North India is full of history, architecture, natural beauty and color. Seeing all of it in one go is well-nigh impossible, given its size, but we decided to cover some of it in our first long driving holiday in India, all of 5,057 KM in 3 weeks.
We are sharing some of the beautiful and remarkable sights that we took in, and also a few (funny) pictures of what is quintessential India.
We left Kolkata on a cold and misty winter morning for our North India tour, with a car not quite suited for a 5,000 KM run on unknown roads – our little 1.2 liter Hyundai i10 hatchback. By the time dawn arrived we were well out of the city and on the highway towards the North-West.
Here’s our route map and highlights:
BODH GAYA
Our first stop was Bodh-Gaya, the site of the holiest shrine in Buddhism, the Bodhi Tree under which Lord Buddha had meditated on his path to attaining Nirvana.
Bodh-Gaya or Buddha-Gaya (as it was called in the ancient times) was a melee of devotees, monks in saffron robes, flower sellers in the teeming market, and a variety of food – Tibetan, Chinese and Indian. We made our way through the crowded alleys to the spotlessly clean main temple where devotees approached the shrine slowly bowing and stretching on the ground. We saw visitors from several Buddhist countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Tibet – some of whom have their special monasteries here.
The Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of the temple and the Bodhi Tree, and the great Buddha statue are worth visiting.
Despite the flock of devotees the ambience was serene and the air was filled with muttered prayers, the clang of bells and the distant, deep boom of massive drums.
RAJGIR and NALANDA
Rajgir is a holy site for three religions, especially because Lord Buddha spent many years here teaching his new way of life. Nalanda was the world’s first University where students from far-off China and South-east Asia came to acquire knowledge in myriad subjects. The ancient ruins give an insight into their past glory.
Delhi
The capital of India has many historic places worth visiting.
Two popular icons of the city are the following:
The Qutub Minar, also spelt as Qutb Minar, is a tall monument which forms a part of the Qutb complex. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Humayun’s Tomb is popular monument portraying a fine example of the Mughal architecture. Red Fort is another impressive monument.
DEHRADUN and MUSSOORIE
Dehradun is a beautiful valley that lies between the Himalayas and the Shivalik hills. Mussoorie is a hill station very close to Dehradun.
Plunging from a height of almost 1,364 metres, Kempty Falls offer spectacular views of the valley around it from the viewpoint.
Lal Tibba and Gun point offer beautiful mountain views in Mussoorie.
CHANDIGARH
The Rock garden in Chandigarh is a unique must-visit place. It has unique and very creative sculptures built from waste materials like rocks, broken tiles and crockery and bangles.
The Sukhna Lake is a pleasant place for peaceful long walks and boating. It also has flocks of ducks and geese wandering around. We also came across an ancient ‘Steam Age Relic’ ! (picture above).
JAIPUR
Also known as the Pink city, Jaipur is a popular destination in Rajasthan with many historical places with stunning architecture.
Hawa Mahal is probably the landmark of this city. Mostly made of red and pink sandstone, this iconic palace with its unique architecture is an example of local artistry. There are some excellent views of the city from the top of Hawa Mahal.
Jal Mahal looks beautiful sitting pretty in the Man Sagar Lake and Nahargarh Fort is worth a visit. Jaipur has many more historic options to visit if you have the time to immerse in its history.
AGRA
The Taj Mahal needs no description! It has to be seen to believe. Words and photos simply cannot convey its majesty.
Two other amazing monuments – both UNESCO world heritage sites -are:
Agra Fort – a 16th century Mughal monument made of red sandstones, and Fatehpur Sikri – (the City of Victory) – was the capital of the Mughal Empire for 10 years and built in the 16th century. Its stunning Diwan-i-Khas, private audience hall of Emperor Akbar deserves a special mention.
LUCKNOW
Lucknow is the architectural center of Northern India.
The Bada (Bara) Imambara is primarily known for its incredible maze, called Bhul Bhulaiya, on the upper floor of the monument. It is said that there are 1024 ways to get inside this amazing maze but only 2 to come out! It is a photographer’s paradise presenting umpteen angles for composition with shadows and arches in its architecture.
Although not of historical value, the famous Ambedkar Park, also called Parivartan, is worth visiting. The elephants and pillars in a row are impressive, and so is the Buddhist stupa. The best thing is that it is clean and well-maintained.
SARNATH
Our last destination before driving to Kolkata was Sarnath. The small busy city is not worth the stop except that it is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in the world.
Sarnath is famous as the place where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon. We spent some time visiting the Dhamek Stupa.
Finally, enjoy some images taken while on the road…………….
We came home happy at what we had seen, and rued what we had missed.
Ah well, there’s always another time!
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We had just a small taste test when we visited India. A road trip in Northern India looks like an amazing way to see a good mix of temples, architecture and outdoor beauty. That giant Buddha looks amazing. We had a few days in Agra but missed the sights of Jaipur. Good reasons to return!
North India looks incredible. I’ve never been to India, and would like to visit one day. Jaipur is now on my radar!
Wow, that is indeed an incredible tour which, in 3 weeks, allowed you to only scratch the surface. As you said, 3 weeks is not enough. If someone who has never been in India before would do this tour, how much time would you tell them to reserve to see all the highlights. Are we talking more like 6 weeks?
India is a large country and traveling by road takes a long time due to distance and traffic. I would say 6 weeks would be very comfortable to explore all of the attractions in North India covering the cities I mentioned in the blog post. Remember this is only the north. South India would take another month. Hope this helps.:-)
North India has so many gems worth a visit for sure!
I love how diverse india is in landscape and architecture. I’ve heard so many people talk about Dehradun and how beautiful it is.
I feel like you can criss-cross India a hundred times, and you can get 100 different takes of the same land, depending on what you’re paying attention to at the time, how you travelled, where you entered… I really, really wanted to include Rajasthan when I went on my North India trip, but recognised that one shouldn’t rush these things, so I limited myself just to Uttar Pradesh. I think it was the right decision; one day I’ll return for Rajasthan. I spent a week, and that was pushing it; had to really choose between major landmarks.
Truly enjoyed reading the road tripping post on North India.I have some some faint memory of visiting the streets of Jaipur during my early childhood and it’s amazing.Lucknow’s Bhulbhulaiya is truly an architectural wonder.Would love to see Taj Mahal,Nalanda someday.
Wow, that’s a huge road trip & especially a lot of ground to cover in 3 weeks. I am full of admiration that you drove yourself too. I visited India a few years ago & made it to Delhi & Agra in your itinerary but mainly flew & used the trains to get around. I don’t think I would have the confidence to drive myself. I am sure the roads were challenging at times too. Great overview of the key sights.
What a great adventure! I love how you were able to see so much – the architecture is so impressive. I would love to make it to India one day, but would likely need a guided tour as it seems a bit daunting to me.
What an inspiring itinerary. I’ve never been to India, however, on your list are some of the places I want to visit for sure. Delhi is on top of the list, but also Jaipur and Agra seem really great. Your pictures are just mesmerizing, by the way.
I’ve never been to India but I’m dying to go. I don’t think I could do it by car. Train, yes. I want to especially go to Jaipur. How many days do you think one needs to spend in Jaipur?
Hi Julie! I think 4 to 5 days would be more than enough to get a good taste of Jaipur. 🙂
What a lot of ground you covered! An amazing tour ….. and beautiful photos. I wonder how structured your trip was: Did you pre-book all your accommodation and so were tied to your schedule, or did you decide more spontaneously where to stay over? A bonus for me are always maps, so thank you for including one.
Thank you, Anke! Yes, we pre-booked most of the accommodation as we were traveling at peak season. 🙂
North India looks like an amazing part of the country to tour around. I love the mixture of historic sites and natural landscapes you can see there.
I have not been to India yet but would love to do the golden triangle. The architecture has fascinated me for a long time. I have seen pictures of the driving and vehicles on the road that my daughter brought back. You were brave to take a self-drive road trip.
What a beautiful road trip! The architecture in India looks stunning! I’ve wanted to visit Jaipur for a while now but Bodh-Gaya and Lucknow both look spectacular too! You’ve got me planning a road trip now! Thanks for the great guide!
Thanks for this wonderful pictures. We have traveled through Southern India for four weeks and planned to come back to see the north. But did not go in the end. The buddhist sites of Bodh Gaya and Nalanda have been on my wish list for so long, as are the hill stations of Lucknow and Mussoorie!
You had a fantastic trip through North India, incredible photos. It’s an amazingly long trip with more than 5000 kilometers, impressive. During my first visit to this country in 2008, I visited only Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Lucknow, Sarnath, and Bodh Gaya. But I haven’t been to Kolkata yet. I would love to see this fantastic city.
You definitely saw a lot during your 3 weeks trip. The ancient ruins at Najgin reminded me of a temple in Sumatra, Indonesia. I believe it’s a Buddhist Temple, not Hindu. I also enjoyed looking at images you took on the road. Reminded me of Indonesia.
3 weeks is a significant amount of time and you got to see a lot of sites, landmarks. The ability to see some of those temples, that are UNESCO World Heritage sites, would be incredible. I’ve not been, but enjoyed learning more through your article.
Thanks for taking us on a road trip through North India and showing us the best of this beautiful country and sharing some stories from your journey. I’ve had the amazing chance to visit a few years back and being a big country, there’s just so much to see and do. Sometimes, I feel like one lifetime is not enough to even scratch the surface!
Woah! Did not realize there is a lot of things to do and see in the other parts of North India. I have only been to New Delhi once but had no chance to explore since it was a short stopover. I would love to visit Agra next time and see Taj Mahal.
Wow! That’s one incredible journey and I’m all the more fascinated that you did it on an i10 and not some 4X4 wheel drive! Wow! Hats off. The first few stops, esp. in Bihar and Uttrakhand are high up on my wishlist, esp., Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Sarnath, Lucknow etc. Indeed Lucknow is the architectural centre of India. I so wish to see and explore Bara Imambara myself.
This is an amazing itinerary and hits all the spots I would love to visit. I have wanted to visit Jaipur and Agra for a long time but I wasn’t aware of the Rock garden in Chandigarh, maze at Bada (Bara) Imambara or Kempty Falls. 3 weeks is a good target, bookmarking this!
I am sure a road trip through North India would be amazing to plan. Your itinerary provides a great path with some awesome stops along the way. I love the great mix of stops and great outdoor sights. A road trip like this always leaves some great stops for a future trip.
This looks like a fabulous trip. Your photos are beautiful. Everyone looks like it could be a postcard.
Sounds like a lot of fun! The architecture looks beautiful and you got to see so many different UNESCO World Heritage Sites.