Delhi · Agra · Jaipur · Rishikesh · Haridwar
Trip overview
The classic Golden Triangle shows you India's imperial past. Adding Haridwar and Rishikesh shows you its living faith. This 8-day private tour starts in Delhi, takes in the Taj Mahal at Agra and the forts and bazaars of Jaipur, then heads north to the foothills of the Himalayas, where the Ganges leaves the mountains and enters the plains
At Haridwar you join thousands of pilgrims at Har Ki Pauri for the evening Ganga Aarti, when oil lamps are floated on the river and bells ring across the ghats. At Rishikesh, 25 km upstream, the mood changes: quieter, greener, full of ashrams, yoga schools and suspension bridges over fast green water. You can raft the rapids, sit through a riverside aarti at Parmarth Niketan, or simply watch the river from a café terrace.
You travel throughout in a private air-conditioned car with your own driver, with licensed guides in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The route covers roughly 1,300 km, spread so that no single day involves more than six hours of driving
Day by day
Jump to any day, or scroll through the full route below.
Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel. Once you've rested, your guide takes you out for an afternoon in New Delhi: the Persian-style gardens of Humayun's Tomb, the carved sandstone shaft of Qutub Minar, and a drive past India Gate and the buildings of Lutyens' capital.
Overnight in Delhi.
The morning belongs to Old Delhi. You see the Red Fort from outside, visit Jama Masjid, and take a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, past shops of spices, sweets and silver. You stop at Raj Ghat, Gandhi's memorial.
In the early afternoon you drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway, about three and a half hours. After check-in, you visit the Taj Mahal with your Agra guide, then watch the light fade over the marble from Mehtab Bagh, the garden across the river.
Overnight in Agra.
You return to the Taj Mahal at opening time, when the crowds are thin and the marble glows pink. After breakfast you tour Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan spent his final years.
The drive to Jaipur includes Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned capital with its towering Buland Darwaza, and Chand Baori at Abhaneri, a 9th-century stepwell of extraordinary geometry. You reach Jaipur in the evening.
Overnight in Jaipur.
You start early at Amber Fort, then stop at Jal Mahal, apparently floating on Man Sagar Lake. In the walled city you tour the City Palace, still partly a royal residence, and Jantar Mantar, an observatory of giant stone instruments, and photograph the pink latticework of Hawa Mahal. The evening is free for Johari Bazaar or a Rajasthani dinner.
Overnight in Jaipur.
After a relaxed morning, you drive back to Delhi, about five to six hours. You'll arrive with time to rest, shop in Connaught Place or visit Akshardham or the Lotus Temple if you're still keen.
Overnight in Delhi.
You leave after breakfast for Haridwar, roughly five to six hours by road, or by morning train if you'd prefer. Haridwar is one of Hinduism's seven sacred cities, and the Ganges reaches the plains here.
In the afternoon you take the cable car to Mansa Devi, the hilltop temple above the town, with views over the river and the ghats. As evening falls, you find a place at Har Ki Pauri for the Ganga Aarti, when priests swing tiered lamps over the water and pilgrims set small leaf boats of flowers and flame adrift on the current. It's crowded, loud and genuinely moving.
Overnight in Haridwar.
A short drive upstream brings you to Rishikesh, where the Ganges runs clear and fast between forested hills. You visit Triveni Ghat, cross the river on the Ram Jhula suspension bridge, and explore the temples, ashrams and bookshops around Swarg Ashram. At the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, now known as the Beatles Ashram, graffiti-covered meditation huts sit in the forest where the band stayed in 1968.
Your afternoon is flexible: white-water rafting when the river is open, a yoga or meditation class, an Ayurvedic massage, or a walk to a waterfall. At dusk, you attend the riverside aarti at Parmarth Niketan, quieter and more contemplative than Haridwar's.
Overnight in Rishikesh.
You have a slow start: sunrise over the Ganges, a morning yoga session, or breakfast on a terrace above the water. After check-out you drive back to Delhi, around six hours, and your driver drops you at the airport, railway station or hotel.
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Good to know
The three main cities are about empires and architecture. Haridwar and Rishikesh are about the river, ritual and daily devotion, and the Himalayan foothills are a scenic change from the plains.
About 220 km, or five to six hours by road. Trains take around four and a half hours, and we can book those instead if you'd rather not drive.
About 25 km, roughly 45 minutes, so they're easy to combine.
The rafting season usually runs from late September to June. Operations are suspended during the monsoon for safety, so if you're travelling in July, August or early September, plan on other activities.
It takes place at sunset, so the time shifts through the year. Arrive 45 minutes early for a decent spot, especially on weekends and festival days.
Yes, modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees for temples and ghats. You'll remove your shoes at temples and before stepping onto the ghats.
Both towns are holy sites, so alcohol and meat are generally not available, and consuming them there isn't appropriate.
The Kanwar Yatra, usually in July or August, brings enormous crowds of pilgrims to Haridwar and heavy traffic on the roads. October to March is the easiest stretch, though mornings in Rishikesh get cold in December and January.
Yes. Dropping a night in Jaipur brings it to seven days. Adding nights lets you include Mussoorie, Dehradun, Corbett National Park or a Himalayan yoga retreat.
Mostly yes, though the Haridwar ghats get crowded and some temple approaches involve steps. Tell us about mobility needs and we'll adjust the plan.