Will it be safe for two women to travel in India? Do I need a tour guide? Should I get a complete tour package? Once I knew I was going to India I had all these questions on my mind. In the end I decided to book the Golden Triangle without a tour guide but with a personal driver and customised hotels based on what I wanted. Several companies offer the Golden Triangle tour however many like you to book their hotels too and offer you a package which normally has dinner at the hotel. The latter was a no go for us especially when in India. Read about my self booked India Golden Triangle Tour.
The first thing I did was book flights. Air India was working out at £900 each and the flight times were not the best so I opted for Turkish Airlines which had a 2-3 hour stop in Istanbul however the flight times were much better. Our flight landed in Delhi at 6am.
Our schedule was UK – Delhi (1) – Agra (1) – Jaipur (2) – Udaipur (3) – Delhi (2) – UK
Getting around for the India Golden Triangle Tour
PRIVATE TAXI
I booked a private taxi from when we landed in Delhi airport up until we got dropped at Jaipur airport. After asking for quotations, I settled for Discover India by car. A private taxi firm with about 15 cars. that offers tailored services. We chose not to have a tour guide, but they can provide one if you want. Also, if you do not have a tour guide you will probably find one at every tourist destination – just be careful. They are all “regulated by the tourist board” but most of them have a plan to take you to their shop or art gallery afterwards so you can buy some of their overpriced goods.
The cost for the driver was 25000 rupees (£250). This included collection from Delhi airport and driving us on the golden triangle route as well as taking us to the sites we wanted in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. There was no time limit. Some days we had it from 8 to 8pm, other days shorter depending on what we were doing. This option gave us flexibility.
taxis in india
From Udaipur Airport and on our return back to Delhi, we used Ubers and hotel taxis. Uber worked great apart from when we wanted a taxi to Udaipur airport from the city hotel. It kept on saying 2 minutes and never turned up. The concierge sorted an Ola taxi for us, which is another popular one in India. The taxi driver said because of the distance to the airport and the fact that there were already several taxis waiting at the airport, more did not want to go only to come back empty.
There is a government run taxi firm at the airport where you can get a ticket and then get a taxi so you know the price you are paying. Now I have been I can confirm there are many taxi companies around at the airport and yes at times you get people constantly asking you if you want a taxi but be firm and go with the one you have booked or want. On a couple of occasions, I would check how much an Uber is and then haggle the price with the drivers before getting into the taxi accordingly.
Internal flights: Most internal flights have baggage allowance of 15kg however when booking you can add on more. This is what I did. For Indigo airlines it worked out cheaper to book premier class than it was to get more luggage. On Air India we just bought extra luggage.
Travelling within India for the Golden Triangle is easy and there are many options depending on your budget and time frame.
Delhi:
We stayed in Delhi at the start and end of the trip. There are so many sections to Delhi and I recommend planning what you want to do/see so you can work out the logistics. We stayed by India Gate, Connaught Place and Aerocity.
Hotels in Delhi:
I booked them both from Expedia. It worked out cheaper than other hotel sites and you can normally find a discount code online.
Claridge’s Delhi:
This was our first hotel and my favourite. We were able to use the gym facilities to freshen up when we got there at 6am. The changing rooms were well equipped and modern. They had a Dyson wrap for guests to use, toilet seats that opened with motion, shower cubicles with amenities and more. We wanted some tea, and they were able to provide this straight away. Nothing was an effort for them. The service was of a high standard, and I would highly recommend it. The facilities were brilliant, and the room was comfortable and met our expectations (if not exceeded).
Metropolitan Hotel and Spa
Located next to Connaught Place, this is supposed to be a 5 star, but it just lacked so much. Fixtures and fittings were basic, the room wasn’t clean (felt like a UK Premier Inn). Even the facilities they had were tired and basic. There was a lot of draught coming from the window and a constant dripping toilet. Location wise it was great. The service was average.
Red Fox
This was located Aerocity which is a great area. There are several hotels here. I wanted something clean and reasonable because we were only going to sleep here for a few hours before our early morning flight. The hotel is basic and so are the rooms. It wasn’t the cleanest of rooms and like a UK travel lodge standard.
Places to visit in Delhi:
Lotus Temple:
Bahai sect and a temple with a combination of nine great religions of the world. No phones allowed inside the temple. It is a beautiful building and peaceful inside.
Akshardham Temple
Swaminarayan temple that is a must see. You are only allowed to take in your money and passports inside. No phones allowed. The architecture is beautiful and a must see. You do not need to pay to get in however will need money to buy prasad if you want. You also need to pay for your shoes to be kept but it very little.
Chandni Chowk
A very crazy bazaar. No cars are allowed but it is full of bikes. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by traders hustling, people pushing, people sleeping on the pavement and bike dodging. It does have a good buzz to it. We didn’t do much shopping here and haggling in some of the stores inside is a no go because they have set wholesale prices. We tried the famous Old Jalebi Wala which is highly rated and a very busy store. It wasn’t for us. It was too thick and tasted more of an eggy sweet batter. One piece is 60 rupees. You can visit the Red Fort from here but we did not have time.
India Gate
A beautiful monument to visit at any time especially sunset. We went around 545pm, and the backdrop was perfect.
Karol Bagh Market
A market with everything from high end India wear to toys to make up. We did some Indian clothes shopping and got bargains. There are more exclusive stores here too like Frontier bazaar but equally cheaper ones where you can find great Indian outfits for about £30.
Gurudwara Sri Bangla Sahib
A beautiful Sikh temple. No photography allowed inside. If you want to visit the temple cover your head and shoulders and not shorts/ short skirts allowed. You pay a small fee for your shoes.
Connaught Place
A busy business district with all branded shops alongside little local stalls. We visit a couple of the shops on Emporia (Tripura) This is a strip of government owned businesses so there is no haggling. The prices are competitive, and you pay what is written.
Birla mandir
A beautiful marble mandir for Laxmi Narayan. The architecture of this marble mandir is just amazing.
Places to Eat in Delhi
Kake Da Hotel
This is one of the most sought-after restaurants in Delhi and has been going for over 70 years. It is in the heart of Delhi in Connaught Place. We had Dahi Meat (Rogan Josh), Palak Paneer, Rumali Roti, Tawa Roti & Pudina Paratha all for £5. It was traditional and delicious. It is basic inside which gives it a lot of character yet clean, and food is authentic.
Haveli Dharampura
Have a drink on the rooftop at Haveli Dharampura, a UNESCO building. Located in Chandni Chowk and advertised as somewhere you can have a rooftop drink and get away from the hustle and bustle. It is a nice sunspot, but views are very restricted. Depending on what staff you get, they may say you cannot have drinks there. Speak to the manager. The cocktails were amazing, and it was nice to get away from the noise however not worth the initial hassle.
Bikanervala
I believe this is a chain but it sure is a fab one. We had samosa sandwich, dhokla, vegetable patty, mini pizza, masala tea and jalebi all for around £3. They have a restaurant too that serves dosas, thalis and more. The food was enjoyable apart from the jalebi. We asked for jalebi but were given Imarti which is a more fancy looking one but soggy, I think. This is very common in Delhi.
McDonalds India
You can’t leave India without a spicy McDonalds. Even the masala tea was nice despite being a powder based one. We had a veggie burger, Mcspicy, pili chips, cold coffee and tea and it came to around £5. All the spice is so good, and it was a fab McDonalds.
Kylin & Banaaras Pan Chuski Banta at Aerocity
Kylin is a lovely low lit oriental restaurant with a great vibe. We had Prawn dim sums, vegetarian spring rolls, teriyaki chicken and a roasted garlic vegetarian bowl with noodles – everything was delicious. The mocktails were rather tasty too. This was around £30. Banaaras paan chuski banta Aerocity is a little hut serves fancy paan. I tried the ferrero rocher one which worked well I thought. This was 170 rupees and a meetha one 90 rupees.
Street food: We had freshly cut fruit and sugarcane juice from stalls on the street. Neither involved water. For 40 rupees you can get the largest sugarcane juice. It is just so tasty. This is from the streets, and you just must tell them you want a fresh one and watch them make it and ensure no water is used.
Tour guides may recommend restaurants to you. If you can check them on Google before. Our tour guide took us to Pindi Restaurant, but it was not to our taste. It was a tourist spot. Also, prices were like UK so avoid this place if you want something more local.
Agra
We set off at 915am from Delhi for our journey to Agra. This was about 3 and a half hours.
Hotel in Agra
We checked into the Taj View Agra. Sun was out and it was only apt to have a drink at their rooftop bar which has a view of Taj Mahal. It would have been great at night however the Taj Mahal doesn’t light up so you cannot see it. The welcome to the Taj View was warm and we were made to feel valued. The staff gave us a drink while they tried to sort a room for us. We were lucky to be upgraded to a suite with views of the Taj (however small it looks from the distance). The suite was beautiful and clean. The facilities were good, but we did not get to use any. Breakfast at the Taj was average. On the day we had breakfast they had a big corporate group. The service was good. They have a rooftop where you can see the Taj from a distance.
Places to see in Agra
- Red Fort. For OCI holders it is 50 and foreign passports 600 rupees. It takes about 45 minutes to look around. It is beautiful and easy to get lost so you may want to get a tour guide. We didn’t and just followed the crowds.
- Taj Mahal. From the parking point you can get a golf cart for 20 rupees pp to Taj Mahal alternatively walk for about 15 minutes. Entrance is 1300 rupees for foreigners and 250 rupees for OCI holders. With the tickets you get a bottle of water and shoe covers for free. You need the shoe covers to go into the Taj Mahal and see the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. No photos allowed inside. It is very busy, and you get many selling professional photos they can send over to you by phone. Save your money and take your photos yourself. Despite being very busy there are so many spots, and the crowds keep moving. We went around 4pm and had several photo opportunities.
- Sadar Bazaar. Agra is known for its leather so expect many stalls selling mojris here.
Places to Eat in Agra
- GMB is a local restaurant that is cheap and delicious. For 210 rupees (about £2) we had a mini thali. This was plenty for my mum and I. You get paneer shak, dhal makhani, rice, 3 rotis, salad, yoghurt and a sweet. We had amazing spring rolls too for 90p that took me back to Kenya. I highly recommend it.
- Mama Frankie’s. I had the chicken and egg roll which was delicious, and my mum had momos which were tasty too. It came to 240 rupees.
- Rooftop at Taj View Hotel Agra
Jaipur
Hotels in Jaipur
I had booked two hotels in Jaipur, both of which were 5 stars. Would I book them again – no. I expected the hotels to be like the Clarridges and Taj View however they were both very touristy and lacked great service.
- Trident: The outside of the hotel is beautiful, and location is amazing, right across from Man Sagar lake. We had a garden room view room. Rooms are a bit dated and service at the bar was so slow. Breakfast here was amazing. When I did complain to the hotel they apologised and asked me not to share the fact the room was dated and service at the bar was not great. I am not sure why because for the price I feel guests need to know.
- ITC Rajputana. This is a Marriot hotel and is supposed to be a luxury collection hotel. You will be wowed by the beautiful lobby when you walk in. The service was poor on checking in and departing. The room was nothing special but was clean. We arrived early evening and had a drink at their beautiful Sheesh Bar before going to bed. The breakfast was great however I was a bit taken back when I saw the chef putting frozen parathas on the stove to cook. After this it was time to check into the next hotel, ITC. We had a night cap at the Sheesh Bar and headed to bed.
Places to see in Jaipur
Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory)
This is between Agra and Jaipur.
Fatehpur Sikri was built by Mughal Emperor, Akbar. As soon as you arrive you get several tour guides approaching you trying to give you the best price. You say no to one tour guide and another one turns up. They all work together and try their best to make a living from you. Tour guides is a good idea because the palace is big however if you do research beforehand and know where to go just skip this.
Entrance for foreigners is 600 rupees or 50 for OCI. From Agra it can take about 2 hours to get to Fatehpur Sikri. There is a tomb there where you can lay a piece of cloth, sprinkle rose petals and tie a string for your wishes. Be aware of scammers who will inflate the prices to sell you the material and make you believe it’s for charity. They tried to sell us one for £100 to which my mum replied, if you believe in charity and religion, it should not be about money. We then got one for 1000 rupees which I think was still a rip off.
Amer Fort
It has the finest Rajput and Mughal architecture. The Sheesh Mahal is stunning. 500 rupees for foreigners and 150 for OCI. Like the fort the tour guides are constantly asking for business. When they are cheap you know they want to take you to their shop to sell items. Be firm and say no. We got our tour guide for 200 rupees.
The City Palace
This is a private palace. For the museum only you pay 300 rupees. For a half palace tour and a guide, it is 2000 rupees for foreigners and 1500 for OCI holders. We went with the latter because with the full palace tour (3000 rupees each) some areas were closed for filming so we couldn’t see them anyway and the price was not changed for this. The guide was good – whether he was a proper guide I am not sure. Like all the other destinations, the guides are waiting to get some business by the ticket office. We didn’t tip him because the price included the tour guides. The rooms in the palace are beautiful however I feel once you see a couple of palaces you know what to expect at the others.
Other things to do in Jaipur
- Have an early evening stroll and take in the atmosphere along Man Sagar Lake. There are little stalls that set up here for food and shopping. We managed to get cheap mojris here and sipped on sugarcane juice.
- Walk around the bazaars from Johal to Bali and take in the views of the pink city. This was painted pink for the prince. The most striking pink building is Hawa Mahal. You can go inside but we did not have time.
Places to eat in Jaipur
- R K Dhani, a Dhaba on the highway, on route to Jaipur. My mum and I shared a thali and had a spring roll and a couple of drinks. The thali was enough to feed four. It all cost 580 rupees.
- LMB in Bapu Bazaar. This came recommended and the Rajasthani thali was delicious. It is more expensive than the other places, but it was worth it. Unfortunately, they don’t let you share a thali which is 780 rupees pp and is unlimited. If you want to share you have to pay 400 rupees which is what we did because it would have worked out the same had, we got additional dishes. We got some takeaway mithai and a samosa cone from there because everything looked so good. The samosa cone was delicious.
- For rooftop drinks and a view of Hawa Mahal visit the Tattoo Café. There is a minimum spend of 250 rupees each which you pay before you enter. This is easily spent. We had a mango shake and a blackcurrant cooler and the bill came to 483 rupees. The café is up a few flights of metal stairs.
- World Trade Park shopping mall: On the day we were leaving for Udaipur we went to Basanti Kapde aur koffee, clothes boutique that sells beautiful outfits that are very competitive in price. We had an hour to spare afterwards and went to the World Trade Park on the opposite side. The shopping malls in India are massive and normally in several blocks. They have all the high street brands as well as several other different shops and food courts.
Udaipur
We were at our penultimate destination, and it was wedding time. The wedding was over 2 days. We flew to Udaipur from Jaipur which was a quick flight. You can drive too from Jaipur, and this is 8 hours.
Hotels in Udaipur
Jagat Niwas Haveli
For the first night we checked into this Haveli. You can either book direct or through booking.com. This is in the old city next to City Palace. We were on the 3rd floor. The Haveli is beautiful and a perfect location, on Lake Pincholi. They have a rooftop too with a little pool to cool off in.
Havelis are beautiful to stay in however be aware of the noise. We were on the opposite side of the restaurant and people were eating until gone 11pm. The next morning, we could hear pots and pans from 6am. I sleep light so this wasn’t ideal however everything else about the Haveli was fabulous.
Though they stop serving food at a certain time they can’t really tell guests to leave. The same applies to other common areas.
For breakfast you could sit on the cushioned areas by the window overlooking Lake Pincholi and this is what my mum and I did. It was different and a fabulous way to start the morning. The breakfast included western items as well as parathas, curry and more.
Jawas Niwas Haveli is situated in a great location making it easy to walk into the city and explore the museums including City Palace.
Chunda Palace
This was the wedding venue, and it was a palace for sure with beautiful architecture rooms. The rooms and bathrooms could do with some deep cleaning and maintenance. We got discounted rates at the hotel which is normally around £300pn. When the venue has weddings, it is closed to the public. It has perfect backdrops for weddings. We enjoyed their breakfast every morning and the staff were helpful.
We were in Udaipur for the wedding so did not do much sight seeing apart from walking in the old city and visiting the City Palace. The morning after all the wedding ceremonies had finished, we caught a plane back to Delhi.
Summary on the India Golden Triangle Tour
India has a lot to offer and yes you can plan a tour yourself and customise it to what you want to do. You can turn up and book tours and take each day as it comes. However we were there for just under two weeks and wanted to make the most of the time we had so I planned out key destinations and sites and left some time to shop around and walk to local markets.
Love touring Asia? Read my two weeks itinerary for Vietnam where we travelled from the North to the South.
