India, culture, city, TasteFatima Datooindia, city break, mumbaiComment

India: A 12-Day Itinerary & Tips for Your Trip

India, culture, city, TasteFatima Datooindia, city break, mumbaiComment
India: A 12-Day Itinerary & Tips for Your Trip

We’ve put together a basic itinerary below which gives you an idea of the main sites to see in Rajasthan, Mumbai and Kerala. For each city/town we’ve also included our two cents on the best food we had and some great shopping spots. And to top it off, we’ve created a list of general advice that we think would be helpful when planning your trip. Let us know what you think!

Day 1: Agra (1 night)

Sites:

  • Taj Mahal

  • Agra Fort

  • Chand Baori (on the way to Jaipur)

Food:

  • Pinch of Spice (indian - Daal curry!)

Day 2-3: Jaipur (2 nights)

Sites:

  • Hawa Mahal

  • Amber Fort

  • Jal Mahal

  • Jantar Mantar Observatory 

  • City Palace

Food:

  • Tattoo Cafe and Lounge (indian and western)

  • Baradari in the City Palace (indian - their Laal Maas was incredible)

Shopping:

  • Johri Bazar

Day 4-5: Udaipur (2 nights)

Sites: 

  • Jagdish Temple

  • City Palace Museum

  • Jagmandir

  • Saheliyon Ki Bari

Food:

  • Sukhadiya Circle (street food - Kesar Pista Faluda and Masala Dosa) 

  • Bombay Market (street food - Pav Bhaji, Momos and Chola Bhatura and Kulhad Coffee)

Shopping:

  • Hathi Pol Bazaar

  • Bada Bazar

  • Mochiwada Bazaar

Day 6-7: Mumbai (2 nights)

Sites: 

  • Gateway to India

  • Taj Palace Hotel

  • Dhobi Ghat (open air laundromat)

  • Sassoon Dock (fish market)

  • Lalbaug (spice market)

  • Haji Ali Dargah (mosque)

  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (train station)

  • Oval Maidan (cricket ground that is open to the public on Sundays)

  • Mannat Bandstand (Shah Rukh Khan’s house)

Food:

  • Chowpatty beach street food

  • Jitendra Chaiwalla on Football Galli (best chai we had)

  • Zen Cafe (western food)

  • Bademiya (best seekh kebab)

  • Swati Snacks (great street food snacks)

  • Trishna (indian style seafood)

  • Haji Ali Juice Centre (custard apple cream is a revelation and all sorts of fresh juices)

Shopping:

  • Kulture (art prints)

  • Chumbak, Samutra’s (art)

  • NicoBar (fashion/homeware with an Indian twist)

  • Crawford market (for wholesale of literally everything)

Day 8-12: Kerala (4 nights)

Kochi Sites:

  • Mattanchery Palace

  • Jewish Synagogue

  • St. Francis Church

  • Chinese fishing nets

  • Santa Cruz Basilica Church (we didn’t go here)

  • Cheraman Jumah Masjid (oldest mosque in india - we didn’t go here)

Munnar Sites:

  • Valara Waterfalls (on route)

  • Tata Tea Museum and Plantation

  • Mattupetty Lake and Dam

  • Echo Point

Alleppey Sites:

  • Houseboat along the backwaters of Alleppey

Kovalam Sites:

  • Swim at the Kovalam beach (it’s the Indian ocean so it’s warm water!)

Food/Shopping:

Unfortunately we don’t have any great food/shopping tips for Kerala but if you like South Indian food then you’ll love it here!

Tips for Your Trip

We used a tour company because we organised it pretty late. If we did it again, we’d probably just hire a car (most come with drivers) and then a guide for specific city tours. Having a guide was definitely worth it!

  • Try and find a cash point at the airport when you first arrive. It can be difficult to find any before you reach Agra and you’ll need some rupees for food on your way there.

  • Take some snacks with you - you’ll be in the car a lot and trust us, they’ll come in handy!

  • You’re probably aware, but remember not to drink any tap water / eat any fresh foods that would likely have been washed in tap water (yes, that’s right, no fruit or salad!).

  • Speaking of water, take a stainless steel water bottle per person. All your hotels will provide you with cold water, and you’ll want a bottle that keeps the water cool during the day.

  • Getting around is pretty easy, take tuktuks in smaller towns or use Uber. Note: We found that some Uber drivers waited for a while, or called to check where we were going and may then stall for ages, in hope for you to cancel the journey. It’s just one of those things you have to deal with so just wait them out or you’ll be stuck paying for a cancelled journey.

  • If using a tour company, make sure to tell the guide each day that you want to stop for lunch, otherwise they just won’t. If there are specific places you want to go, tell your guide at the beginning of the day so they adjust the tour to suit. 

  • You may have read about entrance fees for cameras, we didn’t experience that at all. 

  • Tip your guide / driver between 200-500 rupees a day (based on what we read online!).

  • Internal flights - aim to arrive at the airport about 90 minutes before the flight. Most are pretty small and you don’t need to be so early as security is fast. We were at one airport for three hours, it was dull and there was barely any food for us to have for lunch.

  • We found it tough to find a pharmacy so bring your mosquito repellent/sunscreen with you.

  • If you’re driving from town to town, roads are generally fine until you reach Kerala. If you suffer from motion sickness, be sure to have medication with you and ask to sit at the front and ensure the driver stops to take regular breaks - roads in Munnar are extremely windy and you will be going up and down hills constantly. 

  • Keep a stash of tissue. Not everywhere will have toilet roll, especially at rest stops between each town - and if they do, you’ll likely have to give the toilet attendant money for tissue.

  • Drivers will assume through your trip that you don’t want to try street food and will often take you to places where they get a kickback, or that will be overly hygienic (and are also big misses on price and taste). The best way to overcome this is by being frank with the drivers from the beginning, and also having an idea of where you might want to eat. The food at rest stops driving from town to town isn’t great, but will fill you up.