Golden Triangle Tour with Ajanta & Ellora Caves — 8 Days, 7 Nights
Overview
This 8-day journey unites the Golden Triangle with the extraordinary rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora near Aurangabad — two UNESCO World Heritage Sites whose Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples and murals were carved into the cliffs over a thousand years ago. A rare combination of Mughal heritage and India’s ancient art, all privately guided.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive in Delhi
Your guide meets you on arrival and transfers you to your hotel. Delhi has been the seat of empires for over a thousand years — from the Delhi Sultanate to the Mughals and the British Raj. The evening is at leisure to settle in.
- Private welcome & hotel transfer
- Evening at leisure
- Trip briefing with your guide
Delhi — Agra: Taj Mahal & Agra Fort
After breakfast, drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway (about 3.5–4 hours). Visit the Taj Mahal — Shah Jahan’s white-marble mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — with your guide, then tour the red-sandstone Agra Fort, the Mughals’ fortified seat of power.
- Drive to Agra
- Taj Mahal with your guide
- Agra Fort
- Optional Mehtab Bagh sunset
Agra — Fatehpur Sikri — Jaipur
Drive to Jaipur, stopping at Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar’s perfectly preserved red-sandstone capital of 1571. Continue to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, arriving by evening to settle into the Pink City.
- Fatehpur Sikri guided stop
- Scenic drive to Jaipur
- Evening at leisure
Jaipur sightseeing
Explore Jaipur, painted pink in 1876 for the Prince of Wales: the hilltop Amber Fort of the Kachhwaha Rajputs, the 1799 Hawa Mahal with its 953 windows, the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory, a UNESCO site with the world’s largest stone sundial, with time for handicrafts and gems.
- Amber Fort & Hawa Mahal
- City Palace & Jantar Mantar
- Shopping in the bazaars
Jaipur — Aurangabad
Fly from Jaipur to Aurangabad, the gateway to the cave temples. The rest of the day is at leisure; you may visit Bibi ka Maqbara, a Mughal tomb often called the ‘mini Taj’.
- Flight to Aurangabad
- Bibi ka Maqbara
- Evening at leisure
Ajanta Caves
A full-day excursion to the Ajanta Caves, around 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the 2nd century BCE, celebrated for their exquisite murals and sculpture.
- Ajanta Caves (UNESCO)
- Ancient Buddhist murals
- Expert guide
Ellora Caves
Explore the Ellora Caves, 34 monasteries and temples carved side by side — Buddhist, Hindu and Jain — including the breathtaking Kailasa Temple, the world’s largest monolithic rock excavation.
- Ellora Caves (UNESCO)
- Kailasa Temple
- Buddhist, Hindu & Jain shrines
Aurangabad — Delhi & departure
Fly back to Delhi for your onward connection, having seen both the Mughal Golden Triangle and India’s greatest ancient cave art.
- Flight to Delhi
- Onward connection
What’s Included
Included
- Private air-conditioned car (Delhi — Agra — Jaipur) with driver
- Certified English-speaking guide
- Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
- Hotel & airport pickups and transfers; bottled water and all taxes
Not included
- Monument entry fees
- Lunches and dinners
- Tips for guide & driver (at your discretion)
- Personal expenses
- Domestic flights (Jaipur — Aurangabad, Aurangabad — Delhi) unless added to your quote
Vehicles, Travel & Hotels
- Private AC sedan / SUV / tempo traveller, sized to your group
- Jaipur — Aurangabad and Aurangabad — Delhi by flight
- Hotels from comfortable 3-star to luxury, matched to your budget
What Travellers Say About This Trip
“My wife and I did the Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Ashish was a fantastic, knowledgeable guide, fluent in English and flexible with our itinerary. We always felt safe. Highly recommend.”
“Excellent, enjoyable tour! All arrangements were smooth. Our guide was wonderful — knowledgeable, friendly and flexible, giving us time to appreciate the Taj.”