The Ultimate Golden Triangle Tour Guide: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur

Brought to you by Luxury Taj Tours

India's most celebrated tourist circuit connects three of the country's most historically significant cities - Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. The Golden Triangle is named for the roughly triangular shape these three cities form on a map, spanning 720 kilometres. For first-time visitors to India, there is no better introduction to the subcontinent's layered history, architectural glory, and vibrant street life.

Delhi - The City of Seven Empires

Your journey begins in the capital, a city destroyed and rebuilt no fewer than seven times by successive empires. Old Delhi is anchored by the magnificent Red Fort, the Mughal seat of power built in 1648, and the vast Jama Masjid - one of Asia's largest mosques. Walk the chaotic, wonderful lanes of Chandni Chowk for an unfiltered sensory experience. In New Delhi, designed by British architects Lutyens and Baker, visit the war memorial at India Gate and the UNESCO-listed Humayun's Tomb - the direct architectural forerunner of the Taj Mahal.

Red Fort (Lal Qila) - Mughal power seat, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Jama Masjid - one of Asia's largest mosques, built by Shah Jahan
Chandni Chowk - India's most famous bazaar street
Humayun's Tomb - garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal
India Gate - war memorial and heart of New Delhi
Qutub Minar - 73-metre minaret, oldest monument in Delhi

Agra - The Eternal Taj Mahal

Agra lies 200 km south of Delhi - a comfortable train ride on the Gatimaan Express in 1 hour 40 minutes. No photograph prepares you for the Taj Mahal's actual scale. Built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631, it took 22 years and 20,000 artisans working with 28 types of precious stones. Arrive at sunrise for the fewest crowds and the most ethereal light. Agra Fort, just 2.5 km away, is a red-sandstone fortress with palaces from three generations of Mughal emperors - from its Musamman Burj tower, a captive Shah Jahan gazed at the Taj until his death.

Taj Mahal - arrive at sunrise for the best light and smallest crowds
Agra Fort - Mughal fortress with palaces, mosques, and Mughal history
Mehtab Bagh - gardens across the Yamuna with best sunset Taj views
Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) - first marble tomb in Mughal style
Fatehpur Sikri - abandoned Mughal capital 40 km west of Agra

Jaipur - The Pink City

Jaipur is 240 km west of Agra, about 4–5 hours by road. The Pink City earned its name in 1876 when the entire old city was painted terracotta-pink to welcome the Prince of Wales - a tradition maintained ever since. Amber Fort, 11 km from the city centre, is the jewel of Rajput architecture - its Sheesh Mahal reflects a single candle flame into infinite stars. Inside the walled city, the City Palace is still partially home to the royal family, and Jantar Mantar's 18th-century stone astronomical instruments are among the largest scientific monuments ever built.