Cultural Golden Triangle of India — Self-Launched (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur)
6 days · India
GeTS Holidays charges £370
No-markup version: ~£248 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 6-day DIY version of GeTS Holidays' Cultural Golden Triangle tour: Delhi's Mughal and colonial landmarks, Agra's Taj Mahal and Red Fort at sunrise, the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, and Jaipur's hill forts and pink-city bazaars. You'll swap private cars and drivers for India's excellent and dirt-cheap trains and buses, book the same monuments yourself (tickets are online or at the gate), and use hostels and guesthouses instead of tour hotels. All costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP — India is one of the cheapest places in the world to travel well.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — settle in, Paharganj or Karol Bagh
New Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International (DEL), take the Airport Express metro to New Delhi station (~₹60 / £0.60) or a prepaid taxi (~₹500-700 / £5-7) to Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Ignore touts at arrivals — no airport transfer is needed. Ease in gently: wander Connaught Place, sort a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~₹300 / £3 with passport photo) and an e-rickshaw ride. Optional evening add-ons if you're fresh: a home cooking class in a Delhi family home (~£25-35 via GetYourGuide/Airbnb Experiences) or an Old Delhi street-food walk (~£15-20).
🚌Airport Express metro ~£0.60 or prepaid taxi ~£5-7; metro/auto-rickshaw around town ~£2
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Paharganj / Karol Bagh (~£12-18 dorm or basic double)
- →Airport Express metro into the city
- →Connaught Place wander + SIM card setup
- →Optional: Delhi home cooking class
- →Optional: Old Delhi street food walk
Old Delhi & New Delhi — mosques, forts and bazaars
New Delhi
Do the classic Delhi circuit on foot and by metro. Start at Jama Masjid (₹35 entry, camera extra), then walk into Chandni Chowk and take a cycle-rickshaw through the lanes (~₹100, agree the price first). Continue to Red Fort (₹35 Indians / ₹500-600 foreigners) and Rajghat (free), then metro south to Humayun's Tomb (₹35/₹600) and the Qutub Minar complex (₹35/₹600). Drive-by style stops at India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan are free — the metro to Central Secretariat drops you there. Buy a combo ticket online where possible to skip queues.
🚌Delhi Metro day of rides ~₹150 (~£1.50); cycle-rickshaw ~£1
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Paharganj / Karol Bagh (~£12-18)
- →Jama Masjid
- →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw ride
- →Red Fort
- →Rajghat
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →Qutub Minar
- →India Gate & Rashtrapati Bhavan (exterior)
Delhi → Agra: Agra Fort and sunset Taj Mahal
Agra
Take an early Gatimaan Express train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (~1h50, ₹755-1,500 / £7-15; book on IRCTC or 12Go in advance). Drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse, then visit Agra Fort with a self-guided audio tour (₹35/₹650). In the late afternoon head to the Taj Mahal for sunset (₹50 Indians / ₹1,100 foreigners, closed Fridays) — buy online at the ASI site and use the East Gate for shorter queues. Evening: optional Mohabbat-e-Taj theatre show (~£15) or a 3-hour guided old-city heritage walk through the spice market (~£15 via GetYourGuide).
🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra ~£7-15
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj (~£12-20)
- →Agra Fort
- →Sunset at the Taj Mahal
- →Optional: Mohabbat-e-Taj show
- →Optional: Agra old-city heritage walk
Agra → Fatehpur Sikri → Jaipur
Jaipur
Catch an early bus or shared taxi from Agra's Idgah bus stand to Fatehpur Sikri (~1hr, ₹60-120 by UPSRTC bus; private taxi ~₹1,500 / £15 split). Explore the ghost city — Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chishti, Panch Mahal — on a self-guided wander or a local guide at the gate (~₹500, negotiate). From Fatehpur Sikri take a local bus back to Agra or continue to Bharatpur, then a train/bus onward to Jaipur (Agra Cantt–Jaipur Junction trains ~4-5h, ₹400-1,000 / £4-10). Arrive Jaipur evening, check into a haveli or hostel in the old city.
🚌Local bus to Fatehpur Sikri ~£1-2; bus/taxi + train onward to Jaipur ~£4-10
🛏Haveli guesthouse or hostel in Jaipur old city (~£12-20)
- →Fatehpur Sikri: Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chishti, Panch Mahal
- →Evening arrival in the Pink City
Jaipur — Amber Fort, palaces and the pink bazaars
Jaipur
Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort (₹35/₹550); the jeep ride up the hill is ~₹300, or walk the stairs for free. After Amber, stop at Jal Mahal on the way back, then explore Hawa Mahal (₹50/₹200 from the street side free), City Palace (₹200/₹700) and Jantar Mantar (₹50/₹200). Try a turban-tying demo at a local shop (often free with a purchase, or ~£5). Evening options: Rajasthan folk dance and dinner at a heritage venue like Narayan Niwas Palace (~£15-25), a Bollywood dance workshop (~£15 via GetYourGuide), or an early-morning hot air balloon if you'd rather swap the schedule (~£150+).
🚌Local bus/auto to Amber ~£1-2, autos around the old city ~£3
🛏Haveli guesthouse or hostel in Jaipur old city (~£12-20)
- →Amber Fort
- →Hawa Mahal
- →City Palace
- →Jantar Mantar
- →Turban tying
- →Optional: folk dance & dinner
- →Optional: hot air balloon
Jaipur → Delhi, onward flight
Jaipur / New Delhi
Morning free for Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar for textiles and gem shopping, then catch the double-decker or Shatabdi train from Jaipur Junction to New Delhi (~5h, ₹500-1,200 / £5-12) or a bus (~5-6h, ₹600-1,000). From New Delhi station, take the Airport Express metro to DEL for your flight. If you have a late departure, store bags at the station cloakroom (~₹50-100) and squeeze in a last Delhi meal.
🚌Jaipur–New Delhi train ~£5-12; Airport Express metro ~£0.60
🛏None (departure day) — optional day-room ~£10
- →Johari & Bapu Bazaar shopping
- →Last-minute spice and chai run
Self-launched vs. GeTS Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | GeTS Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£248 | £370 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £122 per person (33%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more GeTS Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£248
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.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Cultural Golden Triangle of India — Self-Launched (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £248 per person for 6 days in India. 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 GeTS Holidays?+
Yes — GeTS Holidays charges around £370 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £248 — a saving of roughly £122 (33%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through India.
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, 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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