Golden Triangle · 5 days / 4 nights
India's classic first trip, with one car and driver from your arrival in Delhi to your flight home: a night in Delhi, the Taj Mahal at sunset and again at sunrise, Fatehpur Sikri on the road, and two nights in Jaipur. This is a sample itinerary, and every day can change, from the number of nights to the hotels and the pace.
Highlights
Day by day
A sample plan — every day can be changed.
Your driver meets you at the airport, the station or your hotel. If you arrive by midday, spend the afternoon at Humayun's Tomb and the Qutb Minar, then drive past India Gate along Kartavya Path. If you land late, rest; the sightseeing can move around tomorrow's drive.
Overnight: Delhi
Delhi → Agra · about 230 km, 3.5–4 hours
Start at the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, then take a cycle-rickshaw through the lanes of Chandni Chowk, where cars can't go. Drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway and head to Mehtab Bagh, the Mughal garden across the river from the Taj Mahal, to watch it at sunset.
Overnight: Agra
Agra → Fatehpur Sikri → Jaipur · about 240 km, 4–5 hours plus stops
Be at the Taj Mahal gates for sunrise, the calmest time of day there, and return to the hotel for breakfast. See Agra Fort, then drive west to Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's red-sandstone capital, about an hour from Agra. Carry on to Jaipur, arriving by evening.
Overnight: Jaipur
Drive out early to Amer Fort, the palace-fort on the hill above Maota Lake, stopping on the way to photograph Jal Mahal in its lake. In the afternoon, see the City Palace, the 18th-century observatory of Jantar Mantar and the honeycomb façade of the Hawa Mahal. End the day in the bazaars of the walled city, or with the sunset from Nahargarh Fort.
Overnight: Jaipur
Jaipur → Delhi · about 280 km, 5–6 hours
Keep the morning for a last walk through the bazaars or a sight you missed, then drive back to Delhi. Your driver drops you at the airport for an evening or night flight, or at your hotel if you're staying on.
What's in the price
Usually included
Not included
Your quote lists exactly what is included for your dates and hotels.
Best time to go
October to March, when Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are dry and mild. December and January mornings are cold and can be foggy, which sometimes hides the Taj at sunrise; April to June is very hot, and July to September is the monsoon.
Good to know
The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so we arrange the days so that your Agra morning isn't a Friday. If it can't be avoided, you see the Taj on the afternoon you arrive and keep Agra Fort, which is usually open on Fridays, for the next morning.
The Red Fort is usually closed on Mondays, and many shops in Chandni Chowk close on Sundays, when the bazaar is quiet. If your Delhi days fall on either, we rearrange the sightseeing to suit.
The three drives take 3.5 to 6 hours each, not counting stops for tea, lunch and photographs. On the last day, book a flight that leaves Delhi in the evening or later, so the drive from Jaipur isn't a race.
Questions
The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur takes five days at a comfortable pace: one night in Delhi, one in Agra and two in Jaipur, with the drive back to Delhi on the last day. With six or seven days, you can add a second night in Delhi or two nights in Ranthambore for tiger safaris.
Yes. The Golden Triangle can start in Jaipur, for example if you fly into Jaipur International Airport, and run the other way round: Jaipur, then Agra, then Delhi. The order is set so that the Taj Mahal's Friday closure and the Red Fort's Monday closure don't clash with your dates.
Yes. The Golden Triangle is one of the most popular first trips to India: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are linked by expressways and good highways, and in five days you see the Mughal monuments of Delhi and Agra and the forts of Rajasthan. A private car and driver lets first-time visitors travel at their own pace.
October to March is the best time for a Golden Triangle tour, when Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are dry and mild. December and January mornings can be foggy, April to June is very hot, and July to September is the monsoon.
No. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so a Golden Triangle tour is planned to keep your Taj visit off a Friday. If a Friday in Agra can't be avoided, you can still see the Taj from Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna or from Agra Fort, which are usually open on Fridays.
Also consider
7 days / 6 nightsDelhi → Agra → Ranthambore → Jaipur
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with two nights in Ranthambore National Park for tiger safaris, in seven days by private car.
8 days / 7 nightsDelhi → Agra → Jaipur → Udaipur
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, then south via Chittorgarh to Udaipur for three nights by the lakes, in eight days.
8 days / 7 nightsJaipur → Pushkar → Jodhpur → Udaipur
Eight days by private car through Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, with a stop at the Jain temple at Ranakpur on the way.
Share your dates, who's travelling and what you'd love to see. We'll reply with a day-by-day plan and an itemised quote — no obligation.
