Golden Triangle and Rishikesh
Overview
- Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 2 travellers
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3–4★ hotels, heritage properties and a riverside retreat in Rishikesh
- Country: India
Combine Delhi, the Taj Mahal in Agra and the palaces of Jaipur with three calm nights in Rishikesh, with the Ganga aarti, riverside walks and optional yoga.
This nine-day route pairs the great monuments of northern India with the holy river towns at the foot of the Himalaya. It suits travellers who want history and architecture but also time to slow down, breathe and perhaps try yoga where it has been practised for generations.
Two nights in Delhi set the scene. A train then takes you north to Haridwar for the evening aarti at Har Ki Pauri, before three nights in Rishikesh, where the Ganges runs clear and green between forested hills. You explore the riverside ashrams and temples, visit the ashram linked with the Beatles and keep one day entirely free. Back on the plains, you see the Taj Mahal at sunrise in Agra and finish among the forts and palaces of Jaipur.
Rishikesh is calm and unhurried, and the days there are deliberately light. The real effort comes on day six, a long journey from the hills to Agra by train and road. Mornings at the Taj and Amber start early, and some monuments close one day a week, which we work around.
We can add yoga sessions, a night of camping by the river in season or an extra day in Jaipur. Share your wishes on our plan your trip page.
Day-by-day itinerary
Your driver greets you at the airport and drives you to your hotel. Take the rest of the day at whatever pace suits you after the journey. Later, a short stroll in Lodhi Garden among old tombs and evening walkers is a gentle introduction to the city. Your specialist checks in to go over the week ahead.
Overnight: Delhi
Spend the morning in Old Delhi, threading through Chandni Chowk by cycle-rickshaw and stepping into the vast courtyard of the Jama Masjid. Look in on a Sikh gurdwara, where volunteers cook for all comers. In the afternoon, visit the gardens of Humayun’s Tomb and the Qutb Minar, rising above the ruins of medieval Delhi.
Overnight: Delhi · Meals: Breakfast
Take a morning train north to Haridwar, about four to five hours, where the Ganges leaves the hills for the plains. In the early evening, join the crowds at Har Ki Pauri for the Ganga aarti, when priests swing brass lamps and pilgrims float leaf boats of flowers on the current. Then drive about an hour to Rishikesh.
Overnight: Rishikesh · Meals: Breakfast
Begin, if you wish, with a gentle yoga class by the river. Later, walk with your guide along the riverside paths and across a footbridge to the temples and ashrams of the east bank. In the afternoon, visit the overgrown ashram where the Beatles stayed in 1968. At dusk, watch the evening aarti on one of the Rishikesh ghats.
Overnight: Rishikesh · Meals: Breakfast
Today has no fixed plan. You could join a longer yoga or meditation session, walk a forest trail above town or simply sit by the jade-green river with a cup of chai. From roughly autumn to spring, a short rafting trip on gentle rapids is possible as an option, depending on river levels and local rules.
Overnight: Rishikesh · Meals: Breakfast
Drive to Haridwar and take the train back to Delhi, about four to five hours. Your driver meets you at the station and continues with you to Agra, about three to four hours on the expressway, or you transfer to a fast train if the timetable suits. It is a long travel day, so the evening is free.
Overnight: Agra · Meals: Breakfast
Rise early to walk through the gateway of the Taj Mahal as the sun comes up. After breakfast, explore the walls and palaces of Agra Fort. Then drive towards Jaipur, about four to five hours, with a stop at the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri. You reach Jaipur by late afternoon.
Overnight: Jaipur · Meals: Breakfast
Head out early to Amber Fort to explore its ramparts and mirror-work halls in the cool of the morning. Stop at the old step-well nearby and pause by the Hawa Mahal on your way into town. After lunch, tour the City Palace and the open-air observatory of Jantar Mantar, or swap the afternoon for a rest.
Overnight: Jaipur · Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, your driver takes you back to Delhi, about five hours by road, in time for your international flight. If you fly late, we can arrange a day room or a last stop in the city on the way. We plan the timing of this day around your flight.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Eight nights’ accommodation with breakfast
- Private airport, station and hotel transfers
- Private air-conditioned car and driver for road journeys and sightseeing
- Train between Delhi and Haridwar in both directions
- Local English-speaking guides in Delhi, Rishikesh, Agra and Jaipur
- One group yoga class in Rishikesh
- Entrance fees to the sights in the itinerary
- 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Optional activities such as rafting or extra yoga sessions
- Personal expenses
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. Best October–March.
Delhi to Haridwar is about four to five hours by train in each direction, and Haridwar to Rishikesh about an hour by road. From Delhi to Agra you drive about three to four hours or take a fast train. Agra to Jaipur is about four to five hours by road, and Jaipur to Delhi about five. Your own driver and air-conditioned car cover every road section.
Frequently asked questions
No. The class we include is gentle and suits complete beginners, and teachers adapt the poses to you. If you already practise, we can arrange longer or more advanced sessions with a local teacher.
Yes. Rishikesh and Haridwar are holy towns, and meat, eggs and alcohol are generally not served there. The vegetarian food is varied, and many cafés cater to visitors.
It is an evening ritual of thanks to the Ganges, with lamps, chanting, bells and offerings of flowers. At Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar it draws large crowds, while the ceremonies in Rishikesh feel smaller. Dress modestly and keep your belongings close in the crowd.
October to March suits the whole route, with mild days on the plains and cool nights in Rishikesh. The monsoon, roughly July to September, swells the Ganges and pauses rafting. December and January can bring fog that delays trains in the north of India.
