Golden Triangle Tour 4 Nights 5 Days

Day 1:

Arrive in Delhi and Discover New Delhi

Our representative meets you at Indira Gandhi International Airport and drives you to your pre-booked hotel. Once you've settled in, your guide takes you out for sightseeing in the afternoon.

Start with Humayun's Tomb, the first great Mughal garden tomb in India and a clear ancestor of the Taj Mahal's design. From there you drive to Qutub Minar, a 73-metre victory tower of carved sandstone begun in the 12th century, standing among the ruins of Delhi's earliest mosque. You finish with the serene white petals of the Lotus Temple (closed on Mondays) and a drive along Rajpath past India Gate and the government buildings of Lutyens' Delhi.

Overnight in Delhi.

Day 2:

Old Delhi in the Morning, Agra by Evening

After breakfast, you move into Old Delhi. You will see the Red Fort from the outside, climb the steps of Jama Masjid, and ride a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, past shops selling spices, sweets, silver and wedding fabrics. You stop at Raj Ghat, the simple black marble memorial where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated, and visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, where volunteers cook free meals for thousands of people every day.

In the early afternoon you drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway, about three and a half hours. After check-in, head to Mehtab Bagh, the riverside garden across from the Taj Mahal, for the sunset view.

Overnight stay in Agra.

Day 3:

Sunrise at the Taj, then on to Jaipur

Get up early and leave the hotel to experience the beauty of the Taj Mahal as the gates open. Your guide walks you through the great gateway, the gardens and the mausoleum, explaining the calligraphy and the inlaid stonework, and points out the best spots for photographs while the marble is still soft pink.

After breakfast you visit Agra Fort, the emperors' walled palace, and Itmad-ud-Daulah, the delicate riverside tomb nicknamed the "Baby Taj." You then set off for Jaipur with two stops: Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned capital with its towering Buland Darwaza, and Chand Baori at Abhaneri, a stepwell of extraordinary geometry. You reach Jaipur in the evening.

Overnight stay in Jaipur.

Day 4:

A Full Day in Jaipur

You start at Amber Fort, on a ridge above Maota Lake, where the Ganesh Pol gateway and the mirrored Sheesh Mahal are the highlights. On the way back you stop for photographs at Jal Mahal, apparently floating on Man Sagar Lake.

In the old city you tour the City Palace, still partly the residence of Jaipur's royal family, with its museum of textiles and weapons, and Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century observatory of giant masonry instruments that still tell the time. You stop at Hawa Mahal, whose latticed façade was designed so royal women could watch the street unseen.

The rest of the day is yours for the bazaars, for Albert Hall Museum, or for dinner at a heritage restaurant.

Overnight in Jaipur.

Day 5:

Free Morning, then Return to Delhi

Your morning is unscheduled. You could watch the sunrise from Nahargarh Fort, visit the Galtaji temple complex in the hills, try a cooking class or block-printing workshop, or simply shop.

After check-out you begin the drive back to Delhi, around five to six hours. Your driver drops you at the airport, railway station or hotel, timed around your onward travel.