India’s Golden Triangle 10-day Itinerary

The distinctive concentric circles and radial roads of Connaught Place (officially renamed Rajiv Chowk in 2013 to honour assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi), mark the commercial heart of Delhi. Its curving two-storey buildings with classical facades were loosely modelled on Bath’s Royal Crescent.

Lutyens’s ‘triumphal arch’ is actually a war memorial to the many thousands of soldiers in the British Indian Army who died between 1914 and 1921. Inaugurated in 1931, it is illuminated each evening.

Parliament House, or Sansad Bhavan, is home to India’s two houses of parliament. Designed by Lutyens and fellow architect Herbert Baker, its striking circular design features a central domed chamber and several subsidiary halls.

Britain’s rule from 1858 to independence in 1947 known as the ‘Raj’ was a defining period in India’s history.

Stunning mausoleum and precursor to the Taj Mahal, with tranquil well-maintained gardens.

Among Delhi’s quietest and leafiest parks, Lodi Gardens contain several 15th- and 16th-century tombs and monuments, most relating to the Afghan Lodi dynasty, which was eventually replaced by the Mughals.

The former bungalow residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is now a slightly macabre museum. Assassinated here in 1984 by her bodyguards, even that very spot remains spotted with blood.

Hire a cycle rickshaw for a genuine, earthy experience of Old Delhi’s atmospheric backstreets.

Vast sandstone-walled fort with gardens, audience halls and royal apartments – a high point of Mughal military architecture.

Completed in 1656 by Emperor Shah Jahan, this is one of India’s largest and most beautiful mosques.

An extraordinary modern temple complex, drawing on traditional religious architecture and design.

The National Museum houses five millennia’s worth of Indian culture alongside an eclectic collection of its celebrated art forms.

A unique opportunity to experience traditional devotional music, performed in the courtyard of an ancient Sufi tomb-shrine in south Delhi.

A solid and dependable luxury hotel with top-notch facilities, including an ayurvedic spa, a lovely swimming pool and famous restaurants.

India’s iconic landmark and one of the world’s most beautiful buildings readily matches, if not exceeds, the hype. Built in 1653 by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to entomb his wife, Mumtaz.

One of Agra’s cheeriest markets is a fun and colourful Aladdin’s cave of everything from cosmetics and perfume to decorative knick-knacks and artefacts.

Agra’s finest hotel boasts unfussy luxury with uninterrupted views of the Taj Mahal and architecture of refined Mughal and Rajput design.

A symbol of Mughal military might, this massive, rust-red fort, built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1573, is an almost self-contained royal city.

An atmospheric ‘ghost city’ that provides a fascinating and unique insight into the Mughal court, and superb example of Mughal planning and architecture.

One of India’s most celebrated empires and dynasties, which profoundly shaped the country’s history and culture, while leaving a distinctive and stunning architectural legacy.

Superb and photogenic example of medieval step well architecture, a form once commonly used across Rajasthan and Gujarat states.

One of Rajasthan’s great maharaja fortress-palace complexes, dating back to the 16th century, set amidst a spectacular backdrop of stark hills.

A beautiful boutique hotel combining heritage and romance in an atmospheric corner of the Old City.

A fascinating, and among the best-preserved palace complex in Rajasthan, set in the heart of Jaipur’s Old City.

Designed to lend seclusion to ladies of the royal court, the intricate lattice-screened and salmon-pink facade of the Hawa Mahal is among the most iconic of Jaipur’s buildings.

Vibrant Johari Bazaar encapsulates the city’s reputation as India’s main gemstone and jewellery centre, with artisans’ workshops dotting its lanes and alleys.

Experience the Bollywood phenomenon at one of India’s most famous and flamboyant cinemas. It remains a Jaipur landmark and often screens movies to a full house.

Experience the thrill of spotting one of the world’s last remaining wild tigers on a game drive in the Ranthambore National Park, one of India’s most picturesque and easily-visited reserves.

Experience the thrill of spotting one of the world’s last remaining wild tigers on a game drive in the Ranthambore National Park, one of India’s most picturesque and easily-visited reserves.