Golden Triangle Itinerary: 6 Days in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur

The Golden Triangle is the most travelled route in India for a reason: three cities, two Mughal capitals, one Rajput one, and a total of about 720 km on good roads. Most versions of it are rushed into four days. Six is the number that lets you see the Taj twice, walk Old Delhi properly and still have a slow morning in a Jaipur bazaar.

Why six days and not four

A four-day version spends most of its daylight in a car. Six days buys you three things that matter: two nights in Delhi instead of a half day, sunrise and sunset at the Taj Mahal rather than a midday scramble, and a real stop at Fatehpur Sikri and the Abhaneri stepwell on the drive between Agra and Jaipur. Distances are modest. Delhi to Agra is 233 km on the Yamuna Expressway, three to three and a half hours. Agra to Jaipur is about 240 km via Fatehpur Sikri, four to five hours with stops. Jaipur back to Delhi is 270 km on NH48, five to six hours.

Days 1 and 2: Delhi, old and new

Day 1: Shahjahanabad

Land, sleep an hour, and start in Shahjahanabad. Begin at Jama Masjid, finished in 1656, and climb the southern minaret for a view over the rooftops. Then walk into Chandni Chowk. Eat stuffed paratha in Paranthe Wali Gali, dahi bhalla at Natraj on the main street, and jalebi from the corner shop by Dariba Kalan. Take a cycle rickshaw through Kinari Bazaar for the wedding trim shops, and finish at Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib. Red Fort sits at the eastern end of the same street, closed on Mondays. If it is a Thursday, end the evening at the Nizamuddin dargah, where qawwals sing after sunset prayer.

Day 2: The tombs and the new city

Start early at Humayun's Tomb, completed in 1570 and the building the Taj Mahal descends from. Follow it with Qutub Minar, a 72.5 metre victory tower begun in 1199, and the Iron Pillar in its courtyard that has resisted rust for over 1,600 years. Afternoon is for Lodhi Garden, the crafts museum or the National Museum, and Khan Market for a coffee. Entry to Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar is about INR 40 for Indian citizens and INR 600 for foreign nationals at each.

Day 3: To Agra, and the Taj at dusk

Take the morning Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt, which covers 188 km in about 100 minutes, or drive the expressway. Do Agra Fort first, in the cooler part of the day, and stand at the Musamman Burj where Shah Jahan spent his last years looking downstream at the tomb he built. Late afternoon, cross the river to Mehtab Bagh for the Taj from the far bank with the light behind you. Dinner is Mughlai: seekh kebab, korma and a bowl of Agra's own petha for after.

Day 4: Taj at sunrise, then the road to Jaipur

Be at the east gate before the ticket window opens, thirty minutes ahead of sunrise. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. Entry is INR 50 for Indian citizens and INR 1,100 for foreign nationals, with an extra INR 200 to climb into the mausoleum itself, which is worth it for the marble screen and the inlay work close up. Leave by ten.

Stop at Fatehpur Sikri, 40 km on, the red sandstone capital Akbar built in 1571 and abandoned within fifteen years. The 54 metre Buland Darwaza and the Diwan-i-Khas with its single carved central pillar are the two things to see. Two hours later, break again at Abhaneri for Chand Baori, a ninth-century stepwell dropping thirteen storeys and about 3,500 steps into the ground. Reach Jaipur by evening.

Day 5: Jaipur, forts and the walled city

Amber Fort opens at eight. Go then, walk up the ramp rather than riding, and see the Sheesh Mahal before the coaches arrive. Panna Meena ka Kund, a stepwell five minutes away, is usually empty at that hour. Come down for Jantar Mantar, where the 27 metre Samrat Yantra sundial still keeps time to two seconds, then City Palace and the honeycomb facade of Hawa Mahal, best photographed from a rooftop cafe across the road. The composite ticket, INR 300 for Indians and INR 1,000 for foreign nationals, covers Amber, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall and Nahargarh for two days. Spend the last hour of light at Nahargarh, looking down at the grid Sawai Jai Singh II laid out in 1727.

Day 6: A slow Jaipur morning, then Delhi

Use the morning for whatever you actually want. Block printing at Sanganer or Bagru, 16 and 30 km out. Galta Ji, the spring temple in a gorge east of town. Or Johari Bazaar for gemstones and Bapu Bazaar for jootis and block-printed cotton, remembering that the walled city bazaars mostly close on Sunday. Eat pyaaz kachori and a kulhad lassi before you go, then drive to Delhi in five to six hours, or fly the 40 minute hop.

Costs, closing days and small print

• A car with driver for the full circuit runs about INR 3,500 to 5,500 a day for a sedan, fuel and driver allowance included.
• Taj Mahal closed Friday. Red Fort closed Monday. Most Delhi museums closed Monday.
• Monument tickets are cheapest bought online, and the Taj ticket includes a bottle of water and shoe covers.
• Best months are October to March. April to June is workable if you shift everything to early morning and evening; May afternoons in Agra pass 44 degrees.

FAQs

Can the Golden Triangle be done in four days?

Yes, and thousands do it. You will get one Taj visit, a half day in Delhi and about eleven hours in the car. If four days is all you have, cut Delhi rather than compressing Agra and Jaipur, and fly out of Jaipur instead of driving back.

Should I add Ranthambore or Udaipur?

Ranthambore is the natural extension, 180 km from Jaipur, and two nights there gives you three safaris. Udaipur needs a flight or a 400 km drive from Jaipur, so add it only if you have three more days.

Is it better to train or drive between the cities?

Train to Agra, drive to Jaipur. The Delhi to Agra trains are fast and comfortable, but the Agra to Jaipur leg is where the good stops are, and no train serves Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri.

What does a six-day Golden Triangle cost?

Excluding international flights, plan on roughly INR 45,000 to 70,000 per person for comfortable four-star hotels, private car, guides and entries, and two to three times that for palace hotels.

We run this route as a private trip with our own drivers and city guides, tuned to your pace rather than a coach timetable. Send DEVGAMAN a message on WhatsApp with your travel dates and we will send back a day-by-day plan and a clear price.