Golden Triangle with Udaipur

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

• After a rest, your guide begins with Old Delhi: Jama Masjid, a cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, and the sweet shops, spice sellers and tangled wires of the lanes.
• The Red Fort can be added, but it is closed on Mondays.
• Lunch is at a restaurant the guide trusts.
• In the afternoon the car takes you to Humayun's Tomb, a calm garden tomb that came before the Taj, then past India Gate and the government quarter.
• Wear shoes that slip off easily and carry a scarf for the mosque.
• If you land late at night, the city tour begins after a rest the next morning, and the plan is adjusted when we plan the dates.
• Dinner is near the hotel.

Leave Delhi after breakfast and take the expressway toward Agra, a drive of roughly three and a half to four hours.

• Your driver stops halfway at a clean rest area for tea.
• You arrive around lunchtime and rest.
• In the afternoon, your guide takes you to Agra Fort, the red sandstone fortress on the river, where you visit the audience halls and the marble pavilions that look toward the Taj.
• Next comes Itimad-ud-Daulah, the small marble tomb whose inlay is easiest to read in the late afternoon light.
• The Taj Mahal is saved for sunrise tomorrow, but remember that it is closed on Fridays, so we plan around that.
• Dinner is early.
• Set your alarm for before dawn, and keep your camera and ticket details ready.

You reach the Taj Mahal gate as it opens at sunrise.

• Your guide takes you into the garden and across the marble platform while the building moves from grey to pink to white.
• The first hour is the quietest, and the inlay is clearest in the low light.
• In December and January fog can flatten the view, and your guide will say so plainly.
• Return to the hotel for breakfast, then drive to Jaipur, about four and a half to five hours.
• Stop at Fatehpur Sikri on the way, where Akbar built his red sandstone capital and left it a few years later.
• See the Jama Masjid and the Buland Darwaza.
• Lunch is on the road.
• Reach Jaipur by late afternoon, check in and rest.
• A short evening walk near the hotel is optional.

Begin early at Amber Fort, a hill fortress of sandstone and marble above a lake, before the day's crowds arrive.

• Your guide takes you through the courtyards and the Sheesh Mahal, the mirrored hall.
• The ramp to the gate is pleasant to walk in the cool air.
• On the way back, stop at Jal Mahal for a photograph of the palace in the lake.
• After lunch, the City Palace shows the courtyards, textile rooms and the great silver urns, and Jantar Mantar next door displays the huge stone instruments of the observatory.
• Hawa Mahal is seen from the street.
• Finish in the pink-washed bazaars for block-printed cloth and bangles.
• Wear comfortable shoes and carry water.
• You return to the hotel in the late afternoon to rest before dinner.

This is the longest drive of the journey, roughly six to seven hours depending on traffic and stops.

• Leave early after breakfast.
• The highway runs southwest through Rajasthan, past Ajmer and into the Mewar region, where the Aravalli hills begin to rise and the land turns greener.
• Your driver chooses a good lunch place along the way, with a proper break to stretch.
• Bring a book or music, and enjoy the changing scenery.
• You arrive in Udaipur in the late afternoon.
• Check in and rest.
• If you still have energy, walk by the lake at dusk as the lights come on across the water.
• A rooftop dinner with a view of the City Palace can be discussed when we plan.
• Tomorrow is a slower day.

Your local guide meets you after breakfast and starts at the City Palace, a great complex of courtyards, balconies and mirrored rooms above Lake Pichola.

• Next, walk to Jagdish Temple, an active temple in the old town, where the morning ritual is lively.
• After lunch, rest for a short time, and then in the late afternoon take a boat on Lake Pichola, passing the island palaces as the light softens.
• Boat timings follow the sun, so we fix them when we plan.
• Later, the car drives you up toward the hills for a view of the city and lake at sunset.
• Saheliyon ki Bari, a small garden with fountains, is an alternative if you prefer something quiet.
• Dinner is on a terrace by the lake.
• Dress for a cool breeze in winter.

Today is deliberately open.

• After a late breakfast you can wander the lanes of the old town, where small shops sell miniature paintings, silver jewellery and textiles.
• Your guide can suggest a good miniature painter, or a quiet cafe overlooking the water.
• If you prefer to go farther, the driver can take you to Eklingji and Nagda temples, about an hour north, or to the stepwell and gardens nearer town, which can be discussed when we plan.
• Lunch is relaxed.
• Take the afternoon off, and return to the lake edge for a long walk as the sun goes down.
• An evening folk dance and puppet show can be discussed when we plan.
• Pack tonight, as tomorrow is departure, and ask the driver about your airport timing.

After breakfast your driver takes you to Udaipur airport, about forty minutes from the city, or to the railway station for an onward train.

• The airport has direct flights to several cities, and our team can advise on timings.
• Flights are not included in the journey, so please share your schedule with us in advance and we will plan the transfer with a comfortable margin.
• The driver helps with luggage and waits until you are checked in.
• If your flight is in the afternoon, there is time for one last walk by Lake Pichola or a quick stop for souvenirs, such as a miniature painting or a block-printed scarf.
• We hope the lakeside days have been a gentle end to the journey.
• Safe travels, and keep in touch.