The Golden Triangle - "a private tour"
Taj Mahal
India specialist - Aquarius Travels - is offering up-close and personal tours of India, and what better place to start than to explore India's almost mythical golden triangle of Delhi, Jaipur and Aggra including of course the majestic Taj Mahal.
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The Golden Triangle of India (Delhi-Jaipur-Agra) remains a firm fixture on the international tourist map. The combination of all three cities presents the potpourri of India, a harmonious amalgamation of the country’s capital, with its entire historic splendour, the soft romanticism that can be felt as the amazing Taj Mahal in Agra and the fierce magnificence of Jaipur - the princely state capital, which was painted pink (the traditional colour of welcome) in honour of the visit of Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria in 1883. Tours can be tailor made to suit individual requirements using a private car with driver and local guide, but the traditional tour would be similar to the itinerary listed below. |
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DAY 1 - Arrive Delhi Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your Delhi hotel for a 2-night stay. |
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DAY 2 - Delhi A full day sightseeing tour of Delhi where you will have an opportunity to explore the Qutab Complex which houses India’s tallest single tower, the Qutab Minar which stands 72.5meters in height, as well as the 4th century Iron Pillar which has remained rust free for nearly two-millennia. You will also visit the Red Fort and Lutyens Delhi with its tree lined boulevards leading to the British Viceroy’s Palace (which is now the official residence of the President of India), the Secretariat, India Gate and Parliament House. The tour will continue to the grand Jama Masjid and Humayun’s Tomb – which was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s wife in memory of her beloved king husband and was an inspiration for several other monuments including the incomparable Taj Mahal.
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Day 3 - Delhi to Jaipur A five-hour drive takes you to the famed ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, which is the capital of Rajasthan, known for its many spectacular palaces, three hill forts and a great place for shopping! |
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| The afternoon is free for you to explore some of the sites or take in some shopping.
Day 4 - Jaipur You will begin the day with a morning excursion to Amber - capital of the old state of Dhundhar, which is located on the rugged hills surrounding Jaipur. There will be an opportunity to ride the colourfully painted elephants up the hill and admire the massive gateways, courts, stairways, pillared pavilions and palaces that recall the glory and wealth of Amber’s association with the Mughals. After lunch you will continue your tour visiting the City Palace (which still houses the erstwhile Royal family), Jantar Mantar (the Royal Observatory) and the Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) which was built for the royal ladies to watch the activities on the market street below without being observed themselves. |
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Day 5 - Jaipur to Agra Today you will depart on a long seven-hour drive to Agra, with a number of interesting stops en route including a visit to Fatehpur Sikri - the imperial ruins of the dream capital city of the Great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. On arrival in Agra the remainder of the day will be at leisure. |
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| Day 6 – Agra This morning you will visit the Taj Mahal, the highlight of the tour and a building that defies description. Its construction was ordered by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child. The perfect proportions and exquisite craftsmanship have been described as ‘a vision, a dream, a poem and a wonder’. It is an acclaimed architectural masterpiece and one of the wonders of the world. 20,000 workers laboured for 22 years to build this sublime garden tomb of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. The unique mughal style combines elements of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture. Its impressive features include a black and white chessboard marble floor, four tall minarets (40 m high) at the corners of the structure, and the majestic and iconic dome which serves as the constructions crowning centrepiece. |
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| On closer inspection the lettering of the Quran verses around the archways appears to be uniform, regardless of their height. The lettering spacing and density has been customised to present this impression to the viewer. Other illusionary effects have been accounted for in the geometry of the tomb and the tall minarets. The impressive pietra dura artwork includes geometric elements, plants and flowers, mostly common in Islamic architecture. All in all this will be a morning well-spent! In the afternoon you will visit Agra Fort and the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah also called Baby Taj. |
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Day 7 - Agra to Delhi
Transfer to the airport to board your onward flight or extend your stay. |
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Getting there - there are numerous flight options from the UK to India - check out our FLIGHT SECTION for further information. For more information on this and other tours to India contact: Aquarius Travels Ltd
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