From the Taj Mahal and the forts of Rajasthan to the Ganges, the Himalaya and the temples of the Kathmandu Valley, here are the 30 places our family has been driving travellers to since 1996. Each card shows the best time to go, how long to stay and how far it is by road, so you can plan a route that really works.
Start with how many days you have. Four days is enough for Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. One to two weeks opens up Rajasthan, the tigers of Ranthambore, Varanasi or the Himalayan hill stations. With three weeks you can drive all the way from Delhi to Kathmandu. These are the routes our guests choose most often:
| Time | Itinéraire | Circuit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | Taj Mahal from Delhi | Same Day Taj Mahal Tour | from $113 |
| 4 jours | Delhi, Agra, Jaipur | Golden Triangle Tour, 4 days | from $356 |
| 7–8 days | Golden Triangle with Ranthambore tigers | Golden Triangle with Tiger Safari | from $712 |
| 8 jours | Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur | Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur Tour | from $712 |
| 10 jours | Golden Triangle, Khajuraho, Varanasi | Triangle d’or avec Khajuraho et Varanasi | from $890 |
| 12 jours | Shimla, Manali, Amritsar | Circuit dans l’Himalaya indien | from $1,068 |
| 10 jours | Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan | Nepal Tour, 10 days | from $890 |
| 21 jours | Delhi to Kathmandu by road | India and Nepal Tour by Car | from $1,869 |
Prices are per person for the private car and driver, fuel, tolls, taxes, parking and the driver’s food and room. Every route can be changed; tell us your dates and we send a free route and fixed price, usually within 24 hours.
The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is the classic first trip to India. Add Khajuraho, Orchha and Varanasi to follow the old route east towards the Ganges and Nepal.
Where almost every trip begins. Old Delhi's Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk and Red Fort sit beside Lutyens' New Delhi, Humayun's Tomb and the Qutub Minar. One full day covers the highlights; two lets you go slower.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1–2 days
Getting there: Start point
The Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort and the "Baby Taj", with Fatehpur Sikri on the road to Jaipur. Remember the Taj Mahal is closed every Friday.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1–2 days
Getting there: 3–4 hours from Delhi
Amber Fort above Maota Lake, the Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar, plus some of India's best bazaars for textiles and block prints.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: 5–6 hours from Delhi
One of the oldest living cities on earth. Take a dawn boat along the ghats, watch the evening Ganga aarti, and visit Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Also the natural gateway to Nepal by road.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: Train or flight from Delhi; by road from Agra or Khajuraho
A thousand-year-old group of Hindu and Jain temples covered in some of the finest stone carving in India. A quiet, rewarding stop between Agra and Varanasi.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1–2 days
Getting there: About 7–8 hours from Agra via Orchha
A small riverside town of palaces, cenotaphs and temples on the Betwa river, almost untouched by mass tourism. The perfect overnight break on the drive from Agra to Khajuraho.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1 day
Getting there: About 4–5 hours from Agra
Rajasthan is best seen by road. Distances are long but the highways are good, and every day ends somewhere completely different: a lake palace, a desert fort or a tiger reserve.
India's most colourful state: hill forts, lake palaces, desert dunes and painted havelis. Best seen slowly by road, from 7 days for the highlights to 18 days for the full circuit.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 7–18 days
Getting there: Starts 5–6 hours from Delhi (Jaipur)
Mehrangarh Fort towers over a maze of blue-painted houses. Add Jaswant Thada, the clock-tower market and a walk through the old Brahmpuri lanes.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: About 5–6 hours from Jaipur
The City Palace rising from Lake Pichola, sunset boat rides and quiet lakeside hotels. Visit the Jain temple at Ranakpur on the drive from Jodhpur.
Best time: September to March
Stay: 2–3 days
Getting there: About 6–7 hours from Jodhpur via Ranakpur
A living sandstone fort in the Thar Desert, carved havelis, and a night under the stars at the Sam or Khuri sand dunes.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: About 5 hours from Jodhpur
Junagarh Fort, one of Rajasthan's best-preserved palaces, the camel breeding farm and the famous Karni Mata temple at nearby Deshnoke.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1 day
Getting there: About 5–6 hours from Jaisalmer
A small holy town of white temples and ghats around a sacred lake, with one of the very few Brahma temples in India. Busiest during the Pushkar Camel Fair in October or November.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1–2 days
Getting there: About 3 hours from Jaipur
One of the best places in India to see a wild Bengal tiger, with jungle-covered ruins of a thousand-year-old fort inside the park. Book two or more jeep safaris to improve your chances.
Best time: October to June (park closed in the monsoon)
Stay: 2 nights
Getting there: About 3–4 hours from Jaipur
North of Delhi, the plains rise into the Himalaya. This is the India of the Golden Temple, Tibetan monasteries, colonial hill stations and the holy Ganges.
The Golden Temple by day and lit up at night, the free community kitchen that feeds thousands, Jallianwala Bagh and the flag ceremony at the Wagah border.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: About 7–8 hours from Delhi
Green wheat and yellow mustard fields, village gurdwaras, generous food and warm hospitality. Combine Amritsar with Anandpur Sahib or a drive on to the hills.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2–3 days
Getting there: From 4 hours from Delhi
Le Corbusier's modernist city, the Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake. A comfortable overnight stop on the way to Shimla, Manali or Amritsar.
Best time: All year
Stay: 1 day
Getting there: About 4–5 hours from Delhi
The old British summer capital: the Ridge, Mall Road, colonial churches and the UNESCO-listed toy train to Kalka.
Best time: March to June, October to December
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: About 7–8 hours from Delhi
Apple orchards, the old Hadimba temple, Solang Valley and the high road to Rohtang Pass or the Atal Tunnel. Snow from December to February.
Best time: March to June, September to October
Stay: 3 days
Getting there: About 7–8 hours from Shimla
Home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community in exile. McLeod Ganj's monasteries and cafés sit under the snow-capped Dhauladhar range.
Best time: March to June, September to November
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: About 5 hours from Amritsar
Ashrams, suspension bridges and the evening aarti on the Ganges in the Himalayan foothills. Yoga classes, river rafting and forest walks.
Best time: September to November, February to April
Stay: 2 days
Getting there: About 5–6 hours from Delhi
One of Hinduism's seven holy cities, where the Ganges leaves the mountains. The evening aarti at Har Ki Pauri is unforgettable.
Best time: September to April
Stay: 1 day
Getting there: About 4–5 hours from Delhi
Himalayan hill stations such as Mussoorie and Nainital, the river confluences of the upper Ganges and the Char Dham pilgrimage to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Best time: March to June, September to November (Char Dham roughly May to October)
Stay: 5–12 days
Getting there: From 5 hours from Delhi
Nepal is small, but mountain roads are slow, so we plan shorter driving days. Combine the Kathmandu Valley with Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini, or add a trek in the Everest or Annapurna region.
Durbar Squares in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the great stupa at Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and the riverside temples of Pashupatinath. Seven monument zones in one valley.
Best time: October to May
Stay: 3 days
Getting there: Start point in Nepal
Phewa Lake with the Annapurna range behind it, sunrise from Sarangkot, paragliding and the start point for Annapurna treks.
Best time: October to May
Stay: 2–3 days
Getting there: About 6–7 hours from Kathmandu
Jungle drives, canoe trips and guided walks in search of the one-horned rhino, with Tharu villages on the edge of the park.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 2 nights
Getting there: About 5–6 hours from Kathmandu
The Maya Devi Temple and the international monastery zone where the Buddha was born. An easy stop near the Sunauli border on an India–Nepal road trip.
Best time: October to March
Stay: 1 day
Getting there: About an hour from the Sunauli border
A car-free Newari bazaar of old brick houses on a ridge, with wide Himalayan views. A peaceful night between Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Best time: October to May
Stay: 1 night
Getting there: About 4 hours from Kathmandu
The Khumbu valley: a flight to Lukla, the Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, Tengboche monastery and the trek to Everest Base Camp under Ama Dablam.
Best time: March to May, October to November
Stay: 12–14 days (trek)
Getting there: Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla
From short treks such as Poon Hill to the full trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary, through Gurung villages, rhododendron forests and terraced fields.
Best time: March to May, October to November
Stay: 4–11 days (trek)
Getting there: Starts near Pokhara
A high, dry desert behind the Himalaya with the walled city of Lo Manthang, cave monasteries and red cliffs. A special permit is required; we arrange it. Reach it by jeep or on foot.
Best time: March to November
Stay: 10–14 days
Getting there: By jeep from Pokhara via Jomsom
Typical driving times with a private car, without long stops. Real times depend on traffic, fog in December and January, and the season in the mountains. We never plan long highway drives after dark.
| Itinéraire | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi → Agra | 230 km | 3–4 hours |
| Agra → Jaipur | 240 km | 4–5 hours |
| Jaipur → Delhi | 280 km | 5–6 hours |
| Jaipur → Ranthambore | 180 km | 3–4 hours |
| Jaipur → Jodhpur | 340 km | 5–6 hours |
| Jodhpur → Jaisalmer | 285 km | about 5 hours |
| Jodhpur → Udaipur (via Ranakpur) | 260 km | 6–7 hours |
| Delhi → Rishikesh | 240 km | 5–6 hours |
| Delhi → Amritsar | 450 km | 7–8 hours |
| Delhi → Shimla | 340 km | 7–8 hours |
| Kathmandu → Pokhara | 200 km | 6–7 hours |
| Kathmandu → Chitwan | 150 km | 5–6 hours |
Family-run since 1996. GoIndiaNepal (formerly The Pearls of India) is run by the Khadaka family from Delhi, with cars and drivers in both India and Nepal.
One driver for the whole trip. The same car and the same English-speaking driver stay with you from the first day to the last, across the border into Nepal if you wish.
Clear prices. Fuel, tolls, state taxes, parking and the driver’s food and room are included. No hotel commission: book the hotels you like, or we book them for you at cost.
Rated 5.0 on Tripadvisor and on Google by the travellers we have driven.
For a first visit, most people start with the Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra for the Taj Mahal, and Jaipur. With more time, add Rajasthan (Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer), the tiger reserve at Ranthambore, or Varanasi on the Ganges.
October to March is the best time for most of north India and for Nepal's lowlands. For the Himalaya, the best months are March to June and September to November. Nepal treks are best in March to May and October to November. July to September is the monsoon.
Plan at least two weeks to see the highlights of both countries without rushing, and about three weeks to travel all the way from Delhi to Kathmandu by road with stops in Agra, Varanasi, Lumbini, Chitwan and Pokhara.
Yes. With a private car and driver you can cross by road at the Sunauli border, close to Lumbini, or at Kakarbhitta in the east. We handle the road logistics; visas are the traveller's responsibility.
For most travellers, yes. You travel on your own dates and route with one experienced driver for the whole trip, stop wherever you like, and avoid bus and train stations. The price covers the car, driver, fuel, tolls, taxes and parking.
Tell us your dates, group size and the places you would like to see. We reply with a free route and a fixed price, usually within 24 hours.
Plan my trip Chat on WhatsAppFor visas and official tourist information, see Incredible India and the Nepal Tourism Board. Many of these places, including the Taj Mahal, Khajuraho, Jaipur and the Kathmandu Valley, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Parlez-nous du voyage de vos rêves : notre équipe familiale répond avec un prix fixe, généralement sous 24 heures. Un itinéraire détaillé jour par jour coûte €100, entièrement déduits du prix du circuit.
