India Trails
Thematic journeys
Some places make more sense as a route than as a single stop. Each trail below connects real, published destinations in an order that tells a story a single city page cannot — a temple style traced across four centuries, a coastline that changes character every hundred kilometres, the length of the Himalaya.
Choose a trail
6 trails, every stop a real, published place.
India's Temple Trail
Five temples that trace thirteen centuries of Indian temple-building in one route: Varanasi's riverside ghats, the sculpted spires of Khajuraho, the sun chariot at Konark, the towering gopurams of Madurai, and the ruined temple city of Hampi.
October to March across all five stops 10-14 days for the full route₹40,000-90,000 per person, mid-range
India's Fort Trail
Five forts across five centuries and four dynasties: the hilltop citadel of Gwalior, Chittorgarh's vast Rajput fortress, Jodhpur's Mehrangarh on its sheer sandstone cliff, Shivaji's coastal stronghold at Raigad, and Golconda's diamond-trade ramparts at Hyderabad.
October to March; Raigad's monsoon-green slopes (June-Sept) are a different, harder trek 10-14 days for the full route₹35,000-80,000 per person, mid-range
Ancient India
Sanchi's Buddhist stupas, Nalanda's ruined university, the painted caves of Ajanta, the rock-cut temples of Ellora, and the Vijayanagara ruins at Hampi — five sites that between them cover most of the visible evidence of India before its medieval kingdoms.
November to February; Ajanta and Ellora are hot and crowded April-June 10-12 days for the full route₹35,000-75,000 per person, mid-range
India's Wildlife Trail
Five parks built around one animal that nearly disappeared and came back: Ranthambore, Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Tadoba for the Bengal tiger, and Kaziranga for the one-horned rhinoceros that shares the same conservation story.
November to April (parks close for monsoon, roughly July-Sept, exact dates vary by reserve) 10-14 days for the full route₹60,000-1,50,000 per person — safari permits and lodges set the range
India's Coast
Goa's beaches and Portuguese-era towns, the temple town and cliff of Gokarna, Udupi's Krishna Matha, the colonial port streets of Fort Kochi, and Varkala's cliffside beach in Kerala — a coastline that changes character roughly every hundred kilometres.
November to February; Goa and Gokarna get very hot by April 10-12 days for the full route₹40,000-85,000 per person, mid-range
.jpg?width=640)
Himalayan India
Five Himalayan states end to end: Srinagar in Kashmir, Manali in Himachal, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, Gangtok in Sikkim, and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh — the length of the Indian Himalaya from west to east.
March-June and September-November; each stop's pass roads close individually in winter, check locally before travelling 18-25 days for the full route, or pick any two adjoining stops for a shorter trip₹70,000-1,60,000 per person for the full route — permits, altitude and distance all add cost
