The Golden Triangle (India)
The Golden Triangle in India refers to a tourism itinerary that includes the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur along with detours to the abandoned medieval city of Fatehpur Sikri and the bird sanctuary at Bharatpur.
Understand
This classic journey covers a lot of the grand tales of Indian history, with many major landmarks and sights to behold. A week is a good amount of time to spend travelling the triangle, however many group tours do it in less.
Prepare
Hindi is the most widely and commonly used language here. Most locals can understand English, and getting French, German or even Japanese guides at hotels in this region is not a problem.
Say 'Namaste' or 'Namaskaar' to any person as a greeting.
The rates for all the monuments (entry fee, camera fee, guide fee) are different for Indian and foreign tourists. There are government guides at all major tourist spots. But for tourists, there are wearable audioguides for rent.
Get in
Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur all have International airports, but it is more convenient for most people to start from Delhi. Please refer to those cities' articles for detailed information. Briefly, Delhi is the busiest airport in Asia with dozens of international destinations served. It also has unparalleled domestic connectivity, being a hub for Air India, IndiGo, Spicejet and Vistara's domestic operations. Jaipur has a medium-sized airport with good domestic connections and a handful of international routes to the UAE (various cities), Muscat and Bangkok. Agra has only a small airport served by one airline (IndiGo) which flies to 6 domestic destinations.
To do a private tour of the Golden Triangle, you can rent a car with a driver in Delhi. Depending on the duration of the trip, a car with a driver will set you back about ₹8,000 ($150) to ₹15,000 ($300). Try asking at your hotel. It is also customary to pay for your driver's meals and accommodation - be sure to settle on a price for everything in advance. Otherwise, group tours are sold at many travel agencies or online. Read the reviews before booking!
Delhi
Delhi is the natural starting point for the golden triangle. It is a major transport hub in India and is well-served by air and rail. The country's capital has many attractions and places of historical significance. This includes the well-planned New Delhi, and the older section (Delhi or Old Delhi).
Delhi is synonymous with Mughlai and Frontier Cuisine. The best of Mughlai cuisine can be enjoyed at Karim, (both in Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin) where the recipes, dating from the times of the Mughals have been the closely guarded secrets of generations of chefs.
Agra
Agra is famous for snacks and sweets like Dalmoth and Petha, for which the most recognized area is Kinari Bazar.
Jaipur
Dal bati churma is a popular delicacy usually served with baatis and dal. A variety of rotis are also available: Bajre ki roti, makki ki roti, jau-channa ki roti, besan ki roti, paratha, puri, methi puri, rumali roti, kachori and samosa.
Kalakand (milk cake) is one of the most popular traditional sweets from Rajasthan. Ghewar is another delicious Jaipuri sweet.
Stay safe
While inside the temples, take off your shoes and turn off your phone. Bringing single dollar bills to offer in temples when a "pooja" plate is shown to you is appreciable. Learn the local phrases for addressing people to begin a conversation and people will surely come out of their way to help you.
Tipping is a matter of personal choice and not at all a compulsion; tip only when happy with the services.
Do not accept any type of food from strangers while traveling by trains or buses regardless of how well dressed the person offering you the food may be. Always buy water bottles from a reputable store, many drug stores also sell bottled water. When buying soft drinks, buy cans rather than bottles if possible. Unscrupulous shopkeepers sometimes refill used bottles.
When traveling on trains and buses, do not use expensive electronics such as laptops. It is always prudent to avoid displaying valuable items in public.