Taj Mahal

[Longtoo]

Hi all, next month I will be in Delhi and as you would expect, my mission is to see the Taj Mahal. Few questions if you are kind enough to help:

1. What is the best mode of transport from Delhi to Taj Mahal? I will be by myself, reasonably fit and can sustain rough travel, thus time efficiency is most important. I will have one full day just for the Taj Mahal.
2. Do I need to buy the ticket for Taj Mahal in advance?
3. For hotel in Delhi, should I stay near the airport or the city centre?
4. Do you have any other tips for Delhi and the Taj Mahal?

Thanks in advance

 

[RooFlyer]

I can't help with specifics of getting from Delhi to Agra, where the Taj is, sorry. If 'time efficiency' is most important, how does cost rate? The smoothest way to do it would be via a tour or just a driver/guide. That will be a fair bit more expensive than, say, getting a bus etc but it will certainly be the easiest. Queues in India can be long and chaotic. You may not even be in the right line, and not know it. I have seen NO queue in operation at major venues - just a scrum pushing to get to the ticket window. In one case my guide simply went to the ticket booth door and bought my ticket that way - avoided the scrum altogether!

You can read about others' experiences with Delhi and Agra by looking up India here: destination trip reports.

You don't need t buy a ticket in advance - I'm not sure even if you can. There is a ticket office at the Taj - you then get a minibus to the entrance. Buy the highest type of ticket - it will get you priority entry. But I do recall that even at that major site, the way to buy a ticket wasn't straight forward. My guide had to see someone to get something arranged ... maybe the ticket office was closed, I don't know.

It would be a real waste just to rush to Agra to see the Taj - there is a lot more to see there. Again, see the trip reports at the above link. Even if you do only go to see the Taj, overnight in Agra would be valuable - you get two shots at going, in case visibility is poor on one or the other days. When I went, we were scheduled to visit the following day, but when we arrived at Agra, the guide observed the air to be clear so we went there and then. Thank goodness, as the next day was foggy.

Delhi - what else are you doing in Delhi? That will have a major bearing as to where your hotel might be.

 

[blacksultan]

The taj mahal is actually in Agra outside Delhi. I believe you would need a full day if travelling from Delhi and the best way would be via taxi or a good bus tour( if available)

 

[blacksultan]

Carry an air mask and be prepared for smoggy weather !

 

[RB]

I am guessing you know the Taj is closed on Fridays. I think it is important to be there very early so ideally stay the night before. On that previous day I would be visiting Agra Fort and then (I assume you can still do it) travel over to the back of the Taj-on the Yamuna River side.
We used a private driver for our visit & can recommend him highly. The road is apparently much improved now so the trip back to Delhi is much easier.

 

[Longtoo]

Dear all, many thanks for your help with this. I have 3 days in Delhi, need to do a bit of work but can allocate one night and one day for Taj Mahal. I would consider the advice to stay overnight in Agar. The next issue is if i need to book a tour in advance or i can just turn up to Delhi and get the Hotel to arrange one for me? TIA

I will be in Delhi from Mon - Wed, did not know that they close the Taj on Fri but it wont affect me.

 

[RB]

You could just get a hotel organised tour. My observations are that there is a big range of abilities in driving/communicating & vehicle type so I would be canvassing advice. I am happy to recommend someone by private message & I am sure there are others on this site that have good feedback

 

[dajop]

If you want to do independently, there is the Gatimaan Express train that does the run from Delhi-Agra in 1:40, leaving Delhi H Nizamuddin station at 8:10, arriving at Agra Cantt at 9:50, with return journey leaving at 17:50, arriving 19:30. Leaves plenty of time to cover the Taj and the Agra Fort. It is quite a bit quicker than driving, but you also have to allow time getting to/from stations which neutralises the difference.

When we visited two years ago, we did the express train there, stayed overnight at the ITC Mughal hotel (SPG hotel status helped get a great room here), and caught a slower train (3hrs) back the next day. The train down was really "tourist express" (mainly Indian tourists, plus a few foreigners) in seating, the train back, was an experience was more local (but we didn't book the lower two classes, went for some luxury), with seating at a berth. Was a great experience.

 

[bsb]

Go to Viator.com and book a tour from there. India isn’t an easy place to deal with if you are time poor

 

[SuperVit]

India is so different ))) I know a lot of people who loved it and a lot of people who will never come back there. But I jope that you will enjoy your vacation there.

1. What is the best mode of transport from Delhi to Taj Mahal? I will be by myself, reasonably fit and can sustain rough travel, thus time efficiency is most important. I will have one full day just for the Taj Mahal. - Better to go by car
2. Do I need to buy the ticket for Taj Mahal in advance? - Yes! It is the most popular sightseeing so to buy tickets in advance is always a good idea.
3. For hotel in Delhi, should I stay near the airport or the city centre? - How long are you going to be in Delhi? If for several days than better of course to book in the city, like this you can see local sightseeing, try Indian cuisine and jest explore. You can look for accommodation here
4. Do you have any other tips for Delhi and the Taj Mahal? - Just be careful while crossing the roads and look after your bag, like in any big cities it is important.

 

[RooFlyer]

India is so different ))) I know a lot of people who loved it and a lot of people who will never come back there. But I jope that you will enjoy your vacation there.

Welcome to AFF.

What are the ways to buy a ticket in advance?

 

[somebol]

If you are feeling adventurous try the trains, very easy and convenient.

Delhi - Agra
12050 Gatimaan Express departs Hazrat Nizamuddin 8:10 am reaches Agra 09:50 am - this is the fastest option
12002 New Delhi Bhopal Shatabdi Express departs New Delhi Station at 06:00 am reaches Agra 08:00 am
12280 Taj Express Superfast departs Hazrat Nizamuddin at 07:00 am reaches agra 9:40 am.

tickets range from $15 - $30. Use www.irctc.co.in for schedules and booking. I can help with the booking if you are having trouble.

You can do Agra as a day trip, but I would advise to stay overnight and visit couple of other sites. Agra Fort & Fatehpur Sikri are must sees imo. Get your hotel in Agra to arrange a car & driver to cover both sites, it will be a bit expensive going via the hotel but worth it to avoid hassles of arranging your own.

Any prices quoted by street vendors / guides etc, bargain... hard. aim to pay 20% of what they quote.

Note: Delhi has three major railway stations all quite a distance apart so make sure to double check you heading to the right one.

In delhi checkout Humayun's tomb, which is a predecessor to Taj & one of the main inspirations for the architecture of Taj.

 

[SuperVit]

Welcome to AFF.

What are the ways to buy a ticket in advance?

If you buy ticket for example 6 months before it costs cheaper always. Or use google flights to find the best options or momondo.

 

[Happy Dude]

I recommend going to the Taj late in the day and then early the next morning. The colour of the building changes dramatically with the time of day. Toss up between it and the Potala Palace as my most visually impressive buildings on the planet.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you buy ticket for example 6 months before it costs cheaper always. Or use google flights to find the best options or momondo.

Are you talking about tickets to the Taj?