Delhi · Agra · Jaipur · Pushkar · Jodhpur · Udaipur
Trip overview
The Golden Triangle is where most first trips to India begin. Rajasthan is where they get interesting. This 11-day private tour starts with Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, then keeps going west and south into the desert state: the pilgrim town of Pushkar around its small holy lake, Jodhpur's indigo old city beneath the walls of Mehrangarh, the marble forest of pillars at Ranakpur, and Udaipur, built around lakes and palaces in the Aravalli hills.
You see five centuries of building in one trip: Mughal tombs and mosques in Delhi and Agra, Rajput hill forts and step-lined tanks across Rajasthan, and palaces that were still royal households within living memory. Between the monuments you get villages, camel carts, block-printing workshops, spice markets and long open roads.
Travel is by private air-conditioned car with your own driver for the
whole journey, with licensed local guides in each city. The final leg from Udaipur to Delhi is by
flight, which saves a full day of driving.
This tour suits travelers who've done the classic
Golden Triangle before, or who want a fuller picture of India on their first trip and don't mind
a longer itinerary to get it.
Day by day
Jump to any day, or scroll through the full route below.
Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel. The day is free to recover from your flight. If you're up for something gentle, your guide can take you to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib or for a walk in Lodhi Garden among 15th-century tombs.
Overnight in Delhi.
You begin in Old Delhi with Jama Masjid, a cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, and a stop at Raj Ghat. In the afternoon you see Humayun's Tomb, the garden tomb that shaped Mughal architecture, and the carved sandstone tower of Qutub Minar, and drive past India Gate and the buildings of Lutyens' capital.
Overnight in Delhi.
You drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway, roughly three and a half hours, and check in. Your Agra guide takes you to the Taj Mahal, completed around 1653 for Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal, and then to Agra Fort, the red sandstone palace-fortress on the riverbank. At dusk you cross to Mehtab Bagh for the view of the Taj from across the Yamuna.
Overnight in Agra.
You return to the Taj Mahal at opening time for the quiet hour. After breakfast you drive west to Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's capital of the 1570s, abandoned within a generation and remarkably intact. Further on you stop at Chand Baori in Abhaneri, a 9th-century stepwell of dizzying geometry, and reach Jaipur in the evening.
Overnight in Jaipur.
Morning at Amber Fort, above Maota Lake, with the painted Ganesh Pol and the mirrored Sheesh Mahal, and a photo stop at Jal Mahal. In the walled city you tour the City Palace, Jantar Mantar with its giant stone instruments, and Hawa Mahal. The evening is free for Johari and Bapu Bazaars, or a Rajasthani dinner.
Overnight in Jaipur.
A three-hour drive brings you to Pushkar, a small town gathered around a lake said to have formed where Brahma dropped a lotus flower. You visit the Brahma Temple, one of very few dedicated to him anywhere, walk the ghats, and browse a bazaar full of textiles, silver and second-hand books. At sunset, the aarti and the sound of bells across the water are the whole point of staying the night.
Overnight in Pushkar.
On the way out you can stop at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the shrine of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, which draws pilgrims of every faith. Then it's about four hours to Jodhpur.
In the afternoon you visit Jaswant Thada, a marble cenotaph on a ridge, and the clock tower and Sardar Market, where spice sellers and bangle stalls fill the lanes.
Overnight in Jodhpur.
The morning belongs to Mehrangarh, rising 120 metres straight out of the rock, its walls still marked by cannon fire. Inside are palace courtyards, painted rooms and a fine museum of palanquins, arms and miniatures. From the ramparts, the old city below is a sea of indigo-washed houses.
Afterwards you see Umaid Bhawan Palace, part royal residence, part museum, part hotel, and have a free afternoon for the bazaars or a walk through the blue lanes.
Overnight in Jodhpur.
You drive south through the Aravalli hills to the Ranakpur Jain Temple, a 15th-century marble complex whose 1,444 pillars are each carved differently, and the light inside shifts through the day. Please note the temple opens to non-Jain visitors only for part of the day, so we time the stop accordingly.
You reach Udaipur in the late afternoon. If there's time, we head up to the Monsoon Palace for the sunset over the lakes.
Overnight in Udaipur.
You tour the City Palace, a complex of courtyards, mirrored rooms and balconies built up over four centuries above Lake Pichola, and visit Jagdish Temple and the fountains and lotus pools of Saheliyon ki Bari.
In the late afternoon you take a boat across Lake Pichola, passing the Lake Palace and stopping at Jag Mandir island. In the evening, the folk dance and puppet performance at Bagore ki Haveli is an easy, enjoyable hour.
Overnight in Udaipur.
After breakfast your driver takes you to Udaipur airport for the short flight to Delhi, where we meet you and transfer you to your international terminal or hotel, depending on your onward plans.
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Good to know
The longest stretch is Jodhpur to Udaipur via Ranakpur, about six hours with the temple stop. Most other legs are three to four hours, and two days have no intercity driving at all.
You can, but it's a 650 km drive of ten hours or more. Most travellers prefer the 90-minute flight, or an overnight stop in Jaipur or Pushkar on the way back.
October to March. Winter days are warm and evenings cool. April to June is very hot in the desert, though hotel rates drop. The monsoon, roughly July to September, is light in Rajasthan and turns the hills green.
If you'd like to see it, yes. The fair falls around Kartik Purnima, usually in November, and Pushkar is transformed. Book many months ahead, as accommodation fills and prices rise sharply.
Everything from clean 3-star properties to converted havelis and former palaces. Rajasthan's heritage hotels are a highlight of the region and worth the upgrade if your budget stretches.
Yes. Pushkar is a holy town, so meat, eggs and alcohol are not served, and it's best to respect that while you're there.
Cover your shoulders and knees, and remove shoes before entering. At Jain temples such as Ranakpur, leather items including belts and camera straps are not allowed inside.
Yes. Jaisalmer adds two or three nights, with a golden sandstone fort, camel rides at Sam dunes and a night under the stars. Bikaner, Mount Abu and Ranthambore also fit naturally.
Yes. The pace is moderate, though forts involve stairs and uneven ground. Tell us about mobility needs and we'll adapt the plan.