Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, is the heartland of the Ganges plain and home to the Taj Mahal in Agra, the ghats of Varanasi, the Buddhist site of Sarnath and the Nawabi culture of Lucknow. Its cities hold some of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, Mughal-era monuments, major Hindu pilgrimage towns such as Ayodhya and Mathura, and a distinctive food tradition of kebabs, chaat and sweets.
Local currency: Indian Rupee (INR); 1 USD = 96.5 INR is used for all conversions on this page.
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Uttar Pradesh.
- Mid-range
- $70-110/day (₹6,750-10,600)
- Luxury
- $300-600+/day (₹29,000-58,000+)
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- $5-10/night (₹480-970) dorm bed in Varanasi, Agra, or Lucknow
- Budget
- $10-25/night (₹970-2,400) private guesthouse room
- Midrange
- $45-110/night (₹4,350-10,600) business or heritage hotel
- Luxury
- $200-900+/night (₹19,300-87,000+) five-star or palace hotel in Agra, Lucknow, or Varanasi
Food
- Street
- $0.5-2 per item (₹50-190) for kachori-sabzi, tunday kebab, chaat, or malaiyo
- Local
- $2-5 per meal (₹190-480) at a local restaurant or dhaba
- Midrange
- $8-18 per meal (₹770-1,740) at a sit-down restaurant
- Fine
- $30-70 per person (₹2,900-6,750) at a luxury hotel restaurant
Transport
- Bus
- $1-6 (₹100-580) UPSRTC intercity bus, for example Agra to Mathura
- Taxi
- $3-12 (₹290-1,160) city auto-rickshaw or app taxi ride
- Airport
- $8-20 (₹770-1,930) taxi from Lucknow, Varanasi, or Agra airport to the city
- Daytrip
- $30-65 (₹2,900-6,300) hired car for a day, for example Agra to Fatehpur Sikri
Activities
- Museum
- $1-5 (₹100-480) state museum or small monument for foreigners
- Sites
- $13-17 (₹1,250-1,650) approximate foreign-visitor ticket for Agra Fort or Fatehpur Sikri; the Taj Mahal costs more, about $17-20 (₹1,650-1,950) including the mausoleum
- Tour
- $15-40 (₹1,450-3,900) guided heritage walk or Varanasi Ganga boat ride with guide
- Excursion
- $25-70 (₹2,400-6,750) Dudhwa or Katarniaghat wildlife park safari with permits
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Uttar Pradesh costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
$155-195 for 7 days (₹15,000-18,800; hostels, trains, local food)
Midrange traveller
$500-770 for 7 days (₹48,000-74,000; business hotels, restaurants, some private transport)
Luxury traveller
$2,100-4,200+ for 7 days (₹203,000-405,000+; five-star hotels, private car with driver, guided tours)
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Travel between Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Prayagraj by train; AC chair car or 3AC fares cost $8-25 (₹770-2,400) versus $60-150 for a private car
Book Vande Bharat and Gatimaan Express seats weeks ahead through IRCTC; foreign tourists can use the tourist quota
Buy Taj Mahal and other ASI tickets online through the official ASI portal, where online buyers get a small discount
Eat thalis and breakfast stalls rather than hotel menus; a full meal often costs ₹150-300 (under $3.50)
Hire a prepaid taxi or use Ola, Uber, or inDrive to avoid negotiating auto-rickshaw fares at stations
Stay in Agra's Taj Ganj lanes or Varanasi's Assi area for cheaper guesthouses with rooftop views
Visit in October or February-March for rooms 20-40% below the December-January peak
Fix prices for Ganga boat rides in advance; shared boats cost far less than private charters
Carry a refillable bottle and use filtered water refill stations to avoid buying bottled water repeatedly
Visit Fatehpur Sikri on a day trip from Agra rather than staying overnight
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Varanasi Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
The nightly fire ritual on the Ganges is free to watch from the steps or the ghat edge, with crowds peaking at dusk
Sunrise Walk Along the Varanasi Ghats
Walking the 80-plus ghats from Assi to Manikarnika at dawn is free and shows bathing, yoga, and morning rituals
Mehtab Bagh Viewpoint, Agra
Free views of the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna are available from the riverbank path outside the garden, especially at sunset
Lucknow Old City Walk
Wandering Chowk, Aminabad, and the lanes around Bara Imambara exteriors costs nothing and passes chikankari shops and kebab stalls
Ayodhya Saryu Ghats
Pilgrims bathe and perform evening aarti at the Saryu riverbank, free to attend
Mathura and Vrindavan Temple Lanes
Most temples in Vrindavan, including Banke Bihari and Prem Mandir, have free entry and daily aarti
Prayagraj Sangam
The confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna can be viewed from the banks for free; boat rides are paid
Sarnath Temples and Deer Park Grounds
The Buddhist temples around the Dhamek Stupa, including the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, have free-entry shrines
Fatehpur Sikri Village Approach
The bazaar and the approach road toward the Jama Masjid can be explored without a monument ticket
Lucknow Gomti Riverfront
The landscaped riverfront promenade is a free evening walk with city views