A 9-day plan for the Taj, Lucknow and Varanasi

This is the version we recommend for a first visit between October and March. Drive times are typical and can rise in fog or festival traffic.

Arrive in Agra in the afternoon and go straight to Mehtab Bagh, the Mughal garden across the river, for your first sight of the Taj Mahal at sunset. The next morning, enter the Taj by the east gate as it opens, about 30 minutes before sunrise, and stay until the light hardens. Rest at midday, then spend the afternoon at Agra Fort and the inlaid tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah.

Day 3 goes to Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's red sandstone capital about an hour west, followed by a visit to a marble inlay workshop. In December and January this morning doubles as a backup for the Taj sunrise if fog hid it. If day 3 falls on a Friday, this is exactly the right plan, as Fatehpur Sikri is open. Stay at The Oberoi Amarvilas for Taj views or ITC Mughal for space and gardens.

Leave Agra after breakfast and drive the expressway to Lucknow, arriving in the afternoon. In the early evening, a food guide leads you through Aminabad and Chowk for galouti kebab, nihari with kulcha, biryani and kulfi, at kitchens chosen for quality and hygiene. Vegetarians follow a chaat and kachori trail instead.

On day 5, see the Bara Imambara with its vaulted hall and the Bhool Bhulaiya maze, the Rumi Darwaza and the Chota Imambara, then a chikankari workshop after lunch and the ruins of the Residency, besieged in 1857, in the late afternoon. Stay at Taj Mahal Lucknow in Gomti Nagar, whose Awadhi restaurant makes a fine second evening.

The drive to Varanasi takes about 5.5 to 6 hours, or take a morning train if you prefer. Arrive in time to board a private boat at dusk and watch the Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh from the water. The next morning, take a rowing boat along the ghats at sunrise, land near the old city and walk the lanes to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. In the afternoon, visit a family of Banarasi silk weavers.

Day 8 is slower: rest in the morning, then drive 10 km to Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, for the Dhamek Stupa, the museum with the Lion Capital of Ashoka and evening chanting. The museum is closed on Fridays. Stay at BrijRama Palace on the ghats, Taj Nadesar Palace in its gardens, or split your nights between them.

The same nine days can be shaped in different ways, depending on interests and the calendar.

• For Holi: replace Fatehpur Sikri with a day in Vrindavan, or add two nights in Braj.
• For Dev Deepawali: time Varanasi for Kartik Purnima in November and book months ahead.
• For the Magh Mela: replace Sarnath with a day at the Sangam in Prayagraj in January or February.
• For wildlife: replace Varanasi with four nights at Dudhwa from Lucknow, between mid-November and April.
• For the Buddhist circuit: continue from Varanasi to Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda.
• For a slower pace: drop Lucknow and fly from Delhi to Varanasi, giving four nights on the river.

The hotels on this route are part of the experience, and each was chosen for a reason linked to the place.

In Agra, The Oberoi Amarvilas is about 600 m from the Taj Mahal's east gate, and every room faces the monument, so you watch the light change from your balcony and reach the gate in minutes for sunrise. ITC Mughal, a short drive away, has large Mughal-style gardens, a long pool and the Kaya Kalp spa, and suits families and travellers who want space more than a view.

In Lucknow, Taj Mahal Lucknow stands in Gomti Nagar, away from the noise of the old city but within 20 to 30 minutes of it. Its Awadhi restaurant is one of the best places to taste the city's cooking at a slower pace after a street-food evening. Hyatt Regency Lucknow is a reliable alternative.

In Varanasi, the choice is between the river and the garden. BrijRama Palace, a restored palace on Darbhanga Ghat, puts the ghats, the dawn boats and the aarti at your door, but involves steps and arrival on foot or by boat. Taj Nadesar Palace, a former royal guest house in the cantonment, is calm and private, closer to Sarnath and the airport. Two nights at one and one at the other gives the best of both.

The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, and the Sarnath Museum is also closed on Fridays, so check where your Friday falls before fixing the order. From mid-December to January, fog can delay trains and early flights; we use the car for the Lucknow to Varanasi leg in those weeks and choose a midday flight home.

As a guide to cost, this plan at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Taj Mahal Lucknow and BrijRama Palace or Taj Nadesar Palace, with a private car, guides, boats and breakfast and dinner, starts from about ₹3,50,000 per person, twin sharing. Festival dates cost more. Check current status before you travel for monument fees and flight schedules.

Pace matters as much as the route. Each day on this plan has one early start and one main outing, with time to rest in the middle of the day, which keeps nine days in three busy cities enjoyable rather than tiring. If you prefer a gentler rhythm still, drop one of the afternoon visits in Agra or Lucknow and spend it at the hotel. The days on the road are deliberately light, with only an evening activity after arrival.