joeytay

Anyone have experience visiting the Taj?

I am wondering what is the best time for a visit? Where do you recommend a hotel stay? Did you fly from Delhi? Take a train from Delhi? How was getting to and from Agra?

This is about the only thing I want to see there so if there are other suggestions please let me know. Thanks

berkeleybum

Its best to hire a car/driver for the day IMO. Agra is about 3 hrs from Delhi.

lili

It's amazingly located. We stayed in Agra. Then took train to Delhi.

Spotting it through the surrounding shops as we approached was strange. Typical Indian street jumble, with this thing in the background. Not the usual picture you see.

I enjoyed the buildings flanking the memorial itself: the mosque and guesthouse. And the reflecting water.

Take you own photos, but the pros on-site will deliver a better one to your hotel within hours for almost nothing.

(Watch out for pickpockets when inside the mausoleum. Bring a paper fan.)

Check this rather succinct and accurate description.

Beautiful, interesting, but certainly not the highlight of our 3 week trip to India.

The caves at Ajanta and Ellora, the backwaters of lAlleppy were probably my favorite places.

India is fascinating. Just jump in and enjoy.

PTravel

We took the train from Delhi. It's quite far to Agra -- I wouldn't do it as a day trip.

I can't remember the name of our hotel, except that it was an obirois -- very, very nice 5 star. We went to the Taj twice, once in late afternoon and once at sunrise. I highly recommend sunrise -- it was a little foggy when we went and the Taj, which already looks magical because of the topography of the site (it looks like it's floating), was like something from another world.

Here's a picture I took:

http://travelersvideo.com/Agra,%20India.jpg

painintheuk

I only had a limited time in Delhi, so I got a coach tour arranged by one of the local hotels. It was much cheaper than getting a reliable driver and car. A few have stopped offering them due to problems with bad drivers (which we had!), bad busses and generally bad service. I think that we ended up getting it from the Oberoi in Delhi, but don't know for sure. It might have been one of the Taj hotels.

We also got a tour of the Agra fort and a couple of other sites, breakfast (weak, though good curried potato thing), lunch (5* buffet) and dinner (even weaker than breakfast!)

I almost didn't take the trip due to the length and the fact that I was a bit under the weather, but it was totally worth the very long day.

Enjoy,

Dr. PITUK

sany2

I have gone more than once, but I have used my private car and driver.

I would recommend that you find a good driver/car from a hotel and use that.

When I have stayed over night, I have stayed in the Oberoi Amarvilas. Very nice hotel- a little on the expensive side for Agra.

PTravel

That was the one I stayed at. Very nice hotel, and they'll arrange a golf cart to the Taj whenever you want to go (it's quite close -- we could see it from our room).

workandski

I'm going at the end of August. I have reserved a car and driver to take me from Delhi to Agra, from Agra to Jaipur and from Jaipur to Delhi. My intinerary says that the drive from Delhi to Agra takes 4 hours but I assume that there is extra time built into that. I'm staying at the Mughai Sheraton in Agra, which looks nice and comes recommended by my travel agent, although she says it doesn't have a lot of local flavor.

I don't think August is the best time to go, but I am spending some time in the mountains so the winter wouldn't be practical.

i2fantsiz4

I went with a few of my coworkers last August. We decided to hire a tour guide and car/van for the 5 of us. It was very cheap and it helped to have a tour guide with us (we went to the Agra Fort, had a great lunch, learned a lot of the history, etc etc).

We stayed at the Oberoi Amarvilas--it was AMAZING! I highly recommend staying there not only because it's a very luxurious, but also because it's the closest hotel to the Taj. Every room faces the Taj, and almost every room has a balcony. We enjoyed watching the sunset over the Taj and hearing the prayers in the background.

Don't go in August if you can't help it--it's HOT!!! To fight the heat, we visited the Taj at 6AM. Try to go early regardless, because you'll be able to avoid the crowds and get the Taj all to yourself.

Please contact me if you'd like more information on the tour company that we used.

Yaatri

I have done the Taj Mahal a few times and Ajanta and Ellora a couple of times. They are all fabulous. I liked Ellora a bit more than Ajanta. Did you see Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad? It's a mausoleum to Auranzeb's wife, a really poor copy of the Taj Mahal.

Yaatri

The best time to see the Taj? The first full moon night after the monssons. The rains wah away all the dirt and polution, with a little help of the acidity in the rain water. The monumnet just gleems in the moonlight. Avoid April to August at all costs.

AA25

On Aurangabad, apart from Ajanata Ellora and Biwi Ka Maqbara, also see Panchakki whihc is an engineering marvel. Daultabad Fort is grand and worth seeing.