Two empires and a city of lakes
The man who built the Taj Mahal once sat by Lake Pichola as a guest of the kingdom that would not bow to his dynasty. That is the twist at the end of this route.
A trade name: the Golden Triangle is a travel-trade name for three cities a few hours apart: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Why it is popular: between them they hold the great monuments of two worlds bound together for centuries, the Mughal empire and the Rajput kingdoms.
- Mughal capitals
- Delhi and Agra
- Rajput capital
- Jaipur, of the Kachwahas
- Taj marble
- Largely from Makrana, Rajasthan
- Khurram in Udaipur
- 1623, at Jag Mandir
- Jaipur to Udaipur
- About an hour by air
- Two sides: Delhi and Agra were the Mughal capitals. Jaipur belonged to the Kachwaha Rajputs, who became the empire's closest allies, its generals and its in-laws.
- A partnership in stone: the Kachwahas married into Akbar's family in the sixteenth century, and Raja Man Singh I of Amer led Mughal armies across India.
- The Taj site: when Shah Jahan wanted a site on the Yamuna for his wife's tomb, he acquired it from Raja Jai Singh of Amer. Much of the white marble came from the quarries of Makrana in Rajasthan.
- Two observatories: a century later Sawai Jai Singh II built observatories in both Delhi and Jaipur.
- Read the route in order: walk through the three cities and you watch Mughal ideas of gardens, domes and inlay arrive in Rajput hands and become something new. Our journal on Mughal and Rajput history tells the longer story.
- Then Udaipur: the Sisodias of Mewar were the Rajput house that resisted the Mughals longest, and Mewar's bards still sing about it.
- The strangest link: in 1623 the rebel prince Khurram, the future Shah Jahan, took refuge in Udaipur from his own father, and is said to have stayed on the island palace of Jag Mandir.
- The practical reason: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are busy, loud and wonderful, and most visitors leave them tired.
- Another country, an hour away: Udaipur is an hour's flight from Jaipur, with lakes, boats and hotels on the water. Three nights there turn a sightseeing trip into a holiday.
- What guests describe first: those last mornings by the lake, when they get home.
Day by day, around the right hours
- Nights
- Nine nights, ten days
- Pace
- A fast train, one road day, one short flight
- Best months
- October to March
- Good for
- A first look at India in under two weeks
- Starts
- Delhi airport
- Ends
- Udaipur airport
Days 1 and 2: Delhi
Arrival: our driver and a member of our team meet you at Indira Gandhi International Airport, whatever the hour, and take you to a calm hotel.
A morning landing: sleep, then walk in Lodhi Garden before a late lunch.
- The last two hours of light: Humayun's Tomb, finished around 1570 and the first great garden tomb in India.
- Look closely: at its dome, its double walls and its fourfold garden. You will see them again, perfected, at the Taj Mahal.
- Day two, Shah Jahan's walled city: start early at the Jama Masjid, then walk and cycle-rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, the silver lane of Dariba Kalan and the spice market of Khari Baoli.
- Your guide: one who knows which stall has the best jalebi.
- The rest of the day: the Red Fort in the late morning, a rest after lunch and a drive through Lutyens' Delhi at dusk.
- Or the Qutub: swap the old city for the Qutub Minar at opening time. Our page on things to do in Delhi has alternatives.
Days 3 and 4: Agra, and the road to Jaipur
A morning fast train: the Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin takes under two hours and is far calmer than the road. Our team meets you on the platform.
The Baby Taj: after lunch at your hotel, Itimad-ud-Daulah, the small marble tomb, while the light is soft on its inlay.
- Sunset across the river: Mehtab Bagh, with the Taj on the far bank and almost nobody else around.
- The Taj at sunrise: enter the Taj Mahal with your guide. The marble moves from grey-blue to pink to gold in the first hour, and the garden is cool and quiet.
- Late morning, if you have energy: walk through Agra Fort after breakfast.
- The road west: leave after lunch for Jaipur, about four hours by road, with an hour at Akbar's abandoned capital of Fatehpur Sikri. You reach Jaipur for dinner.
- The Friday rule: the Taj Mahal is closed to sightseers every Friday, when its mosque is used for prayers.
- How we plan around it: if your dates put Agra on a Thursday night, we see the Taj at sunset on Thursday or move the Agra stop by a day. Our note on why the Taj closes on Fridays explains.
Days 5 and 6: Jaipur
Our home city: you will see it the way we show it to our own relatives.
Amber at opening: reach Amber Fort as the gates open, while the mirrored Sheesh Mahal is nearly empty. We drive or walk you up and never book elephant rides.
- Then the stepwell: Panna Meena ka Kund, then lunch and a rest.
- Late afternoon: a private tour of the City Palace, including the royal apartments of the Chandra Mahal, which most visitors only glimpse through a doorway.
- Next sunrise: Hawa Mahal, with chai on a rooftop across the road, before the bazaars of Johari and Tripolia open their shutters.
- Near midday: the Jantar Mantar, when the shadow on its great sundial is sharpest.
- Sunset and dinner: after a long lunch, Nahargarh for sunset over the pink city, then dinner in a haveli courtyard or on a rooftop we book for the two of you.
- Morning of day seven: a block-printing family in Bagru, a lassi on MI Road or a last swim before your flight. Our Jaipur itinerary and things to do in Jaipur have more.
Days 7 to 10: Udaipur
The flight: Jaipur to Udaipur takes about an hour, against about six hours by road. Our team meets you at Maharana Pratap Airport for the last half hour to the lake.
First afternoon: do nothing.
- Sunset on the water: a private boat on Lake Pichola, past the ghats and the island palaces, timed so you are mid-lake as the City Palace turns from cream to amber.
- First full day: enter the City Palace at opening time and climb straight to the top courtyards for the view over the water.
- Down through the lanes: to the Jagdish Temple and on to Gangaur Ghat.
- Evening: the folk dance at Bagore ki Haveli, or a candlelit dinner on Jag Mandir.
- Second full day: the fountains of Saheliyon ki Bari, a miniature painter's studio, then the Monsoon Palace for the widest sunset view in Rajasthan.
- Day ten: we take you to the airport for a flight to Delhi or Mumbai and your connection home. Our Udaipur itinerary has longer versions.
Train, road and air, each where it works best
Delhi to Agra, by train: the one leg where we nearly always choose the train. The expressway is fine, but the traffic at either end of it is not.
An extra afternoon: a fast train in the morning gives you more time in Agra.
- Delhi to Agra
- Under 2 hours by Gatimaan Express
- Agra to Fatehpur Sikri
- About an hour
- Agra to Jaipur
- About 4 hours without stops
- Jaipur to Udaipur
- About an hour by air, 6 by road
- Airport to Udaipur lake
- About half an hour
- Travel light: your chauffeur drives ahead with the luggage and meets you at the station.
- Agra to Jaipur, by road: here the road wins, because the stops are the point. Fatehpur Sikri lies about an hour west of Agra on the Jaipur road.
- Abhaneri, if you are not tired: the great stepwell of Abhaneri is a short detour further on. Our note on driving Agra to Jaipur via Abhaneri explains the route.
- Jaipur to Udaipur, by air: by road it is about six hours and pleasant enough, but the flight takes about an hour and saves you a day of your holiday.
- Or see the countryside: we drive and break the journey at Chittorgarh, which turns the transfer into a sightseeing day.
- More detail: our guide to airports and flights and our page on trains in Rajasthan.
Four cities, four kitchens
- Delhi
- Jalebi, chole bhature, parathas
- Agra
- Kebabs, kormas, petha
- Jaipur
- Dal baati churma, laal maas, pyaaz kachori
- Udaipur
- Mewari thali, makki ki raab, gatte
- Monsoon only
- Ghevar, in the Teej season
Delhi: the old city on foot
One of the great places to eat in India: best done on foot, in the morning, with someone who knows which stall has been frying the same thing for generations.
- What you eat: our guides lead you through the lanes off Chandni Chowk for jalebi, chole bhature and parathas. We choose the stops for cleanliness as well as flavour.
- A grand dinner: the restaurants of the big Delhi hotels are favourites with local families for celebrations.
- The route: our journal on the Old Delhi food walk.
Agra: the food of the Mughal court
The style: slow, rich and fragrant with saffron and cardamom.
- What to order: kebabs, kormas and breads from the tandoor. The restaurants inside the best hotels do them well.
- The famous one: Peshawri at ITC Mughal, where you eat with your hands from copper platters.
- Petha: comes in a dozen flavours, and you will be offered all of them.
Jaipur: Rajasthani food properly
Dal baati churma: the dish every family makes for guests. Baked wheat dumplings broken into lentils, drenched in ghee, with a sweet crumble of the same dough on the side.
- Laal maas: the fiery red mutton of the old hunting camps.
- In the morning: pyaaz kachori, a flaky pastry filled with spiced onion, and a tall lassi on MI Road before noon.
- Where we trust: our Jaipur food guide names the places, and our wider Rajasthani food guide explains the dishes.
Udaipur: Mewar's gentler kitchen
Often vegetarian: many of the best meals are, influenced by the Jain and Vaishnav families of the region.
- The Mewari thali: with makki ki raab, a warm maize porridge, and gatte, gram-flour dumplings in yoghurt curry.
- In the monsoon: look for ghevar, a disc of fried batter soaked in syrup that we only eat in the Teej season.
- The finest meal is the setting: dinner on a terrace above Pichola as the City Palace lights come on. Our Udaipur food guide has more.
Eating safely
Every stop chosen by us: street food only at busy stalls where everything is cooked hot in front of you.
- Water: always bottled, always in the car.
- Most guests eat adventurously: and stay well.
- Allergies or a strict diet: tell your planner, and we brief every kitchen in advance.
Where you'll stay
Delhi
The Imperial: The Imperial on Janpath opened in the 1930s as New Delhi was being built, and it is the closest of the great hotels to the old city.
- The Oberoi: The Oberoi, New Delhi overlooks the golf course near Humayun's Tomb and Lodhi Garden.
- The Leela Palace: The Leela Palace in the diplomatic quarter is the most palatial. Our guide to luxury hotels in Delhi compares them.
Agra
The Oberoi Amarvilas: The Oberoi Amarvilas stands about 600 metres from the Taj Mahal, and every room looks towards it. It is the reason many guests stay in Agra at all.
- ITC Mughal: ITC Mughal has no view of the Taj but has large gardens, a fine spa and Peshawri, its famous tandoor restaurant.
- Our pick for one night: Amarvilas, and ask for a high floor.
Jaipur
Rambagh Palace: Rambagh Palace was the home of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi before it became a hotel in 1957, and it still has peacocks on the lawns.
- The Oberoi Rajvilas: The Oberoi Rajvilas is a walled retreat of villas and tents outside the city.
- Fine alternatives: The Leela Palace Jaipur and Jai Mahal Palace.
- Inside the old walls: Samode Haveli. Our guide to luxury hotels in Jaipur has the full list.
Udaipur
Taj Lake Palace: the Taj Lake Palace, an eighteenth-century summer palace covering its own island, is reached only by the hotel's boats.
- On the western shore: The Oberoi Udaivilas spreads along Pichola, and The Leela Palace Udaipur sits beside it.
- On Udai Sagar: Raffles Udaipur is further out on its own island.
- Inside the City Palace: Fateh Prakash Palace. Our Udaipur hotel guide compares them room by room.
When to go
The season: October to March for the whole route. October, November, February and March are easiest, with warm days, cool nights and clear light.
December and January: cold for India, and the plains around Delhi and Agra often lie under thick fog in the early morning.
A white sunrise: at the Taj it can become a soft white silence, which some guests love and photographers curse.
- Best season
- October to March
- Easiest months
- October, November, February, March
- Fog
- December and January mornings
- Delhi air
- Often poor in November and December
- Clearest
- February and March
- Hot months
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Fog delays: it can hold up trains and flights, so we keep winter days flexible.
- Delhi's air: a real consideration in November and December, when crop smoke and the winter inversion can make it poor for days at a time.
- How we adjust: we keep your Delhi time short and indoors where needed, and move outdoor sightseeing to the clearer afternoons.
- Diwali: in October or November it lights Jaipur's bazaars from end to end. Read our guide to Diwali in Rajasthan.
- Kites on 14 January: Jaipur flies them from every roof for Makar Sankranti.
- Holi: in February or March. In Udaipur the royal household lights its Holika fire at the City Palace.
- The Taj by moonlight: on a few nights around each full moon, small groups may view the Taj Mahal at night. We check those arrangements for each journey.
- April to June: serious heat, often above 40°C, with very early starts and long afternoons by the pool.
- July to September: humid in Delhi and Agra but lovely in Udaipur, where the lakes fill and the hills turn green. Our guide to the best time to visit Rajasthan goes month by month.
Make it yours
Shorter
Six or seven nights: keep Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and leave Udaipur for another trip.
- Ready-made shorter routes: our classic Golden Triangle is six nights, and Delhi, Jaipur and Agra in luxury is five.
- Skip Agra: fly straight from Delhi to Jaipur, as in Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur.
Longer
Tigers: two or three nights at Ranthambore, between Agra and Jaipur or between Jaipur and Udaipur, is the most popular addition.
- How it fits: our Golden Triangle with Ranthambore shows how.
- A few more nights: add Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur after Udaipur, or a night in the hill palace of Samode outside Jaipur.
For families
What children love: the train, the rickshaws of Old Delhi and the boats in Udaipur.
- What we change: hotels with gardens and pools and shorter sightseeing mornings.
- What we add: kite flying, puppet shows or a cooking lesson in Jaipur. Our page on family journeys has more.
For couples
Udaipur: stay at the Lake Palace and book a private dinner on Jag Mandir.
- Jaipur: a rooftop dinner facing Nahargarh.
- More time by the water: some couples swap a night in Delhi for an extra night by the lake.
- A honeymoon: look at Rajasthan for Two as well.
For a second visit
Seen the Taj: drop Agra and give the nights to the desert or to Mewar.
- The whole state: our Royal Rajputana.
- Deeper around Udaipur: Mewar Lakes and Temples.
How we look after you
We don't publish a fixed price, because the hotels, rooms and season change the cost so much. After one conversation with your planner, we send you a written plan and a clear quote.
What makes the difference: our page on what a luxury Rajasthan journey costs explains.
- Met at Delhi airport: with help through the crowds to your car, however late you land.
- A private chauffeur and car: for the road days, who drives ahead with your luggage on the train day.
- Train and flight booked: first-class seats on the fast train to Agra and a flight from Jaipur to Udaipur, timed around your days.
- Private local guides in every city: who grew up there and are chosen for their knowledge and their manners. We never take you to commission shops.
- Early entry: at the Taj Mahal and Amber Fort, timed so you are through the gates before the crowds arrive.
- Your planner on WhatsApp: from the first question to the last drive to the airport, ready to change a dinner or a day.
Who will love it, and who should choose another journey
First time in India: you have under two weeks and want the great monuments without the rush.
Who it suits: couples, families with children of any age, friends travelling together, and anyone who wants to see the Taj Mahal properly and then rest somewhere beautiful.
- Fewer long drives: because it uses a train and a plane, it has fewer than almost any other route we plan.
- Not for wildlife, desert or villages: those are not on this route.
- The whole of Rajasthan: choose the fifteen-night Royal Rajputana.
- If tigers matter: take the Golden Triangle with Ranthambore.
- Already seen the Taj: Under the Thar Sky shows you a Rajasthan the Golden Triangle never reaches.
