Multi-State India Tours

Why cross states on one trip

India's best-known sights sit in different states, so even a first trip usually crosses state lines: the Golden Triangle alone runs through Delhi, Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur in Rajasthan. The Golden Triangle can extend north to Amritsar in Punjab. Longer North India circuits continue through Rajasthan to Varanasi on the Ganges and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. In the south, a temple route through Tamil Nadu can carry on into Kerala's hills and backwaters. In the Himalaya, the road runs from Manali in Himachal Pradesh, through the Atal Tunnel and over passes such as Baralacha La, to Leh in Ladakh. For one state only, see Rajasthan tour packages or Kerala tour packages.

How many days a multi-state tour needs

Six days covers the Golden Triangle: the Golden Triangle Tour — 6 days gives Delhi two nights, Agra one and Jaipur two. With children, allow six to eight days on the Golden Triangle with kids. Eight days pairs Varanasi and Rishikesh on Spiritual India. Ten days(/tours/india-tour-packages/10-days-delhi-agra-jaipur-with-golden-temple-tour/), or covers the south on the South India Temple Trail — 10 days or the 10 Days South India Tour Package. Two weeks is the North India Classic Tour — 14 days. The Manali–Leh drive takes two to three days, plus a rest day in Leh.

When to go, region by region

Each region has its own season; our best time to visit India guide goes month by month.

• Golden Triangle and North India: October to March, the season these packages are planned for. April to June is the hot weather season, and dense fog on December and January mornings can delay flights and trains across the northern plains.
• South India: November to March, though Tamil Nadu's main rainy season is the northeast monsoon, October to December. Kerala's monsoon normally arrives around 1 June.
• Manali to Leh: usually May or June to September or October, once snow is cleared from the passes; the dates change every year.

How to reach the start of each route

The Golden Triangle routes, the Golden Temple tour and the North India Classic start in Delhi, at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Spiritual India starts in Varanasi, which has its own airport, Lal Bahadur Shastri International. Our South India routes start in Chennai, at Chennai International Airport; the ten-day tour into Kerala ends in Kochi. The Manali–Leh drive starts in Manali, about 50 km from Kullu–Manali Airport at Bhuntar. Leh is under two hours by air from Delhi, and most travellers fly one way and drive the other.

What our multi-state tour packages include

Every package is private, never a shared coach, with your own car and driver and local guides as the package lists. Dated itineraries include hotel stays (as confirmed at enquiry) and daily breakfast where they list them; the ten-day South India tour adds a night on an Alleppey houseboat with all meals on board. Domestic flights are included where listed: Delhi–Amritsar–Delhi, and Jodhpur–Varanasi and Varanasi–Dehradun on the North India Classic. The Manali–Leh drive includes the permits your onward Ladakh itinerary requires. Extra: flights into and out of each route, entry and camera fees as listed, and the Varanasi–Dehradun leg on Spiritual India.

How to choose your route

• A first trip: the Golden Triangle Tour — 6 days; for your own pace, the Golden Triangle tour: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur; with children aged about six and up, Golden Triangle with kids.
• More of the north: the Golden Temple tour for a pilgrimage stop in Amritsar, Spiritual India for ritual in Varanasi and yoga in Rishikesh, or the North India Classic Tour — 14 days for one long trip.
• The south: the South India Temple Trail — 10 days, within Tamil Nadu, for temple architecture; the 10 Days South India Tour Package for temples and backwaters together.
• The Himalaya: the Manali–Leh highway for road-trippers fit for altitude and happy with basic stops at Sarchu or Pang.