India's classic first circuit: Old Delhi's bazaars and Mughal tombs, the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri on the road west, and Jaipur's Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal. October to March is cool and dry; April to June is very hot.
Multi-city route for your dates
4 days from Sat, Dec 5.
- Days 1–2 Delhi
- Day 3 AgraTrain from Delhi to Agra (about 2 hours)
- Day 4 JaipurDrive from Agra to Jaipur (about 4.5 hours)
Good to know
- The Gatimaan Express does Delhi to Agra in under two hours and runs daily except Fridays; book on the IRCTC site or through an agent.
- The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays; go at sunrise for soft light and fewer people.
- A private car and driver for the Agra–Jaipur leg is affordable and lets you stop at Fatehpur Sikri.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Treasury of Indian handicrafts, textiles and folk art, with village courtyards on the grounds.
Imposing 17th-century fort with audience halls, gardens and a nightly sound-and-light show.
Sample parathas, kebabs, chaat and jalebi in the lanes behind the Jama Masjid.
Garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal, calm and photogenic in late afternoon.
Soaring 13th-century minaret with an iron pillar and ruins in a landscaped park.
India's largest mosque, with a minaret climb and a courtyard that holds thousands.
Sprawling collection of Indian art, sculpture and textiles across five thousand years.
Massive stone temple complex with carvings, exhibits and a water-and-light show.
Medieval ruins beside a lake, surrounded by cafes, boutiques and rooftop bars.
Tomb-studded park where locals jog, picnic and practice yoga.
Shah Jahan's white marble mausoleum, quietest and most luminous in the first light of the day.
Red sandstone Mughal fortress with palaces and a view of the Taj in the distance.
Garden across the Yamuna with an uninterrupted view of the Taj Mahal at dusk.
Akbar's abandoned red-sandstone capital of palaces and the great Buland Darwaza gate, on the road to Jaipur.
Delicate marble tomb inlaid with semi-precious stones, a quiet forerunner of the Taj.
Hilltop Rajput fort of mirrored halls and courtyards above a lake — walk up at dawn before the crowds and heat.
Still-occupied royal palace complex with a museum of textiles, weapons and the world's largest silver vessels.
Pink sandstone "Palace of Winds" with 953 small windows built for royal women to watch street life unseen.
18th-century open-air observatory of giant stone astronomical instruments, still functionally accurate.
Old-city lanes of gem dealers, block-print textiles and mojari shoes, haggling expected.
Ridge-top fort above Jaipur with the best sunset view over the Pink City's grid of streets.