Excursion India, "Golden Triangle": tour description and reviews

India is a huge country with a rich history. It is so diverse that every corner of it is interesting and fascinating in its own way. To understand its culture, it is not enough to visit any one region. For tourists who want to explore the country in more detail, there is an excursion to the Golden Triangle. India will show you an amazing world of ancient history and culture, to which no one is indifferent. It includes the largest cities in the central part of the country, and can also be complemented by rest on the famous Indian beaches.

How is the trip?

Depending on the route, the tour "Golden Triangle" (India) may vary significantly. Some tour operators offer to visit only the largest cities: Agra, Delhi and Jaipur. Other excursions include visits to all the cities that make up the tour. Some even complement the trip with a few days of rest on the beaches of Goa or a visit to the famous village of Khajuraho.

As a rule, the tour begins in Delhi, where tourists fly by plane. Then within a few days they travel by car or bus between the cities that enter the Golden Triangle (India). Tour operators expect their tours on average for a week, so visiting the city is not very much time. On the road between each settlement, tourists spend an average of about 5 hours. After visiting all the cities, travelers return to Delhi, from where they fly home. If the tour includes rest on Goa, then the flight to the state is carried out.

What to take on the road?

A hot, stuffy and humid climate is something that tourists who have gone to the state of India will face. "Golden Triangle" involves long trips, so before leaving to stock up a lot of water. You can take with you and food. Indian food can be substandard or too acute. Remedy for insects also does not interfere. Despite the hot daytime weather, it gets cool in the evening, so you should take a light windbreaker or jacket.

Price of travel

Depending on the length of the tour and the quality of the host hotels, the cost of travel can vary significantly. For example, a week-long tour, including a trip to all the cities of the "Golden Triangle" for two will cost from 650 to 1500 dollars. The higher the price, the better the hotel. The cost is also influenced by food. As a rule, tour operators pay only breakfasts, but there are also tours with the option "All inclusive". The cheapest thing to go to India in September and March, but vacation on Christmas vacation will cost one and a half times more expensive. When including an additional vacation in Goa, the amount can also significantly increase.

Delhi

The city of Delhi is the starting point of many tours of the Golden Triangle. It is located in the north of the country and is the second largest city in India. It will amaze tourists with an abundance of ancient architectural monuments of different historical eras. According to general estimates in the city and its surroundings, there are almost 6000 different sights. The streets of Delhi are filled with numerous restaurants and souvenir shops. It is a multinational city with a population of over 10 million people.

Here is also New Delhi - the region that is the capital of the state of India. The "Golden Triangle" includes visits and metropolitan attractions. In the old part of the city you should definitely visit the Jama-Masjid Mosque - it is the largest Muslim building in the country. It is also necessary to look at the panorama of ancient Delhi. Other attractions include the Red Fort, the mausoleum of the Mongolian padishah Humayun, the Hindu temple of Akshardham. Tourists also like to spend part of the excursion time, strolling along the Chatta Chowk market, which has preserved the atmosphere of ancient India.

Jaipur

Jaipur is popularly called a "pink city" because of the characteristic color of the stone that was used in the construction. It is quite small in size, especially in comparison with multi-million Delhi. Here there are a huge number of palaces of different shapes and sizes. The largest of them are the City Palace and the Hawa Mahal - a former harem, on the facade of which there are about 900 windows. Thanks to them, the palace is blown out even into the most hot heat. Therefore, still very often the Hawa-Mahal is called the Palace of the Winds.

The city will surprise tourists with a huge number of monkeys that live here everywhere. In their honor in Jaipur, built a monkey temple. Nearly 2,000 primates live on its territory. Excursion India ("Golden Triangle" in particular) is not only sightseeing, but also a trek through museums. Most of the museums in Jaipur are located in the City Palace. To inspect them all, you need to spend at least one day. Also, when visiting the city, you should definitely see the Jal-Mahal Palace - a unique building located right in the middle of the lake.

Fatehpur Sikri

Tour "Golden Triangle" (India) is designed not only to visit the major cities of the country, but also includes small settlements with a rich cultural heritage. One of them is the small town of Fatehpur-Sikri, which was once the capital of the Mughal Empire. Now about 30 thousand people live here, and Fatehpur-Sikri itself became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This settlement has the glory of a ghost town.

Unlike the "pink" city, Fatehpur-Sikri was built with red sandstone. The architecture of the settlement combines the trends of Hinduism, Islam and Jainism. The main attraction of the city is the gate of Bulat-Darvaz - a sample of ancient Mughal architecture. They are also among the largest in the world. It is worth to look and the building of Ankh Michauli, which is the former treasury, and also the drum house of Naubat-Khan.

Agra

Agra is one of the most magnificent cities with which India is famous. The Golden Triangle was named in honor of the three largest settlements around which a tour was built. In addition to Delhi and Jaipur, one of the peaks is Agra. Here is one of the seven wonders of the world - the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum, built in honor of the beloved wife of the Padishah Shah Jahan, impresses with its grandeur. A beautiful structure, made of snow-white marble, admires the tourists with its exquisite beauty. Planning the tour, it is worth paying attention to the fact that on Fridays there are services in the mausoleum and it is closed for visiting.

In addition to the Taj Mahal, Agra has many other attractions. It is necessary to visit the Red Fort fortress, which was once the residence of Indian rulers. The tomb of Akbar the Great is an equally impressive structure, in which one of the most important Muslim rulers of the state of India found its rest. Excursion tour "Golden Triangle" also includes a visit to the tomb of Itemad-ud-Daula, which is often called "small Taj". Another architectural miracle of Agra is the Pearl Mosque with snow-white domes.

Mathura

50 kilometers north of Agra is the city of Mathura. In antiquity it stood at the intersection of major trade routes, therefore it was a significant economic center of the country. According to ancient traditions, Krishna was born here, therefore Mathura is considered a sacred Indian city. On the site of his birth about 5000 years ago a magnificent temple was erected. Of course, it was rebuilt many times, and the current Krishna Janmabhumi is unlikely to compare with the original structure. At 250 meters from the temple is a small sanctuary, indicating the exact birthplace of Krishna.

There are other sacred places connected with the life of the ancient deity. Another attraction is the place of Vishram Ghat, denoting the place of Krishna's killing of the local greedy ruler. Tourists are also invited to visit the local Archaeological Museum, which contains many ancient finds, as well as a Buddha statue, built in the V century.

Vrndavana

Vrndavana is a sacred city, also connected with the life of Krishna. It is located not far from Mathura and is one of the many pilgrimage centers by which India is so famous. "Golden Triangle", unfortunately, does not always include a visit to this city. And completely in vain, because of the number of attractions it is not inferior to other major cities of the tour. The magnificence of the tourists will be impressed by the temple complex Prem Mandir. This Hindu sanctuary was built only in 2012, and specialists from all over the world participated in its construction.

Vrndavana is not in vain called "the city of the temple." They are here at every step. According to estimates, about 5,000 religious buildings are located on its territory. The oldest surviving temple of Madanamohana dates back to the 16th century. Also, tourists should visit the temple of Banque Bihari and Geshi Khad. The latter is on the bank of the Yamuna River, and every evening at sunset, a ceremony of worshiping Krishna is held.

Additional holidays in Goa

India is not only famous for architectural monuments. Tour "Golden Triangle + Goa" also includes a few days that tourists will spend on the beaches of this famous resort. The combination of sightseeing and beach holidays makes this tour especially popular.

On Goa there are no bright attractions, as in the ancient cities of the country. However, even here there are many places that are surely worth visiting for tourists. For example, Paradise beach is a beautiful corner of nature with clear water and virgin jungle. Fort Chapora is a ruined building on the coast. It offers a magnificent view of the sea. Also worth a visit is the legendary local clubs and restaurants. They can try unique seafood dishes. For travelers, there are also excursions to cultural monuments, for example, to the waterfall of Dudhsagar or to plantations of rare spices, with which India is famous. "Golden Triangle + Goa" will allow you to have a great rest after many days of traveling around the country's cities.

Khajuraho Village

Another additional stop can be the village of Khajuraho. This settlement is created for tourists and includes about 20 temples. The most ancient of them were built in the 9th-11th centuries. Once this city was the ancient capital of the state, which was ruled by the Chandela dynasty. After the XIII century, it fell, and people left Khajuraho, which overgrew the jungle. It was reopened only in the XIX century, when the British did not come across it, under the rule of which was India.

"Golden Triangle", a holiday in which will please any tourist, will surprise the ancient temples of the country. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most popular sights are the temples, on the walls of which the scenes from the famous Kama Sutra are embodied. Another outstanding object is the Kandarya-Mahadeva temple. This is the largest and decorated complex, around which 84 miniature spiers have been erected. Visiting this place with children is not recommended, because in each of the surviving churches you can see numerous figures depicting erotic compositions.

Reviews of tourists

How do tourists evaluate the trip to such a mysterious and beautiful country? "Golden Triangle" (India) reviews are extremely positive. Travelers note the abundance of historical places, and because of the window of the bus or car you can see the life and nature of the country. They are fascinated by the most ancient buildings. Perhaps, people make a trip to Agra, in particular, an excursion to the Taj Mahal. This majestic mausoleum is unlikely to leave you indifferent.

But this tour also has its drawbacks. Reviews of tourists usually indicate a heavy and tiring transfer from one city to another. In hot weather, the train can not do without air conditioning. Also, people complain about a large number of poor people and dirt, which is quite a lot outside of cultural buildings.

"Golden Triangle" - an ideal option for those people who want to better explore the culture of India. During the few days of the trip you can see for yourself the biggest attractions of the country, as well as relax on the sea. This tour allows you to save, because it turns out much cheaper than individual tours to each of the cities.