The roads between Delhi, Agra and Jaipur add up to about 750 km, or 13 to 15 hours of driving in total. How many days you need depends mostly on how much of each day you want to spend sightseeing rather than travelling.
Three days: the essentials
In three days you see Humayun's Tomb and Old Delhi on the first morning before driving to Agra, the Taj Mahal at sunrise and Agra Fort on day two before driving to Jaipur, and Amber Fort and the old city of Jaipur on day three before the drive back to Delhi.
It works, but every day has four to six hours in the car, and there is no slack for a late flight or a slow morning. Choose this only if your time really is limited. See the 3-day itinerary.
Four days: comfortable
A fourth day mostly benefits Agra. You arrive in the afternoon, see the Baby Taj and watch the sunset over the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh, then visit the Taj itself the next morning. Delhi gets a full first day. See the 4-day itinerary.
Five days: our usual recommendation
With five days, Jaipur gets a full day instead of a morning, and you can add the Abhaneri stepwell on the way from Agra. You have time to linger in the bazaars, try a cooking class or simply rest in the afternoon heat. See the 5-day itinerary.
Six to eight days: add another place
With a week or more, add a fourth destination. Popular choices are:
- Ranthambore National Park, between Agra and Jaipur, for tiger safaris.
- Udaipur, the lake city of southern Rajasthan.
- Varanasi, the holy city on the Ganges, reached by flight or overnight train.
- Amritsar, for the Golden Temple, about six hours from Delhi by fast train.
Our Golden Triangle tours include each of these.
A simple rule
Plan at least one night in each city, and avoid flying home on the same day you drive back from Jaipur. If you are unsure, send us your dates and we will suggest a pace.
