India Golden Triangle

India is easier to travel in than its reputation suggests, and a little preparation makes it easier still. Everything below is what a Singapore traveller usually wants settled before booking.

Fitness

No special fitness is needed. The longest walks are around Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Amber Fort, each an hour or two on uneven stone with some steps. The Taj Mahal complex involves a fair amount of walking between the gates and the mausoleum. The car is never far away, and your guide sets the pace.

Weather and what to wear

From October to March the days are warm and dry, often in the mid twenties, but December and January mornings in Delhi and Agra can drop close to five degrees, with fog that sometimes delays flights and slows the roads. Bring a light jacket or fleece for those months. From April to June it regularly passes 40 degrees, far drier and harsher than Singapore heat. Choose loose cotton or linen that covers shoulders and knees, which also suits every temple and mosque on the route.

Money

The currency is the Indian rupee. Cards are widely accepted at hotels, larger restaurants and established shops, but you will want cash for rickshaws, tips, small stalls and the bazaars. ATMs are common in all three cities and are the simplest way to get rupees; tell your bank before you travel. Singapore dollars can be changed at the airport and at authorised money changers, though US dollars are more widely accepted.

Connectivity

Hotel Wi-Fi is normal in all three cities. For data on the road, an e-SIM bought before you leave Singapore is the easiest option. A local SIM is cheaper but needs your passport, your visa and a photo, and activation can take several hours, so buy it on day one rather than when you need it.

Food

North Indian food is one of the best reasons to come, and India is the easiest country in the world to eat vegetarian. Spice levels vary, and restaurants will cook milder if you ask. Halal food is widely available, particularly around Jama Masjid in Old Delhi and in Mughal-style restaurants in Agra. Eat where food is cooked fresh and hot, and drink only bottled or filtered water. Lunch and dinner are not included, so your guide and driver are happy to suggest reliable places at every price level.

Plugs

India uses Type C, D and M sockets at 230 volts. Singapore's Type G plug will not fit, so pack a universal adapter.

Singapore passport holders need a visa to visit India. For a holiday like this one, the simplest route is the Indian e-Visa, which you apply for yourself online before you travel. There is no visa on arrival for Singaporeans.

The e-Visa

Apply on the Government of India's official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in, and nowhere else: many lookalike sites charge a heavy service fee for the same form. You upload a passport scan and a recent photo and pay online. Apply at least four days before you arrive, and we suggest doing it a few weeks ahead. Most approvals come through within a few working days. The e-Tourist visa is offered as a 30-day, one-year or five-year visa, and the 30-day version covers this trip comfortably.

Your passport

Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive in India and have at least two blank pages. Keep a printed or saved copy of your e-Visa approval with you, as airline staff at Changi may ask to see it before boarding.

Arriving in Delhi

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is an approved e-Visa entry point. At immigration your approval is checked against your passport, your fingerprints and photo are taken, and the visa is stamped in. Rules and fees change, so check the official site before you apply and ask our team if anything is unclear.

Delhi is one of the easiest Indian cities to reach from Changi. Singapore Airlines, Air India and IndiGo all fly the route non-stop, with several departures a day between them.

How long it takes

Singapore to Delhi takes about five hours and fifty minutes, and the return is a little shorter, at around five and a half hours. Delhi is two and a half hours behind Singapore, so an afternoon departure from Changi lands in Delhi in the late afternoon local time.

Choosing your flights

Day one is planned as an arrival day, with light sightseeing in the afternoon, so a morning flight from Singapore works best. On day seven you leave Jaipur after breakfast and reach Delhi airport after a drive of about five and a half hours, so book a return flight that leaves in the evening or later. Delhi traffic can be slow, and a tight connection is the one thing that turns a relaxed last day into a stressful one.

Planning around it

Flight times change by season, so we confirm the timings with you at booking rather than publishing a schedule that dates. In December and January, winter fog occasionally delays flights in and out of Delhi, so keep the day after the tour clear if you can and make sure your travel insurance covers delays and missed connections.

Most visitors come home from the Golden Triangle with nothing worse than tired feet. A few simple habits keep it that way.

Stomach

The most common problem is an upset stomach, usually from water or raw food rather than from spice. Drink bottled or filtered water only, including for brushing your teeth, and skip ice unless you trust the kitchen. Eat food that is cooked fresh and served hot, and peel your own fruit. Bring oral rehydration salts and your usual stomach medicine from Singapore.

Heat and sun

North Indian heat is drier than Singapore's, so you lose water without feeling sweaty. Carry a bottle in the car, wear a hat and sunscreen at the forts, and take the afternoon break at the hotel seriously if you are travelling between April and June.

Air quality

From late October to January, Delhi's air quality can be poor, sometimes much worse than the haze Singapore sees in a bad year. If you have asthma or a heart or lung condition, bring your medication and a few well-fitting masks, and speak to your doctor before you travel.

Vaccinations and medication

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travellers arriving from Singapore. Your doctor or a travel clinic can advise on routine immunisations based on your own history. Bring enough of any regular medication for the whole trip plus a few spare days, in original packaging and in your hand luggage.

If something goes wrong

Delhi and Jaipur both have large private hospitals of a good standard, and your driver and guide know where to go. Travel insurance covering medical treatment, evacuation and cancellation is strongly recommended.

India is a country of many faiths, and the Golden Triangle takes you through mosques, temples and working royal palaces in a single week. A few habits show respect and make every visit smoother.

Mosques, temples and gurudwaras

Cover your shoulders and knees at every religious site. Shoes come off before you enter a mosque, a temple or the Lotus Temple, so slip-on footwear saves time. At Jama Masjid, robes are available at the gate for anyone whose clothing does not cover enough. If you add a visit to a Sikh gurudwara such as Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi, everyone, men and women alike, covers their head, and scarves are provided at the entrance.

Photography

Photography is welcome in most monument grounds, but not inside the main mausoleum at the Taj Mahal, and some sites charge a small camera fee. Ask before photographing people, especially women, and respect a no. Inside the Lotus Temple visitors keep silence.

Bargaining

In the bazaars of Old Delhi and Jaipur, bargaining is expected and good-humoured. Start well below the first price, stay friendly and be ready to walk away. Fixed-price government emporiums are an easy alternative when you do not want to haggle.

Everyday manners

A simple namaste, palms together, works as a greeting everywhere. Use your right hand to give and receive things and to eat. Public displays of affection are best kept low-key, particularly in the older parts of the cities. Tipping is customary for guides, drivers and hotel staff.

You are not handed a voucher and left to it. Whether you join a small-group departure or book the itinerary privately for your own party, you have an air-conditioned vehicle and a professional driver for the whole journey, and a local English-speaking guide who joins you for the sightseeing in each city.

Support line: +65 80961243
Support email: travel@hsj.sg

What your guide is for

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur each have their own local guides, and that is a strength rather than a gap. The guide in Agra knows the Taj Mahal gates and the queues, the guide in Jaipur knows which courtyard of Amber Fort is quietest at ten in the morning. Much of what makes a Mughal tomb or a Rajput palace make sense is not written on a sign anywhere. Ask questions. That is what the day is for.

While you are away

Our operations team is reachable throughout your trip for itinerary changes, flight delays or anything unexpected, and we are only two and a half hours ahead of you rather than asleep when you need us. If fog moves your flight or a monument closes without warning, we rework the plan and deal with the hotels rather than leaving you to it.