Private Golden Triangle Tour : Delhi, Agra and Jaipur 7D/6N

Seven days for three cities, which is generous and worth it

Most people do this route in four. Seven means two days in each city and a spare, which changes what is possible rather than only the pace.

Delhi

Two days rather than a morning. Qutub Minar and the rustless iron pillar. Humayun's Tomb, the 1560s garden tomb the Taj descends from, and the best-restored monument in India after a decade of Aga Khan Trust work.

Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk by cycle rickshaw, still organised trade by trade — silver in Dariba Kalan, spices in Khari Baoli, the largest spice market in Asia.

And with a second day: Agrasen ki Baoli, the stepwell behind Connaught Place; the Lodhi Garden tombs; and Nizamuddin, where qawwali is sung on Thursday evenings and has been for seven hundred years.

Agra

The Taj Mahal at sunrise and again in the late afternoon — genuinely different buildings. Agra Fort with the Musamman Burj. And the two sites short trips drop: the Baby Taj, the 1620s marble tomb that introduced pietra dura to India, and Mehtab Bagh across the river for the reflection at sunset.

Fatehpur Sikri on the road west.

Jaipur

Amber Fort, Jaigarh above it with the largest wheeled cannon ever cast, Nahargarh at sunset, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal — plus the bazaars and the craft workshops, which is where two days in Jaipur pays for itself.

Three options

Car, driver and professional guides; or with hotels at two tiers.

Practical

The Taj is closed on Fridays and the Red Fort on Mondays; the itinerary is ordered around both.

Entrance fees are separate unless stated.