4-Day Ranthambore Tiger Safari Tour to Agra and Jaipur from Delhi

We booked this tour after a 16 day cruise from Singapore to Mumbai on Silversea. We flew from Mumbai to Delhi and spent a night at the Leela Palace Hotel prior to the start of of the Golden Triangle Tour. We booked this particular tour as we wanted to do the most in the least amount of time and include the tiger safari in Ranthambore (alas we didn't see them) We arranged our own hotels and the driver was prompt in picking us up at every location. Overall the tour was wonderful but we learned a valuable lesson in what is realistically possible in such a short time. First of all the distances between the cities are such that it takes anywhere between 4-5 hours minimum driving (depending on the famous traffic, which is considerable to say the least). Here is the dilemma...you want to see all that is provided within the tour description which is usually 3-4 locations within each area (sounded great sitting on my couch at home) You start very early in the morning and go go go all day. Being pretty tired late in the afternoon you now have a lengthy drive to your next hotel which means you'll arrive after dark and most likely very late having a spicy dinner which is not the best for a restful nights sleep before the next early morning adventure starts. After 2 days of going full speed we decided to ask our guides to show us the top 2 in each location. This helped a great deal in reducing our stress levels. Now as to guides...We had the same car and driver (Omar) for the entire trip. He was just amazing navigating what seemed to us were constant perils but to him just another normal drive through the cities and rural countrysides. After about a day we (mostly) relaxed and enjoyed the chaos, being astonished how well the system works. The richest companies in India must the insurance companies as they seem to never have to pay out...we never saw even 1 accident! We were provided a different guide in each city which our driver would pick up at set locations. Overall they were excellent and were experts in their geographic areas. They were excellent in sharing the history of each temple or palace and were very good in helping take photos of both of us which meant we didn't have so many of those awkward selfies. The only downside to each guide was that they each thought they were the "one and only" in this tour and pressed us to give 5 star reviews after each day. We understand they each are working their own area but they definitely did not understand we were on a combined 4 day trip and would need to wait until it was over to be able to give an honest review. We believe that as the tour operator this needs to be impressed on them as not to leave a bad impression on what otherwise would have been a 5+ review. The tour was all that we could have hoped for and we are most pleased with the overall experience. India is an amazing country and everyone should experience it.

The sights were amazing! Starting off with sights in Delhi our tour guide was clearly very knowledgeable about the history and architectural styles. Next, in Agra, The Taj Mahal at sunrise is a must see to avoid crowds and get different light effects on the marble building. Our guide in Agra knew the best spots for photo opportunities and blended the time with detailed information about the history. We stayed at the Trident Hotel in Agra. The staff there takes first place for making your stay special! Next, the tiger safari was very interesting to see different fauna, though there is no guarantee of seeing a tiger. The Tigress hotel is an oasis of comfort with a delicious restaurant. Next, the palaces of Jaipur were impressive too. Our guide was super knowledgeable, so he was able to easily adapt his discussion to our questions. Of course, all of these places are quite a distance apart, so having the right driver for you is important. Our driver for the entire tour, K K Sharma, was absolutely amazing. Each time he would drop us off for a guided tour or for a hotel he genuinely cared that we were taken care of to a high standard. KK is very professional, has a great sense of humor, and is able to know how much conversation to have. The night drive from Ranthambore to Jaipur is hard, so having a skilled driver like KK is essential! Looking back at the trip, I think the five day instead of four day option would have been better. With the fifth day, you get to stay two nights in Ranthambore and relax some at the hotel Tigress.

This tour was a leg on my first trip traveling to India and I would highly recommend the tour for any first-time visitors. Every city had a different, knowledgeable, local guide with insights on the area and sites (thank you all, especially Ashok in Jaipur). I was able to skip most unending queues at major sites. I was also accompanied by the same friendly, safe and extremely reliable driver (thank you, Om) for the entire tour- from Delhi to Jaipur and back. This is a very well-planned and well-managed tour, where they were able to accommodate me when flights were delayed and changed. Another added benefit is being taken to authentic restaurants, adding to the great experience. Couldn’t have asked for a better intro to the golden triangle!