One Week in India: The Golden Triangle Itinerary

The Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra, Jaipur — is India’s most accessible introduction to the country’s staggering depth of history, culture, and sensation. Seven days gives you time to absorb each city without rushing, and the distances are manageable by road or train.

Day 1 – Delhi: Old City

Land in Delhi and go straight into the deep end: Old Delhi. The lanes around Chandni Chowk have been a commercial centre since Shah Jahan built the city in the 1640s, and the energy is overwhelming and extraordinary in equal measure. Rickshaw through the narrow spice markets, textiles, and street food stalls.

Visit the Jama Masjid — India’s largest mosque, built by Shah Jahan in 1656, with room for 25,000 worshippers. Climb the south minaret for views over the old city’s chaos.

Karim’s restaurant, tucked in a lane off Chandni Chowk, has been serving Mughal-era meat dishes since 1913. Have lunch here.

Evening: rest and recover from jet lag.

Day 2 – Delhi: New City & Monuments

Morning: Humayun’s Tomb is the architectural precursor to the Taj Mahal — a Mughal mausoleum in the same style, without the crowds. The gardens and the scale of the building are impressive.

Walk or taxi to Lodi Gardens — a public park with 15th-century Lodi dynasty tombs scattered among lawns and trees. Delhiites jog, picnic, and photograph here. It’s peaceful and surprisingly beautiful.

Afternoon: Qutb Minar — a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a 73-metre victory tower built in 1193, the finest example of early Mughal architecture in Delhi. The surrounding complex has an Iron Pillar that has stood for 1,600 years without rusting (metallurgists still don’t fully understand why).

Evening: Dinner in Connaught Place or the Hauz Khas Village neighbourhood — Delhi’s most upscale area for restaurants and bars.

Day 3 – Train to Agra: The Taj Mahal

Take the Gatimaan Express (the fastest train in India, 2 hours) or drive to Agra. Arrive by mid-morning and head directly to the Taj Mahal.

Nothing prepares you for it. The Taj Mahal — built by Shah Jahan over 22 years (1632–1653) as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal — is the most perfect building ever constructed. The proportions, the white marble, the setting above the Yamuna River. Come in the morning for the best light. Book tickets online.

Afternoon: Agra Fort — a massive red sandstone complex where Shah Jahan was later imprisoned by his son, able to see the Taj from his window but never visit it again. The fort is vast and fascinating.

Stay overnight in Agra (highly recommended) to see the Taj again at sunrise — the light is extraordinary, the crowds are smaller.

Day 4 – Taj at Sunrise & Fatehpur Sikri

Morning: Return to the Taj Mahal at 6am for the sunrise light. It’s a completely different experience from the afternoon.

Drive 40km to Fatehpur Sikri — a perfectly preserved 16th-century ghost city built by Emperor Akbar and abandoned when the water supply failed. The red sandstone buildings are stunning and the complex is rarely crowded.

Drive west toward Jaipur (4 hours). Stop at Abhaneri stepwell (Chand Baori) — one of India’s most impressive geometric stepwells, 3,500 steps descending 13 storeys into the earth.

Day 5 – Jaipur: The Pink City

Arrive in Jaipur — the capital of Rajasthan, known as the Pink City because all the old city buildings are painted terracotta pink. It’s one of India’s most planned and visually coherent old cities.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) — a five-storey honey-combed sandstone facade designed to allow royal women to observe street life without being seen. One of India’s most photographed buildings.

City Palace — still partially the residence of the royal family of Jaipur, and a museum of extraordinary royal art and artefacts.

Jantar Mantar — a collection of 19 monumental astronomical instruments built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1724. Still accurate today. UNESCO listed.

Evening: dinner in Jaipur’s old city bazaars and a walk through the illuminated Bapu Market.

Day 6 – Jaipur: Amber Fort & Countryside

Morning: Drive 11km to Amber Fort — the finest Rajput fortress-palace in India, a vast complex of halls, gardens, and mirrored chambers climbing a hillside above a lake. Take the jeep up from the base or walk the old elephant path.

Inside: the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) is extraordinary — a chamber inlaid with millions of mirrored pieces that reflect candlelight into a thousand stars.

Afternoon: Walk through the Jal Mahal water palace (in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, visible from the road), explore the Nahargarh Fort for panoramic views over the Pink City, and wander the bazaars of the old city for textiles, blue pottery, and gems.

Day 7 – Jaipur to Delhi & Departure

Drive or take the train back to Delhi (4–5 hours). If your flight is late, spend time in Khan Market or Dilli Haat (a permanent crafts market where artisans from every Indian state sell traditional work).

Practical Notes

Getting around: Book trains in advance at irctc.co.in — popular routes sell out weeks ahead. Hire a private driver for Agra–Jaipur leg; the roads are decent and a car gives flexibility.

Cash: India remains heavily cash-reliant outside major hotels. Use ATMs at airports or banks.

Water: Drink only bottled or filtered water throughout India.

Dress: Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites. Remove shoes before entering temples and mosques.

Best time: October–March. Avoid April–June (extreme heat: 40–48°C in Rajasthan).