New Delhi to Agra: The Golden Triangle Adventure Begins

The Golden Triangle Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival in New Delhi.
• Day 2: Explore Delhi's attractions, including Humayun’s Tomb, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, and Raj Ghat, as well as Old Delhi highlights like Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, and more.
• Day 3: In the morning, driving to Agra (210 km / 3.5 hours). After freshening up, enjoy a guided tour of Agra Fort, followed by a sunset visit to the iconic Taj Mahal. Overnight stay in Agra.
• Day 4: Begin the day with a sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal, then drive to Jaipur (250 km / 5 hours), stopping at Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri en route. After checking in, enjoy a free evening to explore the city. Overnight stay in Jaipur.
• Day 5: Tour around Amber Fort. Explore Jaipur city, visiting the Maharaja's City Palace, the Observatory, Ram Niwas Gardens, Hawa Mahal, and driving past the old part of the city. Overnight stay at the hotel here.
• Day 6: Drive back to New Delhi (270 km / 5 hours) to catch a flight back home.

India Quick Tips

• Internet in India: I got a solid internet signal using Airtel while traveling around the country. You can get an e-sim prior to your arrival here.
• Getting a Physical SIM Card in India: As a foreigner, getting a SIM card in India is tricky. You’ll need a copy of your passport (info and address pages), a photo (they can take one if needed), and a form with your permanent address and hotel address. After submission, activation takes about 3 hours. I bought mine at 12 PM, and it was activated by 4 PM. To activate data, call 59059 and answer questions about the details you provided, like your father’s name and hotel address. Providing the correct hotel address is crucial for activation. These steps likely aim to prevent misuse, such as terrorism-related activities, which is why I recommend you get an e-sim instead.
• DO NOT drink water that's not from a sealed bottle: Your stomach isn’t adapted like the locals'. In restaurants, avoid ice in your drinks, most sicknesses come from ice. Always ask for a sealed bottle of water. Be cautious of anyone offering you drinks.
• Touts are inevitable: They may try to be friendly or offer help, expecting tips or purchases in return. Reject them firmly, if you hesitate, they’ll keep bothering you.
• Visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise: You will have the whole place almost to yourself if you are there at sunrise as I did, especially if you are there during the monsoon season (July).
• India is unique, and you may wonder why things work the way they do. Don’t overthink it, stay open-minded and you’ll enjoy India more.

Okay, now that you know what to expect, let's dive into the third solo traveler's journal.

Welcome to India: A Record-Breaking Flood Experience 😅

After a 4-hour flight (Jet Airways) from Bangkok to Delhi, I finally arrived at the airport and was greeted by this amazing art installation. It was in that moment that I knew this trip was going to be epic!

I met my driver, Ram, who greeted me with a welcoming flower (seriously) and handed me a booklet filled with free postcards and tips on what to watch out for in India. He also provided me with a phone equipped with a local SIM card, ensuring that I could reach him anytime. The car was spotless and in excellent condition. Ram speaks basic English, which was enough for me, although I had expected him to offer explanations about the places we visited.

For this trip, I decided to take a risk and visit during the monsoon season, and I wasn't disappointed. As the plane landed, the light shifted from bright to nearly dark, as if it were nighttime, despite it being midday. The rain was pouring heavily for 4-5 hours, causing floods and paralyzing traffic.

Thankfully, I had nothing planned that day except checking into the hotel. However, it was clear how broken the governing system is in India, the traffic lights were out, and cars moved at a snail's pace in every direction. People hid under the tollway, hoping for the rain to stop. It took me over an hour and a half to travel from the airport to my hotel, the Florence Inn.

What a memorable way to be welcomed to India for the first time 😅. After that drive, I checked in, and I called it a day. The hotel was pretty good. It was clean, had good food at the restaurant, and was located at the center of a walking street. It was extremely crowded though, and I didn't get far as I didn't want to get lost on my first day in India 😂.

Exploring What Delhi has to Offer

I was greeted by a guide for the Delhi tour, which was a pleasant surprise since I hadn’t realized they had arranged one. We decided to adjust the itinerary since it was Sunday, and flea markets pop up along the roads around Old Delhi. So, we opted to visit those first.

This is the Red Fort. Since I was there near the end of July, around Indian Independence Day, security was heightened. The guide mentioned we couldn’t go inside, yet I saw people walking around. I suspect he was trying to rush me through the tour to finish early.

After viewing the Red Fort from a distance, we took a rickshaw ride (arranged by the tour) to visit the spice market in Chandni Chowk.

Chandni Chowk is located in Old Delhi, and the guide mentioned that it's primarily populated by working-class Indians. As I looked around, I was struck by the harsh living conditions these people endure daily.

I saw a drunken man sleeping on the floor, surrounded by wet garbage and buzzing flies. I also witnessed a man using his bare hands to sift through a huge pile of trash in search of something valuable to sell.

I was definitely amazed by everything I saw here, not out of disgust, but out of pure amazement. This is life, people making a living with what they have. It made me feel deeply grateful for what I have and taught me to be more humble in my perspective.

We finally arrived at the spice market, just as they were opening. I was given a "tour" of the spice store, which, in reality, was more of a sales pitch. This was my first encounter with an Indian merchant, and let me tell you, they don't give up easily.

While they claim it's a tour, it’s essentially a push to buy something, putting you in a rather uncomfortable position. If you want to avoid being bothered, don’t agree to a tour of their store. I ended up buying a few teas just to get out of the situation.

Next, we headed to Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, located near the Old Delhi district.

This is Jama Masjid. The guide gave me only 15 minutes to explore, as he was rushing through the day. Since it was still morning, the mosque was peaceful. It wasn’t as large as I expected, but it was still impressive.

After visiting Jama Masjid, we headed to Raj Ghat to pay our respects to Gandhi. Raj Ghat is a large park with a small memorial near the entrance. We only stayed for about 30 minutes.

Next, we arrived at Humayun's Tomb, often called the mini Taj Mahal because its design inspired the Taj Mahal. This is one of my favorite sights in Delhi, hands down. It’s peaceful, with vast areas to explore on foot. I wish I had more time here, but unfortunately, the guide only allowed 15 minutes and warned me that I might not get to see everything if I wasn’t on time.

Here are more photos of the tomb. It's truly stunning, isn't it? The architecture and the surroundings make it feel like a peaceful escape from the bustling city. The intricate details and the vast gardens were quite a sight to behold.

Besides the main tomb, there are several other monuments scattered around the grounds that you can explore.

Since it was midday and the heat was starting to get to me, we took a quick peek at the India Gate, a monument built by the British in honor of Indian soldiers who fought in World War I.

Next up, we visited the Indian Parliament. It was mostly a photo-stop rather than a visit, as we were only at the gate for about 5 minutes before we headed over to another sight.

I planned to visit the Lotus Temple, but the line was too long, and I was really hungry, so I decided to snap a photo from the outside instead. I do wish I could have explored the inside, though.

After spending most of the day exploring Delhi, it was time to stop for lunch. Of course, when you're in India, you have to try Butter Chicken and compare it to the dishes you’ve had back home. I loved it, the spices here are no joke!

This is the final stop of the day: the Qutub Minar. I asked the guide to give a brief explanation and then leave me there for two hours so I could explore at my own pace.

I quickly realized that having a guide follow me all day isn’t really my thing. I much prefer discovering every corner on my own, it feels so much more adventurous that way. 😃

And that was it for my second day in India. As usual, the traffic was a mess, and it took us about 2 hours to get back to the hotel.

A Glimpse of Agra

On the third day, it was time to get out of Delhi and visit Agra. I was supposed to check out of the hotel at 9 AM, but my driver was delayed due to traffic, so we pushed it to 10 AM. Since it would take almost 4 hours to drive from Delhi to Agra, I was a bit disappointed as it meant I’d have less time in Agra. However, I understand the necessity, traffic in India is unpredictable.

The journey used to take over 4 hours, but thanks to the new expressway, the journey has been shortened drastically. My driver mentioned that his friend, along with two Australian clients from the same company, was also heading to Agra. Since it was still a long way to go, we ended up racing (safely), waving at each other along the way. 😂

Believe it or not, during the drive, I learned an important life lesson: survival at any cost. We stopped at a rest area for food, and since all the menus were in Hindi, I accidentally ended up ordering a vegetarian meal.

When it arrived, it came with a strange green soup, a sweet fried potato ball, and the typical basmati rice, something I wasn’t used to, especially as a Thai who had always eaten Jasmine rice. It was a strange first experience, to say the least, and it took me a few spoonfuls to get used to how dry the rice was.

Nevertheless, I didn’t have much of a choice as we were at a local highway restaurant, and I was starving! It wasn’t ideal, but it’s all part of the solo travel experience. You learn from your mistakes. To this day, I still have no idea what I ate.

We finally arrived in Agra, but most of the roads were under renovation, causing traffic to be paralyzed for hours. At one point, we even had to drive up a one-way rocky hill just to get through the construction site. We arrived at the hotel (Hotel Crystal Inn) around 4 PM, freshened up, and then headed out to visit Agra Fort.

Here’s Agra Fort. Don’t be fooled by the exterior, inside, you’ll find beautiful green gardens everywhere. It was one of the most peaceful places I’ve been. Since it was evening, there weren’t many people around, allowing me to fully take in the scale and grandeur of the fort. The sheer size of this place is truly mind-blowing.

Only about 25% of the fort is open to visitors, with the rest reserved for military use. Even with just a fraction of the fort accessible, the beauty and scale of the place had me mesmerized from the moment I walked along its corridors.

Here’s the entrance. My guide (provided by the company) explained that the zigzag design was intended to prevent war elephants, which were often high on opium, from charging directly at the gate. The layout also allowed defenders to launch surprise attacks from higher ground in all directions.

Here are some more images from my walk through the fort.

You can see the Taj Mahal from the fort. This fort is where Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal for his wife, was imprisoned by his own son after he took over the throne.

This is the area where Shah Jahan was held during his imprisonment. I spent another 10 minutes walking around the fort before I met up with my driver to continue to our next stop.

I was told I would be guided around the carpet factory. Unfortunately, they gathered me up and started asking which carpet I wanted to buy for my family. This is how they sell things here - they offer a "tour" but quickly put you in an uncomfortable situation trying to sell you stuff. I firmly rejected buying anything, and they immediately showed me the door. They had no further interest in me after that.

Another misleading tour around a marble factory. The workers here cut the marble by hand and stick them one by one, just like the intricate flower designs you see all over the Taj Mahal. It's impressive craftsmanship, but I still have no interest in buying any of them.

And that concludes the third day in India, marking the end of the first part of my journey. The second part will cover my visit to the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, a surprise trip to my driver's hometown to meet his family, and my travels to Jaipur, so stay tuned.

For part 2 of this series of India photo essays, check out:Visiting the Taj Mahal, Agra, and Jaipur

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: For buses, I always go with Omio when traveling in India while for trains, Omio is my go-to place to book all my train travels in advance.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Further Reading for South Asia

Looking for more information for your trip to South Asia? Here are a collection of articles about South Asia that might help you with planning your trip.

• Here are a few important things you should know before visiting Bhutan: 11 Important Things to Know Before Visiting Bhutan.
• If you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path country to visit, why not check out Bhutan, the land of happiness during one of its famous festivals? Here is an itinerary for you: 7 Days Bhutan Festival Itinerary.
• Pakistan is rich with culture, history, and stunning landscape. It is, after all, the place where the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, and the Karakoram mountain range meet. Here's the ultimate guide and one-month itinerary for backpacking in Pakistan.
• One of the best road trips you can do in the world is to traverse the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, which connects the country with China. Here's the ultimate guide to traveling the Karakoram Highway.
• There are also some short treks in Nepal for you to do, such as the Annapurna Base Camp. Here's a complete guide on how to hike the Annapurna Base Camp in 7 days solo.
• Annapurna Base Camp is a 7-day hike, and there is quite a lot you will have to pack for the hike. Here is What To Pack For Everest Base Camp Hike - A Complete Packing List.
• If you are feeling a little too intimidated by India, you can start off your journey in South Asia by visiting Sri Lanka first. Here's a complete 2-week itinerary for Sri Lanka.
• You can also watch my travel videos about South Asia here: Sri Lanka travel video, Nepal travel video, and Pakistan travel video.
• Want to know where to go after India? How about trekking in Nepal, exploring Sri Lanka by train, or going off-the-beaten-path and backpacking through Pakistan?
• For all articles about India, visit India Travel Guide page.
• You can see all of my South Asia-related articles on my South Asia Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.