10 days in India - where should we go?

[kiethton]

I'm a groomsman at a friends wedding (Mumbai) in February 2026, my wife and daughter (2 yrs 10 months at time) will also be travelling. The wedding is likely to see us in Mumbai for ~4-5 days minimum with travel to/from location from there so hoping to add ~10 days in the country prior (can't travel that far and not stay for longer!)

Although we're well travelled I've never been to India so don't have a clue what I should be looking at doing/going. Does anybody have any suggestions for an outline itinerary?

We're happy to travel around (got back from a 3.5 week trip to South Africa - Garden route, Kruger etc all self-booked/driven a few weeks back). For a 10 day trip we wouldn't want to be at more than 2 (3 at a push) different places else it's more time travelling than chilling

We are happy relaxing by a pool for a morning/afternoon but would rather get out to look at things/explore the rest of the time. Sun is better than rain but dry heat preferable given the toddler.

We generally hate eating at the hotels, an all-inclusive holiday is our idea of hell, but appreciate food hygiene may be more important in India.

We're based in S London so flights to most India airports are easy, we need to finish in Mumbai/fly home from there.

Guess a hotel budget of up to £150/night is do-able, seems to go a decent way in India!

Any suggested hotels/itineraries welcome!

[jfis89]

You’ll want something a bit chilled after Mumbai - I haven’t been to Goa but that makes sense to tag onto a few days in Mumbai as it’s a short flight (I wouldn’t fancy driving in India but others might..). I’m sure there’s been loads of threads on here before about Goa - some places are a bit more all-inclusive beach resort sort of thing than others. It used to be a bit of backpacker type place but I think most of that has gone. If you’re bored of the beach you can always head into a town, there’ll be some nice colonial architecture from the Portuguese and Goan food is nice.

Otherwise you could look at Kerala although you might need to be selective about what you do if you don’t want to travel around a lot. Lots do Fort Kochi-Munnar (up in the hills)-Alleppey for the backwaters and then beach time around somewhere like Varkala

[romft123]

jfis89 said:

You’ll want something a bit chilled after Mumbai - I haven’t been to Goa but that makes sense to tag onto a few days in Mumbai as it’s a short flight (I wouldn’t fancy driving in India but others might..). I’m sure there’s been loads of threads on here before about Goa - some places are a bit more all-inclusive beach resort sort of thing than others. It used to be a bit of backpacker type place but I think most of that has gone. If you’re bored of the beach you can always head into a town, there’ll be some nice colonial architecture from the Portuguese and Goan food is nice.

Otherwise you could look at Kerala although you might need to be selective about what you do if you don’t want to travel around a lot. Lots do Fort Kochi-Munnar (up in the hills)-Alleppey for the backwaters and then beach time around somewhere like Varkala

have you been to Kerala?

[GT03ROB]

I'm not sure why you would want to take a first visit to a country as rich in history & culture then go sit on a beach as some are suggesting!

Try:

• Delhi
• Agra
• Rajasthan - Jaipur, Jodhpur
• Shimla

[TownIdiot]

Following this thread with interest now as we are thinking about a trip.
My main concern is I don't fancy stting through the eye of a needle for a week whilst we adjust to the environment.

[Linksmas]

TownIdiot said:

Following this thread with interest now as we are thinking about a trip.
My main concern is I don't fancy stting through the eye of a needle for a week whilst we adjust to the environment.

Anecdotal I know, but I was there for 10 days last year with 11 people on a business trip in Karnataka. We all took loads of Imodium with us expecting to spend the time stting ourselves thin. But not a single one of us got ill. Didn't eat street food or drink the tap water, but that's just common sense when outside Europe anyway.

[TownIdiot]

Linksmas said:

Anecdotal I know, but I was there for 10 days last year with 11 people on a business trip in Karnataka. We all took loads of Imodium with us expecting to spend the time stting ourselves thin. But not a single one of us got ill. Didn't eat street food or drink the tap water, but that's just common sense when outside Europe anyway.

That's the sort of thing I wanted to here

[Oberheim]

I've been to India a couple of times and didn't get ill on either trip. I was careful to drink bottled (sealed top) water or boiled water and I didn't eat any salads or anything else uncooked that might have been washed in mains water. The only street food I tried was cooked straight before consumption. Most of my meals were eaten at the hotels, where food hygiene standards tend to be quite high.

First trip I went to North India/Rajasthan and saw some of the great buildings of the Mughal empire period, including the mind-blowing Taj Mahal, Bada Bagh, the Red Fort in Delhi, etc. Second trip was to Kerala for river cruises and a stay at Coconut Lagoon. Very chilled down in Kerala but I would recommend Rajasthan for a 10-day first trip to the country.

Edited by Oberheim on Tuesday 11th February 12:33

[zalrak]

Been to India several times, love the place. The first time you visit it is an assault on the senses in a but really good way.

I would never drive there but it is easy and cheap to hire a driver for a few days. Lots of links on the internet or hotels will help with this. Trains and flights are easy enough to organise before you go.

I have not been to Mumbai but have traveled quite a bit elsewhere in the country. My favourite places would be:

Agra - the Taj has to be a must be, preferably both at dawn and at dusk
Easy to visit Jaipur and Delhi whilst you are up there (the Golden triangle route). Make sure to take a riockshaw ride through Chandni Chowk and also visit the Qutb complex
Amritsar for the temple and a visit to Jallianwala Bagh to understand about the terrible massacre that occurred there
Shimla is very nice (try to book one of the two Cecil hotels if possible) and the views across the town from some of the bars are stunning
Varanasi will blow your mind
Fort Cochin is well worth a visit
Ponducherry (Puducherry as it is now) is nice
The monument complex at Khajuraho is incredible but try not to snigger at the eroctic sculptures!
Any of the resorts on the Malabar coast should be good too.
Ranthambore NP is worth a visit to try an spot the wildlife. Decent chance of seeing a tiger if you are lucky.
Lucknow has, in my view, a bit of a different feel to it than most other places I have been to in the country. It's quite modern in comparison, possibly like Mumbai?

I have not been to Goa so I can't comment on that.

Enjoy whatever choose you do!
I have only had a tummy problem once and that was due to drinking Chai from a street vendor

Edited by zalrak on Tuesday 11th February 13:17

[kiethton]

Thanks all - a lot of food for thought, will take a look/research some options and try to get a draft itinerary together

[Shooter McGavin]

GT03ROB said:

I'm not sure why you would want to take a first visit to a country as rich in history & culture then go sit on a beach as some are suggesting!

Try:

• Delhi
• Agra
• Rajasthan - Jaipur, Jodhpur
• Shimla

Are these all good to go to with a toddler though?

I’ve only been to India once, for a fortnight on business to Hyderabad. We had a ‘minder’ all the time and weren’t allowed to go roaming about, it was dreadfully restrictive, bomb searches on vehicles/entry to office/shops/hotels, just totally unrelaxing, so I don’t feel I’ve seen the authentic India.

That said, there were just so many people and so much traffic everywhere that I can’t imagine it would be a very relaxing holiday with an <3yo, unless you did a flop and drop holiday at a nice hotel with a pool.

I could be wrong. My experience of the entire country was that it was just way too busy, I never want to return for that reason alone (people were lovely, just too many, not a relaxing time).

Edited by Shooter McGavin on Tuesday 11th February 22:59

[worsy]

TownIdiot said:

Linksmas said:

Anecdotal I know, but I was there for 10 days last year with 11 people on a business trip in Karnataka. We all took loads of Imodium with us expecting to spend the time stting ourselves thin. But not a single one of us got ill. Didn't eat street food or drink the tap water, but that's just common sense when outside Europe anyway.

That's the sort of thing I wanted to here

For balance, i went in November on a business trip and spent a very long night and day involuntary evacuating. I can only pin it down to some Fish i was served at a dinner in a restaurant. On the plus side I lost half a stone.

If i go again I'll be taking cereal bars and crisps.

[NorthDave]

Oberheim said:

I've been to India a couple of times and didn't get ill on either trip. I was careful to drink bottled (sealed top) water or boiled water and I didn't eat any salads or anything else uncooked that might have been washed in mains water. The only street food I tried was cooked straight before consumption. Most of my meals were eaten at the hotels, where food hygiene standards tend to be quite high.

First trip I went to North India/Rajasthan and saw some of the great buildings of the Mughal empire period, including the mind-blowing Taj Mahal, Bada Bagh, the Red Fort in Delhi, etc. Second trip was to Kerala for river cruises and a stay at Coconut Lagoon. Very chilled down in Kerala but I would recommend Rajasthan for a 10-day first trip to the country.

Edited by Oberheim on Tuesday 11th February 12:33

I've done the same and much preferred the north than the south. I'd do something like GT03ROB suggested in the OPs shoes.

[zalrak]

Oops - missed the bit about taking a toddler with you!

Visiting temples etc may not be the most appropriate, perhaps you would be better off heading to a coastal resort and making the most of the beaches.

[Grande Pedro]

worsy said:

TownIdiot said:

Linksmas said:

Anecdotal I know, but I was there for 10 days last year with 11 people on a business trip in Karnataka. We all took loads of Imodium with us expecting to spend the time stting ourselves thin. But not a single one of us got ill. Didn't eat street food or drink the tap water, but that's just common sense when outside Europe anyway.

That's the sort of thing I wanted to here

For balance, i went in November on a business trip and spent a very long night and day involuntary evacuating. I can only pin it down to some Fish i was served at a dinner in a restaurant. On the plus side I lost half a stone.

If i go again I'll be taking cereal bars and crisps.

I was told by am acquaintance of mine who served there as a Defence Attache not to rely on UK-sourced medicines, but to get to a local pharmacy for the local stuff. He swore that the quickest way to recover was to use their treatments. Seems to make sense to me, although it depends on you being capable of movement if you have to go the the pharmacy yourself!

[Freakuk]

I cycled through Kerala last year and loved it, we actually started in Bangaluru and then to Mysuru both excellent places, Fort Cochin, Ooti, Varkala were the highlights in Kerala.

We were advised to just eat vegetarian food and none of us had any issues, the food was next level compared to UK offerings. Just stay away from tap water, ice, salads (possibly washed in tap water) and you'll be fine.

[GT03ROB]

Shooter McGavin said:

GT03ROB said:

I'm not sure why you would want to take a first visit to a country as rich in history & culture then go sit on a beach as some are suggesting!

Try:

• Delhi
• Agra
• Rajasthan - Jaipur, Jodhpur
• Shimla

Are these all good to go to with a toddler though?

Good point regarding the toddler. Not sure India is the best destination with one. But I know in this case the OP doesn't have a choice!

Having spent several years living in India, I think it is a great destination for travel. It's noisy, smelly & can be overwhelming for many but fantastic all the same

[Griffith4ever]

We just did 25 days touring India, plus 10 in Goa at the end. A few bits of feedback.

- We never got ill. We ate meat every day (so you don't need ot be a verggie), she had ice in every drink too (cokes and gins), so again, don't fret that. We avoided salads but I always do in hot countries. We did NOT santise all the time, nor did we clean our cutlery. We just did not eat from street vendors, and we washed our hands properly. There are 3 or 4 brands of bottled water the majority of tourists drink, and there are many fakes, BUT, as long as you don't buy your water from a stall / trolley you are never going to buy one. The hotels and restaurants like their customers. Most modern hotels will dial down the spice in all the food for Westerners and you'll have to ask for it to be spiced up a bit - they don't mind - they love it when you show interest and will rush off to the kitchen and knock you up something special with a huge smile.

- All of the places suggested are great - however, even Amritsar is a long flight (due to a change) or a 24 hour drive, let alone Shimla! So you are going to have to research your chosen places and think about the travel. Many times when we went from one to the next , it was an 8 hour drive in a taxi (very comfortable car with seperate rear seats, reclining, etc - never dull, and always comfortable). India is HUGE. Amritsar - the Golden Temple were one of the trip highlights for us - its a "moving" place to experience, and so utterly "Indian".

- Mumbai / Bombay is not, at least to us, "hectic" in any way. Compared to all the other (many) cities we went to, Mumbai was far more calm. Bit like India's version of London. Far tidier and better built than anywhere else we went in terms of "modernness" not even comparable to Delhi. Whilst in Mumbai don't miss the elephant cave boat trip (half a day) - go with a guide - well worth understanding it, otherwise you'll see it as a curious cave with some steps and amazing sculptures.

- We often left our hotel for a wander, sometimes pointless due to their locations, but, we never needed body guards, not even in Hyderabad :-) (if you go, you MUST have a Hyderabadi Biryani!)

- Hire a car and driver. Its cheap enough. We had one for 25 days! Part of a package mind you. They sleep in their car every night!

We found Indian people to be universally lovely . India is not the festering pool of salmonella it's made out to be, just don't eat of street vendors unless you are confident its cooked in front of you.

Oh, Goa, lovely - easy to get to . We stayed at Talpona beach but it was too quiet in the day for us so got a tuk tuk up th Patnem which has loungers,. lots of restaurants and bars but not ruined like Palolem.

Edited by Griffith4ever on Wednesday 12th February 11:09

[romft123]

We are planning our trip for 2026......starting in Kerala and working our way up to Amritsar after a couple of weeks beach bumming in Goa somewhere. But instead of a 25 day driver, planning on mainly using trains. Kerala.....Goa...Mumbai...several stops in Raja....up to Amritsar. Fancy a desert trip and see the border closing Monty Pythonesque closing do...Then across central India via the usual stops and up to Darjeeling, down to Kolk and fly home...maube 2 months

[Griffith4ever]

romft123 said:

We are planning our trip for 2026......starting in Kerala and working our way up to Amritsar after a couple of weeks beach bumming in Goa somewhere. But instead of a 25 day driver, planning on mainly using trains. Kerala.....Goa...Mumbai...several stops in Raja....up to Amritsar. Fancy a desert trip and see the border closing Monty Pythonesque closing do...Then across central India via the usual stops and up to Darjeeling, down to Kolk and fly home...maube 2 months

Sounds superb. We did a mix of flying , trains, and driver. Obv the driver changed if we trained or flew.

The "beating of the Retreat" is great fun. There is one soldier that whips the audience up into a frenzy, not to mention the wonder of watching hundreds of locals dancing their hearts out. A great experience. I miss India already.