Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur by Train
7 days · India (Golden Triangle)
Agra Trip Holidays charges £395
No-markup version: ~£330 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of the classic 7-day Golden Triangle loop — Delhi's Old and New City, Agra's Taj Mahal at sunrise and Agra Fort, and Jaipur's Pink City — rebuilt using Indian Railways trains and local buses instead of a private car and driver, and hostels/guesthouses instead of 5-star hotels. Local guides are booked per-site via GetYourGuide or directly at the ticket counters, so you keep the guided context without the private-tour price tag. Costs are approximate per person, based on backpacker/budget-traveller rates and a shared dorm or budget double room.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — ease in around Paharganj & Connaught Place
New Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express Metro to New Delhi station (~£2, 20 mins) — skip the prepaid taxi touts. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Paharganj or near Connaught Place. Spend the afternoon gently: wander the colonial arcades of Connaught Place, grab a thali, and if you've energy left, ride the Metro to Akshardham Temple (free entry, phones/bags must be left in the cloakroom; closed Mondays). Book your train tickets today if you haven't already — Agra and Jaipur trains sell out, so use the IRCTC app or a trusted agent and aim for 2AC or 3AC class.
🚌Airport Express Metro ~£2; Delhi Metro day of local rides ~£1-2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Paharganj / Karol Bagh (approx £12-16)
- →Airport Express Metro into the city
- →Connaught Place wander
- →Optional Akshardham Temple visit
Old & New Delhi — mosques, bazaars and Mughal monuments
New Delhi
Do a self-launched big day: start early at Jama Masjid (entry ~£2, shoe coverings extra), then walk or cycle-rickshaw through Chandni Chowk's spice and silver lanes (~£2 for the rickshaw — agree the price first). Photo-stop Red Fort from outside, or pay the ~£6 entry if you want the full tour. Take the Metro to Rajghat (free) for Gandhi's memorial, then continue to Humayun's Tomb (~£6) and Qutub Minar (~£6) — both UNESCO sites and easy on the Yellow line. Finish with the drive-past circuit of India Gate, the President's House and Parliament on a cheap auto-rickshaw loop (~£4). A GetYourGuide half-day Old Delhi walking-and-food tour runs around £20-25 if you'd rather have a local guide for the bazaar section.
🚌Delhi Metro + auto-rickshaws ~£5
🛏Same Delhi hostel/guesthouse (approx £12-16)
- →Jama Masjid
- →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw ride
- →Red Fort (photo stop or entry)
- →Rajghat
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →Qutub Minar
- →India Gate / Parliament drive-past
Delhi to Agra — Agra Fort and Mehtab Bagh at sunset
Agra
Catch a morning Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi from Hazrat Nizamuddin/New Delhi to Agra Cantt (~1h50, 2AC around £10-12) — book ahead and bring your passport. Drop bags at a guesthouse in Taj Ganj, then walk or take a cheap auto to Agra Fort (~£6 entry). Spend two hours in the red sandstone Mughal citadel, then cross the Yamuna for Mehtab Bagh gardens (~£3) for the classic sunset view back across the river to the Taj. Evening: rooftop dinner in Taj Ganj with the Taj silhouette in view (~£5-7). Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online in advance and note the mausoleum is closed to visitors on Fridays.
🚌Train Delhi-Agra 2AC ~£11; local autos ~£2
🛏Budget guesthouse, Taj Ganj (approx £14-18)
- →Train to Agra
- →Agra Fort
- →Mehtab Bagh sunset viewpoint
Agra — Taj Mahal at sunrise, then the Baby Taj
Agra
Set an alarm: get to the East Gate before opening (roughly 6am in summer, sunrise in winter) to beat the crowds and the heat. Taj Mahal entry is ~£12 for foreigners plus a small extra for the main mausoleum. Allow 2-3 hours. Back for breakfast and a nap, then take an auto to Itmad-ud-Daulah, the 'Baby Taj' (~£4), which is beautifully quiet compared to the main monument. Optional: a GetYourGuide guided Taj tour (~£25-35) if you want the history explained, but the self-launched version with an audio guide or a good book works fine. Afternoon free to browse marble inlay workshops or rest up ahead of tomorrow's travel.
🚌Auto-rickshaws ~£3
🛏Same Agra guesthouse (approx £14-18)
- →Taj Mahal sunrise visit
- →Itmad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)
- →Optional marble inlay workshop visit
Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri Stepwell
Jaipur
This is the trickiest leg without a private car, but very doable: take a bus or shared taxi from Agra's Idgah bus stand to Fatehpur Sikri (~1 hour, ~£2), explore the abandoned Mughal capital and the Jama Masjid with its 54m Buland Darwaza (~£6 entry). Then pick up a local bus or shared jeep onward toward Bandikui/Sikandra and hop off at Abhaneri to see the Chand Baori stepwell (free, ~30 mins to wander) — from there another local bus to Jaipur. Total road travel ~5-6 hours; leaving by 7am makes it comfortable. Alternatively, skip the stops and take a direct Agra-Jaipur train or Volvo bus (~£5-8, 4-5 hours) and keep the day simple. Check into a hostel in the old city near Hawa Mahal.
🚌Local buses/shared jeeps Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Abhaneri-Jaipur ~£8-10 total
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Jaipur old city (approx £10-15)
- →Fatehpur Sikri and Buland Darwaza
- →Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri
- →Old city Jaipur evening wander
Jaipur — Amber Fort, City Palace and the Pink City
Jaipur
Start early: local bus No. 5 or an auto (~£2) to Amber Fort, entry ~£6; arrive at opening to dodge the crush. Walk the ramparts and the Sheesh Mahal, and photo-stop Jal Mahal on the way back along the lake. In the afternoon hit the Pink City: City Palace (~£9), Jantar Mantar (~£3.50), and a photo-stop at Hawa Mahal from the street-side café terrace (or pay ~£2 to go in). Finish with a wander through Johari and Bapu Bazaar for textiles and block prints. A GetYourGuide full-day Jaipur highlights tour with transport runs ~£30-40 if you want a guide and air-conditioned car for the day.
🚌Local bus + autos ~£5
🛏Same Jaipur hostel/guesthouse (approx £10-15)
- →Amber Fort
- →Jal Mahal photo stop
- →City Palace
- →Jantar Mantar
- →Hawa Mahal
- →Johari & Bapu Bazaar market visit
Jaipur to Delhi — return by train or fly home
Jaipur / New Delhi
Morning at leisure — a last lassi at Lassiwala and a final bazaar sweep. Then take a mid-morning or early-afternoon train from Jaipur Junction to New Delhi (~5 hours, 2AC around £12-15), or a flight from Jaipur to Delhi (~£35-50 if booked ahead) if you're catching an onward international flight. If you're flying straight out of Jaipur, allow 3 hours at the airport. Total buffer needed before an international departure: 5-6 hours if travelling by train.
🚌Jaipur-Delhi train 2AC ~£13 or flight ~£40
🛏N/A — departure day (optional Delhi hostel ~£12 if you stay the night)
- →Final market shopping
- →Train or flight Jaipur to Delhi
Self-launched vs. Agra Trip Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Agra Trip Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£330 | £395 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £65 per person (16%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Agra Trip Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£330
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 £330 per person for 7 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 Agra Trip Holidays?+
Yes — Agra Trip Holidays charges around £395 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £330 — a saving of roughly £65 (16%) per person.
How long is the India (Golden Triangle) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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, budget, city-breaks 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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