Delhi/Agra questions for short visit
 

I have just spent 8 hours over the last two day reviewing the incredible amount of information here and my head is splitting.

My wife and I have decided to add a 2 day trip to Delhi/Agra to our Maldives trip. We originally were just heading back to the US but decided to tack on a side trip to see the Taj Mahal. We arrive at the Delhi airport at 8AM on Friday February 26th and fly out at 4:25AM on Sunday the 28th. In addition to the Taj Mahal it seems that we should be able to fit in another site or two. Our original thought was to head straight to Agra on Friday and maybe do Agra Fort Friday afternoon and then the Taj Mahal first thing on Saturday and explore Agra the rest of the day Saturday before heading back to the airport. Based on what I have read another option would be to spend Friday in Delhi and then do a day trip to Agra on Saturday.


We will have Etihad chauffeur service but that is only good for 50km from the airport. Instead of heading to Agra right away would it be better to book a hotel in Delhi and spend the day there and then do a day trip to Agra and do the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort on Saturday and then return to the hotel in Delhi for a few hours before heading to the airport? The advantage to staying in Delhi is that we can use the Etihad car service to and from the hotel and leave all of our stuff there when we head to Agra and then get a shower Saturday night before heading to the airport.

One of the key questions I have is suggestions for getting to and from Agra. The three options I read about seemed to be: 1) hire a car and driver, 2) take the train; or 3) do a day trip with a tour.

Any suggestions that you can provide are appreciated.

staying in delhi on friday & going to agra on saturday seems like the better option to me....

the best thing to do is to rent a car & driver....your hotel will be able to arrange one for you but it will be more on the expensive side....ask the hotel concierge for recommendations on how to get cheaper cars for a day trip....they all have contacts with individual drivers or small tour companies which are much cheaper than the hotels own car....

I would recommend that you plan to stay overnight in Agra. This gives you more time and comfort. The places I would recommend in Agra are the Fort, Taj Mahal. Nearby is the other capital: Fatehpur Sikri - worth seeing.

There are several hotels in walking distance from the Taj. I believe that either the Oberoi group or the Taj group has one facing the Taj Mahal.

Regarding transport, a car would be the best option, due to extra logistics with the others. But do hire a good guide in Agra.

Keyser and yrs - Thank you for your suggestions. I will look for a great guide in Agra - if you have any suggestions let me know. I am still not sure whether to stay in Delhi or Agra.

I like the suggestions for hotels near the Taj. If we decide to stay in Delhi do either of you have recommendations there for someplace that is in a good, safe walking area where we could walk to sites of interest?

i see you are diamond with hilton....the garden inn in saket is a good area to stay in if you decide to stay in delhi....no matter where you stay in delhi you will be a car to visit the sites as everything is pretty spread out....

in agra i would suggest the itc mughal....i stay there a few times a year when i go to agra for work & would highly recommend it....

Tip
 

I would recommend sticking with your original thought. 3 years ago I secured a car, driver, and guides in both Delhi and Agra for two days for INR 12,000 ~ $186 USD. Wish I could give you the contact info but I lost it.

Make sure the driver takes the toll expressway and this is negotiated in advance. When I went, it had just opened and our driver didn't know that. So we meandered on the slow road on the way down, stopping at the cafe where they buy drivers lunch in exchange for bringing in tourists. It took 3+ hours. On the way back we took the expressway at my insistence and it took under 2 hours.

I would go to Agra on Friday as soon as you arrive. It seems like it's a short distance, but it can take a long time. I'd also stay at the Oberoi. It's close and every room as a view of the Taj.

I'd skip Fatehpur Sikri and spend as much time at the Taj as possible. There is also another lesser visited site near the Taj is the baby Taj. It's a tomb across the river (I think) It's white marble and quite lovely.

I could spend an entire day at the Taj. It changes as the light changes. The inlays are gorgeous. I was so afraid my expectations were so high that I'd be disappointed. But I wasn't.

Have fun

When we visited Agra (arrived by train) in 2013, we used the following driver who provides a guide (who recently emailed me that he made the following website): http://usmanitours.wix.com/usmanitajtours

The driver/guide team was reliable and very friendly.

In Delhi, we stayed and the Radisson Blu Marina Hotel Connaught Place. It was definitely a good hotel in a safe walking area. However, the only sight nearby is Connaught Place.

We stayed in the Radisson Blu in Agra, which I liked and it felt safe inside the gate and it was close to the Taj (with a shuttle IIRC). However, it did not really feel save outside of the hotel at night.

Thanks to everyone for their help. I looked at the Oberoi and it is a STUNNING hotel with amazing location and views but not sure I am willing to spend over $1000 per night (the rates on their site for when we are there).

I also realized that we are arriving on Firday and the Taj is closed on Friday so will have to visit on Saturday before heading back to the airport. Our filght is at 4AM Sunday morning which means that we would need to be at the airport at 1AM so would need to leave Agra between 10PM and 11PM. Does that seem correct?

FindAWay - thanks for sharing the tour guide information/web site.

DevilDawg1960, what did you end up choosing?

We're in a similar situation where we have the same time constraint, so we're thinking of heading to Agra on Saturday morning (either by car or train) and then have the driver take us back to the Delhi airport where we have an Asiana flight in F(!) out through Incheon at 2:30am. Here are a few questions for the more experienced:

- wds17 says that the drive back is 2 hours. Why are most tour companies quoting something like 4.5 hours? Are they building in secret visits to marble factories and such? (I'm inquiring at Indian Panorama, Delhi Magic and Namaste India Tours, which I hear are all reputable).
- Is it really unsafe to travel back on the expressway in the dark? Our flight doesn't leave until 2:30am, and plus we are flying in F, so I expect that there will be a separate check-in line for this. So, wouldn't leaving around 7:30pm from Agra be plenty of time?
- Do people really recommend 3 hours ahead to check-in for international departures at Delhi airport? I saw another thread that said it only takes about 20-40 minutes to go through check-in, security and passport control.

Thanks so much!!

It was probably closer to 2.5 hours as my memory serves me.:confused: But certainly not 4.5 hours. Perhaps they have built in stops at local vendors, rugs, etc...

Obviously it is more dangerous at night. When I went, driving "fast" was a totally new thing for many people. :eek::eek:

If you are not hiring a private car/driver for trip between DEL & AGRA, the next best option is the train? Do they have biz class options on train? How much does it cost per person? And it's only about 3 hour ride? I don't mind any class but 2 of us have a 2 year old with us.

Thanks for any valuable info you can share.

There are other threads that will provide more on-topic for you. For example:

New to India Questions

first time india

We took a train (our full itinerary is posted in other threads) and enjoyed it. It can be difficult to purchase the train tickets online without an Indian mobile number, but there are work-arounds (google is your friend for this). There are several classes available on most trains from most stations (note that cities often have more than one station). The classes available and the duration of the ride vary based on which scheduled train you book...though, most are around 3 hours (or less if you take certain "tourist" express trains). If you take trains beware of the plethora of touts in the stations (usually before you reach the platform).

I did the one day train r.t. from Delhi in yes, Business Class, and the service on the train was remarkable and world class (other than using the john). Then private driver on arrival in Agra. I was quite pleased how it all worked out.

Worldspan
Naples, Florida

there are many trains going all day but the luxury one goes at 6 am and arrives in Agra at 8 am and the executive class is 1K rupee with some sort of meal included?