u/Particular_Box4839

India Itinerary Check – Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore & Rajasthan (Nov 18 – Dec 2)

Hi everyone, I'd love feedback on my route and booking plan.

TRIP OVERVIEW

- Solo traveller, flying in from Nepal

- Arrive Delhi: Nov 18, 6:45 PM

- Depart Jaipur: Dec 2, 4:20 AM

- Interests: history, forts, nature. Medium pace

- Flights already booked

DAY-BY-DAY

Nov 18 – Arrive Delhi. Night: Delhi

Nov 19 – Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Humayun's Tomb. Night: Delhi

Nov 20 – Shatabdi 12002 (06:00) to Agra. Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri. Night: Agra

Nov 21 – Taj Mahal at sunrise, midday train to Sawai Madhopur. Night: Ranthambore

Nov 22 – Morning + afternoon safari, Mewar Express 12963 (23:05) to Udaipur. Night: train

Nov 23–25 – Udaipur: City Palace, Lake Pichola boat, Monsoon Palace. Nights: Udaipur

Nov 26 – Private car to Jodhpur via Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur. Night: Jodhpur

Nov 27 – Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada, blue city. Night: Jodhpur

Nov 28 – Vande Bharat 26481 (05:30) to Jaipur. City Palace, Hawa Mahal. Night: Jaipur

Nov 29 – Jantar Mantar, old bazaars, Nahargarh sunset. Night: Jaipur

Nov 30 – Amber Fort, Panna Meena stepwell, Jal Mahal. Night: Jaipur

Dec 1 – Half day to Chand Baori (Abhaneri). Night: Jaipur

Dec 2 – Early flight out

QUESTIONS

1. Is the pace balanced? Anything you would cut or add?

2. Booking order: safari first, then trains, then hotels. Correct?

3. Mewar Express overnight: 2A or 3A for a first-time solo traveller?

4. Best Saturday train from Agra to Sawai Madhopur (departing 10 AM–1 PM)?

5. Ranthambore: Gypsy or Canter? Any zones worth requesting?

6. Reliable car rental for Udaipur → Kumbhalgarh → Ranakpur → Jodhpur, and typical price?

7. IRCTC registration tips for foreigners?

8. Will late-November fog/smog affect the Taj Mahal sunrise?

9. Ranthambore on Nov 22: keep the room for a second night, or ask for late checkout?

10. Hotel area recommendations in each city?

Thanks a lot!

- How long between your first day back and the day it stopped feeling strange?

- Was it the work itself, or the schedule, the people, the pace?

- Did you change anything about the job you returned to hours, team, level, travel?

- If you've done this more than once, was the second return easier or harder?

- Anyone who found it so hard they decided never to do it again: what would have had to be different?

I've been collecting accounts of repeated career breaks and this turned out to be the thing people most wanted to talk about.

Thanks in advance.

Hi all! I'm a 33-year-old solo male traveler based in Dubai, planning my first proper India trip for Nov 13 – Dec 1, 2026. I'd really appreciate a sanity check from people who know India well.

About me / travel style

• Fast-paced, but I've tried to build in a few slower days
• Travelled many times before
• Love food, but can't handle very spicy dishes
• Budget-conscious, mid-range stays

Draft itinerary

Date	Night in	Plan
Nov 13–14	Amritsar	Fly in from Dubai. Golden Temple at night and dawn, Jallianwala Bagh, Partition Museum, Attari-Wagah ceremony
Nov 15	Delhi	Day train from Amritsar, Humayun's Tomb
Nov 16	Train	Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk. Evening train to Jaisalmer (14659)
Nov 17	Desert camp	Jaisalmer Fort and havelis, then Khuri dunes camp
Nov 18	Jodhpur	Car in the morning, Mehrangarh, Blue City
Nov 19–20	Udaipur	Car via Ranakpur, then a slow day in Udaipur
Nov 21–22	Jaipur	Chittorgarh Fort on the way (train), then Amber Fort, Nahargarh, City Palace
Nov 23	Ranthambore	Train to Sawai Madhopur, safari
Nov 24	Agra	Morning safari, car via Fatehpur Sikri, Mehtab Bagh at sunset
Nov 25	Train	Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort. Overnight train to Varanasi
Nov 26	Varanasi	Sarnath, evening aarti
Nov 27	Train	Sunrise boat on the ghats. Overnight train to New Jalpaiguri
Nov 28–29	Darjeeling	Tiger Hill sunrise, toy train, tea estates, one slow day
Nov 30	Train	Darjeeling Mail from NJP to Kolkata (or a short flight from Bagdogra)
Dec 1	—	Kolkata: Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge. Night flight to Dubai

My questions

1. Overall: Is this too rushed? Anything you'd cut or swap? I'm also considering McLeod Ganj (Triund hike) instead of Darjeeling. Which would you pick for mid-November?
2. Holidays and festivals: Any public holidays, festivals or long weekends between Nov 13 and Dec 1 that could mean closures, crowds, sold-out trains or hotel price spikes? I believe Guru Nanak Jayanti and Dev Deepawali fall around Nov 24. Worth adjusting for either?
3. Closures: I know the Taj is closed on Fridays and the Red Fort on Mondays. Any other monuments on my route with weekly closures that clash with my dates?
4. Trains: Is 4 sleeper nights in 19 days too many? Which class would you recommend for a first-timer (2A vs 3A)? How bad are fog delays in late November, especially Agra to Varanasi?
5. Air quality: How bad are Amritsar and Delhi in mid-November? Would you reverse the route or cut Delhi short?
6. Where to stay: Best areas or neighborhoods in each city for a solo traveler (walkable, safe, near the sights)? Any specific camp in Khuri, or hotel in Darjeeling, you'd recommend?
7. Ranthambore: Which zones to book, and gypsy or canter?
8. Food: Must-try dishes that aren't too spicy in each region?
9. Getting around: Hiring a car with driver for the Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Udaipur legs: any trusted way to book this, and a fair price range?

Thanks a lot in advance! Happy to share a trip report afterwards.

Hi all! I'm a 33-year-old solo male traveler based in Dubai, planning my first proper India trip for Nov 13 – Dec 1, 2026. I'd really appreciate a sanity check from people who know India well.

About me / travel style

• Fast-paced, but I've tried to build in a few slower days
• Travelled many times before
• Love food, but can't handle very spicy dishes
• Budget-conscious, mid-range stays

Draft itinerary

Date	Night in	Plan
Nov 13–14	Amritsar	Fly in from Dubai. Golden Temple at night and dawn, Jallianwala Bagh, Partition Museum, Attari-Wagah ceremony
Nov 15	Delhi	Day train from Amritsar, Humayun's Tomb
Nov 16	Train	Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk. Evening train to Jaisalmer (14659)
Nov 17	Desert camp	Jaisalmer Fort and havelis, then Khuri dunes camp
Nov 18	Jodhpur	Car in the morning, Mehrangarh, Blue City
Nov 19–20	Udaipur	Car via Ranakpur, then a slow day in Udaipur
Nov 21–22	Jaipur	Chittorgarh Fort on the way (train), then Amber Fort, Nahargarh, City Palace
Nov 23	Ranthambore	Train to Sawai Madhopur, safari
Nov 24	Agra	Morning safari, car via Fatehpur Sikri, Mehtab Bagh at sunset
Nov 25	Train	Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort. Overnight train to Varanasi
Nov 26	Varanasi	Sarnath, evening aarti
Nov 27	Train	Sunrise boat on the ghats. Overnight train to New Jalpaiguri
Nov 28–29	Darjeeling	Tiger Hill sunrise, toy train, tea estates, one slow day
Nov 30	Train	Darjeeling Mail from NJP to Kolkata (or a short flight from Bagdogra)
Dec 1	—	Kolkata: Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge. Night flight to Dubai

My questions

1. Overall: Is this too rushed? Anything you'd cut or swap? I'm also considering McLeod Ganj (Triund hike) instead of Darjeeling. Which would you pick for mid-November?
2. Holidays and festivals: Any public holidays, festivals or long weekends between Nov 13 and Dec 1 that could mean closures, crowds, sold-out trains or hotel price spikes? I believe Guru Nanak Jayanti and Dev Deepawali fall around Nov 24. Worth adjusting for either?
3. Closures: I know the Taj is closed on Fridays and the Red Fort on Mondays. Any other monuments on my route with weekly closures that clash with my dates?
4. Trains: Is 4 sleeper nights in 19 days too many? Which class would you recommend for a first-timer (2A vs 3A)? How bad are fog delays in late November, especially Agra to Varanasi?
5. Air quality: How bad are Amritsar and Delhi in mid-November? Would you reverse the route or cut Delhi short?
6. Where to stay: Best areas or neighborhoods in each city for a solo traveler (walkable, safe, near the sights)? Any specific camp in Khuri, or hotel in Darjeeling, you'd recommend?
7. Ranthambore: Which zones to book, and gypsy or canter?
8. Food: Must-try dishes that aren't too spicy in each region?
9. Getting around: Hiring a car with driver for the Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Udaipur legs: any trusted way to book this, and a fair price range?

Thanks a lot in advance! Happy to share a trip report afterwards.

I'm researching people who take repeated, funded time off across a career rather than one long break or an early exit, and I keep finding people who did it once. I'm looking for the ones who did it twice or more.

If that's you:

- How many, and roughly what years?

- Was the second easier or harder to arrange than the first?

- Did your pay recover between them, and did it keep climbing?

- What did you do differently the second time?

- If you stopped doing it, what stopped it?

Happy to take answers here or by DM. No names, no usernames, nothing identifying.
I'll share what I find back here.

يعني قليل لما بشوف حديقة فيها زرع أو خضرة

Everyone I've talked to planned the money carefully and then found the days weirdly empty, because everyone they know is at work between nine and five.

Did you end up with anyone to spend weekday time with, or was it mostly solo? And if you found something that worked, what was it, a class, a gym, a club, other people who don't work normal hours?

Also curious whether you missed your colleagues more than you expected.

Everyone I've talked to planned the money carefully and then found the days weirdly empty, because everyone they know is at work between nine and five.

Did you end up with anyone to spend weekday time with, or was it mostly solo? And if you found something that worked, what was it, a class, a gym, a club, other people who don't work normal hours?

Also curious whether you missed your colleagues more than you expected.

How long before you felt like you could actually do the job? I keep hearing there's a dip and nobody seems to agree on how long it lasts.

How did the money go? Did you negotiate differently than you would have before the break, or take roughly what was offered because you'd been out a while? And did anyone try to use the time off to justify a lower number?

What surprised you? The thing you'd forgotten about working, or the thing that was worse than you remembered, or the thing that turned out not to bother you at all.

And did you come back on the same terms, or did you change something, hours, travel, remote, seniority, the actual job?

Also interested if going back was a mistake, and how long it took you to know.

How long before you felt like you could actually do the job? I keep hearing there's a dip and nobody seems to agree on how long it lasts.

How did the money go? Did you negotiate differently than you would have before the break, or take roughly what was offered because you'd been out a while? And did anyone try to use the time off to justify a lower number?

What surprised you? The thing you'd forgotten about working, or the thing that was worse than you remembered, or the thing that turned out not to bother you at all.

And did you come back on the same terms, or did you change something, hours, travel, remote, seniority, the actual job?

Also interested if going back was a mistake, and how long it took you to know.

I’ve got a feeling it’s more possible than most people think, but the details are hard to find.

If you’ve ever managed to get extended time off and still keep your job, I’d really like to hear how it actually went.

A few things I’m curious about:

• Who did you ask, and what did you say?
• Was there an official policy you could point to, or did you basically have to invent the request?
• How long did it take from the first conversation to getting a clear answer?
• Did they try to negotiate you down to something shorter?
• Did you keep your benefits and seniority? Was any of it put in writing?
• Did you time the ask carefully, or did you just ask when you’d had enough?
• Did you offer them anything in return?

I’ve been wondering whether the people who get a yes are the ones who frame it as a retention issue rather than a personal favour.

Also especially interested if you asked and got turned down. What reason did they give? And did you end up leaving anyway?

Would love any real details.

I’ve got a feeling it’s more possible than most people think, but the details are hard to find.

If you’ve ever managed to get extended time off and still keep your job, I’d really like to hear how it actually went.

A few things I’m curious about:

• Who did you ask, and what did you say?
• Was there an official policy you could point to, or did you basically have to invent the request?
• How long did it take from the first conversation to getting a clear answer?
• Did they try to negotiate you down to something shorter?
• Did you keep your benefits and seniority? Was any of it put in writing?
• Did you time the ask carefully, or did you just ask when you’d had enough?
• Did you offer them anything in return?

I’ve been wondering whether the people who get a yes are the ones who frame it as a retention issue rather than a personal favour.

Also especially interested if you asked and got turned down. What reason did they give? And did you end up leaving anyway?

Would love any real details.

I’ve got a feeling it’s more possible than most people think, but the details are hard to find.

If you’ve ever managed to get extended time off and still keep your job, I’d really like to hear how it actually went.

A few things I’m curious about:

• Who did you ask, and what did you say?
• Was there an official policy you could point to, or did you basically have to invent the request?
• How long did it take from the first conversation to getting a clear answer?
• Did they try to negotiate you down to something shorter?
• Did you keep your benefits and seniority? Was any of it put in writing?
• Did you time the ask carefully, or did you just ask when you’d had enough?
• Did you offer them anything in return?

I’ve been wondering whether the people who get a yes are the ones who frame it as a retention issue rather than a personal favour.

Also especially interested if you asked and got turned down. What reason did they give? And did you end up leaving anyway?

Would love any real details.

I keep reading about the money side of taking a long break and almost nothing about what it does to a household. The version I imagine is one person at home all day and the other still going to work, and I can't tell if that's fine or quietly awful.

If you've been on either side of it, did you talk about how things would change before it started, or did you sort it out as you went? And was there anything you'd handle completely differently a second time?

Also interested if you did it together at the same time. Curious whether that solved the problem or created a different one.

I keep reading about the money side of taking a long break and almost nothing about what it does to a household. The version I imagine is one person at home all day and the other still going to work, and I can't tell if that's fine or quietly awful.

If you've been on either side of it, did you talk about how things would change before it started, or did you sort it out as you went? And was there anything you'd handle completely differently a second time?

Also interested if you did it together at the same time. Curious whether that solved the problem or created a different one.

Not the plan, The actual month!
I've been collecting these and the honest answers are more useful than the tidy ones.

How long before it stopped feeling like a holiday?
Did you have any structure or did you just drift for a while and let it happen?
And who did you actually see during the week, given everyone you know is presumably at work?

Not the plan, The actual month!
I've been collecting these and the honest answers are more useful than the tidy ones.

How long before it stopped feeling like a holiday?
Did you have any structure or did you just drift for a while and let it happen?
And who did you actually see during the week, given everyone you know is presumably at work?