This is the question we are asked more than any other, and almost nobody publishes a straight answer to it. Most operators ask you to send an enquiry and wait. So here are our own 2026 rates, in the open, and an explanation of what actually sits behind the number.
| Travelling as | Vehicle | Per person, per day |
|---|---|---|
| On your own | Sedan | USD 92 |
| Two or three of you | Sedan | USD 49 |
| Family of four or five | SUV | USD 36 |
| Six to eight | Tempo Traveller | USD 33 |
A couple driving the Golden Triangle over seven days therefore pays about USD 686 for the whole week of transport.
Because you are not really buying a seat. You are buying a car and a driver for the day, and the cost of that does not change whether one person or six sits in it. Fuel, tolls, the driver’s wage, his meals, his bed for the night: all of it is the same. Splitting it four ways instead of one is what makes the difference.
This is worth understanding, because many quotes online are priced per person as though it were a group tour. If a company charges you double for two people rather than the same car divided by two, ask why.
A properly quoted private car and driver in India covers all of the following. If any are missing from a quote, the number is not the number.
No private car-and-driver service in India includes these, ours included, and you should be suspicious of one that claims to:
Mountain roads. Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and the Char Dham routes are slower, far harder on a vehicle and need a driver who knows them. They carry their own rate, not the flat day rate.
Long single days. Delhi to Agra and back in a day covers 450 kilometres and a full day of expressway tolls, so it is priced as its own thing.
Vehicle class. A Toyota Innova costs more than a Dzire because it costs more to buy and run. Any operator quoting an SUV at sedan money is quoting you a sedan.
The way a low quote is normally made to work in India is commission. The driver is paid little and makes it back by taking you to shops and emporiums that pay him a percentage, which is why so many travellers describe being driven to carpet showrooms they never asked to see. It is not the driver being difficult. It is the price you agreed making it inevitable.
We do not run that model. Our drivers are paid properly, we take no commission from shops, and if you do want to buy a carpet you can ask and we will take you to one.
Send us the cities you want and roughly when. We will send back a route with the driving hours written honestly, the vehicle it needs, and one number. Usually within 24 hours.
If you would rather see the full detail first, our car and driver page for India lists every rate and inclusion, and the Nepal page does the same across the border.
Send us the cities and the dates. We come back with the day rate for the vehicle your group actually needs, and the total, usually within 24 hours.
