Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur by Train, Bus and Auto-Rickshaw
5 days · India (Golden Triangle)
India Golden Triangle Tours charges £372
No-markup version: ~£285 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of the classic 5-day Golden Triangle circuit through Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Instead of a private chauffeur and guide, you'll use the Delhi Metro, India's excellent sleeper and day trains, state-run and private buses, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws, plus cheap and easy-to-book local guides or audio guides at the big sites. You'll still hit every headline sight: Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Agra Fort, the Taj at sunrise and sunset, Fatehpur Sikri, Abhaneri's stepwell and all of Jaipur's Pink City icons. Costs are rough backpacker/budget estimates in GBP and assume a dorm or basic private room, street food plus a couple of sit-down meals, and pre-booked train tickets.
Day-by-day
Delhi: Old Delhi by cycle rickshaw, then the colonial landmarks
New Delhi
Start early to beat the heat. Take the Airport Express Metro or a prepaid auto to your hostel in Paharganj or near Connaught Place. Walk or Metro to Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line) and dive into the lanes: hire a cycle rickshaw for a 30-minute spin (~£2-3, negotiate first), then visit Jama Masjid (£2 entry, camera fee extra, cover up - long trousers and shoulders). Walk to Red Fort (£6 foreigners) and spend an hour or two inside. Grab lunch at Karim's or a paratha shop in the old town. In the afternoon, take the Yellow Line to Qutub Minar (£6), then a rickshaw to Lotus Temple (free, closed Mondays) via the modern ISKCON and Humayun's Tomb (£6) if you have time. Finish with a Metro to Central Secretariat for a walk past India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan, then Gurdwara Bangla Sahib at dusk. Book trains for the next legs tonight via IRCTC or a local agent, and factor in the £10 e-Tourist visa fee.
🚌Airport Express Metro (~£1.20), Delhi Metro day pass (~£1.20), auto-rickshaws £1-2 per hop. Overnight train to Agra is possible but a day train tomorrow is easier.
🛏Hostel dorm in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (~£10-14/night)
- →Cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk
- →Jama Masjid
- →Red Fort
- →Qutub Minar
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →Lotus Temple
- →India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan drive-past on foot
- →Gurdwara Bangla Sahib
Delhi to Agra: Agra Fort, Baby Taj and sunset at Mehtab Bagh
Agra
Take a morning train from New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt - the Gatimaan Express (1h40m, ~£9-12) or a Shatabdi/Vande Bharat. Leave your bag at the hotel or station cloakroom. Check in to a guesthouse in Taj Ganj, then auto-rickshaw to Agra Fort (£6, allow 2 hours) and on to Itimad-ud-Daulah, the 'Baby Taj' (£3). Cross the river to Mehtab Bagh (£3) for sunset views of the Taj from the far bank - the light is best in the late afternoon. Dinner in Taj Ganj (thali ~£3-5). Buy your Taj ticket online tonight or arrive at the east gate before opening tomorrow.
🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi-Agra ~£9-12, auto-rickshaws £1-2 per hop
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj with rooftop Taj view (~£14-18)
- →Agra Fort
- →Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)
- →Mehtab Bagh with Taj Mahal sunset view
Taj at sunrise, then Fatehpur Sikri, Abhaneri stepwell and on to Jaipur
Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri
Get to the Taj Mahal east gate around 5:45am to be near the front of the queue; the £12 ticket includes shoe covers and a bottle of water. Allow 1.5-2 hours. Back for breakfast and check-out. Then take a bus or hire a shared taxi to Fatehpur Sikri (about 1 hour, £2-4 by bus / £12-15 for a shared cab split). Explore the ghost city and the Buland Darwaza (~£6 entry, plus a small mosque donation). Continue by local bus or shared jeep toward Sikandra/Dausa and stop at Abhaneri's Chand Baori stepwell (free, ~30 mins), a village-owned gem. From there, a bus or shared cab to Jaipur (roughly 2 hours to the city, £3-5). Check in near Bani Park or the Pink City old town, and eat a Rajasthani thali on MI Road.
🚌Local/private bus Agra-Fatehpur Sikri £2-4, shared jeep to Abhaneri £2-3, bus Abhaneri-Jaipur £3-5 (or a shared taxi £25-35 total split)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Bani Park / old Jaipur (~£12-16)
- →Taj Mahal sunrise visit
- →Fatehpur Sikri and Buland Darwaza
- →Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri
- →Village area wander
Jaipur: Amber Fort, stepwells, City Palace and the Pink City
Jaipur
Start early: local bus or auto to Amber Fort (about 20-30 mins, £1-2). Entry £10 (or a composite ticket covering Amber, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and more for ~£10-12 - superb value). Take a self-guided walk or hire an authorised guide at the gate (~£8-10) - avoid unsolicited 'guides' on the climb. On the way down, stop at Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell (free) and the Jal Mahal Water Palace viewpoint. Back in town, see the City Palace and Jantar Mantar on the composite ticket, then photograph Hawa Mahal from the street-side chai shop. Spend the late afternoon in the Pink City bazaars - Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles and juttis - haggling hard. Optional: a 1-hour cooking class or a Bollywood film at Raj Mandir cinema (~£3).
🚌Local bus/auto to Amber £1-2 each way, autos around town £1-2 per hop
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Bani Park / old Jaipur (~£12-16)
- →Amber Fort
- →Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell
- →Jal Mahal (Water Palace) viewpoint
- →City Palace
- →Jantar Mantar
- →Hawa Mahal
- →Pink City bazaar shopping
Jaipur temples and return to Delhi
Jaipur to New Delhi
Morning visit to Birla Temple (Lakshmi Narayan, free, 15 mins by auto from MI Road) and the Galta Monkey Temple (Galtaji) - a beautiful, slightly crumbling complex in a gorge with plenty of macaques (£1-2 entry/donation; do not carry food and hold onto sunglasses). Return to your guesthouse, check out and take the bus or train back to Delhi. The AC double-decker or Volvo bus from Sindhi Camp takes about 5-6 hours (~£6-9); the Ajmer Shatabdi train from Jaipur Junction to New Delhi is about 4h40m (~£8-12) and far more comfortable. Arrive in Delhi late afternoon; onward airport transfer by Airport Express (~£1.20) or prepaid taxi (~£5).
🚌Auto-rickshaws £2-3 total; Jaipur-New Delhi Shatabdi train ~£8-12 or Volvo bus ~£6-9; Airport Express ~£1.20
🛏No overnight included - or add a final night in a Delhi hostel (~£10-14)
- →Birla Temple (Lakshmi Narayan)
- →Galta Monkey Temple
Self-launched vs. India Golden Triangle Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | India Golden Triangle Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£285 | £372 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £87 per person (23%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more India Golden Triangle Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£285
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur by Train, Bus and Auto-Rickshaw cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £285 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 India Golden Triangle Tours?+
Yes — India Golden Triangle Tours charges around £372 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £285 — a saving of roughly £87 (23%) 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, budget, backpacker 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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