Delhi, Agra & Jaipur: Four Days Across the Golden Triangle

A driver meets you at Delhi airport and transfers you to your hotel. Overnight in Delhi.

After breakfast, a guided tour of Delhi begins. The itinerary includes Humayun's Tomb, built by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect Qutb Minar, a 73-meter UNESCO World Heritage tower begun in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, stands in South Delhi and marks the site of Delhi's earliest fortified settlement. India Gate, a war memorial on Rajpath in central New Delhi, is visited next. The tour continues to Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly Viceroy's House), the official residence of India's president, and concludes with Lotus Temple, a Bahá'í House of Worship notable for its lotus-flower architecture, completed in 1986. In the late afternoon, travelers depart Delhi for Agra, approximately three hours southward by road. Evening check-in is at an Agra hotel, where they overnight.

An early start allows arrival at Taj Mahal before sunrise, when crowds are minimal and light conditions are optimal for viewing. The Taj Mahal, completed in 1632 on the south bank of the Yamuna River, was commissioned by Shah Jahan as the mausoleum of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. After the sunrise visit, travelers return to their hotel for breakfast. The morning continues with a tour of Agra Fort, a fortified complex that served as the principal residence of Mughal emperors until the court relocated to Delhi in 1638. In the afternoon, travelers depart Agra for Jaipur, approximately four hours to the southwest. En route, a stop is made at Fatehpur Sikri, the political capital of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar from 1571 to 1585. Fatehpur Sikri was eventually abandoned as a capital but remains an intact example of 16th-century Mughal urban planning. Late evening check-in is at a Jaipur hotel, where travelers overnight.

After breakfast, a guided tour of Jaipur begins. Amber Fort, a hilltop complex started by Raja Man Singh I in 1592 and completed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the 18th century, is the principal morning stop. The fort overlooks the city and contains palaces, courtyards, and defensive structures characteristic of Rajasthani military architecture. City Palace, a complex in central Jaipur that includes Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal palaces, blends Rajasthani and Mughal design and remains partially a royal residence. Jantar Mantar, a collection of astronomical instruments designed by Sawai Jai Singh II Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, is a five-story pink sandstone structure with small windows designed to allow royal women to observe street festivals without being seen. Jal Mahal, a palace in the center of Man Sagar Lake, was renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II. In the late afternoon, travelers depart Jaipur for Delhi, approximately five hours northward. Evening transfer to Delhi airport follows the flight schedule, marking the conclusion of the Golden Triangle tour.