Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Jodhpur
7 days · India (Golden Triangle & Rajasthan)
Taj Tour Trips charges £700
No-markup version: ~£420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Taj Tour Trips' 7-day private Golden Triangle tour — Delhi's old city, sunrise at the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, a full fort-and-palace day in Jaipur, then the train to blue-city Jodhpur. Swap the private car and guide for Indian Railways trains, prepaid taxis and city metro, and hire guides or book skip-the-line tickets on the ground for a fraction of the £700-£1,000+ operator price. Costs are rough 2025 backpacker estimates in GBP; book Taj Mahal tickets early and always buy at the official counter (ASI) or official website to avoid touts.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — Old Delhi spice lanes & Connaught Place
New Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International (DEL). Take the Airport Express metro (Blue Line link, ~£1.50-2) or a prepaid taxi/official Uber from the airport to a hostel or budget hotel in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Get a local SIM/eSIM at the airport (Airtel/Jio counter, ~£5 for data) and an ATMs withdrawal in INR. In the afternoon wander Old Delhi: Chandni Chowk, the spice market at Khari Baoli, and Jama Masjid (free to enter, small camera fee). Grab street food — parathas at Gali Paranthe Wali, jalebi and chai — or ask your hostel for the nearest reputable restaurant. Use the Delhi Metro (cheap, ~15-40p per ride) rather than rickshaws for longer hops.
🚌Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi from DEL; Delhi Metro/auto-rickshaw around town
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£15)
- →Chandni Chowk & Khari Baoli spice market (free)
- →Jama Masjid entry (~£1)
- →Street food crawl
- →Airport Express metro transfer
New & Old Delhi sightseeing, overnight train prep
New Delhi to Agra
Morning: Humayun's Tomb (a Mughal precursor to the Taj, ~£5), then India Gate and Lodhi Gardens (both free). A Delhi Cycle Tour or walking tour (Old Delhi food walk on GetYourGuide, ~£20-25) is a great way to get context cheaply. In the afternoon take a train to Agra — the Gatimaan Express (fast, ~1h50, ~£8-12 second class/CC) or a Shatabdi class (~£10-15) — book on IRCTC or 12Go Asia in advance. Arrive Agra, check in near Taj Ganj (walking distance to the east gate) and have a cheap thali dinner.
🚌Gatimaan/Shatabdi Express Delhi-Agra (~£8-12) + metro/auto from Agra station
🛏Budget guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£15)
- →Humayun's Tomb (~£5)
- →Lodhi Gardens (free)
- →Old Delhi food walking tour (~£20 optional)
- →Delhi to Agra train
Sunrise Taj Mahal, Agra Fort & Fatehpur Sikri en route to Jaipur
Agra to Jaipur
Pre-dawn walk or cycle-rickshaw to the east gate. Taj Mahal is cheapest and least busy at sunrise — tickets ~£10 (foreigner) plus ~£2 for the mausoleum plinth, buy at the official ASI counter. Hire a local guide outside for £8-12 (agree price first). Then Agra Fort (~£6, hire an audio guide ~£3). Midday: shared taxi or a local bus/taxi to Fatehpur Sikri (~£6-10, 1h) — climb the Buland Darwaza. Continue to Jaipur in the late afternoon by train (Agra–Jaipur ~2h30, ~£8-10) or a shared taxi (~£15). Stay in the old city near Hawa Mahal for atmosphere.
🚌Auto to Taj; shared taxi/bus to Fatehpur Sikri; train Agra-Jaipur (~£8-10)
🛏Pink-city guesthouse/hostel near Hawa Mahal (~£15)
- →Taj Mahal at sunrise (~£10)
- →Agra Fort (~£6)
- →Fatehpur Sikri (~£6)
- →Local guide (~£10 optional)
Full day in the Pink City — forts, palaces & bazaars
Jaipur
Start at Amber Fort (Jal Mahal stop en route for photos). Take a local bus or auto (a shared jeep up to the fort is ~£1). Amber Fort ticket ~£6; the Nahargarh and Jaigarh forts can be visited in the same day. Back in the city: City Palace (~£7), Jantar Mantar (~£6) and the Hawa Mahal photo spot from across the street. Hit Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar for textiles, block prints and henna. Evening: rooftop dinner in the old city or a Bollywood film at Raj Mandir cinema (~£2). Local tip: a Jaipur tourist combo ticket saves money if you're doing 3+ monuments.
🚌Local bus/auto to Amber Fort; walking in old city
🛏Pink-city guesthouse/hostel (~£15)
- →Amber Fort (~£6)
- →City Palace (~£7)
- →Jantar Mantar (~£6)
- →Hawa Mahal photo stop (free from street)
- →Bazaar shopping & henna
Jaipur to Jodhpur by train
Jaipur to Jodhpur
Optional early morning: Nahargarh Fort for sunrise views over Jaipur (~£3) or a hot-air balloon run (expensive, skip unless splurging). Board the morning/early afternoon train to Jodhpur (Ranthambore/Jaipur-Jodhpur ~5-6h, sleeper/3AC ~£8-14, book on IRCTC or 12Go). Arrive in the blue city in the evening — stay in the old town near Sadar Market for the best atmosphere and rooftop cafés with views of Mehrangarh Fort.
🚌Jaipur-Jodhpur train (~£8-14) + auto-rickshaw from station (~£1.50-3)
🛏Old-town guesthouse near Sadar Market, Jodhpur (~£15)
- →Sunrise at Nahargarh Fort (optional ~£3)
- →Jaipur-Jodhpur train ride
- →Blue city old-town walk
Jodhpur — Mehrangarh, Jaswant Thada & blue lanes
Jodhpur
Early climb to Mehrangarh Fort (~£7 with audio guide) before the crowds and heat. Walk down to Jaswant Thada (marble cenotaph, ~£2) and then into the blue-washed lanes of Navchokiya for photos. Afternoon: Umaid Bhawan Palace museum (~£4) or skip it and instead do a stepwell (Toorji Ka Jhalra) coffeebreak and Sadar Market shopping. Optional evening desert/zip-line or a rooftop dinner with fort views. Hire a local guide for Mehrangarj (~£8-10) for the history and the best photo angles.
🚌Walking + local auto-rickshaw (~£3-5 for the day)
🛏Old-town guesthouse (~£15)
- →Mehrangarh Fort & museum (~£7)
- →Jaswant Thada (~£2)
- →Umaid Bhawan Palace museum (~£4)
- →Blue-city walking & market
Depart Jodhpur (or fly back to Delhi)
Jodhpur to New Delhi / departure
Breakfast, last-minute shopping at Sadar Market, then onward travel. Book a Jodhpur-Delhi flight on IndiGo/SpiceJet (~£35-50, ~1h15) if catching an international flight, or an overnight train to Delhi (~£10-16, ~11-12h). Take a taxi/auto to Jodhpur Airport (~£3-5) or the railway station (cheap auto ~£1.50). If you have time, a half-day to Osian desert village or a cooking class can fill the morning.
🚌Auto to Jodhpur station/airport; flight (~£35-50) or train (~£10-16) to Delhi
🛏N/A (departure day; consider an airport transit hotel if late flight)
- →Sadar Market shopping
- →Flight or overnight train homeward
- →Optional Jodhpur cooking class (~£15-20)
Self-launched vs. Taj Tour Trips
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Taj Tour Trips | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£420 | £700 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £280 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Taj Tour Trips-style trips? Check them out here.~£420
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 Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Jodhpur cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £420 per person for 7 days in India (Golden Triangle & Rajasthan). 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 Taj Tour Trips?+
Yes — Taj Tour Trips charges around £700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £420 — a saving of roughly £280 (40%) per person.
How long is the India (Golden Triangle & Rajasthan) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through India (Golden Triangle & Rajasthan).
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, backpacker, budget trip through India (Golden Triangle & Rajasthan), 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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