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India — Golden Triangle
India

The Taj Mahal at sunrise, Jaipur's pink forts and Old Delhi's beautiful chaos.

South Asia · India

Why visit India?

The Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra, Jaipur — is the most visited circuit in India and earns that status completely. The Taj Mahal at sunrise still more extraordinary than every photograph. Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk market is the most intense sensory experience in Asia. Jaipur's painted palaces and forts are some of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

The circuit works in 7–10 days and is the ideal India introduction — compact, connected by reliable trains, and dense with history, food and colour. Build in a day of doing nothing — India demands recovery time.

Key Info
Indian Rupee (INR)Hindi, EnglishType D/MDrive Left
10% at restaurants — always have small notes for guides and drivers
Weather
Best: Oct–Mar
Winter (Nov–Feb) — comfortable temperatures, clear skies
April–June is extreme heat (40–45°C). Monsoon July–September. Oct–Mar is ideal.
Health
⚠️Do not drink tap water — always bottled. Avoid ice in non-tourist restaurants.
Hepatitis Arecommended
Typhoidrecommended
Transport
Uber/OlaIRCTC trainsAuto-rickshaw
✈️ DEL Delhi Indira Gandhi (Metro Airport Express, 20 min)
Use Uber or Ola in all cities — eliminates fare negotiation. Book trains via IRCTC.
Emergency
👮 Police100
🚑 Ambulance102
🔥 Fire101
Who It's Perfect For
🏛️

History Lovers

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Amber Fort, Jaipur's City Palace and Old Delhi's Red Fort — the Golden Triangle is history made extraordinary.

🌶️

Food Travellers

Each city has a completely distinct cuisine — Delhi street food, Agra's Mughal dishes, Jaipur's Rajasthani thali. Some of the world's most complex and flavourful cooking.

📸

Photographers

The Taj Mahal at sunrise, Jaipur's blue and pink streets, Old Delhi's chaotic bazaars — the Golden Triangle is one of the world's great photography circuits.

The Highlights

Things to Do & See

01
Taj Mahal at 6am opening — walk the full complex, the back gardens have the best reflection shot
02
Old Delhi by cycle rickshaw — Chandni Chowk spice lanes, Jama Masjid and Kareem's restaurant
03
Amber Fort above Jaipur at dawn — the Hall of Mirrors and lake views before the coaches arrive
04
Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace) — best photographed from the chai shop on the opposite street
05
Agra Fort — where Shah Jahan was imprisoned with a view of the Taj in his final years
06
Jaipur's City Palace — the living royal palace with extraordinary collections
07
Fatehpur Sikri — the abandoned Mughal capital 40km from Agra, extraordinary and almost empty
08
Eat laal maas (red mutton curry) in Jaipur — the definitive Rajasthani dish at any local restaurant
Where to Stay

Base Yourself in India — Golden Triangle

🏙️

Delhi — South Delhi & Connaught Place

History, museums, comfortable base

Old Delhi for Chandni Chowk; South Delhi for upscale restaurants; New Delhi for the great museums.

🏯

Agra

Taj Mahal, Mughal architecture

Best as 1–2 nights — the Taj, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri fill two days beautifully.

🌸

Jaipur

Pink City, forts, markets

The most colourful city — Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory and the best bazaars.

Insider Knowledge

What Most Guides Don't Tell You About India — Golden Triangle

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India Backpacker Guide — £12–£25/day

Daily budgets, hostel picks, transport tips and no-fluff advice.

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