Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur by Train
5 days · India (Golden Triangle)
Colourful Indian Holidays charges £490
No-markup version: ~£352 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of the classic 5-day Golden Triangle: Delhi's Mughal monuments, sunrise at the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, the Abhaneri stepwell and Jaipur's pink-walled old city — done on public trains and local transport with hostel/guesthouse stays and self-booked day guides. The original is a private chauffeur-driven tour with hotels and guides included; this version covers the same sights and route for well under half the cost, with full flexibility to slow down or extend.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — settle in Paharganj
New Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International Airport and take the Airport Express Metro to New Delhi station (~£1.50, 20 mins) — ignore touts offering 'official' taxis. Base yourself in Paharganj or the quieter Majnu ka Tilla for easy access to the metro. Spend the afternoon gently acclimatising: walk Connaught Place, pick up a local SIM (Airtel/Jio counter, ~£4 with passport) and book your onward trains on IRCTC or at the New Delhi reservation office. Evening street-food crawl in Paharganj — chole bhature and lassi for under £3.
🚌Airport Express Metro ~£1.50; metro/walking locally
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Paharganj (dorm £7–10, private room £14–20)
- →Airport Express Metro into the city
- →Connaught Place orientation walk
- →Local SIM card setup
- →Book onward train tickets (IRCTC)
- →Paharganj street food
Old & New Delhi then train to Agra
Delhi → Agra
Do Delhi independently with the metro and a self-booked guide or audio app. Start early at Humayun's Tomb (£6), then Qutub Minar (£6) and a walk past India Gate and the Parliament/President's House precinct (free). Loop back via the Lotus Temple (free) and finish with a cycle rickshaw through Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk lanes (~£2, the optional extra the tour offers) before catching an evening Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi train to Agra (~£9–12, 1h50). Check into a guesthouse in Taj Ganj with rooftop views of the Taj.
🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£2; cycle rickshaw ~£2; Delhi–Agra train ~£10
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (£10–16)
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →Qutub Minar
- →India Gate & Parliament drive-by/walk
- →Lotus Temple
- →Chandni Chowk cycle rickshaw
- →Evening train to Agra
Sunrise Taj Mahal, Agra Fort & Abhaneri en route to Jaipur
Agra → Jaipur
Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online the day before (£12 for foreigners) and be at the East Gate by 5:45am for sunrise — the single best moment of the trip. After breakfast visit Agra Fort (£6), then take a shared taxi or local bus to Jaipur via Abhaneri to see the Chand Baori stepwell (free–£2). Easiest self-launched option: a shared AC taxi seat booked through your guesthouse or a bus to Sikandra/Bharatpur connection (~£12–18 total). Alternatively the direct Agra–Jaipur train (~£8) and day-trip to Abhaneri separately. Arrive Jaipur, base in the old city near Hawa Mahal.
🚌Shared taxi/bus Agra–Jaipur via Abhaneri ~£15 (or train ~£8 + local bus)
🛏Hostel or heritage guesthouse in Jaipur old city (£9–16)
- →Taj Mahal at sunrise
- →Agra Fort
- →Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri
- →Old city orientation walk in Jaipur
Jaipur: Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal & the Pink City bazaars
Jaipur
Take local bus #5 or a cheap auto-rickshaw to Amber Fort (£11 entry) first thing — skip the elephant rides and walk up instead. Stop at Jal Mahal for photos on the way back, then spend the afternoon in the walled city: Hawa Mahal (£2.50), City Palace Museum (£9) and Jantar Mantar (£2.50). Do the walking loop from City Palace through Tripolia Gate into the bazaars and Bangles Street, and pop into Ramchandra Temple. Lunch at a local thali spot (~£4). A licensed guide for the fort costs ~£12 shared — worth it for the context.
🚌Local bus to Amber ~£0.50; auto-rickshaws ~£4 total
🛏Hostel or heritage guesthouse in Jaipur old city (£9–16)
- →Amber Fort
- →Jal Mahal photo stop
- →Hawa Mahal
- →City Palace Museum
- →Jantar Mantar
- →Walled city bazaar walk & Bangles Street
- →Ramchandra Temple
Jaipur to Delhi and departure
Jaipur → New Delhi
Optional early morning hot-air balloon or a final chai on a rooftop. Take the double-decker or Shatabdi train back to Delhi (~£8–10, 5 hours) or a budget flight if time is tight (~£35 booked in advance). If your flight isn't until evening, use the hours for the National Museum (£5) or a last wander around Lodhi Garden. Head to the airport on the Airport Express. Note: this is a 5-day itinerary — extend a day in Delhi or add Udaipur if you want breathing room.
🚌Jaipur–Delhi train ~£9; Airport Express ~£1.50
🛏None included (onward travel)
- →Optional Jaipur balloon flight
- →Jaipur–Delhi train
- →National Museum or Lodhi Garden (if time allows)
Self-launched vs. Colourful Indian Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Colourful Indian Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£352 | £490 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £138 per person (28%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Colourful Indian Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£352
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 Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur by Train cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £352 per person for 5 days in India (Golden Triangle). 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 Colourful Indian Holidays?+
Yes — Colourful Indian Holidays charges around £490 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £352 — a saving of roughly £138 (28%) per person.
How long is the India (Golden Triangle) trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through India (Golden Triangle).
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, city-breaks, budget trip through India (Golden Triangle), 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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