8-Day Golden Triangle, slowly

Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to the hotel.

• Most flights land late or early, so this day has no fixed plan.
• If you arrive in daylight, you can rest, then have a short drive through the wide avenues of New Delhi to Lodhi Gardens, where families walk beneath the old tombs at dusk.
• It is a gentle first outing.
• Dinner at the hotel keeps things easy.
• We suggest drinking water, sleeping well and ignoring the alarm.
• The slower length of this journey means tomorrow starts late, with a leisurely breakfast.
• Send your flight details when we plan so the driver can track your arrival and wait for you even if the flight is delayed.

Your guide joins you after a late breakfast.

• The first visit is Humayun's Tomb, the garden mausoleum in red sandstone that is quietest before noon.
• After this, the car goes to the Qutub Minar complex, then through New Delhi past India Gate.
• Lunch is a long stop.
• In the afternoon you enter Old Delhi for the Jama Masjid and a slow walk through Chandni Chowk, where the lanes narrow and shops sell everything from silver to saris.
• The Red Fort is closed on Mondays and we reorder if needed.
• We keep this day deliberately short on stops, so you can sit, drink tea and watch.
• Cover shoulders and knees for the mosque, and carry small change for the shoe keepers.

After breakfast the car leaves on the Yamuna Expressway, with Agra roughly three to four hours away.

• A coffee stop at the midpoint breaks the drive.
• You arrive around lunchtime, so the afternoon is yours to rest.
• At about four, your guide takes you to Agra Fort for the red sandstone halls and the view toward the Taj.
• Then the car crosses the river to Itimad-ud-Daulah, a small tomb with fine marble work.
• The visit ends at Mehtab Bagh if the sky is clear, where you watch the sun turn the Taj gold from the far bank.
• Dinner is at the hotel.
• Go to bed early, because the next morning begins long before breakfast.

You leave in the dark and are at the gates when they open.

• Your guide leads you through the entrance arch and along the central pool, then onto the marble platform for the best views as the colour changes.
• You can walk through the mausoleum interior and look at the inlay up close.
• Allow roughly two hours.
• Back at the hotel, breakfast is slow and the morning is free to rest.
• In the afternoon, if you like, the car takes you to Sikandra, Akbar's tomb, a big quiet garden compound.
• The Taj is closed on Fridays, so we confirm your dates before planning.
• In December and January fog can hide the sunrise, in which case we wait for the light to clear.

You leave after breakfast for the drive to Jaipur, roughly five hours with stops.

• Fatehpur Sikri is the main break, where your guide shows the palaces, courtyards and the mosque of this abandoned Mughal capital, for about ninety minutes.
• Lunch is on the road.
• A short stop at the Abhaneri stepwell, with its rows of symmetrical stairs, is possible if you feel fresh.
• You arrive in Jaipur in the late afternoon and have time to rest.
• For dinner, the driver can take you to the old city to see the Hawa Mahal lit up.
• This is a long day in the car, so the evening is kept open; if you prefer to stay in, simply order at the hotel.

Your guide meets you after an early breakfast to reach Amber Fort before the buses.

• The path leads through the Sun Gate to courtyards, the Sheesh Mahal and the terraces above Maota Lake.
• On the way back, a stop at Jal Mahal gives a view of the lake palace.
• In the late morning you visit the City Palace, still home to the royal family, and the Jantar Mantar observatory with its giant stone sundials.
• Lunch is slow.
• The afternoon is free for rest.
• In the evening the car can take you to a rooftop or a bazaar for the Hawa Mahal in golden light.
• Wear a hat and carry water at Amber.

Today is deliberately open.

• A typical plan starts with a late breakfast, followed by a visit to the textile and craft districts.
• The guide can take you to a block-printing workshop, a gem cutter or a rug weaver, which can be discussed when we plan.
• Another option is Nahargarh Fort for the city views, or a long lunch and an afternoon by the hotel pool if the hotel has one.
• In the late afternoon, the car can take you to Albert Hall Museum and the quiet streets near it.
• If you prefer to do nothing, that is also a good plan.
• Tell the driver the evening before and he will adjust the morning time.

After a slow breakfast you leave Jaipur for Delhi, roughly five to six hours with a coffee break.

• The expressway stretches are fast, and the last section into the city can be slow, so we build in a buffer.
• Your driver takes you to the airport or your Delhi hotel, and your guide has already said goodbye in Jaipur.
• If you have an evening flight, you can leave late morning with a calm lunch on the road.
• Please tell us your flight time when we plan so we can set a safe departure.
• Keep water and a light snack in the car, and let the driver know whenever you want a rest stop.