Places to visit in Golden Triangle
These are the places Golden Triangle trips are built from. Each trip page lists exactly which of them it covers, and a private trip can swap one for another.
- Taj Mahal, Agra: The white marble tomb Shah Jahan built for Mumtaz Mahal on the bank of the Yamuna; best at sunrise, and closed every Friday.
- Agra Fort: The red sandstone fort of the Mughals, with the Diwan-i-Am, Khas Mahal and Shish Mahal inside and a view down the river to the Taj.
- Fatehpur Sikri: Akbar's abandoned red sandstone capital, about 40 km from Agra on the Jaipur road, with the towering Buland Darwaza, the Jama Masjid and the tomb of Salim Chishti.
- Sikandra and Mehtab Bagh, Agra: Akbar's tomb in its gardens on the Delhi side of Agra, and the garden across the Yamuna where people watch the sun set behind the Taj.
- Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi: The Mughal fort, the great mosque opposite it and the crowded bazaar lanes between them, for the street food.
- Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and the Lotus Temple, Delhi: The tall brick minaret of the Delhi Sultanate, the garden tomb that came before the Taj, and the white lotus-shaped Bahai temple.
- India Gate and Kartavya Path, New Delhi: The war memorial arch and the avenue up to Rashtrapati Bhavan, with the National War Memorial and Raj Ghat close by.
- Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh forts, Jaipur: The hilltop fort-palace with its mirrored Sheesh Mahal, Jaigarh with the giant Jaivana cannon above it, and Nahargarh for the view over the city.
- Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar, Jaipur: The pink honeycomb front of the Palace of Winds, the royal palace and its museum, and the stone observatory with its giant sundial, all in the old city.
- Jal Mahal and Panna Meena ka Kund, Jaipur: The palace standing in Man Sagar lake on the Amber road, and the old stepwell near Amber with its criss-cross stairs.
- Mathura and Vrindavan: The birthplace of Lord Krishna and the temple town next to it, with Banke Bihari, the ISKCON Krishna Balram temple and Shri Rangji; on the road between Delhi and Agra.
- Ranthambore National Park: The tiger reserve about four hours from Jaipur, with jeep or canter safaris and the old Ranthambore Fort on its hill inside the park.
Opening hours and tickets
The Taj Mahal is closed to visitors every Friday and is open on other days from about sunrise to sunset, so every plan keeps the Agra day off a Friday. Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and the Jaipur forts open daily; the Red Fort in Delhi is closed on Mondays. Opening hours and ticket rules change, so confirm on the official ticket site before you go.
What to eat
Old Delhi is the place for street food: parathas, chaat and jalebi in the lanes around Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid. Agra is known for petha, the sweet made from ash gourd, and a breakfast of bedai and jalebi. In Jaipur try dal baati churma, pyaaz kachori, ghewar and the lassi and dahi vada of the old city, or a Rajasthani thali; Mathura is famous for its peda. Vegetarian food is easy to find in all three cities.