Day Trip to Taj Mahal from Delhi

Bris-Vegas

I am looking at making a day trip to the Taj Mahal on Sat 15th Nov, is it best to book train travel in advance from Australia (if so how), or can I book the train when I arrive in Delhi on Fri 14th Nov. I have limited time in Delhi, and Sat 15th is the only day I can travel.

jyotirmoy

The ticket should be bought in advance as 15th. is a week end.
If possible think of hiring a car from Delhi and start very early to view Tajmahal in the morning before it gets crowded. With a car you can also visit Fatehpur Sikri.

Aishah

I agree with Jyotiji - a car would be so much easier for you and you could cover much more in the day. I think well worth the expense (and it should not be too much either - off the top of my head, around 2,500 or slightly less rupees). With the car, you can visit the Taj, the Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri (well worth seeing, I think). Take your time, no need to rush about before a train return deadline. Have stops for lunch, chai etc. A much more pleasant way to do that day trip!

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nayan

Agree with Ayesha and Jyotida.

I had done the agra one day trip on 15th august in 2004.
We had hired an AC Indica through our company travel desk. We started at 6am. we stopped at sikandra in the way(very enjoyable.... very less crowds, nice green surroundings).
we reached the Taj around 11am. we spent around 2 hours. after lunch we went to fatehpur sikri. we started the return journey around 5:30pm and reached the guesthouse at 10pm(with dinnr stop enroute).

jyotirmoy

If you are visiting in winter it is a good idea to hire a car from Delhi, visit Agra and drive to Bharatpur in the evening. Spend the night there, visit the bird sanctuary early morning next day & return to Delhi.

Hal

I'll 4th or 5th the car and driver idea. It's more expensive than the train, but relatively speaking its a bargain for anyone from the west.

Brisso

Try and book NOW!! India Rail booking website - search the IM site for instructions. Pay by CC and print off the tickets.

vkochar

Book the Shatabdi. Leaves Delhi early in the morning at 6AM, gets to Agra at 8 AM. Go and visit the Taj & Fort. YOu should be free by Noon. Then you have 2 trains in the evening. The Taj Express at 7 PM ( Takes 3.5 Hrs ) and then there is the Shatabdi Again ( 8 PM - 10 PM in Delhi ).

Book in advance as Peak Season is on.

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maury

Just returned from a month in India and have devoleped a pretty low opinion of Indian roads: actually they are downright terrible. Rough, potholed and filled with insane drivers. And those are the good ones. Book the train. The ride is very comfortable, much more so than a car. And since you are going to be ripped off royally for your Taj ticket, you might as well save a few rupees. Anyway, hop an autorickshaw to the Taj. Skip the fort unless you actually are interested in it - the military is currently using most of it anyway - and take a local bus to Fatehpur Sikri (about 1 hour each way). I really enjoyed my visit there: aside from the huge mosque and ruins, it is a bussling little town with a great market to wander around without constantly being approached by touts selling tourist junk.

mridula

I have the day trip to Agra by taking what is called Shatabdi to Shatabdi trip. It is advisable to pre-book the tickets. You can do e-tickets now on Indian Railways. The train number is 2001 while going and 2002 while coming from Agra.

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Mridula

Travel Tales from India

Aishah

That's a great link to your blog page, mridula! I enjoyed the read, and pics are nice. Very useful information.

Re the road condition - I wonder if anyone who has driven it recently can tell us how it is. I am used to roads as good as Oz and NZ out our way - they are mostly smooth, easy, quick driving possible.

pollie

I have just visited from Delhi too. Definitely book a car, but be warned in advance. THERE ARE NO RULES OF THE ROAD OVER HERE. I nearly had heart failure the first timw I went in a taxi. Tell the drive rto slow down if he freaks you out. Definitely let him know. When you get to Taj Mahal watch out for pick pockets as they are everywhere. And people will be in your face trying to sell you stuff too but just ignore them as they should go away. Enjoy the experience, its very different.

mridula

Aishah, thanks for the encouraging words about my blog. I am thinking of taking another such trip with my nephews to some other place.

Haylo

We travelled this route yesterday, the NH2 is a pretty good and fast road, far better than I had expected to find in India. Apart from in towns and villages and at the occasional crossing points, it is lane separated with a built up central reserve so this makes it one of the safer roads.

Like in most towns, the roads in Agra itself aren't great, but unless someone is rich enough to be flown in by helicopter, they'd have to deal with that whichever way they travel to the Taj Mahal.

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Haylo

Yes it does look chaotic and people do flaunt the rules, driving over red lights and so on, but I am beginning to realise that there is a method to at least some of the madness. Some of those horns do mean something, many drivers at least have a modicum of survival instinct and while I cannot call it safe, it is not nearly as dangerous as it looks at first sight, i.e. suicidal.

Absolutely, even saying "no" gives them an opening. One time I did have to say "Bas bas, chello!" to someone who was persistent, which worked like a charm, but generally what works for me is just ignoring them completely or waving them away absentmindedly. Apart from the guy who tried to sell me a bullwhip, I couldn't help laughing out loud in his face at the thought of using it to clear a path through the chaos, maybe he read my mind because he didn't persist.