Project days run Monday to Friday, which leaves your weekends free. Many volunteers spend them on the trips we arrange to the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Amritsar and Varanasi, and our guide to weekend trips for volunteers covers those. This post is for the weekends you want to plan yourself.
All seven escapes below can be reached from Delhi or Jaipur by train or bus in a day or less. Some fit a normal weekend; others are better when you can add a day or two. Your coordinator can help you choose, book tickets and find somewhere safe to stay.
From Delhi: the hills and the Ganges
1. Rishikesh and Haridwar
Two holy towns on the Ganges, less than an hour apart. In Haridwar, crowds gather at Har Ki Pauri ghat every evening for the Ganga Aarti, as priests swing blazing lamps and little leaf boats of flowers drift away on the current. Rishikesh, upstream in the foothills, is calmer: ashrams, yoga classes you can drop in on, riverside cafés, forest walks and, outside the monsoon, white-water rafting.
Take an early train from Delhi to Haridwar, which takes around four to five hours, or an overnight bus. Both towns are vegetarian and alcohol-free, and modest clothes are best at the ghats.
2. McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala
Home of the Dalai Lama and a large Tibetan community since the 1960s, McLeod Ganj sits on a ridge above Dharamshala with the snowy Dhauladhar range behind it. Visit the main temple beside the Dalai Lama’s residence, walk the path of prayer wheels around it, eat momos and thukpa, and browse the Tibetan craft shops.
With an extra day, hike up to Triund for close-up views of the peaks; spring and autumn are best. Overnight buses from Delhi take 10 to 12 hours, so leave on Friday evening and come back on Sunday night, or better still, make it a long weekend.
3. Shimla and the Kalka–Shimla toy train
The old summer capital of British India is a hill town of colonial churches, timber-fronted shops and a long pedestrian promenade, the Mall, with forest walks all around. Half the fun is getting there: from Kalka, at the foot of the hills, a narrow-gauge railway climbs to Shimla through tunnels, over bridges and past pine forests. Part of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site, the ride takes about five hours.
Take a morning train from Delhi to Kalka to connect with it. Monsoon landslides sometimes interrupt the line, so check that it’s running before you book. In Shimla, keep a firm grip on sunglasses and snacks around Jakhu Temple: the monkeys are bold.
From Jaipur: Rajasthan beyond the Pink City
If you volunteer in Jaipur, Rajasthan is on your doorstep. From Delhi, all four of these places are a day or overnight train ride away.
4. Pushkar
A small holy town wrapped around a lake, Pushkar is about three hours from Jaipur by bus, or by train to nearby Ajmer. Pilgrims bathe at the ghats, bells ring from hundreds of temples, and one of the very few temples in the world dedicated to Brahma, the creator god, stands at the heart of town. Climb the hill to the Savitri temple for sunset, then browse the bazaar for leather sandals, silver and bright fabrics.
Each October or November, the camel fair fills the desert outside town with traders, livestock and visitors. Pushkar is vegetarian and alcohol-free, and you take your shoes off at the ghats. If someone offers you flowers to float on the lake and then asks for a large donation, politely say no.
5. Ranthambore National Park
About three hours from Jaipur by road or train, Ranthambore is one of the most rewarding places in India to look for a wild tiger. Stay overnight in Sawai Madhopur, book a morning and an afternoon jeep safari, and fill the gap between them at the ruined fort on a ridge inside the park. Safari permits sell out, especially from October to March, so book early, and remember that the main zones close for the monsoon. Our guide to national parks worth visiting has more.
6. Udaipur
Udaipur’s white palaces and temples rise from the shores of Lake Pichola, with the Aravalli hills behind. Tour the vast City Palace, take a boat on the lake at sunset, visit the Jagdish Temple and catch an evening of Rajasthani folk dance in an old haveli. With a third day, drive out to the hilltop fort of Kumbhalgarh, whose walls run for more than 30 kilometers across the hills.
Udaipur is six to eight hours from Jaipur by train or bus, or an overnight train from Delhi, so it works best as a long weekend or at the end of your stay.
7. Jodhpur, or Bundi
Jodhpur, the Blue City, spreads beneath Mehrangarh, one of the most imposing forts in India, which rises sheer from a rock above a sea of blue-washed houses. Spend a morning in the fort and its museum, wander down through the blue lanes of the old town, and finish at the busy market around the clock tower. Jodhpur is about five hours from Jaipur by train.
For something smaller and quieter, try Bundi, about four hours from Jaipur: a town of stepwells, a hillside palace with faded murals and a fort above it all, with far fewer visitors than the big Rajasthan cities.
Tips for planning your own weekend
- Book early. Trains on popular routes sell out days or weeks ahead, especially on Friday evenings and around festivals.
- Carry your passport. Hotels must register foreign guests, so they will ask for your passport and visa at check-in.
- Travel with a friend and keep your coordinator informed. Tell them where you’re going, where you’re staying and when you’ll be back.
- Check the season. Hill roads and railways can be disrupted in the monsoon, Rajasthan is very hot in May and June, and national parks close their main zones from July to September.
- Budget for it. Weekend trips, entry fees and your own travel are not included in the program price.
Rather have it all arranged?
Our weekend trips take care of transport, hotels and guides for you: a day at the Taj Mahal, a weekend in Jaipur, the three-day Golden Triangle, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and Varanasi by overnight train. Tell us when you apply, or once you’ve arrived, and we’ll book your dates.
Questions about your weekends? Email info@volunteeringindia.com, or see our programs in Delhi and Jaipur.