India’s fabled Golden Triangle—New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur—distills centuries of history into one photogenic loop. From the grand avenues of Lutyens’ Delhi to the marble poetry of the Taj Mahal and the rose-tinted facades of the Pink City, this weeklong route balances icons with insider stops. Expect spice-laced breakfasts, sandstone citadels, and sunsets that set fort walls aglow.

Rooted in empires and craft, the region is a living museum. You’ll walk Mughal gardens, climb Rajput ramparts, and weave through bazaars scented with cardamom and sandalwood. Along the way, learn how inlay artisans set semi-precious stones into marble in Agra and how Jaipur’s astronomers read the sky at Jantar Mantar.

Practical notes: The Taj Mahal is closed to visitors on Fridays (prayer day). Many Delhi monuments close on Mondays; plan accordingly. Dress modestly at temples and mosques, carry cash for small vendors (UPI is widespread, but not universal), and use official cabs or app rides. Trains are efficient for Delhi–Agra; a car is ideal for Agra–Jaipur, especially if you stop at Fatehpur Sikri.

New Delhi

India’s capital is a tapestry of old and new—lanes perfumed with jalebi and spice in Shahjahanabad, and leafy boulevards lined with India Gate and embassy gardens. You’ll taste Delhi’s energy in its markets, hear it in the ring of cycle bells at Chandni Chowk, and see it in a skyline punctuated by Qutub Minar and temple spires.

• Top sights: Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Lodhi Garden, India Gate, Agrasen ki Baoli, Akshardham (fountain show), Dilli Haat crafts market.
• Food and coffee: Karim’s (Mughlai grills and nihari by Jama Masjid), Paranthe Wali Gali (stuffed parathas), Sita Ram Diwan Chand (classic chole bhature), Blue Tokai (specialty coffee), Indian Coffee House CP (retro waiters, crispy dosas).
• Fun fact: Delhi’s UNESCO trio—Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb—charts 600+ years of dynastic rule in one city.

Stay: Browse stays on VRBO New Delhi (Hauz Khas, GK-II, or Aerocity for easy dining), or compare hotels on Hotels.com New Delhi (Connaught Place and Aerocity are well-located).

Getting in: Fly into DEL with Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com. For trains within India, use Trip.com Trains.

Agra

Agra is the city that made “love” a landmark. The Taj Mahal glows at dawn, but stay longer for the red sandstone poetry of Agra Fort and the delicate riverside tombs. Between monuments, taste bedai and jalebi breakfasts and meet artisans who still set pietra dura blooms into marble by hand.

• Top sights: Taj Mahal (sunrise), Agra Fort, Itmad-ud-Daula (Baby Taj), Mehtab Bagh sunset view, Fatehpur Sikri (en route to Jaipur).
• Food and coffee: Deviram Sweets (bedai with aloo sabzi), Pinch of Spice (North Indian mains), Esphahan at Oberoi Amarvilas (classic fine North Indian), The Salt Café & Rooftop (city views), Tea’se Me (rooftop café near Taj).
• Fun fact: Shah Jahan viewed the Taj from his marble tower in Agra Fort after being deposed by his son Aurangzeb.

Stay: See options on VRBO Agra (Taj Ganj area is convenient) or Hotels.com Agra.

Getting there: From Delhi, take the Gatimaan Express or other fast trains (≈1h40–2h, ~$10–25) via Trip.com Trains, or hire a car via Yamuna Expressway (≈3.5–4h, ~$80–120).

Jaipur

Jaipur, the Pink City, is Rajasthan’s royal stage—palaces painted in warm hues, mirrored halls, stepwells, and hilltop forts. It’s also a shopper’s dream: hand-block-printed textiles, gemstone jewelry, and blue pottery glow in its bazaars.

• Top sights: Amber Fort and Palace, City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar observatory, Nahargarh Fort sunset, Panna Meena ka Kund, Johari and Bapu Bazaars.
• Food and coffee: Laxmi Misthan Bhandar (Rajasthani thali and ghevar), Rawat Mishtan Bhandar (pyaaz kachori), Anokhi Café (fresh salads, cakes), Tapri Central (tea and snacks), Curious Life Coffee Roasters (excellent espresso).
• Fun fact: Jaipur was painted terracotta pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales—a color of hospitality that stuck.

Stay: Compare heritage stays and modern hotels on VRBO Jaipur or Hotels.com Jaipur (look in Ashok Nagar, C-Scheme, or near MI Road).

Getting there: From Agra, drive via Fatehpur Sikri (≈5–6h with stops, ~$110–160). Jaipur airport (JAI) has frequent hops to Delhi and Mumbai for onward flights via Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com.

Your 7-Day Golden Triangle Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in New Delhi

Morning: Fly into Delhi (DEL). Search fares and connections on Trip.com or Kiwi.com. Pre-book an airport transfer or use the airport metro to central Delhi.

Afternoon: Check in near Connaught Place or Aerocity for easy dining. Stretch your legs at Lodhi Garden—Mughal tombs, banyan trees, and parakeets make it a gentle first stroll.

Evening: Sip a flat white at Blue Tokai (Lodhi or Vasant Vihar) and wander Connaught Place’s colonnades. Dinner options: book Bukhara at ITC Maurya for legendary dal bukhara and tandoor kebabs, or try Saravana Bhavan on Janpath for crisp dosas and filter coffee if you want something lighter.

Day 2: Old Delhi and New Delhi Highlights

Morning: Start in Old Delhi. Climb the minaret at Jama Masjid for skyline views, then dive into Chandni Chowk by rickshaw. Snack trail: Jung Bahadur Kachori (spiced kachori), Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale (stuffed kulfi in fruit), and a lassi near Fatehpuri.

Afternoon: Tour the UNESCO-listed Red Fort (closed Mondays). Break for lunch at Karim’s—order mutton seekh kebab, tandoori roti, and chicken jahangiri. Shift to New Delhi for Humayun’s Tomb and a peaceful hour at Agrasen ki Baoli or Lodhi Art District murals.

Evening: Browse Dilli Haat for curated crafts from across India; try momos from the Nagaland stall or bamboo-smoked pork from the Northeast counters. Alternatively, see the water-laser show at Akshardham (arrive early for security checks). Cap the night with pistachio kulfi or chai masala near India Gate.

Day 3: Morning Train to Agra + Sunset Taj Views

Morning: Take an early train to Agra Cantt—Gatimaan Express or similar (≈1h40–2h, ~$10–25) via Trip.com Trains. Check into your hotel near Taj Ganj.

Afternoon: Explore Agra Fort, a vast complex where Shah Jahan once lived; don’t miss Musamman Burj, the marble tower with river views. Pause for lunch at Pinch of Spice—murgh lababdar and butter naan are house favorites.

Evening: Cross to Mehtab Bagh for a sunset silhouette of the Taj across the Yamuna. For dinner, choose Esphahan at The Oberoi Amarvilas (fixed menus with live tabla; book ahead) or Peshawri-style grills at ITC Mughal; end with a rooftop tea at Tea’se Me.

Day 4: Taj Mahal Sunrise + Agra’s Crafts

Morning: Enter the Taj Mahal at dawn when marble turns from pearl to rose (foreign ticket ≈₹1300/~$16 including mausoleum). Afterward, celebrate with Agra’s classic breakfast—bedai and jalebi—at Deviram Sweets.

Afternoon: Visit Itmad-ud-Daula, a jewel-box tomb with lattice windows that prefigured the Taj. Stop by a reputable workshop to see pietra dura inlay techniques; you’ll learn how malachite and lapis are cut into floral motifs.

Evening: Stroll Sadar Bazaar for souvenirs and petha (candied ash gourd). If you enjoy cultural shows, “Mohabbat the Taj” at Kalakriti stages a musical retelling of the monument’s story. Dinner at The Salt Café & Rooftop—order the tandoori broccoli, dal makhani, and a mango lassi.

Day 5: Drive Agra → Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri

Morning: Depart by private car for Jaipur, stopping at Fatehpur Sikri (UNESCO) after about 1h. Wander the red sandstone courtyards—Buland Darwaza’s colossal gate and the intricately carved Diwan-i-Khas are standouts. Continue to Jaipur (total travel with stop ≈5–6h, car ~$110–160).

Afternoon: Check into your Jaipur hotel in C-Scheme or MI Road. If energy allows, visit Panna Meena ka Kund, a symmetrical stepwell near Amber, for golden-hour photos.

Evening: Dinner at Peacock Rooftop (Hotel Pearl Palace): laal maas (Rajasthani chili-lamb curry), tandoori platters, and city views. For a refined nightcap, Bar Palladio offers a Jaipur-meets-Italian salon vibe with candlelight and blue interiors.

Day 6: Amber Fort, City Palace, and Markets

Morning: Ride a jeep up to Amber Fort (avoid animal rides) and tour Sheesh Mahal’s mirror mosaics and the airy Ganesh Pol. Swing up to Jaigarh for cannon lore and sweeping Aravalli views. Coffee break at Curious Life Coffee Roasters back in town.

Afternoon: Explore the City Palace (don’t miss the four seasonal gates) and the adjacent Jantar Mantar, where monumental stone instruments still read the sky. Lunch at Anokhi Café—fresh salads, quiche, and carrot cake offer a welcome pause.

Evening: Photograph Hawa Mahal’s honeycomb façade from the cafés opposite as the lights come on. Shop Johari Bazaar for gemstones and Bapu Bazaar for block prints and jootis; bargain politely. Dinner at Suvarna Mahal (Rambagh Palace) for regal Rajasthani thalis, or Steam (a vintage train-car restaurant) for wood-fired pizzas and grills.

Day 7: Jaipur Sunrise and Departure

Morning: Catch sunrise from Nahargarh Fort or hike to Galtaji (Monkey Temple) for peach-tinted hills. Brunch at Tapri Central—masala chai, vada pav, and “tadka maggi”—or LMB for kachori, jalebi, and a mini Rajasthani thali.

Afternoon: Depart from Jaipur Airport (JAI) or take a short flight to Delhi or Mumbai for your international connection. Compare schedules and fares on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com. If you’re extending, consider a dawn hot-air balloon over Amber (Oct–Mar) or a day trip to the stepwell at Abhaneri.

Evening: Final souvenir dash for block-printed scarves or blue pottery near MI Road, then head to the airport. Keep INR for tips and snacks; pack textiles in your carry-on to avoid creases.

This Golden Triangle itinerary balances headline sights with delicious detours—old-city food walks in Delhi, marble inlay in Agra, and palace sunsets in Jaipur. With trains, a scenic road leg, and well-placed stays, it’s a vivid introduction to North India you’ll talk about for years.