Golden Triangle & Goa Beach Tour – 10 Days

On arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport, a representative from Payless Tours India greets you at the exit with a name board and escorts you to your private car. The drive to a central Delhi hotel takes around forty-five minutes, depending on the time of day. After check-in and a rest, your guide meets you in the hotel lobby for an afternoon in Old Delhi, the walled city that Shah Jahan founded as Shahjahanabad in 1639. Your first stop is Raj Ghat, a plain black marble platform on the Yamuna bank that marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated in 1948. An eternal flame burns at one end, and visitors remove their shoes before walking on the lawn.

A few minutes away stands Jama Masjid, completed in 1656 and still the largest mosque in India, with a courtyard that holds up to 25,000 worshippers at Friday prayers. You climb the broad red sandstone steps of the eastern gate, and robes are provided at the entrance for visitors in shorts or sleeveless tops. If you are fit, the climb up the narrow southern minaret gives a wide view over the rooftops towards the Red Fort. Your guide will explain how the mosque was laid out on a small hill so it would stand above the imperial city, and how the white marble domes were striped with black to make them visible from a distance.

You then board a cycle rickshaw for a ride through Chandni Chowk, the main market street of the Mughal capital, now packed with wholesale stalls selling saris, silver, spices and wedding cards. The rickshaw squeezes through Kinari Bazaar and Dariba Kalan before stopping at the spice market of Khari Baoli, where sacks of dried chillies, turmeric and cardamom line the lanes. Your guide can point out Paranthe Wali Gali, where fried stuffed flatbreads have been served since the 1870s, if you want an early dinner. Afterwards, your driver collects you near the Red Fort and takes you back to your hotel for the night. Overnight stay in Delhi.

After breakfast you check out and drive south on the Yamuna Expressway, a toll road that links Greater Noida with Agra and cuts the trip to three and a half to four hours. The road is fenced and fast, with clean food courts every fifty kilometres or so where your driver can stop for tea and a stretch. As you leave the outskirts of Delhi, the view changes to wheat and sugarcane fields, brick kilns with tall chimneys and villages built around water tanks. You reach Agra around midday and check in at your hotel, which gives you time for lunch and a short rest before the afternoon sightseeing with your local Agra guide.

The afternoon visit is Agra Fort, the red sandstone stronghold that Akbar began in 1565 and that his grandson Shah Jahan later filled with white marble halls. You enter through the Amar Singh Gate and walk up a sloping ramp built so that elephants could reach the inner courts. Inside, your guide shows you the Diwan-i-Am with its rows of carved columns, the Nagina Masjid built for the ladies of the court, and the Khas Mahal, whose curved roofs copy the shape of Bengali village huts. From the Musamman Burj you get your first view of the Taj Mahal, two kilometres downstream along the river.

Before sunset your driver takes you across the Yamuna to Mehtab Bagh, the Moonlight Garden, laid out by Babur and later restored as a viewing point for the Taj. Archaeologists found the remains of a large octagonal pool here that once reflected the tomb in its water. From the riverside path you can watch the marble turn amber and then grey as the light fades, with boys herding buffalo along the sandbank below. Back in Agra, the evening is free for dinner; your guide can recommend a restaurant serving Mughlai dishes such as mutton korma and dal makhani. Get to bed early, as the Taj Mahal visit starts before dawn. Overnight stay in Agra.

You leave your hotel in the dark with your guide and reach the Taj Mahal ticket gate shortly before it opens, about half an hour before sunrise. Early arrival means a short security queue and space to photograph the reflecting pool without crowds. As the sun rises behind the eastern wall, the dome picks up a pink tint and then turns bright white. Your guide will explain the symmetry of the complex, the Quranic verses inlaid in black marble around the arches, and why Shah Jahan's own cenotaph, added after his death in 1666, is the only object that breaks the layout. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, and your dates are planned to avoid that day.

After breakfast and check-out you head west towards Rajasthan. About forty kilometres out of Agra you reach Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone city that Akbar built in the 1570s and left after only fourteen years, probably because of water shortages. A short guided stop takes in the Buland Darwaza, at 54 metres one of the tallest gateways in the world, and the white marble tomb of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti, where visitors tie red threads to the screens when making a wish. Your guide will also show you the Panch Mahal, a five-storey open pavilion where the royal women took the evening breeze.

From Fatehpur Sikri the road continues through Bharatpur and Dausa to Jaipur, with the Aravalli hills appearing as you get closer. In winter the roadside fields are bright yellow with mustard flowers, and camel carts carry fodder between villages. Your driver can stop at a highway dhaba for a late lunch of dal, roti and vegetable curry. You arrive in Jaipur in the early evening and check in for two nights. If you still have energy, ask your driver to take you to the Birla Mandir, a white marble temple that is lit up after dark and looks out over the city. Overnight stay in Jaipur.

Your Jaipur guide meets you after breakfast for the short drive north to Amber Fort, the hilltop palace of the Kachwaha rulers that was begun by Raja Man Singh in 1592. Arriving early keeps you ahead of the tour buses and the heat. You climb through the Suraj Pol, the sun gate, into the Jaleb Chowk courtyard, where returning armies once paraded. Higher up, your guide shows you the Ganesh Pol with its painted floral panels, the Sukh Niwas with a channel of running water that once cooled the room, and the mirrored Sheesh Mahal. On the way back, stop beside Man Sagar Lake to photograph Jal Mahal standing in the water.

In the old city you begin at the City Palace, where the Maharaja of Jaipur's family still lives in the seven-storey Chandra Mahal. Visitors see the Mubarak Mahal with its collection of royal robes and the Diwan-i-Khas, home to two silver urns over 1.5 metres tall that carried Ganges water to London in 1902. Across the road is Jantar Mantar, the observatory of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, where your guide demonstrates how the Samrat Yantra sundial casts a shadow that moves about four centimetres every minute. You also stop for photographs at the front of Hawa Mahal, its pink sandstone screen glowing in the afternoon sun.

Later in the afternoon you have time for the bazaars of the walled city, which were laid out in a grid when Jaipur was founded in 1727. Johari Bazaar is known for gold, silver and gemstones, Bapu Bazaar for embroidered leather slippers called mojaris, and Tripolia Bazaar for brass and lac bangles. Your guide can take you to a block-printing workshop to see cotton being stamped by hand with carved wooden blocks. For dinner, try a Rajasthani thali with dal baati churma and gatte ki sabzi, or the famous pyaaz kachori at Rawat Mishtan Bhandar. Return to the hotel and pack, as you fly to Goa the next day. Overnight stay in Jaipur.

After a relaxed breakfast your driver takes you to Jaipur International Airport, around thirty minutes from most city hotels, for your included domestic economy flight to Goa. Flights usually take around two and a half hours direct, or longer on a one-stop routing, and the exact timing is confirmed when you book. Economy fares on Indian airlines generally include 15 kg of checked baggage, so let us know in advance if you are carrying more. You say goodbye to your North India driver at the departure terminal, and from this point the Goa part of your trip is handled by our team on the coast.

On landing at Goa, either Dabolim Airport or Manohar International Airport at Mopa depending on the airline, a Payless Tours India representative meets you and your new driver takes you to your North Goa hotel near Candolim or Calangute. The air is warmer and more humid than in Rajasthan, and the roads wind past paddy fields, coconut palms and old Portuguese-style houses with tiled roofs and wide verandas. Most hotels in this area are a short walk from the sand. The rest of the afternoon is free to unpack, have a late lunch and get used to the slower rhythm of the coast.

In the evening, take a stroll to Candolim beach, which is wide and fairly quiet compared with Baga further north, and watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea. Beach shacks line the sand from November to May, putting tables out on the beach and serving fresh catch of the day, prawn curry rice and Goan sausages. Ask for kingfish or pomfret grilled with recheado masala, a red chilli paste made with vinegar, a legacy of Portuguese cooking. Local feni, distilled from cashew fruit or coconut sap, is worth tasting in small amounts. Your driver is on call if you prefer to dine in Panjim. Overnight stay in North Goa.

After breakfast your driver and Goa guide take you to Fort Aguada, a Portuguese fortress completed in 1612 on the headland where the Mandovi River meets the sea. Its name comes from the freshwater spring inside the walls, which supplied passing ships with drinking water. The four-storey lighthouse, built in 1864, was among the first of its kind in Asia. From the ramparts you look south over the river mouth towards Panjim and north along the long stretch of Sinquerim and Candolim beaches. Your guide will explain how the fort guarded the Portuguese capital against Dutch and Maratha attacks.

Next you drive north to Anjuna, the beach that drew hippie travellers in the 1960s and still has a laid-back mood. If your visit falls on a Wednesday between November and March, you can walk around the Anjuna flea market, where stalls sell Kashmiri shawls, silver jewellery, spices and clothes from all over India. On other days the red laterite cliffs and rock pools at the north end of the beach are good for a walk. Lunch is at a beach cafe; try a Goan fish thali with rice, sol kadhi made from kokum and coconut milk, and a fried mackerel on the side.

In the late afternoon you head to Chapora Fort, a ruined laterite fort built by the Portuguese in 1617 above the Chapora River. The climb from the car park is short but steep and uneven, so wear sturdy shoes. From the broken walls you look down on Vagator beach to the south and the fishing boats of Chapora village on the river below. Many people come here for the sunset, so arrive at least half an hour early to find a good spot. Return to your hotel for dinner, or ask your driver to drop you at one of the live music cafes in Vagator. Overnight stay in North Goa.

After an early breakfast and check-out, you drive inland along the Mandovi River to Old Goa, once the capital of the Portuguese colony and in the sixteenth century a city larger than Lisbon. Its churches and convents are listed together by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Your guide starts at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, completed in 1605, where the body of St Francis Xavier lies in a silver casket above a marble tomb gifted by the Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. The facade is bare laterite because the plaster was stripped off in 1950, and the gilded altar inside contrasts with the plain stone outside.

Across the square stands the Se Cathedral, dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria and one of the largest churches in Asia. Its Golden Bell, cast in 1652, is still rung for services. Your guide also takes you to the Church of St Cajetan, modelled on St Peter's in Rome, and the ruined tower of the Church of St Augustine, which stands 46 metres high beside an empty nave. Afterwards you drive twenty minutes to Panjim, the present state capital, for a walking tour of Fontainhas, the Latin quarter laid out in the nineteenth century around the Chapel of St Sebastian.

The lanes of Fontainhas are lined with houses painted in yellow, blue and ochre, with red tiled roofs, wrought-iron balconies and azulejo tiles showing house numbers and saints. Your guide points out the old Portuguese bakeries and leads you past Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church with its zigzag staircase. Stop for lunch at a local cafe serving chicken cafreal and bebinca, a layered coconut pudding. In the afternoon you drive about an hour south through Margao to your South Goa hotel at Benaulim or Colva, where the beaches are long, flat and much quieter than in the north. Overnight stay in South Goa.

After breakfast, you drive inland to the forested hills around Ponda, the area where many of Goa's Hindu temples were rebuilt after the Portuguese destroyed the originals near the coast in the sixteenth century. Your first stop is the Shri Mangueshi Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and known for its seven-storey lamp tower, which is lit during festivals. Its design mixes Hindu temple plans with features borrowed from Portuguese buildings, such as the domed roof and the chandeliers in the main hall. Your guide will explain how Goan Hindu families carried the temple deities across the river to safety and rebuilt their shrines here.

You then continue to a spice plantation near Ponda, where a local guide walks you through the shaded gardens. You see black pepper vines climbing areca nut palms, nutmeg fruit splitting to show the red mace inside, cardamom plants, vanilla, cinnamon bark and cashew trees. The walk takes about an hour, and you can crush leaves to smell them along the way. Lunch is a Goan buffet served on banana leaves, with dishes such as chicken xacuti, vegetable curries, rice, puris and a fresh fruit dessert. The lunch is included in the price of this visit, and small packets of spices are sold at the end.

In the afternoon you return to South Goa and have time at Benaulim beach, where fishing families still bring in their catch in the late afternoon. The sand is wide and firm, so a long walk north towards Colva or south to Varca is easy. Lifeguards watch the main stretch, and you should swim only between their flags, especially between June and September when the sea is rough. As the sun goes down, the beach shacks start setting up their tables on the sand, and you can order a cold drink and fried calamari or prawn rava fry while the sky turns orange. Overnight stay in South Goa.

Today is planned at an easy pace, with a drive south along the coast to Cabo de Rama, a fort on a headland that Hindu legend links to Lord Rama's time in exile. The Portuguese took it from the local rulers in 1763 and armed it with cannons, some of which still lie on the ramparts. Inside the walls stands the small whitewashed Church of St Anthony, still used for Sunday Mass. A path leads along the edge of the cliffs, and from the far bastion you look out across the Arabian Sea and down onto a small beach hidden in the rocks below. The drive from Benaulim takes about an hour.

From Cabo de Rama you continue around forty minutes south to Palolem, a crescent-shaped bay framed by coconut palms and a rocky island at its northern end. The water here is usually calm between November and April, which makes it good for swimming and for hiring a kayak. Fishermen on the beach offer short boat rides to look for dolphins in the bay, usually in the early morning or late afternoon. Lunch is at one of the beach restaurants; try a Goan fish curry cooked with coconut and kokum, served with red rice, or a plate of grilled tiger prawns.

After lunch you can spend the afternoon on the sand, or walk to the quieter Patnem beach, about fifteen minutes to the south. Your driver brings you back to your Benaulim hotel in the late afternoon. This last evening of your golden triangle and Goa tour is free; many guests book a table at one of the restaurants in Colva or Majorda for a farewell dinner, or simply sit by the hotel pool. Before you go to bed, check your flight time and baggage allowance, and keep your passport and tickets in your hand luggage. Overnight stay in South Goa.

After breakfast and check-out, your driver takes you to Goa airport for your onward flight, around thirty minutes to Dabolim or about two hours to Mopa from South Goa. Your Payless Tours India golden triangle and Goa tour ends here. Please share your flight details in advance so the pick-up can be timed correctly.