Golden Triangle India — Self-Launched: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur
7 days · India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur)
Alkof Holidays charges £335
No-markup version: ~£270 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of the classic Golden Triangle: Delhi's Mughal and colonial landmarks, sunrise at the Taj Mahal, the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri and Jaipur's pink-walled forts and palaces. Instead of a private driver and hotel package, you'll use Delhi's Metro, the Gatimaan Express train to Agra, and local buses/shared taxis onward to Jaipur — booking guides or audio guides only where they add real value. Build in a buffer day if you can; the pace below matches the original 7-day loop but with more breathing room on transport days. All costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — settle in and get your bearings
New Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International (T3), pick up an Airtel or Jio eSIM/tourist SIM (£5-8), and take the Airport Express Metro or a prepaid taxi/Ola/Uber to your stay. Base yourself in Paharganj or Karol Bagh for cheap guesthouses, or Hauz Khas for a calmer, more social vibe. Spend the late afternoon walking Connaught Place and grabbing your first thali (£3-4). If you arrive early, wander the lanes of Old Delhi at dusk — chaotic but unforgettable.
🚌Airport Express Metro to New Delhi station ~£1.50, or prepaid taxi/Ola ~£6-8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (£10-16/night; private room £18-25)
- →Airport SIM/eSIM setup
- →Connaught Place wander
- →Old Delhi lanes at dusk (optional)
Full day in Delhi — Rajghat to Qutab Minar
New Delhi
A big but very doable day using the Metro plus short auto-rickshaw hops. Start at Rajghat (free, quiet at opening), then Jama Masjid (£2 entry, £3-4 for the minaret climb) and a cycle-rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk's spice and silver lanes (£3-5 for the ride — agree the price first). After lunch, take the Metro to Humayun's Tomb (£6) and finish at Qutab Minar (£6). You'll drive past India Gate and the President's House on the way — hop off at Kartavya Path for photos. Optional: a GetYourGuide Old Delhi food walk (~£18-25) if you'd rather have a local guide for the markets.
🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£2.50 plus 3-4 auto-rickshaw rides ~£4 total
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse, Delhi
- →Rajghat memorial (free)
- →Jama Masjid + minaret (£2-4)
- →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw ride (£3-5)
- →Humayun's Tomb (£6)
- →Qutab Minar (£6)
- →Kartavya Path / India Gate photo stop
Train to Agra — Agra Fort, Itmad-ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh sunset
Agra
Book the Gatimaan Express (departs Hazrat Nizamuddin ~08:10, arrives Agra Cantt in ~80 mins) or a morning Shatabdi — book on IRCTC or 12Go Asia, £8-14 in chair car. Drop bags at a guesthouse in Taj Ganj, then visit Agra Fort (£7), cross the river to Itmad-ud-Daulah ('Baby Taj', £4) and finish at Mehtab Bagh (£4) for the classic sunset view across the Yamuna toward the Taj. Marble-inlay workshops along Fatehabad Road are free to browse — treat any purchase as optional. Dinner in Taj Ganj rooftop restaurants (£4-6) with the Taj silhouette.
🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi-Agra chair car £8-14; auto-rickshaws in Agra ~£1-2 per hop
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (£12-20/night)
- →Gatimaan Express train
- →Agra Fort (£7)
- →Itmad-ud-Daulah (£4)
- →Mehtab Bagh sunset (£4)
- →Marble inlay workshops (free)
Taj Mahal at sunrise, then Fatehpur Sikri and on to Jaipur
Agra → Fatehpur Sikri → Jaipur
Buy your Taj ticket online the night before (£12, closed Fridays) and be at the East Gate before opening — the first 45 minutes of light are the whole point. Back for breakfast and checkout, then take a local bus or shared taxi from Agra's Idgah bus stand to Fatehpur Sikri (~1hr, £1-2), spend 2 hours in the UNESCO-listed Mughal capital and the Jama Masjid with its Buland Darwaza (£6 combined). From Sikri, local buses run to Bharatpur, then onward to Jaipur (total ~£4-6, 3.5-4hrs) — or split a taxi/OLA out of Agra with other travellers for ~£12-15 each if you want to save time. Arrive Jaipur in the evening, base yourself in the old city near Bani Park or Hathroi.
🚌Local bus Agra→Fatehpur Sikri ~£1.50; bus Sikri→Bharatpur→Jaipur ~£5, or shared taxi ~£13
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Jaipur (£12-20/night)
- →Taj Mahal at sunrise (£12)
- →Fatehpur Sikri & Buland Darwaza (£6)
- →Mughal architecture walk
- →Evening arrival in Jaipur
Jaipur — Amber Fort, City Palace and the Pink City bazaars
Jaipur
Take local bus 5 or a shared auto to Amber Fort (£2 fare) and get there for the 08:00 opening — the fort itself is £6-8, and the Sheesh Mahal mirror hall is the highlight. Walk down to Jal Mahal for the water-palace photo, then head to the walled city: City Palace (£8), Jantar Mantar (£2.50) next door and Hawa Mahal (free from the street, or £2.50 inside). Albert Hall Museum (£2.50, closed some Mondays) makes a good late-afternoon stop. If you want a guide, GetYourGuide does an Amber Fort + old city tour from ~£20-30; otherwise a good audio guide or guidebook works fine. Evening: rooftop dinner in the old city and a Raj Mandir Bollywood film if the timing fits (£2-3).
🚌Local bus/shared auto to Amber ~£2 return; autos within the old city ~£3 total
🛏Same Jaipur guesthouse
- →Amber Fort & Palace (£7)
- →Jal Mahal viewpoint (free)
- →City Palace (£8)
- →Jantar Mantar (£2.50)
- →Hawa Mahal (£2.50 or free from street)
- →Albert Hall Museum (£2.50)
Jaipur at leisure, then onward travel
Jaipur / en route
Use the morning for anything you missed — the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, a block-printing workshop (£10-15), or Johari and Bapu bazaars for textiles. In the afternoon you have choices: a fast AC bus back to Delhi (~5.5hrs, £7-10) if you're flying home from Delhi, or stay put — Jaipur has cheap flights and trains onward to Udaipur, Jodhpur or Pushkar if you want to extend the trip. If you're returning to Delhi, an evening Vande Bharat or double-check the Shatabdi from Jaipur Junction (£10-15, ~4.5hrs) is more comfortable than the bus.
🚌Volvo AC bus Jaipur→Delhi ~£8, or train Jaipur→Delhi ~£12
🛏Budget hotel in Jaipur (£12-20/night), or Delhi guesthouse (£10-16) if you travel back
- →Anokhi Museum / block-printing workshop (£10-15, optional)
- →Johari & Bapu bazaars
- →Optional extension planning (Udaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur)
Return to Delhi and fly out
Delhi
If you came back to Delhi last night, keep today light: a last wander in Lodhi Garden or Hauz Khas, a proper breakfast, and then the Airport Express Metro or an Ola to T3 with plenty of buffer time — Delhi traffic is real. Allow 3 hours before an international departure. If you're flying out of Jaipur instead, the airport is only 20-25 minutes from the old city (£3-4 by auto).
🚌Airport Express Metro to IGI ~£1.50, or Ola/Uber ~£6-8
🛏None (departure day)
- →Lodhi Garden or Hauz Khas walk (optional)
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. Alkof Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Alkof Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£270 | £335 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £65 per person (19%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Alkof Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£270
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Golden Triangle India — Self-Launched: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £270 per person for 7 days in India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Alkof Holidays?+
Yes — Alkof Holidays charges around £335 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £270 — a saving of roughly £65 (19%) per person.
How long is the India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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