Golden Triangle with Jodhpur and Udaipur — 11 Days

Your driver meets you at the airport arrivals hall holding a sign with your name, helps with the bags and takes you to your hotel. There is nothing to organise on day one: rest, or if you land before about 2 p.m., spend the afternoon in Old Delhi.

• Arrival: Indira Gandhi International Airport to central Delhi takes 45–75 minutes depending on traffic. Your driver tracks your flight, so a late landing is not a problem.
• Afternoon (optional): Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque (1656). Climb the southern minaret for a view over Old Delhi. Then a cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk's spice, silver and wedding-card lanes, ending at Khari Baoli, Asia's largest spice market.
• Tickets: Jama Masjid entry is free; a camera fee of about ₹300 applies and the minaret has a small separate ticket. Rickshaw about ₹500–700 for an hour. The mosque closes to visitors during prayer times.
• Eat: Parathas in Paranthe Wali Gali, or kebabs and mutton korma at Karim's beside Jama Masjid (since 1913).
• Tip: Cover shoulders and knees for the mosque; robes are lent at the gate. Keep your phone in a front pocket in the crowded lanes.
• Overnight: Delhi

A morning on the grand Mughal and British side of the capital, then the expressway to Agra in time for your first view of the Taj Mahal at sunset.

• Morning: Leave the hotel around 8:30 a.m. Humayun's Tomb (1570), the garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal; allow an hour. Drive past India Gate and the President's House on Rajpath (Kartavya Path). Add the Qutub Minar (73 m, 1193) if you start early.
• Drive: Delhi to Agra is about 230 km, 3½–4 hours on the Yamuna Expressway, with a clean rest stop halfway.
• Late afternoon: Mehtab Bagh, the moonlight garden across the river from the Taj Mahal. You see the monument glow at sunset with almost nobody around.
• Tickets: Humayun's Tomb about ₹600, Qutub Minar about ₹600, Mehtab Bagh about ₹300 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Lunch at a highway dhaba or in Delhi before leaving. In Agra, try Mughlai food: dal makhani, mutton korma and the local sweet petha.
• Tip: Mehtab Bagh closes at sunset, so your driver will make sure you reach Agra by 4:30 p.m. in winter.
• Overnight: Agra

The day most people remember for the rest of their lives. You see the Taj Mahal in the soft first light before the crowds, then travel to Jaipur along the old Mughal route with two great stops.

• Early morning: Leave the hotel at about 5:45 a.m. The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise. Spend 2–2½ hours: the gateway, the gardens, the mausoleum itself and the mosque on the west side. Back to the hotel for breakfast and check-out.
• Mid-morning: Agra Fort (1 hour), the red sandstone fortress where Shah Jahan spent his last years looking at the Taj from the Musamman Burj.
• Drive: Agra to Jaipur is about 240 km. With the stops it is a full day, roughly 7–8 hours door to door.
• On the way: Fatehpur Sikri (40 km from Agra), Akbar's abandoned red-sandstone capital, about 1½ hours. Then Chand Baori at Abhaneri, a 9th-century stepwell with 3,500 steps in perfect geometry, about 30 minutes.
• Tickets: Taj Mahal about ₹1,100 plus ₹200 to enter the main mausoleum; Agra Fort about ₹650; Fatehpur Sikri about ₹610 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less). The stepwell has a small fee.
• Eat: Lunch at a roadside restaurant near Fatehpur Sikri or Bharatpur. Dinner in Jaipur: dal baati churma, the Rajasthani classic.
• Tip: The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday; we arrange the order of days so you never miss it. Bring only a phone, camera, passport and water. Large bags, food, tripods and drones are not allowed. At Fatehpur Sikri, ignore unofficial 'guides' at the car park; your driver will point you to a licensed one if you want one.
• Overnight: Jaipur

A full day in the Pink City, planned to beat the heat and the queues: the hill fort first thing, the old city in the middle of the day, and the bazaars when the light softens.

• 8:00 a.m.: Amber Fort as the gates open, before the tour buses. Allow 2–2½ hours for the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), the Ganesh Pol gate and the zenana courtyards. A licensed guide is worth hiring here.
• On the way down: Panna Meena ka Kund, a geometric stepwell 5 minutes from the fort, and a photo stop at Jal Mahal, the palace in the lake.
• Midday: The City Palace (still home to the royal family) and next door Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical observatory, now a UNESCO site. About 2½ hours for both.
• Afternoon: The Hawa Mahal, the 'Palace of the Winds', best seen from the cafés on the rooftop opposite; go inside if you want to look out through the latticed windows.
• Evening: Sunset at Nahargarh Fort on the ridge, or an evening in Johari and Bapu bazaars for textiles, block prints and silver.
• Tickets: Amber Fort about ₹500, City Palace about ₹700, Jantar Mantar about ₹200, Hawa Mahal about ₹200 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less). A composite ticket covers several state monuments for two days.
• Eat: Lunch: dal baati churma or a Rajasthani thali near the City Palace. Evening: lassi at Lassiwala on MI Road, or a full village-style dinner at Chokhi Dhani outside the city.
• Tip: Please avoid the elephant ride at Amber; your driver takes you up by car or jeep. In the shops, prices are always negotiable, and your driver earns no commission from us: shop only where you want.
• Overnight: Jaipur

From the city to one of India's oldest pilgrim towns: a small white town of 52 ghats around a sacred lake, with the desert just beyond.

• Drive: Jaipur to Pushkar is about 145 km, 2½–3 hours via Ajmer. Leave at about 9 a.m.
• Afternoon: Walk the ghats and the main bazaar, then the Brahma temple, one of very few in the world dedicated to the creator god.
• Sunset: The Savitri temple on the hill above town, by ropeway (5 minutes) or on foot (about 45 minutes). The view over the lake and the dunes at sunset is the best in Pushkar.
• Evening: Aarti, the evening prayer with lamps and bells, at the main ghats.
• Tickets: Brahma temple free; Savitri ropeway about ₹150–200 return.
• Eat: Pushkar is strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free. Try malpua (sweet fried pancakes) at the bazaar and a rooftop café overlooking the lake.
• Tip: At the ghats, men may offer you flowers for a 'blessing' and then ask for a large donation. Smile and say no thank you; your driver will warn you where. Shoes off and no photographs near the water.
• Overnight: Pushkar

Across the open Marwar countryside, with farmers, camel carts and village life along the road, to the city at the foot of Mehrangarh.

• Morning: A quiet early walk along the lake as the town wakes up, then breakfast and check-out at about 9:30 a.m.
• Drive: Pushkar to Jodhpur is about 190 km, about 4 hours.
• Late afternoon: A walk through the blue-painted Brahmpuri lanes below the fort, ending at the Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) and Sardar Market for spices and textiles.
• Eat: Makhaniya lassi at Shri Mishrilal near the Clock Tower and mirchi vada (chilli fritters) at Janta Sweet Home. Dinner on a rooftop facing the lit-up fort.
• Tip: Stay in the old city near the fort if you like atmosphere; your driver can still reach the hotel.
• Overnight: Jodhpur

A day in the city ruled from one of India's mightiest forts, standing 125 metres above the blue houses.

• 9:00 a.m.: Mehrangarh Fort at opening. The included audio guide is one of the best in India; allow 2½–3 hours for the palaces, the armoury, the howdah and palanquin galleries and the ramparts with their cannons.
• Late morning: Jaswant Thada, the white marble royal cenotaph below the fort, 5 minutes away, and the Rao Jodha desert rock park next to it for a short walk.
• Afternoon: The Umaid Bhawan Palace museum, part of one of the world's largest private residences (1943), still home to the royal family. Or a free afternoon in the old city markets.
• Evening: Sunset from a rooftop in the old city looking up at the lit-up fort.
• Tickets: Mehrangarh about ₹600 including the audio guide; Jaswant Thada and the Umaid Bhawan museum have small separate tickets (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Lunch at the café inside Mehrangarh. Try Jodhpur's makhaniya lassi and laal maas (spicy mutton curry) for dinner.
• Tip: The fort is steep; a lift near the main gate saves the climb for a small fee.
• Overnight: Jodhpur

A beautiful drive through the green Aravalli hills, broken by one of the great buildings of India: the 15th-century marble temple at Ranakpur with its 1,444 carved pillars, no two alike.

• Morning: Check-out at about 8:30 a.m.
• Drive: Jodhpur to Ranakpur is about 165 km, 3–3½ hours. Ranakpur to Udaipur is about 95 km, 2–2½ hours through the hills.
• 12:00–5:00 p.m.: Ranakpur temple opens to non-Jain visitors at noon. Allow 1–1½ hours. The audio guide is excellent.
• Evening: Arrive in Udaipur at about 5–6 p.m. Dinner by the lake.
• Tickets: Ranakpur about ₹200 including the audio guide; a small camera fee applies.
• Eat: Lunch at the temple's canteen (simple vegetarian thali) or a hotel restaurant nearby.
• Tip: No leather (belts, wallets, bags) inside, and shoulders and knees must be covered. Leave leather items with your driver in the car.
• Overnight: Udaipur

The most romantic city in India, planned so you see the palace in the cool of the morning and the lake at its golden best.

• 9:30 a.m.: The City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over four centuries; allow 2½–3 hours. Do not miss the Mor Chowk peacock courtyard and the crystal gallery (separate ticket).
• Late morning: Jagdish Temple (1651), a few minutes' walk away, then the old city lanes for miniature painting studios and silver.
• Afternoon: Rest at the hotel in the heat of the day, or visit Saheliyon ki Bari, the garden of the maidens, with its fountains.
• Sunset: A boat on Lake Pichola from the City Palace jetty, with a stop at Jag Mandir island, about one hour. Book the 5 p.m. boat in winter.
• Evening: The Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, 7 p.m., about one hour: puppets, and the famous dance with pots balanced on the head.
• Tickets: City Palace, crystal gallery, the boat and the dance show each have their own ticket, bought on the spot; together expect roughly ₹2,000–3,000 per person. Your driver points you to the right counters.
• Eat: Lunch with a lake view at Ambrai or Upre. Try gatte ki sabzi and ker sangri, Mewari specialities.
• Tip: Arrive at Bagore ki Haveli by 6:15 p.m. for a good seat.
• Overnight: Udaipur

Your car and driver are yours for the day. Most guests choose one of these three, and some simply rest.

• Option 1: Kumbhalgarh: Leave at 8 a.m. for Kumbhalgarh Fort (85 km, about 2 hours), with 36 km of walls, the second-longest in the world after China's Great Wall. Walk the ramparts to Badal Mahal at the top, 2–3 hours. Back by 5 p.m.
• Option 2: Ranakpur: The marble Jain temple with 1,444 carved pillars (95 km, about 2½ hours each way), open to visitors from noon.
• Option 3: slow day: A morning cooking class in a local home, the vintage car museum, Fateh Sagar Lake and sunset at the Monsoon Palace (Sajjangarh) on the hilltop.
• Tickets: Kumbhalgarh about ₹600, Ranakpur about ₹200, Monsoon Palace about ₹300 plus the forest gate fee (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Lunch near Kumbhalgarh at a heritage hotel, or a lakeside café in Udaipur.
• Tip: Tell your driver your choice the evening before so he can plan the departure time.
• Overnight: Udaipur

Last morning by the lake, then a drop at the airport or your hotel.

• Morning: Free for breakfast with a view, a walk along Gangaur Ghat, or last-minute shopping.
• Drop: Udaipur's Maharana Pratap airport is 25 km, about 40 minutes from the old city. Daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
• Extra option: Prefer to drive back to Delhi? Add one day via Chittorgarh or Pushkar; ask us for the price.
• Tip: Your driver will check your flight time the evening before and pick you up with plenty of margin.
• Overnight: Your onward flight