Delhi, Varanasi and Darjeeling
Overview
- Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 1 traveller
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3–4★ hotels, with heritage properties and tea-estate stays on request
- Country: India
Begin with the old and new faces of Delhi, witness dawn and dusk rituals on the river in Varanasi, then fly north-east and climb to Darjeeling for tea gardens, monasteries and Kanchenjunga views.
This ten-day journey through northern and eastern India suits travellers who want more than the classic Golden Triangle: history in the capital, the spiritual life of the Ganges and then fresh mountain air. It works for first-time visitors and for those returning to India, and it is easy to adapt for solo travellers and couples.
You start with two nights in Delhi, exploring the Mughal monuments and the old city lanes. A short flight then takes you to Varanasi for the evening aarti on the ghats, a dawn boat ride and an afternoon at Sarnath. Finally, you travel north-east to Darjeeling, where five nights give you time for tea gardens, monasteries, the toy train and a sunrise at Tiger Hill without rushing.
The pace slows as the trip goes on: busy days in the cities, gentler days in the hills. Some honest notes:
- Early starts: the boat on the Ganges and Tiger Hill both begin before sunrise.
- One long travel day: getting from Varanasi to Darjeeling takes most of a day.
- Contrasts in climate: the plains can be warm while Darjeeling evenings are cool, so pack layers.
- Crowds: Old Delhi and the ghats are lively and crowded, which is part of their character.
We can add Agra, a stay on a tea estate, or a few days in Sikkim. Tell us how you like to travel, and we will plan the details with you.
Day-by-day itinerary
Step out of the arrivals hall to find your driver waiting, and head into the city to your hotel. Depending on the hour you land, spend the rest of the day resting, or take a gentle evening drive down the ceremonial avenue to India Gate, where families come out to stroll as the light fades. Dinner is yours to choose, nearby or in the hotel.
Overnight: Delhi
Start in Old Delhi at the Jama Masjid, one of India’s largest mosques, then plunge into the lanes of Chandni Chowk by cycle-rickshaw. After lunch, move to the calmer gardens of Humayun’s Tomb, the Mughal mausoleum that inspired the Taj Mahal, and finish at the Qutb Minar, a tall tower of carved red sandstone. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Overnight: Delhi · Meals: Breakfast
A short flight takes you to Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world and the holiest in Hinduism. Rest after you check in. In the evening, your guide walks you down to the ghats along the Ganges for the evening aarti, when priests swing lamps and chant to the river as bells ring and crowds gather on the steps and in boats.
Overnight: Varanasi · Meals: Breakfast
Board a rowing boat before sunrise and drift past the ghats as pilgrims bathe, pray and wash clothes in the soft early light. Walk back through the narrow lanes of the old city, past small shrines and sweet shops. In the afternoon, drive about half an hour to Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, to see the great stupa and the museum.
Overnight: Varanasi · Meals: Breakfast
Today is a long travel day. Fly from Varanasi to Bagdogra, the airport for the eastern hills, which often means a connection via Delhi or Kolkata. Your driver meets you and drives you up through forest and tea gardens to Darjeeling, about three hours away. You arrive in the evening, so dinner and an early night are the plan.
Overnight: Darjeeling · Meals: Breakfast
An unhurried day to get your bearings in the hills. After a late breakfast, walk with your guide along the Mall around Observatory Hill and through Chowrasta, the square where the town meets. Browse the market for tea and woollens, look into a colonial-era church, and spend a slow afternoon with a pot of Darjeeling tea and the view.
Overnight: Darjeeling · Meals: Breakfast
Set off in the dark for Tiger Hill to see sunrise colour the Kanchenjunga range, if clouds allow. Call in at Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop on the drive back. Later, visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, founded after the first ascent of Everest, whose museum tells the story of climbing in the region and of Tenzing Norgay, who lived in Darjeeling.
Overnight: Darjeeling · Meals: Breakfast
Spend the morning on a tea estate, walking the terraces and watching the leaf withered, rolled and dried in the factory, then taste first and second flush teas side by side. In the afternoon, take a short return ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage line, as it squeezes through the streets and loops around Batasia.
Overnight: Darjeeling · Meals: Breakfast
A gentle last day in the hills. Walk out to the white Japanese Peace Pagoda on the hillside, where the view opens towards the snows on clear mornings. Then visit the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre, where you can watch carpets woven and wool spun by hand. Keep the afternoon free for a final walk or a quiet hour with a book.
Overnight: Darjeeling · Meals: Breakfast
Drive down through the tea gardens to Bagdogra, about three hours, for your flight onwards, usually to Delhi or Kolkata. Hill roads can be slow and flights are sometimes delayed, so we suggest leaving a good margin before an international connection, or adding a final night in Delhi, which we are happy to arrange. End of your trip.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Accommodation with breakfast
- Private airport and hotel transfers
- Private car and driver in each region
- Local English-speaking guides for sightseeing in Delhi, Varanasi and Darjeeling
- Domestic flights from Delhi to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Bagdogra, as in the itinerary
- Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
- A short ride on the Darjeeling toy train
- Entrance fees to the sights in the itinerary
- 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights, and your flight out of Bagdogra (we can arrange it)
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. Best October–November and March–April, when it is pleasant both on the plains and in the hills.
You take a short flight from Delhi to Varanasi, about an hour and a half, and then fly from Varanasi to Bagdogra, which may involve a connection. From Bagdogra, it is about three hours by road up to Darjeeling. In each place you have a private car and driver, and in Varanasi’s old city you explore on foot and by boat, as cars cannot reach the ghats.
Frequently asked questions
Varanasi is intense: crowds, noise and open-air cremations at some ghats. With a local guide beside you, most travellers find it moving rather than overwhelming. Please be discreet with photography near the cremation ghats, and ask your guide when in doubt.
Varanasi and the eastern Himalaya are far apart, and flights to Bagdogra often connect through another city, followed by a three-hour drive. We keep the next day easy so you can recover. For more on the hills, see our Darjeeling guide.
Yes. Two extra days let you visit Agra from Delhi, by road or train, before flying to Varanasi. Tell us and we will adjust the route.
Cover your shoulders and knees, and be ready to remove your shoes. At some mosques, women are asked to cover their heads, so a light scarf is useful. Your guide will tell you what each place expects.
