Touts at Agra - share your experience here

Zeppy

We took a day trip to Agra from Delhi just a few days ago. The Western tourists in our Shatabdie Express compartment conferred on what best to do on arrival. Somebody had a French edition of the Lonely Planet, which recommended a prepaid auto stand and spelled out the prices. (Much better than the Rough Guide, which we were carrying.) So all the tourists made a beeline for the prepaid taxi stand, cleaving a wedge through the vociferous touts. So far so good. An 8-hour auto cost 300 rupees for one passenger, 400 rupees for two. The trouble is, even the drivers who accept the prepaid slips get commissions from merchants for taking you to their shops, so taking you shopping is of greater interest to them than taking you to far-flung sights. Naturally, everyone gets to go to the Taj and the Red Fort and conceivably also the Baby Taj. But then it's shopping. The drivers also metamorphose into "guides" and want extra money for that. We didn't have a bad time; our driver was not too insistent, and we called a halt to the shopping after two shops. We did give him a bit more money in the end, mainly because he was straightforward about his commissions and not too insistent about taking us where we didn't want to go. Yet, the sensation that everyone in Agra is out to fleece you, starting with the high admission prices for the monuments and continuing with demands for money at every turn (for shoe-keeping, animal photography, information about the sights, toilets) does interfere with the pleasure of seeing the beautiful sights. One visit to Agra was enough!

cyberhippie

It was with a sense of anti climax that I left Agra. I'd listened to all the storys of touts and ricky wallahs. Didn't even get mobbed when we got off the bus. I felt CHEATED!!!

edwardseco

I found honest auto men!!

New-South-Welshman

If I remember correctly, the car we were with couldn't drop us off directly to the Taj, so we had to take a bicycle rickshaw. Anyway, the rickshaw to the Taj was straight forward. After the Taj, I could make out the riders Hindi a bit, and asked to see some shops. I said "No..", but he insisted, in Hindi. I wonder if he thought I could speak Hindi? Anyway, I went into one of those marble shops, and ended up buying a miniature Taj Mahal, and had a pleasant conversation with the shopkeeper. Hopped onto th e rickshaw and went back to the car. Other than that, it was no trouble really.

I did have a very persistent tout in Connaught Place though trying to sell me a pair of sunglasses, who only seemed to be holding that certain pair. From Rs. 200 he bought it down to Rs. 10, but I still didn't buy it. Pretty funny in hindsight.

astaffy

I so can relate to your story we had been traveling throughout India for 5 weeks and the last week we were in Agra and Varanasi and the touts killed us, prior to these 2 places we did not want to leave but after these 2 cities we couldn't wait to get home, I would like to give advice to people just stay 4 hours in Agra just to see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort then get out as soon as possible and instead of going to Varnasi to see the Ganges activity go to Hardiwar instead this place does not have the touts as it is not touristy

just_an_old_boy

I almost got into a fist fight with touts posing as guides in Fatehpur Sikri.

One persistant bugger followed us for a while, pretending that we've hired him. Seems like if you don't refuse explicitly, they assume to be hired.
Anyway, my brother and I asked him to leave us alone. The guy then asked us 70-80 Rs. for his 'services'. My brother being a hot tempered fellow that he is showered the chap with a mix of abuses in every language at his disposal. That brought few other touts to the scene.
One chap gave me a 'friendly' pat on my shoulder that I pay the thug. Instantly I had that gents arm pulled down by his wrist.

Luckily, I had few of my fathers colleagues (military chaps that is) posted in Agra and we had our mobiles with their numbers with us. So, there was no question of giving in to the thugs. Admittedly I had a feeling that the thugs will pull out some knives , stab us and disappear.
Anyway, my wife intervened, gave them earful, something that made them feel ashamed. We had a pleasant time afterwards.

New-South-Welshman

I kind of have the same thought. Out of the four of us going to India in a week, three of us are former high school rugby footballers, so we basically won't let ourselves be intimidated. I guess that's pride talking, but for some reason, I have a feeling I won't be bugged by touts/hawkers that badly.

bergies

We've just returned home after 5 weeks in India. The rickshaw drivers and touts in Agra were by far the worst. In fact, we were hardly bothered in most places at all. We tried numerous strategies, but my two sons came up with one that worked really well, pretending to speak languages that weren't very common amongst tourists to India. They'd say they were Greek, or Armenian etc and spoke no English, and the touts would just give up! i tried some Hindi phrases that sometimes worked, except for one tout that gave me a 5 minute grammar lesson on correct verb use, which was funny and very educational. What amazed us is that everyone seems to be a tout in Agra, even some workmen restoring a wall at Fatehpur Sikri stopped chiselling to try and sell us a little stone elephant. But then again, i'd rather be dealing with them that being back in Sydney now at work!

goa baba

Good lord !

Was planning a trip to Agra in March ! With all the experince the team has shared, i should say i am enlightened. Will do some research and think of a better place..

Thanks a ton !

noflylist

Don't the state government see that touts are bad for business and take some action!

PeakXV

It's kind of analagous to a shark feeding frenzy - they'd like to - but how to predict when & where all those random flurries of aggressive persuasion will happen.

__________________
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

robotvoice

hehe, i know what you mean c-h, i felt the same way when i passed through delhi

Ringo Ng

What's the best way to TAJ MAHAL ?

After reading all the message, make me feel panic of the touts and rickshaw guys , any good suggestion when i go out of the train in the morning , what's the best way going to see Taj Mahal and Agra Fort ? How far is it from train station , can i just walk there ? I may only stay in Agra 3/4 of a day .

nedhopkins

My son and I arrived at the Taj -- three times -- by taxi and walked from the drop-off point to the ticket booth without being bothered by touts. (Our three visits were in the early morning, mid-morning, and late afternoon.)

On our late afternoon visit we observed a guard chasing people off the median just below the "Princess Diana bench." He caught our eye. Soon he asked us if we'd like him to take us to all the best spots for picture-taking. We said "yes" and spent the next hour being guided around the Taj. Our pictures could not have been better.

Though the guard did not ask for a tip, he obviously expected one and I gave him R500.

Zeppy

Good heavens! Did you inadvertently add a zero? Or am I getting to the bottom of why the touts, guides, drivers, guards, etc. in Agra are so sharklike?