Golden Triangle with Khajuraho and Varanasi — 10 Days

Airport pick-up with a name sign and transfer to your hotel.

• Arrival: 45–75 minutes from the airport to central Delhi.
• Evening: Rest, or dinner around Connaught Place.
• Overnight: Delhi

The capital's two faces in a single, well-paced day: Mughal Old Delhi in the morning, imperial New Delhi in the afternoon.

• 9:00 a.m.: Red Fort from outside (or inside if you wish, closed Mondays), then Jama Masjid and a cycle-rickshaw through Chandni Chowk and the Khari Baoli spice market.
• Midday: Raj Ghat, the simple memorial where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.
• Afternoon: Humayun's Tomb, the garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal, then a drive past India Gate and the President's House, and the Qutub Minar (73 m, 1193) to finish.
• Evening: Free, or Connaught Place and the Khan Market cafés.
• Tickets: Red Fort about ₹600, Humayun's Tomb about ₹600, Qutub Minar about ₹600 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less); Jama Masjid camera fee about ₹300.
• Eat: Parathas in Paranthe Wali Gali or kebabs at Karim's for lunch.
• Tip: Cover shoulders and knees for the mosque. Keep your phone in a front pocket in the Old Delhi lanes.
• Overnight: Delhi

An unhurried morning, the expressway, and Agra's great fort before your first view of the Taj Mahal at sunset.

• Morning: Check-out at about 9 a.m.
• Drive: Delhi to Agra is about 230 km, 3½–4 hours on the Yamuna Expressway.
• Afternoon: Agra Fort, about 1½ hours, then the Itimad-ud-Daulah tomb, the 'Baby Taj', with the finest marble inlay in Agra.
• Sunset: Mehtab Bagh, the moonlight garden facing the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna.
• Tickets: Agra Fort about ₹650, Baby Taj about ₹310, Mehtab Bagh about ₹300 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Mughlai dinner: dal makhani, korma and the local sweet petha.
• Tip: Go to bed early: tomorrow starts before sunrise at the Taj Mahal.
• Overnight: Agra

The Taj Mahal in the first light, then Akbar's abandoned capital on the road to the Pink City.

• Early morning: Leave the hotel at about 5:45 a.m. The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise; allow 2–2½ hours. Back for breakfast and check-out.
• Midday: Fatehpur Sikri (40 km), about 1½ hours: the palace courtyards, the Panch Mahal and the Buland Darwaza. Optional stop at the Abhaneri stepwell.
• Drive: Agra to Jaipur is about 240 km; with stops plan 6–7 hours.
• Evening: Arrive in Jaipur at about 5–6 p.m.
• Tickets: Taj Mahal about ₹1,100 plus ₹200 for the mausoleum; Fatehpur Sikri about ₹610 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Tip: The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays; we plan around it. Only a phone, camera, passport and water inside.
• 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

The longest day of the tour, into the heart of India to a forgotten medieval capital on the Betwa river.

• Option 1: by road: Leave at 7 a.m. Jaipur to Orchha is about 450 km via Gwalior, 8–9 hours with lunch. You can stop at Gwalior Fort if you leave early.
• Option 2: by train: We drop you at the station for a train to Jhansi and meet you there; Jhansi to Orchha is 16 km, 30 minutes.
• Evening: The aarti at the Ram Raja temple, the only temple where Rama is worshipped as a king, with a police guard of honour.
• Overnight: Orchha

A morning in Orchha's palaces and royal cenotaphs, then the drive to the temple town of Khajuraho.

• Sunrise: The royal chhatris (cenotaphs) on the Betwa river, with vultures nesting on the domes.
• 9:00 a.m.: Jahangir Mahal and Raja Mahal, with their painted ceilings, and the towering Chaturbhuj temple; about 2½ hours.
• Drive: Orchha to Khajuraho is about 175 km, 3½–4 hours.
• Evening: The light-and-sound show at the Western Group of temples (about 50 minutes).
• Tickets: One combined ticket covers most of the Orchha monuments, a few hundred rupees for foreign visitors.
• Overnight: Khajuraho

The finest temple sculpture in India, built by the Chandela kings around 1,000 years ago: gods, dancers, musicians and the famous erotic carvings.

• 8:00 a.m.: The Western Group in the morning light: Kandariya Mahadeva, Lakshmana and Vishwanatha temples; about 2½ hours with a guide.
• Late morning: The archaeological museum opposite, about 1 hour.
• Afternoon: The Eastern Group (the Jain temples, including Parsvanath) and the Southern Group (Duladeo and Chaturbhuj).
• Tickets: Western Group about ₹600 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less); the Eastern Jain temples are free.
• Tip: Hire a licensed guide at the Western Group gate; the stories carved into the walls need explaining.
• Overnight: Khajuraho

To India's holiest city, on the banks of the Ganges.

• Option 1: fly (recommended): Khajuraho to Varanasi flights run on some days, about 1 hour. Your Varanasi driver meets you at the airport.
• Option 2: drive: About 400 km, 9–11 hours. We leave early and stop properly.
• Evening: The Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat at sunset: fire, bells and chanting by young priests. Watching from a boat on the river is the best view.
• Overnight: Varanasi

The reason to come to Varanasi: the river at dawn.

• 5:30 a.m.: A rowing boat along the ghats at sunrise, about 1½ hours, watching the city bathe and pray.
• Morning: A walk through the old lanes with a local guide, past the Kashi Vishwanath temple area.
• Late morning: Sarnath (10 km), where the Buddha gave his first sermon: the Dhamek Stupa and the museum with the Ashoka lion capital.
• Drop: Varanasi airport (25 km, 45–60 minutes) or the station.
• Tickets: Sarnath site and museum have small tickets; the museum is closed on Fridays.
• Tip: Do not photograph cremations at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats.
• Overnight: Your onward journey