Delhi Golden Triangle 5 Day Itinerary
Five days is where the classic Golden Triangle loop starts to make sense: instead of shuttling back to Delhi between legs, you drive straight from Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri, the actual road route rather than a Delhi round trip. For the train-only version without the detour, see the 4-day itinerary ; to add Rishikesh on top of this loop, see the 6-day itinerary .
Book these before you go:
- Gatimaan Express to Agra Cantt through IRCTC for the outbound leg
- A private driver package covering Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri, roughly 18,000 rupees for a 4-day car-and-driver loop bundling fuel, tolls, and the night halt
- Taj Mahal e-ticket via the official ASI portal
- Jaipur hotel for two nights near the walled Pink City
| 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 | Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri, by car | ~243km, ~6-8h with the stop |
| 4 | Jaipur, Amber Fort and City Palace | Full day in Jaipur |
| 5 | Jaipur, Hawa Mahal and the return to Delhi | ~280-300km back, ~3h37m by train |
Day 1: Delhi, just enough
Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express Metro into New Delhi Railway Station, about 20 minutes for 60 rupees, ignoring anyone in arrivals offering a taxi or hotel unprompted. Base yourself near Connaught Place or Paharganj for easy access to tomorrow’s early train. If you have the afternoon, Humayun’s Tomb or the Lotus Temple make a light first stop; the full Delhi guide covers the city in depth for later. Confirm your Gatimaan booking and, if you are using one, your private driver pickup for Day 3.
Day 2: Agra, the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort
The Gatimaan Express leaves Hazrat Nizamuddin at 8:10am, into 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 the trip. Agra Fort afterward runs roughly 650 rupees for foreigners, worth the extra hour for the view Shah Jahan had of his own creation. Stay the night in Agra rather than returning to Delhi, since tomorrow continues straight on to Jaipur by road.
Day 3: Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri
Instead of a train back to Delhi, hire a car in Agra, or use a private driver package booked from Delhi that already covers this leg, and drive the 243km to Jaipur on NH21. Break the drive at Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s abandoned red sandstone capital, built and deserted within about 15 years over a water shortage; foreigner entry runs 550 rupees online or 600 at the gate, and an hour or two covers the Buland Darwaza and the Jama Masjid inside (current hours on UP Tourism ). The full drive with the stop runs 6 to 8 hours, so leave Agra by mid-morning and expect to check into Jaipur by evening.
Day 4: Jaipur, Amber Fort and City Palace
Amber Fort, 11km outside the city, opens at 8am; go before the tour buses and the sandstone heat, foreigner entry runs 500 rupees. The City Palace in the afternoon, 700 rupees for foreigners, is still partly home to Jaipur’s royal family and the better of the city’s two palace stops. Check rates on Booking.com if you have not already booked two nights here.
Is Fatehpur Sikri worth an overnight stop of its own?
No. It is a genuine highlight of this loop, but a self-contained one, two hours between the Agra and Jaipur legs. Booking a separate night here instead of pushing on to Jaipur the same day adds a stop with almost nothing to do after dark and costs you a full day elsewhere in the itinerary.
Day 5: Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, and the return to Delhi
Hawa Mahal is worth the ten minutes it takes to photograph from across the street, foreigner entry is 200 rupees and the interior is optional. Jal Mahal, floating in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, is another viewpoint rather than a ticketed stop. Consider the 2-day composite ticket at 1,000 rupees for foreigners if you have not bought Amber Fort and City Palace tickets separately already. Catch the afternoon Vande Bharat Express back to Delhi, about 3 hours 37 minutes, in time for dinner or an onward flight.
Should you do the loop by car the whole way, or mix car and train?
Mix them. Train wins for the straight Delhi-Agra and Jaipur-Delhi legs, faster and cheaper per person than paying for a full day of driver time on roads you do not need a stop on. Car wins only for the Agra-Jaipur middle leg, where Fatehpur Sikri sits directly on the route and a train simply does not go there.
Agree the driver’s day rate and any toll costs upfront before leaving Agra, not after you are already on the highway to Jaipur.