My friend and I will be in New Delhi for 2 full days before heading to Bhutan. Any suggestions for day tours? Should we just see site in New Delhi or venture to Agra to see the Taj Mahal one day? Any suggestions for tour guides? Thanks!
Just be very careful! Lots of dodgy travel agencies in Delhi. Be especially aware of any that try to send you up to Kashmir... it's all a big scam to scare money out of you, as I found out!
You should be able to book a tour of Delhi with any tour agency, basically a guide with a car drives you round all day showing you the sights. I found it pretty interesting and a great way to see the city. You'll get haggled pretty much everywhere you go, asked to vist someone's friends shop etc etc, just be firm and only go to the places you want to go to.
Taj Mahal DEFINITELY worth doing. It's a 2hr train ride from Delhi so is do-able in one day. Again, any travel agency will be able to arrange this for you. The Taj is a bit of a tourist trap, even for Indians. Shamefully you'll probably be invited to the front of the queue by paying one of the guides about £10, but it does save on a massive 5hr queue from what it looked like outside!
Re: Travel agencies, make sure you have the latest Lonely Planet / Rough Guide. Just try and choose a reputable one from there.
If you book a guide from a travel agent or hotel, always ask to meet the driver before you book. Some guys are really helpful and fun and others are just a taxi driver the agent has dragged off the street. are unhelpful at best rude at worst and don't speak or wont english. Never be scared to demand to check anything in India.
[ 23-Dec-2011, at 01:17 by Dodger ]
I think, it's possible to see Taj mahal in one day. Delhi is one of the most famous tourist destination and Taj Mahal is one of them. Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and also this is the symbol of love.
If you have only two days in New Delhi, I would recommend you explore the city instead of rushing out on a day trip to Agra. There is so much to explore around Delhi.
Start with Central Delhi - Lutyens Delhi with India Gate, Rashtrapathi Bhavan,and admire the architecture of the planned city as well as modern historical sites such as Gandhi Smriti (the memorial at the site where Gandhiji was shot) and Raj Ghat (memorial where he was cremated) then move to Old Delhi and take a walk along the old streets of Chandni Chowk designed by Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan in the city he built making sure to visit the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. The Gurudwara Sisganj is an interesting Sikh temple in Old Delhi where there are volunteers at the information office willing to talk about the religion and history and answer any questions you have.
On your second day, you could visit Humayun's tomb, the tomb of the father of Emperor Akbar which is a beautiful tomb in a very peaceful surrounding. If you are interested in Sufi heritage sites, the dargah of Sufi Saint Nizamuddin Aulia is close by. The lotus temple of the Bahai faith is a beautiful landmark in Delhi and can also be visited.
For shopping, visit Dilli Haat for exploring products from rural cottage industries from different states of India. At any given time, it depends on the people renting out the stalls, you could be lucky to see an assortment of Indian clothing and crafts and at other times, you could be flooded with choices for sarees only. There is a food court in the midst and which offers a good introduction to the different types of food in India.
There is so much more to explore in this beautiful city so make the most of your two days in New Delhi. Have fun!
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