the form that travelling performers carried across the desert.€12Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Lake Pichola · The Saheliyon ki Bari gardens · The ghats at sunset · The old town

All activities in Udaipur, the city of lakes on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in India cost?

€212 per person if you do them all, across 8 bookings. The most expensive is "Amber Fort and the City Palace, guided" at €40, the cheapest "An evening of Rajasthani dance" at €12. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in India without booking anything?

15 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with India Gate, Chandni Chowk market, The Lotus Temple, The city gardens. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Delhi, with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From 1h for the shortest to Full day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip