Sacred India Unveiled: Golden Triangle & Varanasi Rail Odyssey

I booked the Golden Triangle with Varanasi tour through Squid Travel and had a wonderful experience. Everything was very well organized – from hotel bookings and transport to guides and sightseeing. Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and varanasi were covered smoothly, and each place was given enough time to explore. The highlight for me was Varanasi. The Ganga Aarti and the sunrise boat ride were arranged perfectly and gave a very special touch to the trip. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and the driver was always punctual and helpful. Overall, Squid Travel made the whole journey comfortable and stress-free. It was a memorable trip, and I would definitely recommend their services to anyone planning to visit India.

We recently booked our India trip with VWI Tours, covering the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra), Varanasi, and a tour of South Goa, and we had an absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. From the moment we first got in touch, the communication was excellent. Sukret, our main contact, was incredibly helpful and responsive—answering all our many questions before we arrived and consistently checking in with us during our trip, even when we had no specific issues. His attention to detail and care made the whole experience smooth and reassuring. Our first day in Delhi included a great sightseeing tour—highlights like the Red Fort, Gandhi’s Tomb, and exploring the bustling markets set the tone for an exciting trip. Jaipur was vibrant and beautiful, and Agra—especially the Taj Mahal—was simply breathtaking. Our driver for the Golden Triangle, Amit, was brilliant: reliable, friendly, and always making sure we were comfortable and happy. Varanasi was a true highlight. The tour guide there was fantastic—so knowledgeable and passionate about the city. Experiencing the Ganga Aarti and the early morning boat ride was something we’ll never forget. Even the sleeper train experience was well-organized and memorable in its own way! The only minor downside was that some of the hotels didn’t quite meet 4-star standards. In Delhi, the hotel staff wasn’t as attentive as we expected, and in Varanasi, although the late check-out was appreciated, our room had a noisy toilet and the breakfast service was a bit chaotic—we waited 20 minutes for an omelet that never arrived. While these were small issues, they didn’t take away from the overall experience, but we would suggest a bit more care when selecting accommodations for future guests. That said, every member of the VWI team—from Sukret to the guides and drivers—was welcoming, professional, and went out of their way to ensure we had a fantastic time. If you're considering booking with VWI Tours, don’t hesitate—you’ll be in safe, capable, and caring hands.

I am so thankful that I chose this 7 day tour of the Golden Triangle and Varanasi. As a 72 year old woman travelling solo I found the driver and tour guides to be exceptional, respectful, friendly and knowledgeable at each venue. Everything ran smoothly and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the sites. The accommodations were comfortable and I also enjoyed the experience of riding the night train to and from Varanasi. India’s beauty, culture, art work, people and food has left an indelible impact on my heart and I surely will be returning to explore more of this amazing country. I met some truly beautiful people who I now consider to be my friend. Namaste to all. Don’t miss out on this life changing experience 🙏❤️🌹

Overall we loved our tour of Northern India. A positive feedback for this tour would be please check the itinerary and take control of what you are comfortable with. We found sightseeing all day followed by a 5-6 hours of driving is exhausting arriving at your hotel at 20.00-21.30 at night is far to late. We actually shortened some of the days visits to get to those times. Allow yourself some downtime in between days. The guides were first class and knowledgeable and really looked after us. Sharing their knowledge and going over and above to deliver an excellent experience, right down to taking us to our seats on the train (Sandeep). Viator’s should rate their tours with an intensity value to allow you to make informed decisions. Other improvements should be, have all your hotel booking references as we had to wait ages while the tour company had to be contacted for confirmation of our bookings which can be frustrating after a long day. Hotel standards were good

Overall very well organised, I could easily call or contact you and sort out stuff, e.g. when I could not find the driver, changes in program Driver (Delhi - Jaipur - Agra) Driver was nice, although his English was not the best, we could still easily communicate and he was doing his best that everything works! You could see he is an experienced driver - I always felt very safe even with Indian traffic :) I has some changes in the plan - asked to stay at my friends place and next day we woke up early to do some private sightseeing. We also changed the place where we wanted to meet to be picked up. I got impression that this was a problem and I felt that he was quite unhappy - I didn’t understood why. I also had a feeling that he was quite pushing to finish Jaipur sightseeing fast as we need to go to Agra on the same day. This I understand, but this was planed so why pushing. Guide Jaipur Really great - he spent a lot of time giving proper explanation and adjusting to my question - he was really knowledgeable and provided very good context Guide Agra Good but at the beginning everything felt very fast - we kind of rush through Taj - also here I had a feeling that it should be done fast When we started discussing it actually got very interesting and also here I got a lot of interesting insights, especially around history of Agra. Agra overall Everything was done by lunch Then I spend time in my hotel and there was no plan until the train comes (luckily I could stay there until 3pm) I was sent in a restaurant, saying - we have time - but there was no other plan. I think either telling upfront or providing additional options would be nice. I suggested something but everything was apparently closed etc. Overall, this part can be done better. At the end I was 2.5 hours earlier at the train station and was waiting there. Train to Varansi Great, all worked well Thanks for answering my question, I was a little worried as I was having quite big luggage. If I had more time, I would have taken the train from Varanasi to Delhi as well, but my travel schedule was quite tight. Varansi Both Sundeep and Gaurav were great - I was very happy and would 100% recommend them. Gaurav is very knowledgeable and has great local experience Sundeep was taking care of me last day, we had some time before my flight. In the hotel he suggested to visit a village outside Varansi which was great idea. This was a good way how to bridge the time. Also here, tbh. more clear plan for the gap between tour and travel would be nice. Delhi Guide was again great - very experienced and knowledgeable At the beginning it felt like he his also rushing through the "standard" stuff but then it got much better - visiting Sigh temple was one of the highlights for me. Overall: Well organized and I am overall happy Sometimes I had feelings there were "blocks" when nothing was planned which felt a little weird Furthermore, when I had some changes to the plan - it felt it's a bit more complicated but at the end we have managed. It would be good to "warn" people that you will need to tip everywhere - maybe the guides should provide guidance how much to tip I would recommend the tour for sure! Although with all the tips etc. it felt at the end quite expensive.

We recently completed a tour of the Golden Triangle and Varanasi in India, and it was an enriching experience overall. The Golden Triangle, which includes Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, offered a fantastic introduction to India's history and culture. The visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra was a definite highlight, and Jaipur’s Amber Fort and vibrant markets added to the excitement. Delhi, with its mix of modern and ancient attractions like India Gate and Qutub Minar, was also fascinating. The tour guides in each city were knowledgeable, offering insightful commentary on the architecture, history, and local traditions. We would also like to give Amit, our driver, a special shout out as he was always looking out for our safety and was accommodating along the road. He was always willing to make small stops for us for breaks to use the restroom or to buy fruits and snacks along the road. However, we felt that the preset itinerary of each day was not always followed and wished that there was better communication among all parties. In addition, we felt like some marketing activities to advertise regional products took up some time from our sightseeing, though it did somewhat add to the experience overall. As the itinerary was always evolving, it was a little bit unclear about which sites and monuments we were hitting each day. Another aspect that was hard to predict was the cost of each monument. Some monuments accepted card, some only cash, and some were pre-purchased by the tour guides of the city. More transparency into the price of each monument and expectations in regards to how to purchase these would be beneficial to help financially plan and budget for the trip overall, especially in regards to how many rupees to have available on hand. That being said, we did appreciate the company’s flexibility and preemptive efforts to rearrange the activities for us to make it to Taj Mahal (it was originally scheduled to be on a Friday when Taj Mahal is always closed). The journey to Varanasi was certainly a memorable part of the tour. Witnessing the evening Ganga Aarti on the ghats was a deeply spiritual experience, and our guide did a nice job explaining the cultural significance of the rituals. However, the atmosphere in Varanasi can be overwhelming with the crowds and constant hustle, which may not be for everyone. Overall, the tour provided a well-rounded experience, blending iconic landmarks with unique cultural encounters. While some moments felt hurried with lapse of communication, especially with the travel distances, it was a great way to see some of India's most famous destinations in a relatively short time. I would recommend it to those looking for an introduction to India's rich heritage and diverse landscapes.

7 days full-on tour, an amazing trip, enjoyable and unforgettable experience. Each day in a different city, with amazing sightseeing and staying at different hotels. All hotels are pretty good quality, apart from the one I stayed in Agra, which needs updating. Spent lots of time with the driver (Manoj), who was amazing, friendly, and kind. Tour guides were charming and warm. Lots of information to take in. Overall, I strongly recommend this trip and give the tour operator and their team a perfect score. You won't be disappointed. Attention to details right from the beginning of the tour. A quick WhatsApp message or call to Suket (trip organiser), resolve an issue in minutes.

This is full-on, 7 days, one night at each hotel, we were pretty tired by the last day. We spent most time with our drivers (particularly Siri) who were all amazing, calm, patient and safe. Most guides were charming and warm, some understood just how much we were trying to take in, while others offered information rich visits, without realizing just how tiring this trip made us. Hotels were good quality, with only one or two issues with indifferent staff at Jaipur, the upgrade at Agra was terrific. More platform information for the train legs, and clearer guidance on the allotment of berths, and locating these would have helped int he first place, but the second train leg we understood, so any minor anxieties regarding this were past. Overall I'd strongly recommend this as an introduction, we travelled independently in India Cambodia and Thailand afterwards, but this served us well.

I was very happy, all the staff were very knowledgeable, punctual, friendly and I got to see everything that was planned. I will recommend your agency to my friends for sure.

This tour was 7 days, and it was really quite a complex itinerary, so this will be quite long, but hopefully worth persevering. The whole tour was managed brilliantly, with useful contact before our arrival in India and reassuring messaging to brief us on details as the tour progressed. At each stop, we were expected and welcomed with charm friendliness and efficiency. Our guides were all extremely knowledgeable and personable. They were also skilled photographers with our phones, knowing the best places to take shots at each monument. All of our drivers were magnificent, calm, patient, skilful in negotiating the occasional insane traffic conditions. And great company, for the longer road journeys. Our hotels were all of a good standard, and pretty much without exception, their restaurants were excellent. The train transfers were fun, adventures which gave us opportunities to meet Indian folk and other travellers. Our time at Varanasi had a different tone from the magnificence of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. This was, in turn, fascinating poignant and moving. The conduct of everyone we encountered was welcoming, and we felt like royalty at times. The coordination of the whole trip was first rate and professional, but also flexible, permitting us to make additional stops, for example, including Fatehpur Sikri, where a guide managed our visit brilliantly despite our arrival latish in the afternoon