Visiting India's Golden Triangle

Delhi

On your way to India? Then you are likely to fly into New Delhi, the main gateway in the north of the country. Arriving at New Delhi is an experience in itself and you'll get your first taste of India as soon as you exit the airport - it's always buzzing with activity and you are bound to hear the cacophony of car horns even at 2 in the morning - a trade mark of driving anywhere in India! Delhi really is a tale of two cities; New Delhi and Old Delhi, both poles apart and with their own distinct character.

New Delhi:

As the capital city of India since Independence back in 1947, you'll find that New Delhi is really nothing like Old Delhi at all, with beautiful wide tree lined roads and the sprawling buildings of the Bungalow Zone, designed by Edwin Lutyens. The main sites of New Delhi include Rashtrapati Bhawan, Humayun’s Tomb - a UNESCO World Heritage site - and iconic India Gate. New Delhi is very much a modern city too and you'll be spoilt for choice with its many bars and quality restaurants, many of which housed in 5-star hotels. A stroll down Janpath (People's Path) up to Connaught Place is really worth it and we'd also recommend staying at the nearby Imperial Hotel; designed by Lutyens, where their impressive art collection will be sure to transport you back to days of the British Raj.

Old Delhi:

Still surrounded by crumbling city walls, Old Delhi is packed with busy bazaars and tiny lanes full of rickshaws, so you must take a rickshaw ride through the main drag, Chandni Chowk. While you're here, get a true flavour of India stopping by the Gali Paranthe Wali for some parathas, a flavoursome fried Indian bread. Perhaps the biggest draw card in Old Delhi is the Red Fort, built with beautiful red sandstone. Then there's Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque and revered Raj Ghat, where Mahatma Gandhi, was cremated. If you have time, it's worth visiting the UNESCO listed 73-meter tall tower Qutub Minar too and the nearby iron Pillar of Delhi. And for a taste of the Raj, consider staying a night at the charming heritage listed Oberoi Maidens hotel in Old Delhi, one of Delhi's first hotels.

Agra

Home to the world famous Taj Mahal (one of the new 7 wonders of the world), Agra needs no introduction. The Taj is India's biggest draw card, topping the list of reasons to visit the country, so no holiday here would be complete without a trip to this Monument of Love. Eclipsed by the fame of the Taj Mahal, Agra is also home to the impressive red sandstone Agra Fort, and from the Musamman Burj section, you get a fabulous view over to the Taj Mahal too. You don't have to stay at Agra overnight as it's a great day trip from Delhi, but we do recommend a 1-night stay so you can see the Taj at both sunrise and sunset. The lavish Amar Vilas is the only hotel in Agra with uninterrupted views of the Taj from each room. It is expensive, but for a night, it's a indulgence that you're likely to never forget!

The best route to take

There's plenty of choice travelling between the points of the Golden Triangle, though we definitely recommend driving as you get to see a lot more of India and the local way of life along the way.

Travel between Delhi and Agra:

There's a new express highway from Delhi to Agra, so you'll be able to cover over 200kms in under 4 hours. There's also the Shatabadi Express train service speeding along at under 2 hours which provides the best way to get up to Agra from Delhi for a day trip. The train departs Delhi at around 6 in the morning, you get the full day at Agra and you return on the train at around 9 at night, getting back into Delhi before midnight for a proper day's travelling. There is also a limited flight service between Delhi and Agra.

Travel between Agra and Jaipur

There's a relatively new road between Agra and Jaipur thought it's not an express way and the 250km journey will take you around 5 hours by road. There are plenty of interesting places to stop at along the way, so we'd recommend that you build in a full day for this drive. The Shatabadi Express train operates on this route too, which takes around four and a half hours. There are no flight services between Agra and Jaipur, so if you would like to fly, you will need to transit Delhi.

Travel between Jaipur and Delhi

Train or drive are your options. However the drive is quite long, taking just under 6 hours to cover the 250km trip. So for this sector, consider travel by train, and as you have probably heard, train travel in India is an experience in itself! The train, again the Shatabadi Express service, will take you around four and a half hours. There are plenty of flights offered by professional carriers between Jaipur and Delhi, and with a flight time of around an hour, a very speedy option.

The best direction to travel in

You can travel the golden triangle in any direction, there's very little difference. A lot of travellers carry on to see the sites of Rajasthan after the Golden Triangle, so if that is what you are planning to do, then it's best to travel from Delhi, to Agra and then on to Jaipur, from where the rest of Rajasthan is easily accessible. If you are doing a quick trip around the Golden Triangle, then we recommend visiting Jaipur first, as the architecture there is quite different to that of Agra and Delhi.

Interesting stops en route

There's plenty more to the Golden Triangle than Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and here we've picked out some of our favorite stops en route. Other places worth mentioning include Kanota, a small village about an hour from Jaipur where parts of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel were shot. There's an old heritage hotel here, a great spot for lunch after a wander around the local village. The small village of Samode, home to the beautiful heritage Samode Palace hotel and Shahpura village, is about a 1-hour drive from Jaipur and definitely worth visiting too.

Fatehpur Sikri

Driving en route from Agra to Jaipur, you simply have to stop at UNESCO Listed Fatehpur Sikri. Abandoned due to the lack of water, this City of Victory was briefly India's capital under Mughal rule in the 1,500s. As with many Mughal monuments in India's north, Fatehpur Sikir is built from red sandstone, and wandering around this atmospheric site you'll feel an echo of India's glorious Mughal past.

Bharatpur

Bharatpur is another popular stop on the drive between Agra and Jaipur as its home to UNESCO listed Keoladeo Ghana National Park as well as 18th century Lohagarh Fort. Keoladeo Ghana is a top bird reserve, though you really have to pick your time to visit, October through March being optimal. There's plenty of areas where you can stroll freely through the reserve though a fun way to see the park is by rickshaw.

Abhaneri Step Well

Not far out of Jaipur on the road to Agra is Abhaneri which provides a fun stop off. If you're on the last leg of your journey from Agra on to Jaipur, don't drive by - visit! The main highlight is the 9th century Chand Baori step well, one of the deepest and largest in the region. The architecture of well is certainly unique with lots of intricate carvings still intact. The other highlight of Abhaneri is the ruined Harshat Mata temple.

Pehrsar Village

The village of Peharsar offers another port of call on the drive between Agra and Jaipur with Chandra Mahal Haveli (an old stately home) a great spot for lunch or for an overnight stay - be sure to watch out for the peacocks that make regular appearances! Strolling around the village will give you a true insight into rural life in India and if it's open, drop by to see the children at the village school.

The best time to visit

The most popular time to visit the Golden Triangle is in the Northern Hemisphere winter months from October through March, mainly because it's far cooler at this time of year, with a moderate dry heat. However if you're not averse to the high temperatures of the Indian summer, you could consider travelling then. There'll be no crowds at most of the main sites and you're likely to snap up a bargain at some of India's opulent hotels too.