India is a big country, and it’s impossible to explore all its wonders in just eight days. So, this trip focuses on the captivating Northern region, famously known as the Golden Triangle. This route takes you through three incredible cities: New Delhi—the vibrant capital with a blend of historic and modern sights; Agra, home of the iconic Taj Mahal; and Jaipur, the enchanting “Pink City” renowned for its regal architecture. This trip also included a visit to Udaipur, known as the “White City” and the “City of Lakes,” where you’ll discover stunning palaces and serene waters amidst the charm of Northern India.

We’ll begin in New Delhi. The capital is a huge and congested city.  If you want to save time on commuting, the best place to stay is in the central area of the city called Connaught Place.  There are many tours offered on Tripadvisor, keep in mind all the tours are private, meaning the tour would include you and the travel guide as compared to many other places where tours are mostly group unless you request a private tour.  A popular tour that offers tourists a good overview of New Delhi is the “Old & New Delhi Half or Full Day”.  On this tour, you will see key landmarks of the city. How much you want to see will depend on whether you choose the half- or full-day tour.  While in New Delhi, you can take a day trip by train to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.  All the tours offer you door-to-door service, meaning you will be collected from your hotel, taken to the train station to catch the train to Agra, and a tour guide will meet you at the train station in Agra, and will do the same in return back to your hotel in New Delhi.  The Taj Mahal is as spectacular in person as you see in pictures, in addition to the Taj Mahal, you will visit Agra Fort, Baby Taj Mahal, and have lunch at a five-star hotel.  But the main attraction in Agra is the Taj Mahal so there is no need to spend the night unless you want to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise.  Spending two to three days in New Delhi is enough time to see the main attractions and get a feel of the city. 

The next city is Jaipur.  Now if you want to be adventurous and get a feel of the trains since India is known for the number of trains throughout the country, you can take a four-hour train ride to Jaipur from New Delhi.  For tourists, to take the train in India, you will need to register and buy your train ticket on https://www.irctc.co.in.  Make sure you buy an Executive First-Class ticket, this class will get you an air-conditioned car and a meal, it would be almost equivalent to Amtrak in the United States.  Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” and there are some interesting sites in the city.  A must visit is the Nahargarh Fort around sunset.  This site offers panoramic views over the entire city of Jaipur.  The best way to tour the city is by tuk-tuk and some of the key places to visit are Amber Palace, Jal Mahal, and Hawa Mahal.  While in Jaipur, you can take a day trip to Ranthambhore to go on a tiger safari.  But if you aren’t visiting Jaipur in the months from April to June then don’t go on the tiger safari because it is very unlikely you will see any tigers.

Udaipur is less than a two-hour plane ride from Jaipur and the city is known by several names from the “White City”, “City of Lakes”, and “Venice of India”.  Out of all the cities in Northern India mentioned, Udaipur is the most beautiful.  The city has so much charm. The old city area is filled with narrow streets with houses, shops, temples, cafes, rooftop bars, restaurants, and walkable bridges over the lake with a background of beautiful castles which have been turned into hotels.  One of the most expensive hotels in India is the water castle hotel there which was featured in the old James Bond movie “Octopussy”.  While in Udaipur you can tour the City castle, Hindu temples, historic royal garden, and a boat ride on Lake Pichola.  And make sure you stay in one of the castle hotels.  The service is impeccable; they treat guests like royalty.   Udaipur is filled with old Indian charm that takes you back to a place long gone.    

India is a very impressive country with a lot of history and charming people.  But it can be a lot to take in.  There is a lot of traffic and people, people constantly begging for money, and abject poverty.  But one of the purposes of travel is to explore other cultures that may be different from your own and appreciate the differences.  Before you make any plans to visit India, here are some things to remember.  As mentioned in the beginning, all the tours are private.  And every tour will take you to a market for people to sell you things.  But after visiting two or more markets, there comes a point where you don’t want to feel pressured to buy anything else so don’t be afraid to tell your travel guide that you don’t want to go to the markets.  The travel guides get kickbacks from the market when tourists buy things.  Also, be prepared to tip.  Everyone expects a tip for the littlest thing.  India is a country well worth visiting. The experience is unlike anything you may have encountered before, offering a truly memorable trip and a perspective that stays with you forever.