Golden Triangle with Jodhpur

Your driver meets you on arrival and takes you to the hotel to rest.

• Later your guide joins you for the first look at the capital.
• In Old Delhi you ride a cycle rickshaw through the lanes of Chandni Chowk, with its spice stalls and sweet shops, and see the Jama Masjid from the outside or step in if you wish, with shoulders and knees covered.
• The car then carries you to Humayun's Tomb, an early Mughal garden tomb, and on past India Gate.
• If your flight lands late, the plan shrinks to a short drive and a quiet dinner.
• Delhi traffic thickens in the evening, so the guide plans around it.
• Tomorrow starts with a long drive, so rest well and drink plenty of water.

After breakfast you leave Delhi on the expressway.

• The drive to Agra takes roughly four hours with a tea break.
• You check in around midday and rest through the hottest hours.
• In the afternoon your guide takes you through Agra Fort, a red sandstone palace with marble pavilions and long views down the river toward the Taj.
• Next comes Itimad-ud-Daulah, a small marble tomb with delicate inlay, and then Mehtab Bagh across the river, where you watch the Taj Mahal from a distance as the light softens.
• The monument itself waits for the morning.
• The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so when we plan your dates we shift the order of days to avoid that day.
• Eat early and sleep well.

Go to the Taj Mahal soon after it opens, when the marble is cool and the courtyards are quiet.

• Your guide walks you down the central channel, explains the inlay and the four minarets, and leaves you time to sit.
• In December and January fog can flatten the sunrise, though the building is still worth the early start.
• After breakfast you set off for Jaipur.
• A stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone capital Akbar built and left, takes about two hours with the guide.
• Lunch follows on the highway.
• The drive to Jaipur is about five hours in all, so you arrive in the early evening.
• Check in and keep the night free.
• Comfortable shoes will help tomorrow.

Begin early at Amber Fort, on its ridge above Maota Lake, while the courtyards are still cool.

• The guide leads you through the audience hall and the Sheesh Mahal, where the ceiling is set with small mirrors.
• You can walk up or ride, as you prefer.
• Back in the city you visit the City Palace, part of which is still a royal residence, and the Jantar Mantar, whose huge stone instruments are easier to follow with a guide.
• The Hawa Mahal is best seen from across the road.
• After lunch there is free time for the bazaars, where block-printed cloth, jewellery and leather shoes are sold, and the guide can point you to a workshop visit if you wish.
• The evening is yours.

Today is mostly on the road, and it is the longest drive of the journey.

• Jaipur to Jodhpur takes roughly five to six hours, heading south-west into drier, more open country.
• Your driver stops for tea and again for lunch, and the landscape turns to scrub, low hills and long straight stretches.
• Leaving after an early breakfast means you arrive in the afternoon with time to settle in.
• Jodhpur sits under the walls of Mehrangarh Fort, which is lit after dark.
• If you have the energy, the guide can suggest a short walk near the clock tower market.
• Otherwise take a quiet dinner and an early night.
• The road is fine, but it is a full day in the car.

Visit Mehrangarh Fort in the morning, while the ramparts are cool.

• It rises well above the plain, and your guide takes you through the palace rooms, the courtyards with their carved stone screens and the old gun platforms.
• From the walls you look down on the blue-washed houses of the old town.
• Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial just below the fort, is a quiet stop before lunch.
• In the afternoon you can walk down through the lanes to the clock tower and Sardar Market, which is busy and full of spice and textile sellers.
• Umaid Bhawan Palace can be seen from outside.
• The late afternoon is free, and your guide can suggest a rooftop with a view of the fort.

The last morning is unhurried.

• If your onward flight is later, you may walk the old town again or pick up a few things in the market.
• Your driver takes you to Jodhpur airport or the railway station, and the guide or driver helps with bags.
• The airport is not far from the old city, but allow a comfortable margin for security.
• Flights and trains onward are not included in this journey, so book them once your plan is confirmed.
• If you wish to fly back to Delhi, we can set checkout times around your flight.
• If you would rather return by road, that is a long drive of roughly nine to ten hours, and it can be discussed when we plan.