India Golden Triangle & Ranthambore Tiger Safari

North India is busy, loud and generous, and it rewards a little preparation. Everything below is what a Singapore traveller usually wants settled before booking.

Fitness

No special fitness is needed. The most walking comes at Fatehpur Sikri, Amber Fort and Ranthambore Fort, where there are ramps, uneven stone and steps, all at your own pace. The safaris are seated but bumpy, and each one lasts about three hours. Days start early at the Taj Mahal and in Ranthambore, so a nap in the afternoon is part of the plan rather than a luxury.

Weather and what to wear

From October to March the days are dry and warm, and the mornings and evenings are cool. In December and January Delhi and Rajasthan can drop close to single figures at dawn, and an open safari vehicle at first light is properly cold, so bring a warm layer and a hat. Fog often sits over the plains in winter and can slow morning drives. From April to June it is very hot, often above 40 degrees in Rajasthan, and the monsoon arrives around July. Dress for temples in loose, light clothes that cover shoulders and knees.

Money

India uses the rupee. Cards are accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and the bigger shops, and ATMs are easy to find in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Bring cash for market stalls, small purchases and tips. You can change Singapore dollars in Singapore before you go or at the airport and in the cities on arrival. Ranthambore has far fewer ATMs, so draw what you need in Agra.

Connectivity

Mobile data is good in all four cities and patchy inside the national park. You can buy a local SIM with your passport and visa, which takes some paperwork, or set up an e-SIM before you leave Singapore, which is usually the easier option. Hotel Wi-Fi is normal but not always fast.

Food

North Indian food is one of the reasons to come, and it is easy to eat well. Rajasthan in particular is strongly vegetarian, so vegetarian travellers are well looked after everywhere. Spice levels vary, and you can always ask for less. Halal food is widely available in Delhi and Agra and harder to find in rural Rajasthan, so tell us your needs when you book. Eat freshly cooked hot food, drink bottled water, and take street food advice from your guide.

Air quality in Delhi

From late October to January Delhi's air quality can be poor, especially in the mornings. If you have asthma or a breathing condition, bring your medication and consider a mask for the Delhi days. Agra, Ranthambore and Jaipur are usually better.

Singapore passport holders need a visa for India. The simplest route for this trip is the Indian e-Visa, applied for online on the official Government of India portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, before you fly. There is no need to visit an embassy.

The e-Tourist Visa

You can apply at least four days and at most 120 days before your arrival date. The 30-day e-Tourist Visa, counted from your first arrival, covers this ten-day trip comfortably, and longer one-year and five-year versions exist if you plan to return. You upload a passport-style photo and a scan of your passport's photo page, pay the fee online, and receive an electronic travel authorisation by email. Print it and carry it with your passport.

Passport and arrival

Your passport must have at least six months of validity when you apply and at least two blank pages. Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is one of the designated e-Visa entry points, and you complete biometrics at immigration on arrival. Apply only through the official portal: several look-alike websites charge extra for the same visa.

Rules change

Visa fees and requirements are set by the Government of India and can change. We confirm the current position with you when you book, and our team is happy to look over your application before you submit it.

Delhi is one of the easiest long-haul cities to reach from Changi. Singapore Airlines, Air India and IndiGo all fly the route direct, and the flight takes about five hours and forty-five minutes to six hours. It is a shorter flight than Tokyo, and you land in the same afternoon or evening you leave.

Arriving

Day one is kept light, with a rest at the hotel and an afternoon in Old Delhi, so a morning departure from Singapore that lands in Delhi in the early afternoon works best. If your flight arrives late in the day, tell us and we will move the Chandni Chowk and Red Fort visit to fit.

Going home

The tour ends in Jaipur and drives back to Delhi on the last day, which takes about five to six hours depending on traffic. Book an evening or late-night flight home from Delhi, not an afternoon one. The flight back to Singapore takes about five and a half hours.

Planning around it

Winter fog in North India can delay flights in December and January, particularly early in the morning. Schedules change by season, so we confirm timings with you at booking rather than publishing a timetable that dates. Make sure your travel insurance covers delay and missed connections, and keep a little slack either side of the trip if you can.

There is no altitude to think about on this trip, since every stop sits on the plains. The things that matter are the sun, the food and water, and pacing yourself through busy days.

Stomach and water

Drink bottled or filtered water only, and use it to brush your teeth too. Eat hot, freshly cooked food, and go easy on raw salads and cut fruit from street stalls in the first few days. Bring your usual remedies for an upset stomach and oral rehydration salts. Most people have a trouble-free trip by following these simple rules.

Heat and sun

Singapore's heat is humid; Rajasthan's is dry, and it dehydrates you faster than you notice. Even in winter the midday sun at Amber Fort and Fatehpur Sikri is strong. Drink water steadily through the day, wear a hat and sunscreen, and use the rest time in the middle of the day. From April onwards, take the heat seriously.

Before you travel

There are no compulsory vaccinations for entry from Singapore. See your doctor or a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go for advice on routine and recommended vaccinations. Bring enough of any regular medication for the whole trip plus a few spare days, in original packaging, in your hand luggage.

If something goes wrong

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur all have good private hospitals, and your driver and guide know where to go. Ranthambore is more remote, and the nearest large hospitals are in Jaipur. Travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation is strongly recommended.

This route passes Hindu temples, a Sikh gurudwara, a Baha'i house of worship and Mughal mosques and tombs, and each has its own simple rules. Your guide will tell you at the door, and a little effort goes a long way.

Temples and holy places

Cover your shoulders and knees at every religious site. Shoes come off before you enter temples and the gurudwara, so slip-on shoes save time, and socks help on marble that is hot at midday. At Gurudwara Bangla Sahib everyone covers their head, men and women alike; scarves are provided at the entrance if you do not have one. Walk quietly, and do not point your feet at a shrine.

Photography

Cameras are welcome at most monuments. At Akshardham phones and cameras are not allowed inside at all and must be left at the cloakroom. Inside the Taj Mahal's tomb chamber photography is not allowed. Always ask before photographing people, and expect some people to ask to photograph you too.

Bargaining and shopping

In Johari Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar and Chandni Chowk, bargaining is normal and good-humoured. Start well below the asking price and settle somewhere in the middle. Fixed-price government emporiums exist if you prefer not to haggle. For gems and jewellery, buy only with a proper receipt and certificate.

People

Indians are curious and friendly, and conversations start easily. A namaste with folded hands is a warm greeting anywhere. Tipping is expected for guides, drivers and hotel staff, and your guide can suggest amounts.

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 travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver for the whole journey, and a local English-speaking guide meets you for the sightseeing in each city. That means a Delhi expert in Delhi, an Agra guide at the Taj, and a Jaipur guide among the palaces, each one local to the place you are in.

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

What your guides are for

Much of what makes a Mughal tomb or a Rajput fort make sense is not written on any sign. Your guides handle tickets and queues, explain what you are looking at, and know which lane in the bazaar is worth the time. In Ranthambore the safari is led by the park's own naturalist and driver, as the forest department requires. 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 in a time zone close to yours rather than asleep when you need us. If fog delays a flight or a road is closed, we rework the plan and deal with the hotels, so you do not have to.