The most extraordinary week you'll ever spend, followed by the week that lets you recover from it. Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are relentless — which is exactly why the beach afterwards isn't optional.
People who do the Golden Triangle on its own come home needing a holiday.
Seven days of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is intense: heat, noise, crowds, a 5am start for the Taj, and a great deal of driving. It is also one of the great travel experiences and worth every difficult hour. But it isn't restful, and adding a week horizontal in Goa transforms the trip — you land back in the UK rested rather than wrung out, and the contrast between the two halves is part of what makes it memorable.
Fifteen nights with a car and driver throughout the northern leg, then an internal flight south.
1Old and New, and a first day that will overwhelm you. That's normal, and it passes.
Where you stay: Central New Delhi for space and quiet, or Old Delhi if you want to be in it.
Getting there: 8h 30m direct from the UK, or with a Gulf stopover if you'd rather break it.
2One monument, and it deserves two nights rather than the day trip most itineraries sell.
Where you stay: Near the east gate for the sunrise walk. Some hotels have Taj views from the roof.
Getting there: About 3h 30m by road from Delhi, or the Gatimaan Express train in 100 minutes.
3The pink city, and the most enjoyable of the three. Palaces, forts and the best shopping in India.
Where you stay: A heritage haveli or a converted palace. Jaipur does this better than anywhere in India.
Getting there: About 5 hours by road from Agra, stopping at Fatehpur Sikri.
4Nothing scheduled. Which after ten days in the north is precisely what you want.
Where you stay: South Goa for calm and better resorts; north Goa for markets, nightlife and lower prices.
Getting there: 2h 30m by air from Jaipur or Delhi to Goa.
Everything below is quoted up front. Nothing appears after you've paid a deposit.
Guide prices per person, two sharing, outside school holidays. The hotel standard is the biggest single variable.
| Standard | What that means | Guide price pp |
|---|---|---|
| 4-star | Good hotels throughout, heritage haveli in Jaipur, four-star Goan resort | £1,749 |
| 4-star plus | Upgraded city hotels, palace hotel in Jaipur, beachfront Goa | £2,399 |
| 5-star | Landmark hotels, Taj-view room in Agra, luxury Goan resort | £3,799 |
India's heritage hotels are the great value story here — a converted palace in Jaipur costs a fraction of an equivalent property anywhere in Europe. The private driver is included at every tier; it's standard practice and self-driving is not something we'd arrange.
November to February is the only comfortable window for the north, and it's also Goa's dry season.
December and January are the coolest and the busiest, with Christmas and New Year in Goa the single most expensive fortnight of the year by a distance. November and February are nearly as good and noticeably cheaper. March warms quickly and April and May in the north are punishing — over 40°C at Agra with no shade. The monsoon arrives in June and runs to September.
We'll build the driving route, sort the eVisa timings, pick the right end of Goa, and write the payment plan out in full.
Yes — two nights at Ranthambore between Agra and Jaipur. Sightings aren't guaranteed but the park is beautiful regardless.
Yes, and it's inexpensive. Indian roads on a first visit are not something we'd ask anyone to drive, and the driver waits, navigates and handles parking.
South for quiet, wide beaches and better resorts. North for markets, nightlife and lower prices. Booking north expecting south is the commonest Goa mistake.
At least a fortnight before travel, and earlier in busy periods. It isn't issued on arrival. We'll tell you when to start.
Similar shapes, and the ones people most often weigh up alongside it.
Same approach, different shape. All reshapeable around your dates.
