Delhi Golden Triangle 4 Day Itinerary
Four days fixes the one flaw in the 3-day version: instead of cramming Jaipur into a single rushed round trip, this itinerary gives it a real overnight after the Agra day. Delhi stays the fixed base for the train legs. For the tighter version, see the 3-day itinerary ; to add Fatehpur Sikri and a slower Jaipur, see the 5-day itinerary .
Book these before you go:
- Gatimaan Express to Agra Cantt, and Vande Bharat Express to Jaipur, both through IRCTC
- Taj Mahal e-ticket via the official ASI portal
- Jaipur hotel near the walled Pink City, book ahead for October to March
- A Golden Triangle multi-day tour as a car-and-driver alternative to the train legs
| Day | Focus | Distance/train time from Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi, arrival and light orientation | Base city |
| 2 | Agra, Taj Mahal and Agra Fort | ~230km, ~1h40-2h each way |
| 3 | Jaipur, travel out and Amber Fort/City Palace | ~280-300km, ~3h37m each way |
| 4 | Jaipur, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal, then the train home | Return leg, ~3h37m |
Day 1: Delhi, just enough
Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express Metro to New Delhi Railway Station, roughly 20 minutes for 60 rupees. Skip anyone in arrivals pushing a taxi or hotel unprompted, use the official prepaid counter instead. Base yourself near Connaught Place or Paharganj, close to the station for tomorrow’s early train. If you have the afternoon free, Humayun’s Tomb or the Lotus Temple are light, cheap additions; the full Delhi guide covers the rest properly for a future trip. Confirm your Gatimaan booking tonight.
Day 2: Agra, the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort
The Gatimaan Express leaves Hazrat Nizamuddin at 8:10am and reaches Agra Cantt by 9:50am. Foreigner entry to the Taj runs 1,100 rupees plus 200 rupees for the mausoleum, book online through the ASI portal ahead of time. Agra Fort afterward runs roughly 650 rupees for foreigners and is worth the extra hour, do not skip it. Return on the 5:50pm Gatimaan back to Delhi, in by around 7:30pm, ready for an early Jaipur departure the next morning.
Day 3: Jaipur, done properly this time
Skip the same-day round trip. Take the Vande Bharat Express to Jaipur in the morning, about 3 hours 37 minutes, roughly 1,050 rupees including the onboard catering, and plan to sleep here tonight. Amber Fort first, ideally before 10am when tour buses start arriving; foreigner entry runs 500 rupees, ask about the audio guide for the Rajput-Mughal history most visitors miss (current hours on Rajasthan Tourism ). The City Palace in the afternoon, 700 rupees for foreigners and still home to Jaipur’s royal family in one wing, is the better of the city’s two palace stops. Check rates on Booking.com for a hotel inside or near the walled Pink City so you can walk to tomorrow’s sights.
Day 4: Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, and the train home
Hawa Mahal is worth exactly the ten minutes it takes to photograph the honeycomb facade from across the street, foreigner entry is 200 rupees and going inside is optional, most people find the interior underwhelming after the exterior. Jal Mahal, the palace sitting in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, is the same deal, a viewpoint rather than a ticketed stop. If you plan to see more than two or three Jaipur monuments, the 2-day composite ticket at 1,000 rupees for foreigners, covering City Palace, Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, and Nahargarh Fort, is cheaper than paying separately, verify the current bundle at any ticket counter. Spend the rest of the morning in Johari Bazaar for gemstones and block-printed textiles, then catch the afternoon Vande Bharat back to Delhi in time for dinner near Connaught Place.
Is one overnight in Jaipur enough, or should it be two?
One overnight covers the essentials: Amber Fort, City Palace, and Hawa Mahal comfortably across a day and a half. Add a second night only if you want Nahargarh Fort’s sunset view over the city or a slower bazaar day without a train departure hanging over the afternoon.
Should you take the train to Jaipur or hire a car for this leg?
The Vande Bharat Express wins for comfort and speed on the straight Delhi-Jaipur run, 3 hours 37 minutes versus 4.5 to 5 hours by road. A car only makes sense here if you are continuing on to Agra-Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri rather than starting fresh from Delhi, which is how the 5-day version handles it.
Keep your City Palace and Amber Fort tickets until you leave Jaipur, the composite ticket gate staff sometimes ask to see the original receipt, not just the printed pass.