Golden Triangle Tour with Rajasthan – 13 Days

Duration

13 days / 12 nights

Starts from

Delhi

Group size

Private, up to 15

Guide

Licensed local guide

Best time to visit

October to March. Ranthambore National Park closes 1 July–30 September for monsoon; April–June is very hot (up to 45°C) but tigers stay near water, which helps sightings.

Overview

Thirteen days, one private car, and the side of Rajasthan most itineraries drive past: the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, two jeep safaris looking for tigers in Ranthambore, the holy lake town of Pushkar, Jodhpur's blue city, the 36-kilometre walls of Kumbhalgarh, the marble temple at Ranakpur, Udaipur's lakes and the vast hill fort of Chittorgarh.

This is Rajasthan without the desert. If the Thar is what you're after — Bikaner, Jaisalmer and a night at a dune camp — that's our Ultimate Classic Rajasthan tour. This route trades the sand for wildlife, lakes and fortresses, and visits four of the six forts UNESCO lists together as the Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Amber, Ranthambore, Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh.

Drives are kept to half-days wherever the map allows, and you stay two nights in Delhi, Ranthambore, Jaipur and Udaipur so the trip never turns into a hotel-a-night blur. It ends with a short flight from Udaipur back to Delhi.

The route

12 stops

The route

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Itinerary

  1. 1

    Day 1: Arrive in Delhi

    Our representative meets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight.

    Delhi

  2. 2

    Day 2: Old and New Delhi

    Jama Masjid and a cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, then Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar and a drive past India Gate and the government buildings of New Delhi.

    Jama Masjid · Chandni Chowk · Humayun's Tomb · Qutub Minar · India Gate

  3. 3

    Day 3: Delhi to Agra

    Drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway (about 3.5 hours). In the afternoon, Agra Fort, then the Taj Mahal at sunset from Mehtab Bagh across the river.

    Agra Fort · Mehtab Bagh

  4. 4

    Day 4: Taj Mahal Sunrise, Then On to Ranthambore

    The Taj Mahal at sunrise. After breakfast, drive to Ranthambore (about 6 hours), stopping at Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned capital, on the way.

    Taj Mahal · Fatehpur Sikri · Ranthambore National Park

  5. 5

    Day 5: Two Tiger Safaris in Ranthambore

    A morning and an afternoon jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park, among banyan trees, lakes and the ruins of a 10th-century fort — home to Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears and more than 300 bird species. Two safaris roughly double your odds of a tiger sighting.

    Ranthambore National Park

  6. 6

    Day 6: Ranthambore to Jaipur

    Drive to Jaipur (about 4 hours). In the afternoon, the Hawa Mahal facade and the bazaars of the old walled Pink City.

    Hawa Mahal · Jaipur

  7. 7

    Day 7: Jaipur: Amber Fort and the City Palace

    Amber Fort above Maota Lake, the Jal Mahal water palace, then the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory.

    Amber Fort · Jal Mahal · City Palace, Jaipur · Jantar Mantar

  8. 8

    Day 8: Jaipur to Pushkar

    A three-hour drive to Pushkar, a small holy town around a sacred lake. Visit the Brahma Temple, walk the ghats and watch the evening prayers at the water's edge.

    Pushkar

  9. 9

    Day 9: Pushkar to Jodhpur

    Drive to Jodhpur (about 4.5 hours). In the afternoon, Mehrangarh Fort high above the blue old city, and the marble Jaswant Thada memorial.

    Mehrangarh Fort · Jaswant Thada · Jodhpur

  10. 10

    Day 10: Jodhpur to Kumbhalgarh

    Into the Aravalli hills to Kumbhalgarh (about 4 hours). Walk a stretch of the fort's great wall and climb to Badal Mahal, the palace at its summit, with views far into the hills.

    Kumbhalgarh

  11. 11

    Day 11: Ranakpur, Then Udaipur

    A short drive to Ranakpur's 15th-century Jain temple and its 1,444 carved marble pillars, then on to Udaipur, arriving in time for sunset over Lake Pichola.

    Ranakpur · Udaipur

  12. 12

    Day 12: Day Trip to Chittorgarh

    A two-hour drive to Chittorgarh, the largest fort in India: the Vijay Stambha victory tower, Rani Padmini's palace and the temples spread across the plateau. Back in Udaipur by evening.

    Chittorgarh

  13. 13

    Day 13: Udaipur, Then Fly to Delhi

    The City Palace, Jagdish Temple and a boat ride on Lake Pichola past the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir. In the afternoon, transfer to Udaipur airport for your flight to Delhi.

    City Palace, Udaipur · Jagdish Temple · Lake Pichola

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the Ultimate Classic Rajasthan tour?

Both are 13 days. The Ultimate Classic is the desert route — Bikaner, Jaisalmer and a night at a dune camp. This tour leaves out the desert and adds two Ranthambore tiger safaris, Pushkar, Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh instead.

Will we definitely see a tiger?

No one can promise it — these are wild animals in a large reserve. Ranthambore has one of the best sighting records in India, and two safaris roughly double the odds of a single drive.

When is Ranthambore open?

October to June. The park closes completely from 1 July to 30 September for monsoon, and its core safari zones close every Wednesday.

Which start days should I avoid?

The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays (it's day 4 here) and Ranthambore's core zones are closed on Wednesdays (day 5) — so avoid starting on a Tuesday or a Saturday. The booking calendar won't offer those dates.

How much time is spent driving?

Most driving days are 3–4.5 hours; the longest is Agra to Ranthambore at about 6 hours, broken up by Fatehpur Sikri. The tour ends with a flight from Udaipur rather than a long drive back.

Is this tour good for families?

Yes — the safaris are a hit with children, there are no back-to-back long drives, and you stay two nights in four of the cities. Hotels can arrange connecting or extra rooms.

Is a visa required to visit India?

Most nationalities need an Indian e-Visa, applied for online before arrival. It isn't included in the tour price — check the official Indian government e-Visa site well before departure.

Included

  • Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver for all 13 days
  • Licensed local guide for sightseeing in every city
  • 12 nights' hotel accommodation with daily breakfast (tier selected at booking)
  • Two jeep safaris in Ranthambore National Park (morning and afternoon)
  • Monument entry tickets for every site in the itinerary
  • Cycle-rickshaw ride in Old Delhi and a boat ride on Lake Pichola, Udaipur
  • Airport, railway station and hotel transfers
  • All tolls, parking, fuel and driver allowances

Not included

  • International flights and the Udaipur–Delhi domestic flight (booked at cost on request)
  • Lunch and dinner
  • Ranthambore's higher safari permit fee for foreign nationals, if not pre-paid at booking
  • Camera or video fees charged separately at some monuments
  • Personal expenses, tips, travel insurance and visa fees

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Know more about this tour

In 2013 UNESCO inscribed six of Rajasthan's hill forts as a single World Heritage Site: Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Gagron, Amber and Jaisalmer. This route visits four of them. Chittorgarh is the largest fort in India by area, its plateau holding palaces, temples and the 15th-century Vijay Stambha victory tower; Kumbhalgarh, built by Rana Kumbha in the same century, is ringed by a wall roughly 36 kilometres long, one of the longest continuous walls in the world.

Pushkar sits around a sacred lake and is home to one of the very few temples in India dedicated to Brahma. Each autumn, around the Kartik full moon, it hosts the Pushkar Camel Fair.