As you most likely know, India is an absolutely huge country. It would take a good couple of months to travel around the whole thing, and you still wouldn’t be able to experience everything. If you are a tourist though, it is likely that you are going to be extremely limited on time. For those people, I suggest sticking around the North-West of the country, particularly within the most-visited cities within the country, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The best way in which you can see all of these is by heading out on a Golden Triangle Tour.
The three cities of Agra, Jaipur and Delhi are the most popular tourist destinations in the country. As a result of this, all of them are connected up by roads and rail. This makes travelling from one to another incredibly easy. The name ‘Golden Triangle’ comes from the way in which the cities look on a map. If you drew a line in between each of them, you would end up with something triangular in shape! There is about 250km of distance between the cities.
One of the main reasons as to why people engage in Golden Triangle Tours is because of the relative ease of getting from city to city. Many tour companies will enable you to cover the whole lot within a week if you are pressed for time, but a couple of weeks are probably your safest bet if you want to cover everything.
In my opinion, one of the highlights is seeing just how different the cities are from one another. Yes, they are all very touristy as a result of their location, but head to Delhi and you have a bustling metropolis at your fingertips. Head to Jaipur, and you are surrounded by Deserts and traditional Asian Bazaars. Agra is more historical in appearance, with it being the home to the gorgeous Taj Mahal. The majority of your trips are going to start in Delhi, and then head out from there.
During your Golden Triangle Tours, you are going to live a wealth of experiences that you cannot do outside of India. Although, of course what you do depends on whom you tour with. All of them though will provide you with a dedicated tour guide. Perhaps your favourite experience will be shopping through the traditional Indian Bazaars and picking up a couple of local wares, or maybe you want to ride an elephant all the way up to the Royal Palace, the choice is yours, but one things if for certain, this is going to be a true adventure for you.
If you are looking into a trip to India within the near future, why not check out some Golden Triangle Tours? There is a plethora of different ones out there, each offering a slightly different experience. Honestly, going on one of these tours is likely to be one of the most exciting things you have done in your life and for good reason too. The culture is unbelievable, the scenery unbelievable and you really will get to see the best of India within a short period of time.
Delhi, Jaipur and Agra – The 3 places of the Golden Triangle tours
The majority of people who head to India with tourism on mind head to the three cities that makes up the Golden Triangle, Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. This is mainly due to their close proximity to one another, and the fact that these locations are geared up already to accept tourists. If you are lucky enough to go on one of the many golden triangle tours, then you will be able to visit all of them! One of the thing that surprises many people is how vastly different these locations are, and that is something that I wish to take a look at. Let’s take a brief glance at the various cities in the triangle.
Delhi
Quite rightly, the majority of golden triangle tours are going to start out in the capital of the country. This is probably one of the most developed locations within India, with huge buildings as far as the eye can see. It is probably also the one which caters to tourists the most. Huge mosques dominate the area, many of which have been standing for hundreds of years in their full glory. I find that Delhi is probably one of the best locations in India if you are searching for the perfect blend of modernness and a bit more of a historical approach.
My favourite place to head here would be the ‘Old City’ quarter, which has a very traditional Indian feel to it. I find that one of the best things about Delhi is that despite it being a tourist location, you never really feel like a tourist. There are far too many people here, and it is most likely you will bump into other Western tourists. This is also probably one of the best locations on the tour to shop for Indian items. For a more British feel of the area, head to New Delhi, which is a stark contrast to the rest of the city?
The 10 top attractions in Delhi include; Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Humayun’s Tomb, Lodi Gardens, Gandhi Smriti, Qutab Minar, India Gate, Bahai (Lotus) Temple and the Garden of Five Senses.
Travel Delhi: Places to Visit in Delhi
Agra
The next stop on Golden Triangle Tours is normally Agra. This, despite being a tourist city, feels much more like a massive village. It really is a massive contrast to Delhi. Amongst the many historical sites that reside here is the most famous building in India, the Taj Mahal. This delightful memorial is probably the most tranquil location in the country, and should be one of the first places you head to whilst in Agra. The whole village feel of the area also means that there are a lot of ‘local delights’ on offer here, so don’t forget to sample some of the local wares of the area, particularly the many street BBQs on offer.
Jaipur
Jaipur, a city in the desert is often the last stop on Golden Triangle Tours. Here, there are traditional Indian Bazaars as far as the eye can see, and the perfect place to pick up some mementos of your trip. Perhaps the highlight of Jaipur is the forts of Maharaja Jai Singh II which resides in the Aravalli Hills, just outside the centre of the city. The second highlight is the City Palace, which is now a museum which details the rich history of Jaipur and the rest of the country.
Of course, this is just a brief guide to the various locations on Golden Triangle Tours, but hopefully you should already have an understanding of just how diverse the area is.
Here’s what most of the Golden Triangle tour packages would look like:
Delhi: Arrive. Sightseeing at Akshardham Temple. EatStreet Street food safari and sightseeing in the narrow by lanes of the historic Old Delhi or Shahjahanabad.
Delhi Heritage Walk at Qutab Minar. Sightseeing at Lotus Temple, Humayun’s Tomb, Rajghat and India Gate. Dinner at Connaught Place followed by drinks at a famous local watering hole if you have the energy.
Agra: Transfer to Agra and visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort & Itmad-ud-Daula. Catch the sunset views of the Taj from across the Yamuna river from Mehtab Bagh. End the day with EatStreet Street food safari in Agra’s Chaat Gali and famous Kulfiwala(Indian answer to the gelato)
Jaipur: Transfer to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri Stepwells. Reach by early evening and catch a Bollywood flick at the famous Rajmandir cinema hall followed by a organic Mediterranean dinner at Anokhi café if you wish or gorge on local specialties.
Jaipur: Start with Sweet Lassi(buttermilk) at Lassiwala on MI Road. Sightseeing at Amber Fort, City Palace and Hawa Mahal. Lunch at famous Laxmi Misthan Bhandar or LMB. Shop or just check out the hustle bustle of Johri Bazaar & Tripolia Bazaar. Catch sunset views of Jaipur from the mighty Nahargarh Fort atop the Aravali hills. Transfer to Delhi for Return flight
Proposed plan is done in a Private cab + Chauffer.When you plan a tour then make sure you remember these:
Taj Mahal is closed on a Friday.
Road Transfer time is including sightseeing enroute if any.
You can always plan your tours here, the suggestions are free and you don’t have to buy anything.
