Skip to content
TasteYatra
TasteYatra

Your Official Food & Travel Guide

Itineraries

The Golden Triangle

Delhi → Agra → Jaipur — India's classic first-visit circuit pairing the Mughal capital, the Taj Mahal, and the Pink City.

6 daysHeritageComfortable3 Cities covered
Duration
6 days
Pace
Comfortable
Theme
Heritage
Cities covered
3
Best season overall
October to March (winter mist at the Taj is unforgettable; avoid April-June heat)
Mid-range budget
₹35,000 – ₹55,000 per person (mid-range, 6 days, excluding international flights)

About The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is India's most famous tourist circuit and the recommended first introduction to North India for almost every international visitor. The route forms a near-equilateral triangle on the map: Delhi (the political and culinary capital) → Agra (home of the Taj Mahal, 230 km south by Gatimaan Express) → Jaipur (the Pink City of Rajasthan, 240 km west of Agra by road) → back to Delhi (260 km north of Jaipur).

  • The triangle can be comfortably covered in 6 days, though 8 days at a relaxed pace works better for first-time visitors who want sunrise visits to the Taj plus a full day at Amer Fort.
  • For vegetarian travellers, the Golden Triangle is exceptionally rewarding.
  • All three cities have deep pure-veg traditions: Delhi gives you the Awadhi thalis of Pandara Road and the Mughlai-veg of Karim's nearby alleys; Agra gives you the Mughal-era vegetarian tradition plus the famous petha sweets; Jaipur gives you the full Rajasthani thali (dal-baati-churma, gatte ki sabzi, ker-sangri) and the legendary pyaaz kachori at Rawat Mishtan Bhandar.
  • Three consecutive days of pure-veg royal feasts is unique to this circuit.
  • Best season is October through March; the desert summer (April-June) makes Rajasthan unbearable.
  • Travel logistics are excellent: the Gatimaan Express covers Delhi-Agra in 100 minutes; Agra-Jaipur is a 4-5 hour comfortable cab or train ride via Bharatpur; Jaipur-Delhi is 4-5 hours by the new Delhi-Jaipur Expressway or 4 hours 35 minutes by Vande Bharat Express.
  • Budget-wise, a comfortable mid-range trip (3-star heritage hotels, AC trains, private cab for sightseeing, all meals at quality vegetarian restaurants) costs ₹35,000 – ₹55,000 per person for the 6-day circuit, excluding international flights to Delhi.
  • Luxury palace-stay variants (Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Oberoi Amarvilas at the Taj) push this to ₹2 lakh+ per person but deliver a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime experience.
  • The circuit also pairs perfectly with a 3-day Varanasi extension at the end (overnight train Jaipur-Delhi-Varanasi) for travellers wanting the full North India introduction.

Day-by-day timeline

  1. 1

    Day 1

    New Delhi

    overnight

    Arrive Delhi. Check into hotel. Afternoon: Old Delhi rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk + Red Fort + Paranthe Wali Gali. Evening: Connaught Place dinner.

    Vegetarian highlight Chaat lanes of Chandni Chowk; jalebi at Old Famous Jalebi Wala

  2. 2

    Day 2

    New Delhi

    overnight

    Full Delhi day: Red Fort + Qutub Minar + India Gate + Humayun's Tomb. Evening: Hauz Khas Village or Khan Market dinner.

    Vegetarian highlight Awadhi thali at Bikaner House; South Indian classics at Saravana Bhavan, Janpath

  3. 3

    Day 3

    Agra

    overnight

    Morning Gatimaan Express to Agra (8 AM). Check in. Afternoon Agra Fort. Evening: Mehtab Bagh sunset view of the Taj across the Yamuna.

    Vegetarian highlight Mughlai vegetarian thali at Pinch of Spice; Petha sweets from Panchhi Petha

    Transit · New Delhi → Agra · Train · 1h 40m — Gatimaan Express (12050) departs Hazrat Nizamuddin 8:10 AM, arrives Agra Cantt 9:50 AM. Book on IRCTC up to 120 days ahead. Executive Chair Class is the comfortable option (~₹1,500).

  4. 4

    Day 4

    Agra

    transit

    Sunrise Taj Mahal visit (gates open 30 min before sunrise). Late morning: Itimad-ud-Daulah ("Baby Taj"). Afternoon: drive to Fatehpur Sikri en route to Jaipur.

    Vegetarian highlight Breakfast at Joney's Place with Taj rooftop views

    Transit · Agra → Jaipur · Road · 4h 30m — Private cab via Fatehpur Sikri is the recommended route (~₹6,000). Train option (12036 Shatabdi) takes 4h 35m and skips Fatehpur Sikri.

  5. 5

    Day 5

    Jaipur

    overnight

    Arrive Jaipur evening. Check into heritage haveli. Old city Pink walk: Hawa Mahal façade + Jantar Mantar + City Palace. Sunset at Nahargarh Fort.

    Vegetarian highlight Pyaaz kachori at Rawat Mishtan Bhandar; Rajasthani thali at LMB

  6. 6

    Day 6

    Jaipur

    transit

    Morning Amer Fort (Sheesh Mahal mirror palace). Afternoon Johari Bazaar shopping (block prints, lac bangles). Evening Vande Bharat Express back to Delhi.

    Vegetarian highlight Ghewar (monsoon) or rasgulla at Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar

    Transit · Jaipur → New Delhi · Train · 4h 35m — Vande Bharat Express (20978) departs Jaipur 6:50 PM, arrives Delhi Cantt 11:25 PM. Alternative: 4-hour drive on the new Delhi-Jaipur Expressway.

Cities covered

Part of a region

The Golden Triangle (6 days) — TasteYatra