Taj Mahal from Delhi: Same Day tour

Taj Mahal Same Day Tour-

You all must be wondering why so many travel companies sell Taj Mahal same day tours from Delhi, Taj Mahal same day tour, Taj Mahal sunrise tour from Delhi, Taj Mahal by train etc

So the answer is, Delhi is the capital of India, therefore, it’s a hub for flights, train, buses etc. No matter where ever you are in the country you can get an easy flight to Delhi on weekends. Your India tour is incomplete without Taj Mahal, no matters whether you are on a business trip, vacation or come just to attain a wedding. Everyone comes to see Taj Mahal and the irony is most of the tourist don’t even know in which city or state it’s in. They only know it’s worth seeing Taj Mahal at sunrise and it’s only 4 hrs away from Delhi. Agra, the city of Taj Mahal, is also a house of other 2 world heritage sites, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Apart from Taj Mahal at Sunrise, there are few other monuments worth seeing.

Once you arrive in Delhi, Agra is Just 4 hrs away. So now Question is how to reach Agra? At what time you should leave for Taj Mahal same day tour from Delhi? At what time you will be back? Can you do Agra in 1 day? If you working in other metropolitan cities can you take a break of 2 days to see Taj Mahal or little more than that, How much it will cost?

The answer is yes you can do Taj Mahal in a day. You can do little more than Taj Mahal if you have 2 days….

Taj Mahal  Same day Tour from Delhi

So the first and most common and easy way to reach Agra from Delhi is by Road. Delhi and Agra are very well connected by 2 important roads. 1^st is Yamuna Expressway and 2^nd is NH2 (National Highway 2). From NH2 drive is approx 6 hrs, so not advisable.

Yamuna Expressway is the longest expressway of India. From Delhi it takes 3.5 hrs – 4 hrs to reach Agra. You need to hire a taxi. You can book your cab from-

• From Hotel. ( Recommended)
• Online from Travel Companies ( Recommended)
• Online through a Trip advisor or Viator. ( Recommended)
• From Bus Stand or Train Station ( NOT Recommended)

You can find reliable travel companies who sell Taj Mahal same day tour from Delhi. Anything around 100 USD for a private Taj Mahal Same day tour from Delhi should be a good deal. This cost should include your Taxi, gasoline, Driver’s allowances, all toll tax and parking, Guide’s services etc. Entrance to Monuments (Taj Mahal- 1300 INR for Foreigners and for Indian Nationals INR 250) usually not included.

You can read about Taj Mahal entrance fee by clicking here- Taj Mahal Entrance fee

You can pay them online by credit card. Some companies will ask you to pay the amount to driver. If Travel Company is based in Agra, then you can pay in cash on arrival in Agra.

Delhi to Agra by private taxi

The Taj Mahal same day tour from Delhi starts from the hotel. You will be picked from the hotel in the morning at 8 am (you can make it early as well) and drive to Agra. It’s a drive of 4 hrs approx. Once you leave Delhi up to Agra, there are 4 toll posts. First 3 toll posts are almost at an equal distance of 45 mins From each other (max. driving speed is 100 Km/hrs, new Toyota cars have an inbuilt speed limit of 80 Km/hr).

After 1^st toll, you can ask your driver to stop if you want to use the washroom. 1^st and 2^nd toll have cafeterias and washrooms. You will find them busy all the time. If you are Tea lover then Tea Stall near 1^st Toll will be the best option. The driver can buy on your behalf. This place is very popular among locals for tea and snacks.

It’s always good to take a small break, maybe for 15 mins only especially for your driver. Their working hours are very hectic, so it’s good if they can sip tea and get a refresh. On the expressway, it’s advisable to keep talking to your driver, sometimes because of monotonous drive, they feel sleepy.

After 2nd Toll post (Approx 1.5 hrs of a drive from the hotel) they have some nice cafeteria, like cafe coffee day and Costa coffee. So In case if you have missed your breakfast then you can eat here. The drive is smooth, you can also take a nap if feeling tired. You will reach Agra by 11:30-12:00 pm, depending on traffic.

You may be interested in reading-

8 Incredible Tips for best photos In Taj Mahal , Pushkar Camel Fair , Taj Mahal from Delhi: By Train

Welcome To Agra- Taj Mahal & Agra Fort

( Taj Mahal at sunrise- Image by Harsh Agarwal)

Guide and driver always coordinate with each other and decide meeting point. Straight you will be taken to Taj Mahal.

In Taj Mahal, eatables are not allowed. The list is pretty long for the thing not allowed in Taj Mahal, especially if you are visiting Taj Mahal at sunrise, to avoid any trouble, its strongly recommended to leave your bags in the car or in boot. If you buying a high-value ticket ( INR 1300) then you don’t need your passport, so not compulsory to carry it with you. Drivers always stay in the car, so you can trust them. That’s why it’s recommended to book your tour through an authorised travel company.

As per new rules you can spend Max 3 hrs in Taj Mahal from time of buying tickets. 3 Hrs are more than sufficient. By 14:30 -15:00 hrs you should be done with Taj Mahal. Near Taj Mahal, there are some good Indian restaurants for lunch or light snacks. After that, you will be driven to Agra Fort. Taj Mahal- Lunch- Agra Fort, these distances are not more than 15-20 mins from each other, depending upon traffic.

( Agra Fort, Khas Mahal-Private pavilion of Shahjahan, Image by Harsh Agarwal)

Agra fort is worth visiting. It’s one of the biggest and most beautiful forts of North India. 1 hrs-1.5 hrs should be a good time to spend in Agra Fort. Most of the guides are very good at operating mobile phones and basic DSLR’s, therefore, you can trust them in taking your photos.

Departure for Delhi

After Agra Fort, you can depart for Delhi. The guide should be dropped on the way. It’s always appreciated if you can tip him, depending upon his services and knowledge. Anything between INR 500- INR 1000 is a good amount. This is just a suggestion. It will take another 4 hrs to reach back to Delhi from the same route. Don’t forget to tip your driver well.

In this way, you will be ending your day back to the hotel by 9 pm. You always have the option to leave early in the morning. There is no fixed time when these tours start.

Careful in choosing your tour

These tours usually cost approx 100-120 USD. Anything besides 70-80 USD can be fishy. Nothing comes free, neither driver’s services nor guide’s services. So don’t trust companies who offer you a complimentary guide or driver. Always go for govt. approved guide to avoiding any problem. You can check their Guiding license if you feel like before starting your tour.

Some companies can charge you more up to 150 USD. They charge for better services, like upgraded big comfortable car, wifi services, water, experienced guides, monuments fee etc.

Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi

Many travel companies are selling “Same day Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour”. No doubt Taj Mahal at sunrise looks stunning and it opens 30 mins before sunrise and ticket window 1 hrs before. Depending on the time of year you are visiting, you can check the sunrise time on google and can plan your visit accordingly. If you planning to visit Taj Mahal at sunrise then you have to leave around 2 am. In summer it’s ok to start that early. But in Monsoon and winter’s it’s not advisable at all. In winter’s it gets badly foggy. Every year in Dec. and Jan. visibility on the express high way get’s very bad, and because of bad accidents, this highway gets closed for few days or week as well. So if you want to visit Taj Mahal at sunrise, the best option will be to stay overnight in Agra.

That’s it, Hope this was helpful.

Read More –

“Taj Mahal same day tour by Train”

“Taj Mahal overnight tour”

“Golden Triangle Tour in 3 Days and 2 Nights”

“Taj Mahal at sunrise photo tour”