Kashmir, Agra & Jaipur

The 8-day Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip needs about 6 working days of annual leave when the dates span one weekend, or 5 if it starts on a Saturday or Sunday. Day 1 begins with the direct flight from Changi to Delhi and the connection to Srinagar the same day, so book a morning departure from Singapore. Day 8 is free until about 10:30, when your driver takes you to Delhi airport; Air India AI382, named in the itinerary, leaves at 13:25 and lands at Changi at 21:45 the same evening, so you can be back at work the next day. Srinagar flights are sometimes cancelled for weather, so a buffer day is sensible.

Fly from Singapore Changi direct to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, about 5 hours 30 minutes, then connect to Srinagar on a domestic flight of about 1 hour 20 minutes into Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport. The Delhi to Srinagar and Srinagar to Delhi flights are included in the tour price, while international flights to and from Delhi are not, so book those yourself once your dates are confirmed, arriving early enough to connect comfortably. Indian domestic allowances are usually 15 kg checked and 7 kg cabin, less than your international ticket, so pack to the lower limit. Road transfers and sightseeing are in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver.

HSJ prices the Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip per person in Singapore dollars on a twin-share basis; the starting price is shown on this page, and the quote for your dates comes with your enquiry because no departures are currently listed. It covers seven nights in 4-star hotels in Srinagar, Agra, Jaipur and Delhi, both domestic flights between Delhi and Srinagar, breakfast every morning, an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver, a local English-speaking guide for sightseeing, a shikara ride on Dal Lake and entrance tickets to every monument named in the itinerary. Budget separately for international flights, the Gulmarg gondola ticket, the Indian e-Visa, travel insurance, lunch and dinner, tips and personal spending.

April to June and September to October are the best months for the Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip, when Kashmir's roads are clear of snow and the plains are not yet at their worst. The Singapore June school holidays fall in this window: Gulmarg's meadow is green by June, but Agra and Jaipur regularly pass 35°C and can reach 40°C, which is why the Taj is seen at sunrise. In April and May Srinagar runs about 10 to 22°C and drops sharply after dark, and October nights are close to freezing. The year-end holidays, mid-November to December, are outside the recommended season, as winter brings deep snow to Kashmir and fog that delays Delhi and Srinagar flights.

The Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip needs no special fitness: HSJ grades it easy, with 4 to 7 hours of sightseeing a day and the longest walks at Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Amber Fort, each an hour or two on uneven stone. Srinagar sits at 1,585 m and affects almost nobody. The Gulmarg gondola is different, lifting you to 3,979 m in under half an hour with no acclimatisation, and some people feel light-headed or short of breath at the top. Stop at Kongdoori, at 3,088 m, first and come down if you feel unwell, and check that your travel insurance does not exclude altitude. Days 5 and 7 are the longest, with drives of 240 km and 270 km.

The Kashmir and Taj Mahal route suits older travellers and children who travel well, because there is no trekking, the vehicle is always close and nothing on the itinerary is compulsory. The pace is tight rather than leisurely, with two internal flights, three long road days and two early starts in eight days. The upper stage of the Gulmarg gondola is the one thing to think about, and families often stop at the first stage. Amber Fort involves steps, and the roads up to Pahalgam and down from Gulmarg have long sequences of bends, so bring motion sickness tablets if you need them. HSJ can quote the same route over ten days for a gentler pace.

Srinagar is your base for three nights, and the Day 1 afternoon covers the terraced Mughal gardens of Nishat Bagh, laid out in 1633, and Shalimar Bagh, built by Jahangir in 1619, before a shikara, the low cedar boat that works as Srinagar's taxi, takes you onto Dal Lake at dusk. Day 3 is a day trip to Pahalgam, 90 km and about 2 hours 30 minutes each way along the Lidder river, past saffron fields outside Pampore and apple orchards. From the town you visit Betaab Valley, 15 km on, and Aru Valley, 12 km the other way. Srinagar is also the place to buy pashmina and carpets, with your guide alongside, since fakes are common.

Agra and Jaipur fill the second half of the Kashmir trip, starting with the Taj Mahal twice: at sunset on Day 4 from Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna, and at sunrise on Day 5 from the gate, with the marble turning from grey to white. The Taj closes on Fridays, and dates are arranged around that. After Agra Fort, the road to Jaipur, in Rajasthan, passes Fatehpur Sikri and the Chand Baori stepwell. Day 6 covers Amber Fort and its Sheesh Mahal, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar's 27 m sundial and Hawa Mahal, with a free afternoon in the bazaars. Day 7 adds Jal Mahal and Nahargarh Fort before the drive to Delhi and an evening at India Gate.

The Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip uses 4-star hotels for all seven nights, twin sharing: Four Points by Sheraton Srinagar for three nights, Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate Road for one, Golden Tulip Jaipur City Centre for two and Novotel New Delhi City Centre for the last night. Breakfast is included every morning; lunch and dinner are not, so you choose where to eat. Kashmiri cooking is milder than north Indian food, built on fennel and dried ginger rather than chilli, with plenty of lamb. Vegetarian food is easy everywhere, and halal food is widely available in Srinagar. Tell HSJ about allergies or dietary needs in advance, and ask about a houseboat night on Dal Lake on a private booking.

Kashmir needs no special permit on this tour: Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam are open to foreign tourists on an ordinary Indian tourist visa, which Singapore passport holders apply for themselves as an e-Visa online, at least two weeks before flying, entering India at Delhi. Conditions in Jammu and Kashmir can change, so read the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel advice before you commit. Under rules in force there, prepaid SIMs bought elsewhere in India stop working in Kashmir, while roaming on your Singapore line is unaffected. Travel insurance is not included and is strongly recommended, covering medical treatment and cancellation, and it should not exclude the gondola's altitude.

The Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip has no departures listed at the moment, so request your dates through the enquiry form on this page; when small-group departures open, they appear in the dates table, with no more than 12 travellers on each. The same itinerary can be booked privately for your own party on dates you choose, and customised with extra nights in Srinagar or Jaipur, a houseboat night or a ten-day version at a gentler pace. Solo travellers are welcome, and the published price is per person on a twin-share basis, so ask for the single-room cost. Book two to three months ahead for April to June, when Srinagar hotels fill.