The Golden Triangle run in reverse, for travellers who land in Jaipur. You begin in the Pink City, drive to Agra by way of Fatehpur Sikri, give a full day to the Taj Mahal and finish with the road to Delhi. One car and driver stay with you, and a licensed guide joins in each city.
Highlights
What stays with you
A first day in Jaipur at Amber Fort, the City Palace and the old bazaars
Fatehpur Sikri on the drive east to Agra
The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort with a licensed guide
A final drive to Delhi timed around your flight
Hotels arranged by category, with the same driver throughout
Day by day
How the days go
Day1
Jaipur
Your driver and guide meet you at the Jaipur airport or station and you head straight into the day.
Amber Fort comes first, while the courtyards are calm.
Your guide walks you through the gateways, the mirrored hall and the palace rooms, and the Jal Mahal on the lake makes a short photo stop on the way back.
After lunch the plan moves to the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar, whose stone instruments the guide explains one by one.
Pause opposite the Hawa Mahal for its honeycomb windows.
If you land late in the morning, we start after a rest and keep Amber for the next light.
The evening is free for a bazaar walk or dinner at the hotel.
Wear shoes that are easy to slip off and carry water and a hat.
Day2
Jaipur to Agra
Drive: about five hours
After breakfast the car leaves Jaipur heading east.
The drive to Agra takes about five hours in all, and the first long stretch is on an open highway.
Roughly halfway, the road reaches Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone city Akbar built and left within a few years.
Your guide takes you through the palace courtyards and the great mosque, and you should allow about ninety minutes.
Lunch is at a roadside restaurant used to travellers.
You reach Agra in the afternoon and settle into your hotel.
Because the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, the order shifts if tomorrow is a Friday: we can bring the Taj into this afternoon, or move it to the morning after and keep tomorrow for the fort.
Day3
Agra and the Taj Mahal
This is the day the whole journey leads to.
Your guide meets you at the hotel early and you walk to the Taj Mahal in the soft morning light, when the crowds are thinnest.
Walk the long approach, spend time on the platform and look closely at the inlay and calligraphy.
Allow roughly two hours.
Return for breakfast and a rest.
Late morning, drive to Agra Fort, the red sandstone fortress where the Mughal court lived, and walk its halls and terraces.
After lunch, the small inlaid tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah is a quiet stop.
Mehtab Bagh across the river gives a calm view of the Taj at sunset if you still have energy.
In December and January, fog can flatten the sunrise, so we keep the plan flexible and return to the Taj later if needed.
Day4
Agra to Delhi
Drive: roughly three and a half hours
A relaxed morning in Agra, then the car leaves for Delhi on the expressway.
The drive takes roughly three and a half hours, a little longer if traffic is heavy near the city.
If you want one more sight, a short stop at Sikandra, Akbar's tomb on the edge of Agra, fits before you leave.
Your driver takes you to the airport or to your Delhi hotel.
For an international departure, tell us your flight time when we plan and we will set the departure from Agra so you arrive with a comfortable margin.
Lunch can be taken in Agra or on the road.
Carry water in the car and keep your passport and tickets within reach.
Note. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so the order of days may shift. December and January fog can flatten a sunrise.
Practical
Good to know
The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. If day three is a Friday, we reorder the days or add a night.
Jaipur to Agra is about five hours with the Fatehpur Sikri stop, so day two is a travelling day.
Winter fog in December and January can slow the roads and soften the Taj at dawn.
Flights are not included. Share your arrival and departure times and we plan around them.
Hotels are arranged by category: tell us the level you prefer when we plan.
The details
Included, and not
Included
Private air-conditioned car and driver throughout
Licensed local guide in each city
Hotels in your chosen category, breakfast daily
Airport or hotel pickup and drop
Bottled water in the car
WhatsApp support from our Agra team
Not included
International and domestic flights
Monument entry tickets (we arrange them at cost)
Lunches and dinners
Tips for guides and driver
Travel insurance and visas
Questions
Good to know
Why start in Jaipur instead of Delhi?
It suits travellers who land in Jaipur or are ending another Rajasthan trip there. You skip the Delhi transfer at the start and finish in Delhi, which is where most international flights leave.
What if the Taj day falls on a Friday?
The Taj is closed on Fridays, so we shift the order. Either the Taj visit moves into the afternoon of day two, or it moves to the next morning and the fort takes the Friday. Adding a night is also possible.
Is Fatehpur Sikri on the way to Agra?
Yes. It sits close to the main route between Jaipur and Agra, so the stop adds little driving time. Allow about ninety minutes with your guide.
Can the plan be changed to suit our flights?
Yes. Tell us your arrival time in Jaipur and your departure from Delhi when we plan. We adjust the start of day one and the leaving time from Agra on day four.
Final quote on request
Tell us when you are travelling.
A short message is enough. We will come back with a plan, personally.
