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India: the Golden Triangle and Varanasi

11 days from Delhi: the Taj Mahal at sunrise, three nights in Jaipur, then a flight to Varanasi for a dawn boat and the evening aarti on the Ganges.

11 days · Round trip from Delhi · up to 12 guests

The facts

At a glance

Length
11 days, 10 nights
Start and end
Round trip from Delhi
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Easy

Sightseeing on foot for 2 to 4 hours most days, on stone ramps, steps and crowded lanes, with steep ghat steps and small boats in Varanasi. There are four early starts (the Taj at sunrise, Amber Fort, the Hawa Mahal and the dawn boat) and one day of about four and a half hours on the road; each early start has a free middle of the day after it, and you can sit any walk out.

Meals included
10 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 350 (estimated price)
Season
October to March

Highlights

Why this trip

  • The Taj Mahal at sunrise, the morning after a calm first view from Mehtab Bagh across the river
  • Cycle rickshaws through Old Delhi to the Khari Baoli spice market, with a street food lunch
  • Amber Fort at opening and the Hawa Mahal in the first sun, with three unhurried nights in Jaipur
  • A home cooking evening with a Jaipur family
  • The Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat from our own boat on the river
  • The ghats of Varanasi from the water at sunrise
  • Sarnath, where the Buddha first taught, and a walk through Varanasi's old lanes
  • Flights instead of sleeper trains, and the Red Fort on the way home

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 350 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

RAJASTHANUTTAR PRADESHMADHYA PRADESHGangesYamuna1234DelhiDays 1 to 3, Days 10 to 11AgraDays 3 to 4Fatehpur SikriDay 4JaipurDays 4 to 7VaranasiDays 7 to 10SarnathDay 9KhajurahoOptional extension

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Delhi

Indira Gandhi International Airport to your hotel in New Delhi

  • Welcome dinner
  • Stay in Delhi
  • Drive about 1 h

Your trip starts at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive of about 20 km into New Delhi.

Evening

Many flights from North America land late at night or before dawn, and India is nine and a half to ten and a half hours ahead of eastern Canada, so today asks nothing of you: sleep, shower and let your body catch up. If you land early in the morning, tell us your flight and we can book the room from the night before, because normal check-in is in the afternoon. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the lobby for a short briefing on the days ahead: the plan for the Taj at sunrise, what to wear in mosques and temples, and how the flights to and from Varanasi work. Then we sit down together for a welcome dinner of North Indian cooking, such as dal makhani, tandoori breads and slow-cooked curries.

Included

  • Pick-up at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Welcome dinner

Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing

  1. Delhi2 nights
  2. Agra1 night
  3. Jaipur3 nights
  4. Varanasi3 nights
  5. Delhi1 night
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: October to March is dry and sunny, warm in October and March and cool in December and January, when nights in Delhi, Agra and Varanasi can be cold. December and January fog can hide the Taj at sunrise and delay morning flights and trains, so those travel days carry slack. Diwali (October or November) and Dev Deepawali in Varanasi about two weeks later bring lamps, crowds and higher hotel prices. April to June is very hot, and the July to September monsoon floods the lower ghats.

Want this plan in your inbox?

Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • First-time visitors to India who want the classic sights and the Ganges in one trip
  • Travellers who prefer flights to sleeper trains and two or three nights in most places
  • Early risers happy to trade a sleep-in for the Taj and the river at dawn
  • Solo travellers who want company at dinner and on the boats

Not for you if you want

  • Step-free access: forts, ghats and old lanes mean steps, slopes and crowds
  • Travellers who would find open-air cremation hard to witness
  • A beach or resort holiday
  • Travel between April and September

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

10 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Delhi2 nights
  • Agra1 night
  • Jaipur3 nights
  • Varanasi3 nights
  • Delhi1 night

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 10 nights: 2 in New Delhi, 1 in Agra near the Taj Mahal, 3 in Jaipur, 3 in Varanasi close to the ghats and 1 more in New Delhi
  • Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard or better, named when we confirm your dates
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement

Transport

  • Pick-up at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) on day 1 and drop-off there on day 11
  • Express train from Delhi to Agra, with station transfers
  • Flights from Jaipur to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Delhi, with airport transfers
  • A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group on the road to Jaipur and in each city
  • Cycle rickshaws in Old Delhi and the jeep up to Amber Fort
  • Our own boat on the Ganges for the evening aarti and the sunrise

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide with the group from arrival to departure, on the train and both flights
  • Licensed local guides at the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Amber Fort and Sarnath

Activities

  • Delhi: Jama Masjid, a cycle rickshaw ride to Khari Baoli, Humayun's Tomb and the Red Fort
  • Agra: Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh at sunset and the Taj Mahal at sunrise, with the main tomb ticket
  • Fatehpur Sikri
  • Jaipur: Amber Fort at opening, Panna Meena ka Kund, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar, the Hawa Mahal at first light, a walled city walk and Nahargarh Fort at sunset
  • Jaipur: a home cooking evening with a local family
  • Varanasi: the Ganga aarti from the river, the sunrise boat along the ghats and an old city walk with street food tastings
  • Sarnath: the Deer Park, the Dhamek Stupa and the Archaeological Museum

Meals

  • 10 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches: an Old Delhi street food walk, a sit-down lunch at Fatehpur Sikri and lunch in Sarnath
  • 4 dinners: welcome in Delhi, a home cooking evening in Jaipur, dinner after the aarti in Varanasi and a farewell dinner in Delhi

Not included

  • International flights to and from Delhi
  • Indian visa (most visitors apply online for an e-Visa)
  • Travel insurance
  • Lunches and dinners not listed above
  • Drinks
  • Tips for your guide, local guides, drivers and boatmen
  • Camera or video fees where charged
  • Optional activities: the balloon flight near Jaipur and the Khajuraho extension
  • Excess baggage on the domestic flights
  • Late check-out or a day room on day 11
  • Personal expenses such as laundry

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 350 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

The price covers ten nights in central hotels, 17 meals (10 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners), airport transfers, the train to Agra, flights from Jaipur to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Delhi, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed local guides at the big sites, every monument entry on the plan, both Ganges boats and the Jaipur cooking evening. There are no shopping stops.

How big is the group?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to share one boat on the Ganges, move easily through the lanes of Old Delhi and Varanasi, and sit around one table at dinner.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 11, including on the train and both flights. Licensed local guides join at the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Amber Fort and Sarnath. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.

How fit do I need to be?

Fit enough to walk 2 to 4 hours a day on stone, steps and busy streets. Varanasi asks the most: steep ghat steps down to the boats and narrow, crowded lanes. Each early start is followed by a free middle of the day, and you can sit out any walk.

I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?

A room of your own is from CAD 350 more than the shared price, shown when you request to book and never added later. Solo travellers join the same small group, the same boats and the same dinners, with the same guide looking after everyone.

When is the best time to go?

October to March, when days are dry and sunny. December and January are cool, with cold nights and morning fog that can hide the Taj at sunrise or delay a flight. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon from July to September floods the lower ghats in Varanasi.

How much does it cost, and how does booking work?

Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and differ by style: small group or private. The small group starts from CAD 1,980 per person, and a room of your own is from CAD 350 more. Pick your start date when you request to book, and we confirm your trip within 24 hours. Nothing is charged until then.

Can we travel privately or on our own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 3,565 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section: we can quote the same hotels, train, flights, drivers and local guides.

Do I need a visa for India?

Most visitors do, Canadians included, and many nationalities can apply online for an Indian e-Visa before travel. Rules change, so check the current requirements for your passport well before you go and carry the approval with you. The visa fee is not in the trip price.

What is Varanasi like, and will we see cremations?

Varanasi is crowded, noisy and deeply devotional, with prayer, daily life and death side by side on the riverbank. Cremations take place in the open at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats. We pass by boat at a respectful distance, your guide explains the rites, and nobody photographs them. If you would rather not look, sit facing the far bank as we pass.

Can I add Khajuraho?

Yes, as an optional two-night extension after Varanasi, before flying home from Delhi. Khajuraho's carved Hindu and Jain temples, built around 950 to 1050 and listed by UNESCO, are a long road trip from Varanasi, so we quote the extension with flights where the schedule allows. Ask when you request to book.

How is this different from your Golden Triangle trip?

Our 8-day Golden Triangle covers Delhi, Agra and Jaipur only. This trip adds three nights in Varanasi with the aarti from the river, the sunrise boat, Sarnath and the old city, two flights instead of the long road back, and the Red Fort in Delhi. If you have only a week, the Golden Triangle is the short version.

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