Golden Triangle Tour With Leela and Oberoi Hotels

Delhi rewards those who explore it properly. Today you spend a full day with your private guide covering both Old Delhi and New Delhi — two cities within a city that feel completely different from each other and tell very different chapters of India’s story.

The day typically flows like this, though your guide will adapt the sequence to avoid peak-hour crowds and make the most of available light:

• Old Delhi: Start with a cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk — the perfect way to absorb the energy of one of Asia’s oldest and busiest market streets. Continue to Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque, and the nearby lanes of the spice market. Visit Red Fort, the magnificent red-sandstone seat of Mughal power, and then Raj Ghat, the serene memorial to Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Yamuna.
• New Delhi: Drive along Rajpath past India Gate and the grand government buildings of Lutyens’ Delhi. Visit Humayun’s Tomb, the beautifully restored 16th-century Mughal mausoleum that inspired the Taj Mahal, and Qutub Minar, a soaring 72-metre minaret that dates back over 800 years. If time allows, add a stop at Agrasen Ki Baoli, one of Delhi’s most striking and surprisingly uncrowded ancient step-wells.

Return to The Leela Palace in the evening for dinner at one of the hotel’s exceptional restaurants. If you prefer to dine out, we will suggest options across the city — from rooftop dining to authentic Old Delhi street food experiences. Just let us know your preference.

Overnight: The Leela Palace, New Delhi

After breakfast, your driver collects you from The Leela Palace and you begin the smooth, approximately 3.5-hour drive south to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway — one of India’s best inter-city roads, making the journey quick and comfortable.

Agra was once the seat of the Mughal Empire at its peak, and that imperial grandeur still defines the city today. You spend the afternoon exploring:

• Taj Mahal — arguably the most beautiful building in the world. Your private guide shares the full story of Shah Jahan’s devotion to Mumtaz Mahal as you walk through the formal gardens, approach the Great Gate, and stand before the white marble tomb in all its extraordinary detail. Allow at least 1.5–2 hours here.
• Agra Fort — the massive red-sandstone Mughal fortress that served as the royal residence for three emperors. Inside, explore the Diwan-i-Khas, Jahangir’s Palace, and the Musamman Burj — the octagonal tower from where Shah Jahan spent his final years gazing at the Taj Mahal in the distance.
• Itmad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) — a delicate white marble tomb built before the Taj Mahal and often considered its architectural forerunner. Far less crowded than the main monument, it gives you a chance to appreciate the intricate pietra dura stonework up close and at your own pace.

This evening you check in to what is widely considered one of the world’s great hotel experiences: The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra. Every room and suite faces the Taj Mahal, which glows softly after sunset and shimmers in the moonlight. Dinner at the hotel is an experience in itself — request a table with a Taj view and enjoy the evening at a completely unhurried pace.

Overnight: The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra

Set your alarm early — this morning is one of the highlights of the entire tour. You return to the Taj Mahal at sunrise, before the crowds arrive, when the light is soft and golden and the air is still quiet. This is how the Taj Mahal is meant to be experienced — unhurried, peaceful, and utterly breathtaking. Your guide and driver arrange timings to maximise your time inside the complex during this magical window.

Return to The Oberoi Amarvilas for a leisurely breakfast and checkout, then your driver sets off towards Jaipur with two excellent en-route stops:

• Fatehpur Sikri (40 km from Agra): An entire Mughal city built from red sandstone, occupied for just 14 years, and then abandoned — perfectly preserved across five centuries. Walk through the Buland Darwaza, the Panch Mahal, and the Diwan-i-Khas with your guide, and try to imagine this complex alive with the court of Emperor Akbar.
• Chand Baori, Abhaneri: One of the most visually extraordinary step-wells in the world — 13 storeys deep, with 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect geometric symmetry. It is a UNESCO-listed structure and a photographer’s dream. Few tourists make the slight detour to reach it, which means you will likely have it largely to yourself.

You arrive in Jaipur in the late afternoon and check in to The Leela Palace, Jaipur — a palatial property set on 7.5 acres of landscaped gardens, featuring a 250-year-old Hindu temple within its grounds and architecture inspired by the royal palaces of Rajasthan. Take a walk through the gardens, enjoy the pool, or simply settle in before a quiet dinner at the hotel.

In the evening, if energy allows, your guide can take you to Birla Temple and Moti Dungri for a peaceful sunset visit to two of Jaipur’s most elegant religious sites.

Note: The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday. If your travel dates fall on a Friday, we will adjust the itinerary to ensure you do not miss the experience.

Overnight: The Leela Palace, Jaipur

Jaipur earns its nickname — the Pink City — through the warm, terracotta-painted buildings of its old walled city, commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales. Today you explore the best of it, starting after a royal breakfast at The Leela Palace.

• Hawa Mahal: The iconic five-storey façade of 953 latticed windows, built so the ladies of the royal court could watch street processions below without being seen. A must-have photograph from the street opposite, and worth a few minutes inside too.
• Jal Mahal: The floating palace sitting in the middle of Man Sagar Lake — another unmissable photo stop, best captured in the morning or late afternoon light.
• Amber Fort: Jaipur’s most spectacular monument — a hilltop fort and palace complex built in 1592, overlooking Maota Lake below. Your guide walks you through the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), the Ganesh Pol gateway, and the fort’s royal apartments, sharing the story of the Kachhwaha Rajput rulers who built it.
• City Palace: The royal residence of the Jaipur royal family, still partially occupied by the current Maharaja. The museum section houses an extraordinary collection of royal costumes, weapons, manuscripts and silver artefacts.
• Jantar Mantar: A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest stone astronomical observatory, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1734. Your guide explains how the massive stone instruments still measure time and celestial positions with remarkable precision.
• Albert Hall Museum: Jaipur’s oldest museum, housed in a stunning Indo-Saracenic building. Its collection spans Rajasthani handicrafts, carpets, ivory carvings, and an Egyptian mummy.

Spend the late afternoon exploring Jaipur’s heritage markets — Bapu Bazaar for block-printed textiles and Jaipuri quilts, Johari Bazaar for Kundan-Meena jewellery, and Tripolia Bazaar for lacquerware and traditional crafts. Your guide knows which shops offer genuine quality at fair prices, and which areas to enjoy just for the sensory experience of a Rajasthani market at its liveliest.

Return to The Leela Palace for a final dinner in royal Jaipur style.

Overnight: The Leela Palace, Jaipur

Your final morning in Jaipur is yours to enjoy at your own pace — a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, a last walk through the gardens, or a final browse of a nearby market. When you are ready, your driver takes you to Jaipur Airport for your domestic flight to Delhi, where you connect to your international onward journey.

We handle the airport transfer, departure assistance, and all the last-minute logistics so your final moments in Rajasthan feel relaxed and memorable — not rushed or stressful. Our team remains available by phone right until you board your flight.

You leave with Taj Mahal photographs, the scent of Jaipur’s bazaars, and six days of experiences that India rarely delivers this smoothly.