India's Golden Triangle

Zoe recently visited India's famous Golden Triangle. It's the most popular routing for those wanting to see India's highlights, encompassing the entire region between New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, often travelling between the three by train. We sat down with Zoe to get her thoughts on her recent trip:

1. Can you describe your overall experience travelling through India's Golden Triangle?

Amazing! Everything ran smoothly and the tour manager couldn’t have been more helpful or knowledgeable if he tried.

2. Which cities did you visit, and how many days did you spend in each?

Delhi: 1 night on arrival
Agra: 2 nights
Ranthambore: 2 nights
Jaipur: 2 nights
Delhi: 1 night

3. What were the top three highlights of your trip, and why did they stand out to you?

• Taj Mahal, its beautiful and particularly special at sunrise
• The tigers in Ranthambore - I’ve always wanted to see the tigers in India and was extremely lucky to see a family of four walk right in front of our vehicle.
• Agra for the rikshaw ride around the city. The experience is great as you travel through tiny streets seeing all the wonderful colours and so much fruit on display.

4. Did you encounter any cultural experiences that were particularly memorable? Can you share one?

Fatehpur Sikri stands out, this ghost city is huge with Palaces and mosques in incredible condition despite being forgotten for hundreds of years.  

5. Travelling in India can be quite dynamic; how did you find the pace and ease of travel between the cities of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur? 

Delhi is fun to watch from the comfort of your seat, its crazy!  However, passing through on a weekend is less busy than midweek. I travelled by rail from Delhi to Agra and found the locals to be very friendly. No journey was too long and the stops are perfectly timed.

6. Would you like to have stayed longer in any location than you did? 

I always want to stay longer! I would have liked to extend the tour to Shimla on the toy train to get a glimpse of the Himalayas.

7. Food is a big part of Indian culture. What were some of your favorite meals, and are there specific dishes you would recommend to future travellers? 

The food is delicious and the flavours are so intense (and it's not all spicy!). If you are not a big fan of spice, just ask and they will be happy to accommodate. Be sure to try chai tea.

8. How did you handle communication? Were there any language barriers?

Tour guides, hoteliers and airport staff all speak English. I didn’t have to interact much with the locals but when I did it was mostly because they wanted a picture of us!

9. What is one thing you wish you had known before visiting the Golden Triangle?

Except for Mosque visits you can wear shorts and t-shirts everywhere.  A shoulder cover up is useful to carry in your backpack but not always necessary.

10. Safety is a concern for many travellers; did you feel safe during your travels? Do you have any advice on staying safe?

As I travelled on a group tour, I didn’t ever feel unsafe.  Two of us went for a short walk in Ranthambore and visited a couple of shops with no feeling of unease.  We also walked in small groups through a bazar for a few hours shopping in Jaipur and felt completely safe.

11. Regarding budget, can you give an overview of how much a similar trip would cost?

To give you an example, the tour I did starts around £2,195pp (season dependant) and for two weeks you'd be looking at around £3,395. I travelled with Titan which includes home pick up and drop off (a lovely extra). There are various tours/durations and independent travel options available, so please get in touch for prices.

If you'd like to chat to Zoe about a trip to India, you can book an appointment with her here.