How Many Days in India is Enough? Budget Traveler's Guide

alt Jun, 12 2025

Ever looked at a map of India and felt completely overwhelmed? The country is massive—think bigger than Western Europe—so the first thing to know is you can’t see it all in one go, no matter how hard you try. Even getting from Mumbai to Varanasi can chew up an entire day on the train, so every extra day actually counts for more than you realize.

Most people try to squeeze India into a week or two. Yes, you’ll get a taste, but you’ll spend a lot of time moving and not much actually soaking things in. Instead of racing from north to south, it’s smarter (and way cheaper) to pick a few spots and hang out there—maybe Rajasthan’s famous cities, Kerala’s backwaters, or the chaos and color of Varanasi and Agra. Slow travel means less stress and more cash to play with each day.

India by the Numbers: Geography, Trains, and Time

India covers over 3.2 million square kilometers. To put it in perspective: it's about the size of the whole European Union, and traveling across it isn’t a quick trip. Delhi to Mumbai? It’s 1,400 km. The southern tip to the Himalayas? Double that. So, picking your region is key when thinking about how many days in India is enough.

The days in India you need depend a lot on how you get around. Trains are the backbone. India’s railway network is the fourth largest in the world, with over 68,000 km of tracks. Plenty of options, but not all equally handy. Sleeper class is cheap, but slower and crowded. AC tiers cost more, but save you from the heat. Book tickets early, especially in high season.

Here’s a quick snapshot of average travel times between top cities. You’ll realize quickly why travel in India usually eats up full days:

RouteDistance (km)Train Time (hrs)Flight Time (hrs)
Delhi → Varanasi80012–141.5
Delhi → Agra2302–31
Mumbai → Goa5908–121
Delhi → Kochi2,60040+3

Flights are dirt cheap sometimes—especially if you snag deals on domestic airlines like IndiGo or SpiceJet—but you’ll end up missing a lot of the scenery and street life that make India so wild and interesting. Buses are the real budget option, but they're even slower and rarely comfy.

  • Plan your route tight: Group cities close together to avoid backtracking.
  • Use trains for overnight journeys, saving time and the cost of a hotel.
  • If you only have a week, stick to a cluster of 2–3 cities max.
  • Apps like IRCTC Rail Connect, RedBus, and Google Maps make trip planning way easier (and help avoid ticket scams).

Bottom line: be realistic about distances—you’ll enjoy your trip a lot more if you accept that travel is part of the India experience, not just a means to an end.

The Bare Minimum: What Can You Do in a Week?

If you’ve only got seven days for India, you need to focus—hard. Trying to zigzag from the Himalayas to the south is just asking for exhaustion. The easiest way to make a week work is to pick a region and stick with it. This way, you keep travel times short, save a ton of cash on trains or flights, and actually feel the place instead of skimming the surface.

Most first-time budget travelers zoom in on the Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. All three cities are packed with sights, sit close together, and offer cheap buses or trains connecting them. You’ll see everything from massive forts to street food chaos to the Taj Mahal itself—no FOMO here.

Here’s a real-world look at what you can squeeze into seven days if you plan smart:

  • Days 1-2: Land in Delhi. Check out the Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Lotus Temple, and try some local food—chole bhature is a must.
  • Day 3: Early train to Agra (takes about 2-3 hours). Visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, maybe squeeze in Fatehpur Sikri if you hustle.
  • Days 4-5: Head to Jaipur (around 4 hours by train). Explore Amber Fort, City Palace, and walk the old bazaars.
  • Days 6-7: Either chill in Jaipur or loop back to Delhi for last-minute food and shopping.

Here’s the dirty little secret about this classic one-week loop—it’s busy, but totally doable on a budget. Here’s what a typical expense rundown looks like for a week on the go:

Category Typical Weekly Cost (INR) USD Approx.
Cheap Accommodation (hostels/guesthouses) 3500–7000 ~$42–$84
Basic Food 2100–3500 ~$25–$42
Transport (buses/trains 2nd class) 1000–2000 ~$12–$24
Entry Fees & Extras 2000–3000 ~$24–$36
Total 8600–15500 ~$103–$186

This kind of budget travel is all about choices. Skip a pricey hotel—spend on an extra lassi. Catch an overnight train—it saves on one night’s stay. There’s no shame in one region for your first trip, and you’ll actually remember the details instead of just another night bus.

Two to Three Weeks: The Budget Traveler's Sweet Spot

Two to Three Weeks: The Budget Traveler's Sweet Spot

If you can swing two or three weeks in India, you hit the travel jackpot—this is the ideal window for balancing budget, sanity, and experience. You’ll skip that feeling of spending more time in train stations than actual destinations. Most backpackers find that 15 to 21 days is the magic number for deeper experiences and more bang for your buck.

With this stretch of time, you can cover one main region well (like Rajasthan, Kerala, or the Golden Triangle), or blend two zones without losing your mind. For most people, the classic Golden Triangle—Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur—is a reliable starter, especially when paired with Varanasi or a quick jump south for a change of scenery. On a shoestring, you can spend $25 a day, sometimes even less if you stick with hostel dorms and eat local. Trains and government buses are usually the cheapest way to get around, especially if you book sleeper class or second-class tickets.

  • Week 1: Land in Delhi. Give yourself two days for the chaos, then train to Agra for the Taj Mahal (just a morning’s visit needed). Head on to Jaipur, check out the forts and markets, then maybe a day trip to Pushkar or Ajmer if you’re feeling keen.
  • Week 2: Either dig deeper into Rajasthan—think Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and the desert fortresses—or cut east to Varanasi by overnight train. The trip from the pink city of Jaipur to the holy city of Varanasi will take about 13 hours by train, so factor that in.
  • If you score a third week, go lazy in Kerala’s palm-fringed backwaters or chill in the Himalayas around Rishikesh or Dharamshala. Domestic flights can save you time here, but book early for cheap fares.

If you're aiming to see a lot and not burn through cash, skip long internal flights and keep to a zone, using overnight trains where possible—sleep and travel at once, double win. Try to use apps like IRCTC for train bookings and pay due attention to festival seasons when both prices and crowds jump. This sweet spot—two or three weeks—really lets you get under the skin of India. You’ll have time for mishaps, street food discoveries, and random encounters—all the stuff that makes budget travel in India so unforgettable.

Travel Smart: Squeezing Value and Experience

If you want to get the most out of your trip without busting your budget, you’ve got to travel smart. India is made for shoestring adventures, but a few tricks make your money—and your time—go even further.

Let’s start with transportation. While flights between big cities are decent deals (sometimes under ₹3,000 if you book ahead), most budget travelers stick to trains or buses. Indian Railways is probably the classic way to get around, and second-class sleeper tickets usually cost less than a restaurant meal back home. Book tickets early when you can—popular routes like Delhi to Agra sell out fast. For super short trips, local buses often run just a buck or two.

Accommodation makes a big difference too. Hostels are everywhere, even in smaller cities now, and you can snag a clean bed for ₹500–₹1,000 ($6–12) a night. If you want private rooms, check sites like Booking.com or Hostelworld, but always double-check reviews. If you’re feeling adventurous, guesthouses and homestays can be even cheaper and way more personal.

Food will honestly be your cheapest thrill in India. Street food can cost under ₹100 ($1.20) for a filling meal—think samosas, dosas, vada pav, or chai with fresh jalebis. Even in sit-down places, you’ll rarely spend more than ₹300 ($3.60) a meal unless you get fancy. Stick to busy spots—they turn over food faster, so it’s usually fresher (and tastier).

Here’s where budget travel gets interesting: your daily cost can be shockingly low compared to a lot of other countries. Check out this super-simple breakdown:

Expense Daily Low (INR) Daily High (INR) Typical ($USD)
Accommodation 500 1,000 6–12
Food 200 400 2.5–5
Transport 150 500 2–6
Sightseeing/Extras 200 600 2.5–7.5

That means you can travel on $15–$30 a day and still eat well, crash somewhere decent, and see the big stuff like the Taj Mahal or Amber Fort. If you splurge now and then, like booking a nice AC train for long hops, it won’t break the bank.

To really max out your budget travel experience, keep a few things in mind:

  • Stick to one region at a time. The less time you spend on long-haul trains or buses, the more you experience and the less you spend on transit.
  • Use apps like IRCTC for trains, RedBus for buses, and Zomato for food. They make planning and ordering simple and often show reviews.
  • Embrace the local way—eat at local canteens, haggle at markets, and take shared rickshaws where it makes sense.
  • Watch for tourist scams, especially near major attractions. Ask for prices first and trust your gut.
  • Start early. India wakes up early—markets, chai shops, and even temples buzz way before noon. Early mornings are cooler and often less crowded.

So, the truth? Squeezing value and experiences in India isn’t about penny-pinching, it’s about choosing with purpose. Go local, slow down, and let surprises find you instead of chasing a checklist. Every day you save is another samosa in your pocket—or maybe a train ticket to somewhere wild and unexpected.