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.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Fatehpur Sikri
The abandoned Mughal capital built by Akbar in the 1570s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid and Salim Chishti's tomb.
Highlights: Buland Darwaza, one of the tallest gateways in India · Tomb of Sufi saint Salim Chishti in white marble · Diwan-i-Khas and Panch Mahal in the royal palace complex · Jama Masjid courtyard and the abandoned Mughal capital layout
Mathura and Vrindavan
Krishna's birthplace and the nearby temple town of Vrindavan, with the Krishna Janmabhoomi complex, Banke Bihari Temple and Yamuna ghats.
Highlights: Krishna Janmabhoomi complex in Mathura · Evening aarti at the Yamuna ghats and Vishram Ghat · Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan · Local pedas and dairy sweets in Mathura
Sarnath
The deer park where the Buddha gave his first sermon, with the Dhamek Stupa, Ashoka's pillar remains and the Archaeological Museum.
Highlights: Dhamek Stupa beside the ruins of ancient monasteries · Ashoka pillar remains and the lion capital at the museum · Archaeological Museum of Mauryan and Gupta sculpture · Mulagandha Kuti Vihar and temples built by Buddhist nations
Ramnagar Fort
The 18th-century fort of the Maharaja of Benares on the east bank of the Ganga, with a museum of vintage cars, royal costumes and weapons, and the Ramlila held there each autumn.
Highlights: 18th-century fort of the Maharaja of Benares on the Ganga · Museum of vintage cars, royal costumes and weapons · River views back toward the Varanasi ghats · Ramlila of Ramnagar held each autumn
Chunar Fort
A hill fort above the Ganga with a history spanning the Sultanate, Mughal and British periods and views over the river.
Highlights: Hilltop fort above the Ganga with river views · Layers of Sultanate, Mughal and British history · Ramparts, gateways and old palace remains · Chunar sandstone, linked to Mauryan-era pillars
Kakori
The town linked to the 1925 Kakori train action by Indian revolutionaries, with a memorial, and close to the Dussehri mango orchards of Malihabad.
Highlights: Memorial to the 1925 Kakori train action · Link to revolutionaries Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan · Dussehri mango orchards of nearby Malihabad · Local kebabs in the town
Dudhwa National Park
A Terai tiger reserve with swamp deer, rhino, elephants and birdlife, usually done as an overnight rather than a day trip given the distance.
Highlights: Jeep safaris through sal forest and grassland · Swamp deer (barasingha) and Indian rhinoceros · Chances of tigers, elephants and many bird species · Terai wilderness near the Nepal border
Naimisharanya
One of Hinduism's oldest pilgrimage sites on the Gomti, with Chakra Tirtha, Vyas Gaddi and Lalita Devi Temple.
Highlights: Chakra Tirtha sacred pond · Vyas Gaddi, linked to the sage Vyasa · Lalita Devi Temple · Quiet Gomti riverbank and ashrams
Ayodhya
The Ram Janmabhoomi temple, Hanuman Garhi and the Saryu ghats of the sacred city, within day-return range from Lucknow.
Highlights: Ram Janmabhoomi temple and its darshan queues · Hanuman Garhi hilltop temple · Kanak Bhawan temple · Evening aarti at the Saryu ghats
Bithur
A Ganga ghat town tied to Valmiki's ashram, the 1857 uprising and Nana Sahib, with Brahmavart Ghat.
Highlights: Brahmavart Ghat on the Ganga · Valmiki Ashram, linked to Sita and Lava-Kusha · Sites associated with Nana Sahib and the 1857 uprising · Evening aarti by the river
Kushinagar
The Buddha's parinirvana site, with the Mahaparinirvana Temple and the Ramabhar Stupa.
Highlights: Reclining Buddha in the Mahaparinirvana Temple · Ramabhar Stupa, the traditional cremation site · Temples built by Thailand, Japan, China and Sri Lanka · Quiet, green pilgrimage grounds
Chitrakoot
A forested pilgrimage landscape on the Mandakini, with Ram Ghat, Kamadgiri and Hanuman Dhara.
Highlights: Ram Ghat and the Mandakini aarti · Kamadgiri sacred hill and its parikrama · Hanuman Dhara hilltop temple and spring · Forested pilgrimage landscape on the Mandakini
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organised tours from Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow cost about ₹1,500-4,000 (approx $16-41) per person
- Private
- Car with driver ₹2,500-4,500 (approx $26-47) per day
- Public
- Trains and UPSRTC buses link major cities and many day-trip towns affordably
- Rental
- Self-drive is not recommended for visitors
Multi-day tours from Uttar Pradesh
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from Uttar PradeshWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Visit Fatehpur Sikri early to avoid heat and crowds
Check train timings on IRCTC before planning a same-day return
Dudhwa National Park is closed in monsoon, roughly mid-June to mid-November
Hire a driver for multi-stop days around Varanasi
Carry cash for small ticket counters