Golden Triangle tour

Our Golden Triangle tour is packed with the entire range of all that is India, with majestic buildings and the rich heritage of art and culture. Each city on our itinerary provides a unique combination of sights and experiences ranging from the splendour of the Mogul Empire to the beating heart of everyday life in contemporary India.

The tour takes appr. six days including flights and five-night accommodation (two in Delhi, two in Jaipur and one in Agra). You will travel in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle with an local English-speaking guide. You may also book additional nights in Delhi.

An example of the tour program

Tours are booked and tailored individually, so the program may vary from the one below. The final tour program, hotels and price will be confirmed after your request.

Finnair flight AY021 departs from Helsinki-Vantaa airport at 20.10, arriving at Delhi International Airport at 5.25 local time.

Day 1
Arrival early in the morning at Delhi International Airport. Our local representative will meet us in the airport lobby. Transport to the hotel, where the guest rooms are ready at 12 o’clock.

A tour of Old Delhi begins after a short break. The tour provides an opportunity to view various sights, including the Red Fort, India’s largest mosque the Jama Masjid, and Raj Ghat – the marble memorial to Mahatma Gandhi where the eternal flame burns.

Day 2: Delhi - Jaipur
The morning journey to Jaipur, which is 232 kilometres from Delhi, takes about five hours. Rest of the day is free time.

Day 3: Jaipur
After breakfast we visit Amber Fort, which stands on a hill some 130 metres high and was once the capital of the Kachhawaha Rajputs. A stopover European route also provides an opportunity to admire Hawa Mahal, the palace of winds. The fifth floor of the palace has 953 windows and alcoves from which the 18th century ladies of court could spy on the comings and goings of ordinary folk in the city.

The afternoon is spent discovering the Pink City of Jaipur. The City Palace in the downtown quarter houses impressive collections of textiles, clothing, manuscripts, paintings and other treasures. There will also be an opportunity to visit India’s greatest historic observatory, built by the Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1728-34 out of his interest in astrology. The stone and marble instruments continue to demonstrate astonishing accuracy.

Day 4: Jaipur – Agra
After breakfast our tour continues towards Agra. The journey of 242 kilometres takes about four hours. About 40 kilometres before Agra we stop at Fatehpur Sikri, one of the best-preserved ghost cities in India. It was constructed during the reign of Akbar the Great (1570-86) to be the capital of India, but probably due to water management problems the city was abandoned 13 years later.

Agra was the capital of the Mogul Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, and is famous for its magnificent buildings and fortifications. The best known of these is clearly the Taj Mahal monument to love. Without doubt the most famous building in India and a symbol of the nation, the Taj Mahal was built on the orders of Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal after her death during the birth of their 14th child. The building work began in 1631, and twenty thousand workers and specialists spent 22 years perfecting this extraordinary monument. This astonishing building has a quite different appearance in the morning sun, in the middle of the day and particularly by moonlight.

Please note that the Taj Mahal is closed to visitors on Fridays.

Later in the day we also visit the Agra fort on the west bank of the Jamuna River. This was originally commissioned by the Mogul Emperor Akbar in the 16th century and completed by his grandson Shah Jahan, who was in turn imprisoned in the fort by his own son for eight years before his death.

Day 5: Agra – Delhi
After breakfast we return to Delhi. The journey by road from Agra is some 205 kilometres and takes about four hours. It includes an opportunity to visit the mausoleum of the Mogul Emperor Akbar at Sikandra.

In the afternoon we visit the tomb of the new Delhi mogul ruler Humayun, which is believed to have served as a prototype for the Taj Mahal. We also visit Qutab Minar, which is one of the landmarks of Delhi, the presidential palace and India Gate, a 42-metre triumphal arch. The arch was constructed in honour of the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War.

Day 6: return to Finland
Transport to the airport early in the morning. Finnair flight no. AY022 departs from Delhi International Airport at 8.35, arriving at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport at 13.30 local time.

As the tours are always tailor-made, the final program and price will be confirmed to you after your request. 

The price includes:

• roundtrip Finnair operated flight from Helsinki to Delhi
• airport taxes/passenger charges payable in advance
• five night accommodation in a shared double room with halfboard
• transportation according to the tour program in an air-conditioned Toyota Innova utility vehicle
• local English-speaking tour guide services during the tour
• admission to all places of interest on the itinerary
• local service taxes
   

The price does not include tips for the driver and tour guide
(recommendation: 1 euro per person per day).

A visa is required of Finnish citizens when traveling to India. More information www.formin.fi . Visas may also be obtained via Area. A surcharge is made for this service.

Note! Summer months (May, June and July) in Delhi are very hot.