Why the Golden Triangle is the classic first route
The Golden Triangle - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - is the route almost everyone takes on a first trip to India, and for good reason. The three cities form a loop of roughly 1000 km that fits comfortably into 5 to 7 days, and between them they pack in Mughal forts, the Taj Mahal, pink bazaars, UNESCO-listed monuments and some of the best street food in the country. Distances are short, express trains are fast and reliable, and tourist infrastructure is the most developed in India, which makes the Triangle a gentle but spectacular introduction before you venture further into Rajasthan or the south.
Delhi: two cities in one
Old Delhi is the Mughal capital Shahjahanabad. Start at the Red Fort, the sandstone residence of the emperors, then walk to Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, whose courtyard can hold around 25000 worshippers. The surrounding bazaar of Chandni Chowk is best explored from the seat of a cycle rickshaw: the driver weaves between spice stalls, silver workshops, sari shops and carts of sizzling parathas while you simply watch the theatre of the street.
Further south rise the two UNESCO World Heritage monuments: Qutub Minar, a 73-metre victory tower begun at the end of the 12th century, and Humayun's Tomb, the garden mausoleum whose symmetry directly inspired the Taj Mahal. New Delhi, laid out by Edwin Lutyens after 1911, feels like another planet: broad green avenues, the India Gate war memorial and the grand government quarter make for an easy evening stroll.
Agra: the Taj Mahal done right
The Taj Mahal was built by emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal and completed around 1653. Go at sunrise: the queues are at their shortest, the marble glows softly pink and gold, and the crowds of day-trippers have not yet arrived. Note that the Taj is closed on Fridays, and foreigners pay about 1300 INR for a ticket that includes the main mausoleum. Keep your ticket, as it gives small discounts at other Agra monuments the same day.
Afterwards visit Agra Fort, a vast red sandstone complex where Shah Jahan spent his last years gazing at the tomb he had built. For sunset, cross the river to Mehtab Bagh, the Moonlight Garden: from its lawns you watch the Taj turn amber across the Yamuna, without the crowds and with photographers' favourite reflections in the water.
Jaipur: forts and bazaars of the Pink City
Jaipur announces itself with Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, whose honeycomb facade contains 953 small windows through which the ladies of the court once observed street life unseen. Just outside the city, Amber Fort spills down a rocky ridge above a lake; take a jeep up the ramp rather than an elephant ride, which animal welfare groups strongly advise against. Back in the centre, the City Palace is still partly inhabited by the former royal family, and next door Jantar Mantar, an eighteenth-century astronomical observatory with giant stone instruments, is another UNESCO site where sundials still tell the time to within seconds.
Leave an afternoon for the bazaars: Johari Bazaar for gemstones and jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles, block prints and camel leather slippers. Bargaining is expected and good-natured.
Logistics, trains and the best season
The fastest way between Delhi and Agra is the Gatimaan Express or a Shatabdi train, both covering the route in about 2 hours; book seats a few days ahead on the IRCTC site or through an agent. Many travellers combine trains with a car and driver for the Agra to Jaipur leg, stopping at the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri on the way.
- Best season: October to March, with cool mornings and clear skies
- Avoid April to June, when temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees
- Carry small banknotes for rickshaws, tips and street food
- Book Taj Mahal tickets online to skip the longest queue
With 5 to 7 days you can see the essentials without rushing; add a day or two if you want Delhi's museums or a slower pace in Jaipur.