3 Day Golden Triangle Tour - Delhi Agra Jaipur Tour - Taj Mahal Sunrise or Sunset

Traveler Reviews

• M

  Matthew

  October 9th, 2022
  3.0
  I took the 3 day / 2 night golden triangle tour in late September 2022, and I thought it was a good introduction to...
  I took the 3 day / 2 night golden triangle tour in late September 2022, and I thought it was a good introduction to India altogether, along with some of the country’s top tourist attractions. While I would still recommend this tour, I would be prepared to encounter or adapt for several things that took away from the experience for me. The good: This trip would have been completely unapproachable as a non-Indian American spending their first few days in India. I highly recommend this format of an experience for somebody new to India. It would have been overwhelming navigating the streets of the country along with the heavily-trafficked attractions like the Taj Mahal without guides. All tour guides (each location had a separate guide) were very knowledgeable about the places we visited. I asked a lot of questions and got satisfactory responses. They helped me arrange currency exchange on my first day in Delhi. They took me to an exchange shop where I got a better rate than the airport with no fees. I had the same driver for all 3 days, so I could build some trust and familiarity with someone. This was important because during the tours I had to leave the majority of my things in the car or lug them with me through heavily trafficked tourist sites. Things to be aware of: I did not have a fully detailed itinerary until several days before the tour. This was stressful as an American coming for a longer trip, thinking through logistics beyond the tour itself. I did ask for details in the booking sites chat (e.g. specifically, which hotels we’d be staying at), but the answers often either were incomplete to my questions or were noncommittal. Each tour took me to a very high-pressure sale situation. None of these stops were on the trip agenda, but I do believe they were dictated by the primary tour director. In Delhi, I thought we were on our way to Qutub Minar, and we suddenly stopped at a shop affiliated with a family making Kashmiri rugs. I learned about how the families made these pieces (it was very cool), but of course after the demonstration was the very heavy sales pitch. In Agra, I had a similar experience at a marble shop. At Fatehpur Sikri, there was a very pushy merchant who followed me for some time, insisting I visit his shop on the way to the site. I just ignored him (pushy salespeople following westerners seems to be common in India). On the way back down from the tour. My tour guide told me we were going to see the merchants shop. I objected, but the tour guide insisted that we do so. At the shop, I didn’t really want anything, but despite my objection and telling the tour guide I was ready to leave, the guide seemingly was trying to help the merchant make a sale on me. I eventually left the shop myself, and the merchant followed me bargaining and the tour guide continued to try to help convince me to buy something. This was extremely uncomfortable to me since, as a foreigner in an unfamiliar place, I didn’t know my way around there, and I didn’t know if there was any potential danger to me turning down purchasing merchandise. The tour guide was not on my side, so I was alone. I eventually bought something small just to make the merchant go away and end the experience. In Jaipur, the guide told me we were going to a textiles shop and that I would be pressured to buy something, but that I didn’t have to. This honest heads-up was refreshing, and allowed me to approach the situation more comfortably. The hotel in Agra was a nightmare. It was dark, dirty, smelly, and some of the room features did not work. If it’s in your budget, I highly recommend upgrading all accommodations to 5 star hotels. I did ask for this, but the tour director insisted they only used highly-rates 3 star options, so I decided to give them a shot. 3/4/5 star in India do not compare to 3/4/5 star in the US… The tour director and guides have been extraordinarily pushy about me writing reviews. In Agra, the tour guide insisted that I write him a review at the end of our tour, while he was watching / before the driver took me to our next stop. I declined saying I would do it later, and we got into a small argument before he finally let the immediate review go. However, he then messaged me on WhatsApp several times over the next hour until I finally submitted the review. Before I was dropped off at the Jaipur airport, we pulled off into a nearby parking area and I was asked to give my review before I could go. I declined, and over the next few days I was constantly pestered by the tour director and by the driver to submit my review (I told them both I would do it eventually but that I was very busy throughout the week because I was originally in India for a work trip). English fluency was very inconsistent across the guides/driver. It would have been nice to have a higher level of English proficiency. Overall, I would recommend this tour, but anticipate and adjust accordingly for the things mentioned above.Show more
  Traveled in September 2022
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Dear Valuable Guest, Namaste! And Greetings from Wonderful Holidays!!! Thank you for taking out time to write this wonderful review. When we read the said review, the preponderant emotion is extreme helplessness. Although you booked this tour on OTA where all the itinerary is written and given to you as you book the tour. We still had amazing contact with you in the planning stages of the tour and, in fact, we changed your travelling dates twice (upon your request, since you had made the booking for the wrong dates). And we were connected via WhatsApp when the tour was running. During the tour, we always asked you every day how was your tour going. And we always received an amazing reply from you which made sure that your tour was going good. We are relieved and pleased that overall you had a good tour and found the guides to be knowledgeable, and the driver to be safe as well as competent. Safety and service are endeavoured to be the cornerstone of our customer engagement. I will not deny that in India as well as in many parts of Asia and Africa, shopping kickbacks are a part of the tourist culture. We want to clarify that guides do suggest shops, but you are not obliged to go shopping and can decline the offer and there would be no depletion in the standard of service. Incentives for enabling shopping are a part of the system. If you visit a store even in a cycle Rickshaw, the driver would be acknowledged monetarily for facilitating the sale. It is not unknown for store owners to have a system of incentives for staff who clinch sales. Our instruction to guides is that shopping must happen with the will of the guest and only in Government Approved stores where there is reliability and after-sales service when and if required. I will have to especially clarify the point about the guide employed in Fatehpur Sikri. The hawkers here are a mafia in themselves and aggressively coerce the guide to ask guests to consider purchasing their wares. The guides have to go there every day and cannot afford to antagonise the hawkers. It is not so much a question of kickbacks as it is of surviving the system. It is for this reason, the guides did not travel to Fatehpur Sikri from Agra. It's hard for them to deal with this. However, I must say that the guide should have sounded the guest in advance and taken them into confidence. Please do also notice that while the guides dropped hints to the guest to shop, but, it does seem that the guest was not coerced into shopping. Irrespective of the shopping done or not done by the reviewer, the services provided were to the satisfaction of the guest as he found the guides to be knowledgeable. There was no linkage between shopping and the delivery of a professional obligation. I am sorry that this has been such a long response. I was trying to understand and contextualise the discontent of the guest. At the same time, I attempted to offer a perspective. I personally feel that a big mistake on our part was to promote such a busy tour to him at the back of a long flight. He never got a chance to wear off his tiredness or jet lag as he was on the go at all times over the 3 days that he travelled. We will also very strongly counsel our guides and drivers to understand better the expectations of our guests. It is a very uncomfortable feeling reading this submission of the reviewer. Even with the guides being knowledgeable and drivers being skilled and safe, we get 3 stars. As the guest says that something fell off. I guess this was our inability to make that connection with the guest. If our guides had made a greater effort or if the guest was not so tired, things might have been different, but, I have to tell the reviewer that this is not what we intended and feel uncomfortable from within. Thanks and Regards, Shilpi Khanna Founder/Travel Planner

  Show more
• 

  Pravindra

  January 31st, 2022
  5.0
  We had a really amazing Golden Triangle Tour in India. Our driver was good and reliable. The car was also clean, with...
  We had a really amazing Golden Triangle Tour in India. Our driver was good and reliable. The car was also clean, with sanitizers and face masks provided. The tour guides were good and knowledgeable. Overall, good experience.Show more
  Traveled in January 2022
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Pravindra Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  Sarvesh

  November 8th, 2021
  5.0
  Communication with the tour guide was great. They adjusted the start time to our tastes that I really appreciate. I...
  Communication with the tour guide was great. They adjusted the start time to our tastes that I really appreciate. I wanted to leave as soon as possible to get the best view of the Taj Mahal. It was a special experience. We also mention that the lunch prepared for us was great.Show more
  Traveled in September 2021
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Sarvesh Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  ChetRam

  November 8th, 2021
  5.0
  I was able to go on a Golden Triangle tour with my family. Many positive reviews and my phone call with the tour...
  I was able to go on a Golden Triangle tour with my family. Many positive reviews and my phone call with the tour operator answered all my questions before the trip. Our driver arrived on time in a new car to take us on our private day trip. He was friendly and friendly, pointing out many historical sites along the route. The ride was much smoother and safer. When we arrived at Agra, we were able to meet the tour guide. He explained detailed routines and further tips to keep the tour running smoothly. His knowledge of the history and construction of the monument was fascinating and enlightening. Don't hesitate to recommend this company to his family and friends.Show more
  Traveled in October 2021
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Chetram Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  mohit

  November 1st, 2021
  5.0
  The driver was really nice and gave us a safe and comfortable ride the entire time we were 7 people and the team...
  The driver was really nice and gave us a safe and comfortable ride the entire time we were 7 people and the team always took care of the facilities the suggestion hotels were just great couldn't ask for better service and planning..Show more
  Traveled in September 2021
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Mohit Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  Omdutt

  November 1st, 2021
  5.0
  Overall everything was wonderful.l would definitely plan my next trip with them thanks for making us happy.it was a...
  Overall everything was wonderful.l would definitely plan my next trip with them thanks for making us happy.it was a brilliant experience.Show more
  Traveled in October 2021
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Gautam Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  Tanish

  September 1st, 2019
  5.0
  Our trip was successful and we are happy with it. With Wonderful Holidays Jaipur, Agra, Delhi for 5 days. Upon...
  Our trip was successful and we are happy with it. With Wonderful Holidays Jaipur, Agra, Delhi for 5 days. Upon reaching India, we were provided vouchers for our accomodation at the different locations we were going to visit. Everything was very organised and there was never any issues with the trip. The staff at Wonderful Holidays were very responsive to all my email inquiries in setting up our tour. They gave us full details of what we could see and do at each site and the hotel information. We are very thankful for the skill of our driver and the nice air-conditioned car. In all, our time spent in India was very memorable and that was very much due to the services provided by Wonderful Holidays.Show more
  Traveled in May 2019
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Tanish Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  Neeraj

  August 16th, 2019
  5.0
  Golden Triangle and Rajasthan Tour by Wonderful Holidays My friend and I just returned from a tour of Delhi, Agra...
  Golden Triangle and Rajasthan Tour by Wonderful Holidays My friend and I just returned from a tour of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan organized by Wonderful Holidays. We are pleased and relieved to find Wonderful Holidays. We talked with Wonderful Holidays to do a trip to Delhi, Agra and Full Rajasthan and they reverted with a detailed day by day itinerary. It was the mashup of big cities Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar. Jodhpur. It struck a good balance between covering the big cities but also made sure we didn't end up spending all our time in the car by trying to cover too great a distance. We stayed at heritage hotels and Havelis. The overall experience was great. They do constantly strive to serve you well, it is definitely worth it for the peace and comfort of the mind, and allows you to fully enjoy your trip. Thanks, Wonderful Holidays and Ms Shilpi.Show more
  Traveled in June 2019
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Neeraj Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  Arya

  August 16th, 2019
  5.0
  Brother and sister trip organized by Wonderful Holidays!!! My sister and I have had one wonderful trip with...
  Brother and sister trip organized by Wonderful Holidays!!! My sister and I have had one wonderful trip with Wonderful Holidays. Our experience was superb. We cannot say enough about the excellent care we were given, all along the trip - starting with the planning. They were available to us at all times, by telephone, WhatsApp all along the way. The personalized attention to every detail, the thoroughness of itineraries. They worked with us to create exactly the kind of trip we wanted. The chauffeur was always on time, Hotels arrangements were great. If you are looking for an amazing and unforgettable trip to India - with a very personal and professional touch - this is the best and excellent company for you!Show more
  Traveled in July 2019
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Arya Mam, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more
• 

  Kislay

  August 16th, 2019
  5.0
  Amazing Trip and our experiences with Wonderful Holidays India. My partner and I arranged a 1-week tour with...
  Amazing Trip and our experiences with Wonderful Holidays India. My partner and I arranged a 1-week tour with Wonderful Holidays. Then we went Agra which is amazing and classic the Beauty of the Taj Mahal. Special Highlights are Taj Mahal, when you visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise it gives you a different vision and when you visit the Taj Mahal at Sunset it gives you different vision. Another place of note here is the Agra Fort, where the mastermind behind the Taj Mahal lived out his final years. Our next stop was two nights in Ranthambore National Park. One of my main reasons for wanting to see India was to see a tiger in the wild. Two tigers interacting, completely unphased by our presence in a jeep and so close and so majestic. The safaris are fabulous. Our next stop was Jaipur{the pink city}, with its wonderful palaces bustling city that is well worth a visit. The hotels were each excellent, The professional govt. Approved tour guides were also brilliant. Anything you will ask about they will answer and guide you according to your demand. Well, What I say about Wonderful Holidays and Ms Shilpi the owner. Thanks both of you I will use your service again.Show more
  Traveled in June 2019
  

  Reply from: Wonderful Holidays

  Namaste Kisley Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share this positive review. We will make sure to share this with the team to let them know to keep up the amazing work On behalf of all of the Wonderful Holiday team, I would like to thank you for sharing this great rating. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour experience. We look forward to serving you for many years to come. We can’t wait to have you back in India. Thanks again for the feedback and for choosing our services. Regards Shilpi Khanna

  Show more