The Golden Triangle is a popular tourism itinerary in northern India, centred on the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, with optional detours to the abandoned medieval city of Fatehpur Sikri, the bird sanctuary at Bharatpur and the tiger sanctuary at Ranthambore.
Understand
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The Golden Triangle consists of the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, along with the routes between the three, covering three Indian states (Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh). This classic journey covers a lot of the grand tales of Indian history, with many major landmarks and sights to behold. A week is a good amount of time to spend travelling the triangle, although many group tours do it in less.
Prepare
[edit]Hindi is the most widely and commonly used language here. Most locals can understand English, and getting French, German or even Japanese guides at hotels in this region is not a problem.
Say namaste or namaskār to any person as a greeting.
The rates for all the monuments (entry fee, camera fee, guide fee) are different for Indian and foreign tourists. There are government guides at all major tourist spots, and there are also wearable audio guides for rent.
Get in
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Delhi, Agra and Jaipur all have airports, but it is more convenient for most people to start from Delhi. Refer to those cities' articles for detailed information. Briefly, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL IATA) in Delhi is the busiest in Asia with dozens of international destinations. It also has unparalleled domestic connectivity, being a hub for Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet's domestic operations. Jaipur has a medium-sized airport with good domestic connections and a handful of international routes to the UAE (various cities), Muscat and Bangkok. Agra has only a small airport served by one airline (IndiGo) which flies to 6 domestic destinations.
Go
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The easiest and most common way to cover the Golden Triangle is to rent a car with a driver in Delhi. Depending on the duration of the trip, a car with a driver will set you back about ₹8,000 ($150) to ₹15,000 ($300). Try asking at your hotel. It is also customary to pay for your driver's meals and accommodation - be sure to settle on a price for everything in advance. Otherwise, group tours are sold at many travel agencies or online. Read the reviews before booking!
The most comfortable way to tour the Golden Triangle is by luxury train. The original is the aptly named Palace on Wheels, which does a fixed 8-day circuit covering the Golden Triangle and a number of additional cities across Rajasthan for a cool US$10,000 (two people sharing a cabin). A newer alternative is the Maharajas Express, which operates a number of routes taking in the Golden Triangle, including a 4-day, 3-night option from $4,890 per person.
The DIY alternative is to roll your own trip. The cheapest but most challenging option is public transport with Indian Railways or public buses. Alternatively, you can look into point-to-point rides using "outstation" taxis that accept long rides, which can be arranged with apps like Uber Intercity.
Delhi
[edit]- 1 Delhi — The natural starting point for the golden triangle. It is a major transport hub in India and is well-served by plane and train. The metropolis has many attractions and places of historical significance. This includes the well-planned New Delhi, the country's capital, as well as the chaotic Old Delhi. Delhi is synonymous with Mughlai and Frontier Cuisine. The best of Mughlai cuisine can be enjoyed at Karim (both in Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin) where the recipes, dating from the times of the Mughals have been the closely guarded secrets of generations of chefs.
Between Delhi and Agra
[edit]Delhi and Agra are connected by the 165 km (103 mi) Yamuna Expressway, as well as the older 170 km (110 mi) section of National Highway 44 (NH 44). The expressway is faster, but you have to pay the toll to use it. Whereas the national highway is toll-free but slower.
There are also frequent trains between Delhi and Agra, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat trains.
- 1 Vrindavan — The City of Widows with countless temples; home to ISKCON (Hare Krishnas).
- 2 Mathura — The legendary birthplace of Krishna.
Agra
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- 2 Agra — Home to the iconic Taj Mahal, the sprawling Agra Fort, and various other lesser-known heritage monuments. Agra is famous for snacks and sweets like Dalmoth and Petha, for which the most recognized area is Kinari Bazar.
Between Agra and Jaipur
[edit]Agra and Jaipur are connected by the 240 km (150 mi) section of National Highway 21 (NH 21), which takes about four hours.
There are many superfast express trains between Agra and Jaipur, although there are no Shatabdi or Vande Bharat trains.
- 3 Fatehpur Sikri — Abandoned yet spectacular Mughal capital built by Akbar, now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. - 4 Bharatpur — Home to the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary.
- 5 Ranthambhore National Park — Famous for its tigers. Although strictly not a part of the triangle, it is often visited as a detour.
Jaipur
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- 3 Jaipur — The capital of Rajasthan, also known as the "Pink City". It has the imposing Amber Fort and countless stately palaces. Dal bati churma is a popular delicacy usually served with baatis and dal. A variety of rotis are also available: Bajre ki roti, makki ki roti, jau-channa ki roti, besan ki roti, paratha, puri, methi puri, rumali roti, kachori and samosa. Kalakand (milk cake) is one of the most popular traditional sweets from Rajasthan. Ghewar is another delicious Jaipuri sweet.
Back to Delhi
[edit]Jaipur and Delhi are connected by the 204 km (127 mi) section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (NE 4), as well as a 66 km (41 mi) spur for Jaipur (NE 4C). The two are also connected by the older National Highway 48 (NH 48), of which only the Gurugram-Delhi section is a toll expressway.
There are also frequent trains between Jaipur and Delhi, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat trains.
Stay safe
[edit]While inside the temples, take off your shoes and turn off your phone. Bringing single bills to offer in temples when a "pooja" plate is shown to you is appreciable. Learn the local phrases for addressing people to begin a conversation and people will surely come out of their way to help you.
Tipping is a matter of personal choice and not at all a compulsion; tip only when happy with the services.
Do not accept any type of food from strangers while traveling by trains or buses regardless of how well dressed the person offering you the food may be. Always buy water bottles from a reputable store, many drug stores also sell bottled water. When buying soft drinks, buy cans rather than bottles if possible. Unscrupulous shopkeepers sometimes refill used bottles.
When traveling on trains and buses, do not use expensive electronics such as laptops. It is always prudent to avoid displaying valuable items in public.
Go next
[edit]- Some visitors explore the entire state of Rajasthan after visiting Jaipur. The state is home to forts, sweets, temples, Ajmer Sharif, and of course the Thar Desert.
- Others explore the Mughal heritage throughout the Indian subcontinent, including Aurangabad and Lahore.