How many days do you need for the Golden Triangle in India?

Seven days is ideal from Singapore: two in Delhi, a day and a half in Agra and two in Jaipur. Five days is possible, but most afternoons go to driving.

What cities are in India's Golden Triangle?

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The three form a triangle on the map, joined by about 750 km of road.

How long is the flight from Singapore to Delhi?

About 5 hours 50 minutes nonstop. Singapore Airlines, Air India and IndiGo fly the route.

Do Singaporeans need a visa for India?

Yes. Most use the e-Tourist visa on India's official portal, applying at least 4 days before arrival. The High Commission of India in Singapore lists US$25 per person, plus a 3% bank charge.

What is the best time to visit the Golden Triangle?

October to March. February and March are the most comfortable. December and January can bring fog and cold mornings, and April to June is very hot.

Is the Taj Mahal open every day?

No. It closes on Fridays. On other days it opens from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset.

Is the Golden Triangle safe for families and solo women?

Many families and women travel this route each year, particularly with a private car and a known guide. Use normal care: dress modestly and avoid walking alone at night in unfamiliar areas.

The Taj Mahal from the reflecting pool, Agra, India

Travel Guide

Golden Triangle India from Singapore: How Many Days, Itinerary and Flights

Q: How much does a Golden Triangle tour cost from Singapore?

Our 7-day trip starts from S$992 per person, twin share, on the lowest-priced departure shown on 4 November 2026. Flights, most meals, insurance and tips are extra.

Muzamil Nazir · 4 November 2026 · 10 min read

Muzamil Nazir

Destination Coordinator, India

4 November 2026

10 min read

In short

India's Golden Triangle is the road loop linking Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, about 750 km in all. Seven days is the right length from Singapore: two days in Delhi, one and a half in Agra for the Taj Mahal, and two in Jaipur, with time to rest after the long drives. Five days is possible but rushed. Nonstop flights from Changi to Delhi take about 5 hours 50 minutes, and Singapore passport holders can apply online for an e-Tourist visa. Go between October and March, avoid Delhi's fog-prone weeks in late December and January if your flights are tight, and remember that the Taj Mahal closes on Fridays. Our 7-day trip starts from S$992, without flights.

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is the trip most first-time visitors to India take, and it is an easy one to book badly. A day-by-day plan that forgets the Taj's Friday closure or a 6-hour drive can cost you the reason you came. This guide sets out how many days you need from Singapore, a full route, and the practical details most itineraries leave out. All our India tours from Singapore are run with licensed local partners in India.

How many days do you need for the Golden Triangle?

Days	What you get	Who it suits
4 to 5	Taj Mahal, Amber Fort and a fast look at Delhi	Short on leave, happy with long days
6	Everything main, at a steady pace	A week off with flights
7	All three cities, with a slower Jaipur day	Most first-time visitors
10	Adds tiger safaris in Ranthambore	Families and wildlife lovers

The roads decide this. Delhi to Agra is about 230 km and 3.5 to 4 hours on the expressway, Agra to Jaipur about 240 km and 6 to 8 hours with stops, and Jaipur back to Delhi about 275 km and 5.5 hours. With fewer than six days, nearly every afternoon goes to driving. Our 7-day India Golden Triangle fits into about five days of annual leave around a weekend, and the 10-day trip with Ranthambore adds tiger safaris.

Flights from Singapore to Delhi

Singapore Airlines, Air India and IndiGo fly nonstop from Changi in about 5 hours 50 minutes, into Indira Gandhi International Airport. Delhi is 2.5 hours behind Singapore. For the way home, Air India's AI380 leaves Terminal 3 at 22:25 and reaches Changi at 07:00, which gives you a full last day, while AI382 leaves at 13:25 and lands at 21:45. Check current times when you book, as schedules change.

The Surya sculpture in the arrivals hall at Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi

Terminal 3, Delhi airport

India visa for Singaporeans

Singapore passport holders need a visa, and most use the e-Tourist visa on India's official portal. Apply at least 4 days before arrival, with a passport valid for six months or more. The 30-day visa allows multiple entries but cannot be extended. The High Commission of India in Singapore lists US$25 per person, plus a 3% bank charge, but check the official fee table before you pay. Use only the official site, because many lookalike sites charge far more. You apply for the visa yourself, and we are happy to explain the form.

The 7-day Golden Triangle itinerary

This is the route of our own 7-day trip, in the order that works best from Changi.

Day 1: Land in Delhi

Arrive from Singapore and meet your driver. An easy afternoon drive along Kartavya Path from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhavan, then the Lotus Temple, which is closed on Mondays.

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi

Day 2: Old and New Delhi

Start early at Jama Masjid, take a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk and see the Red Fort. After lunch, visit Humayun's Tomb, the garden tomb that came before the Taj, and the 73-metre Qutub Minar. End with an easy evening stroll around Connaught Place. Mosques ask for covered arms and legs, and robes are lent at the gate.

Agra Fort above the Yamuna

Day 3: Delhi to Agra

Drive about 230 km on the expressway, which takes 3.5 to 4 hours. Walk through Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan is said to have spent his last years looking across the river at the Taj. Finish at Mehtab Bagh on the far bank for sunset over the Taj Mahal, with far fewer people than at the main gate.

Day 4: The Taj Mahal at sunrise, then on to Jaipur

Reach the Taj Mahal gates before opening for the softest light and the thinnest crowds. After breakfast, it is about 240 km and 6 to 8 hours with stops to Jaipur, through Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned capital, and Chand Baori, one of India's deepest stepwells. This is the longest day, so keep your bags light.

Amber Fort on its hillside

Day 5: Jaipur's forts and palaces

Go up to Amber Fort early, before the heat and the tour coaches. Our trip includes an elephant ride up the ramp; tell us if you would rather walk or go by jeep. Stop at Jal Mahal, then see the City Palace, the giant sundials of Jantar Mantar and the 953 small windows of the Hawa Mahal.

Day 6: A slower day in Jaipur

Visit the marble cenotaphs of Gaitore, then shop for block prints, gems and blue pottery at Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar, where bargaining is expected. Watch the sunset from Nahargarh Fort above the city.

Day 7: Back to Delhi and home

Drive about 275 km and 5.5 hours to Delhi airport. Leave after breakfast, and allow extra time if you are flying that evening.

Getting the Taj Mahal right

Almost every trip is built around one morning, so it is worth getting the details right. According to the official Taj Mahal site:

Closed on Fridays. Count back from your flights to make sure your Agra morning is not a Friday. We plan each departure around this.
Hours: from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset.
Tickets for foreign visitors: the site lists Rs 1,100, plus Rs 200 to enter the main mausoleum, and tickets can be bought online. Some recent guides quote slightly more, so check when you book. Tickets are included on our trips.
Night viewing: five nights a month around the full moon, in small timed groups of 50, for 30 minutes.
Bring little. Security is strict, so leave large bags, food and tripods at the hotel.

Best time to do the Golden Triangle

October to March is the season. These are the average figures for Delhi, by day and by night:

October and November: about 33°C and 20°C in October, cooling after that. Dry and a fine time to go, although Delhi's air quality often drops sharply from late October, so people with asthma should come prepared.
December and January: about 22°C and 8°C, or 19°C and 8°C. Pleasant days and cold mornings, so bring a jacket. Dense fog can delay early flights and hide the Taj at dawn.
February and March: warming and clear, with Holi expected on 22 March 2027. This is our pick for comfort.
April to June: very hot, averaging about 37°C in April and 41°C in May. Sightseeing is only for early mornings.
July to September: the monsoon. Hot and humid, with green gardens and few visitors.

From Singapore in 2027, the March school holidays on 13 to 21 March and the year-end holidays from 20 November are the best fits. Deepavali on 28 October is a beautiful time in Jaipur, though busy. The June holidays are too hot for most families.

The Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

PLANNING

Private car or group?

A private car with a driver is the usual way to do this route, because stops, meals and pace can follow your family, and door to door it beats the train for Jaipur. Our trips run in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver and a local English-speaking guide for sightseeing.

What a Golden Triangle trip costs from Singapore

Our 7-day trip starts from S$992 per person and our 10-day trip with Ranthambore from S$1,502, both twin share for two on the lowest-priced departure shown on 4 November 2026. The 7-day price includes six nights in 4-star hotels, daily breakfast, the car and driver, a local English-speaking guide and entrance tickets to every monument named in the itinerary.

On top of that, budget for your return flights, lunches and dinners, travel insurance, tips for your guide and driver, and shopping. The tour page always shows the current price and dates.

Practical tips for travellers from Singapore

Food: Singaporeans will feel at home with North Indian dishes, but the spicing differs from Little India's. Halal food is easy to find around Old Delhi and Agra, and vegetarians are extremely well served. Tell us in advance about any dietary needs.
Stomach upsets: drink sealed bottled water, skip ice and raw salads from stalls, and carry rehydration salts and your own medicine.
Dress: loose, modest clothes suit the climate and the temples. Keep a scarf with you for mosques and shrines.
Touts: at the big sights, you may meet people offering guides, gem deals or shortcuts. A polite no is enough; your guide will steer you past them.
Women travellers: a private car and a known guide make this route comfortable. Dress modestly, and avoid walking alone after dark in unfamiliar areas.
Money: carry some rupees for tips and small purchases. Cards work in hotels and bigger shops.
Adding Kashmir: on 23 July 2026, the MFA advised Singaporeans to defer non-essential travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which our Kashmir, Agra and Jaipur trip visits. That advice to defer covers Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur, not Delhi, Agra or Jaipur. Read the current notice before you choose this trip.

Where to go after the Golden Triangle

Ranthambore: tiger safaris between Agra and Jaipur, on our 10-day trip. Tigers are never guaranteed.
Kashmir: Dal Lake and the mountains, combined with Agra and Jaipur on our 8-day Kashmir trip. Check current travel advice before booking.
Varanasi: the Ganges at dawn, on our 11-day Spiritual and Heritage trip.

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in pictures