The Taj Mahal and the Ganges

Who it is for

For anyone who wants the Golden Triangle plus the sacred river, on a first trip to India.

Not for anyone who wants calm, since all four cities are crowded.

The strategy

The Golden Triangle comes first, with Agra between Delhi and Jaipur. Plan a morning for the Taj Mahal according to its visitor calendar. Varanasi closes the trip; check how to get there from Jaipur, allowing for any connections, rather than treating a flight from Delhi as a direct continuation of the circuit.

What you will see

• Red Fort, New Delhi. Shah Jahan's palace-fortress, built between 1638 and 1648, with 2.4 km of red sandstone walls and a World Heritage listing since 2007.
• Taj Mahal, Agra. Mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal, commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1632 and completed around 1653, in Makrana marble inlaid with semiprecious stones.
• Amber Fort, Jaipur. Palace-fortress started in 1592 by Man Singh I on Cheel ka Teela hill, 11 km from the center, with four terraced courtyards.
• Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi. The city's main Shiva temple, in the form rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780, with towers plated in gold paid for by Ranjit Singh in the 1830s.

Day by day

New Delhi

1. 1
   Day 1: Shahjahanabad, from the fort to the spice market

   1. 1Red Fort (Lal Qila)Essential
   2. 2Jama MasjidUp to half an hourEssential
2. 2
   Day 2: Sultanate-era Delhi, from south to center

   1. 4Qutub Minar and the Iron PillarWorth a visit
   2. 7Lodhi GardenWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: Mughals, Sufis and Lutyens's city

   1. 3Humayun's Tomb and Sunder NurseryEssential
   2. 9Kartavya Path and India GateIf there is time
   3. 6Rashtrapati Bhavan and Amrit UdyanWorth a visit
   4. 5Dargah of Nizamuddin AuliyaWorth a visit
   5. 8Gurudwara Bangla SahibUp to half an hourWorth a visit

Agra

1. 4
   Day 4: The Taj and the Fort

   1. 2Agra FortEssential
   2. 4Mehtab BaghWorth a visit
2. 5
   Day 5: Fatehpur Sikri and the marble

   1. 6Jama MasjidUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 3Itimad-ud-DaulahUp to half an hourEssential
3. 6
   Day 6: Sikandra, the market and the left bank · if you have more time

   1. 6Jama MasjidUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 8Chini ka RauzaUp to half an hourIf there is time
   3. 9Ram BaghUp to half an hourIf there is time

Jaipur

1. 7
   Day 7: The 1727 city, on foot

   1. 5Hawa MahalWorth a visit
   2. 2NahargarhEssential
   3. 4Jantar MantarUp to half an hourEssential
   4. 6Albert Hall MuseumWorth a visit
2. 8
   Day 8: The triangle of forts

   1. 9JaigarhIf there is time
   2. 8Panna Meena ka Kund and Patrika GateWorth a visit
   3. 2NahargarhEssential
   4. Jal MahalIf there is time
3. 9
   Day 9: Workshops, neighborhoods, and cinema · if you have more time

   1. 7GaltajiWorth a visit

Varanasi

1. 10
   Day 10: The river, south to north

   1. 4Assi GhatEssential
   2. 1Kashi Vishwanath and the DhamOne to two hoursEssential
2. 11
   Day 11: Sarnath and the university

   1. 5SarnathWorth a visit
   2. 4Assi GhatEssential
3. 12
   Day 12: Ramnagar, looms and lanes · if you have more time