My wife and I spent a week touring India's Golden Triangle on our own in November. ..below are some of my thoughts:

You are not renting a car to drive yourself, are you? Unless, you are from India, I would definitely advise hiring a car and driver. India has been the least expensive destination I have visited and the worst/craziest traffic (I just returned from Cambodia and Thailand, which seemed much more expensive and quieter than India).

Depending on how jetlagged you feel, you could probably fit more in on this day. Maybe a bicycle rickshaw tour of Chandni Chowk after the Red Fort?



Day 05 is to full. Try moving City Palace and Jantar Mantar to the day before or skipping something.


No chance of doing this all in one day with time to enjoy it. Can you do Fatehpur Sikri on the way from Jaipur to Agra? Then it should work. Otherwise, maybe Taj the next morning before going back to Delhi.

Additional thoughts:

Be absolutely sure of opening hours and closed days...don't want to schedule your visit to the Taj on a day it is closed.

Consider alternate modes of transportation. We took trains between the cities and loved the comfy seats and countryside views.

We stayed in Club Carlson hotels in each city and I highly recommend the Radisson Blu Taj and Country Inn and Suites Jaipur as redemption values.

Xifaxan. Take it.

Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.

The Taj is closed on Fridays. I would take the train or hire a driver - Indian trafic is crazy, especialy if you're not used to driving on the other side of the road.

Thanks for the great comments. i added Chandni Chowk via rickshaw as you suggested and moved things around a bit on busy days as well.

I assume Xifaxan can be got at any pharmacy without doctor in India if a problem occurs?

I am comfortable driving on the other side of the road Jordan, Australia, Europe but those places was normal reasonable traffic.

My plan is to only use the car to travel to each new hotel and take taxis to all the attractions. From what I understand once you get out of Delhi city limits it is much better. What is your thoughts with this strategy? My hotel does offer free pick up from train stations so I should probably consider the trains a bit more.

Thank you both for the great comments.

Er - delhi traffic during the rush hour is neither normal nor reasonable. Get a car and driver, a metered radio taxi like olacabs.com or just take the metro (which is great) and autorickshaws from each station to wherever you want to go.

As for antibiotics to treat travelers diarrhea, I would suggest that you stick to oral rehydration powder (electral is a common brand name in India) that you mix with boiled water and keep drinking, and visit a doctor ASAP, get a prescription.

What works for one type of diarrhea won't work for another, and India and other tropical countries have no shortage of diseases that cause loose stools, ranging from rotavirus / viral gastroenteritis and amoebic dysentry have an entirely different set of treatments.

Not sure. But, in the US, it is a preventative prescription-only medication taken in advance - not once symptoms appear.

Hiring a car and driver is relatively cheap. We took trains between cities and hired a new car/driver in each city (well tuk tuks sometimes). So, I can't speak too much about countryside driving. But, I am also very comfortable driving on the left and that has nothing to do with why I, personally, would simply hire a driver for the whole trip over driving a rental car myself. IIRC, One could hire a car and driver in Delhi to drive all around the Golden Triangle for $400/week or less and that driver would also take you to each attraction in each location (so, you would not have to hire separate local taxis).

Whatever you decide, I am sure you're going to have a good time. India is a destination that I definitely appreciate more after returning home.

Also, read up on scams by touts of you haven't already. India was definitely a place where I felt like a mark for scams more than anywhere else.