Day 1 Blog: Click Here!
Day 2:
The day started very early. We woke up around 5 AM, got ready and left the hotel for the railway station. Here is an observation, it’s quite difficult to find cab/auto in Uber/Ola at that time. We took the hotel’s cab and it dropped us to the station. We thought it will be for free, but they took 200 bucks! Anyway, our train was already on the platform. Usually, it departs from Platform #1. As per the information present on the internet, this train is the 3rd fastest train in India currently! The maximum speed can go up to 150kmph. They provide you with breakfast.
We reached Agra around 8 AM without any delay. We had planned to visit mainly 2 places: The Tajmahal and the Agra Fort.
Once you come out of the station, you can find a govt. taxi/auto stand. Different packages are available there for different costs. Beware of the local/non-govt auto wallas there. They will offer you less price for the same package, but, there is no assurance or safety of neither your money nor you! Its always better to go with the govt ones. We took an auto with 500 INR package which included a visit to Tajmahal, Agra Fort, Local Market, Balaji Temple. Don’t forget to take the valid payment receipt from the counter!
Let's start the Taj Visit details with the most important tip. Taj is closed on Friday! And, if you are planning to visit Taj on weekends, its advisable to visit as early as possible, preferably before 9 AM. The reason being, as it’s a holiday, many people will come and mostly it will be school outings. So, you can expect a huge crowd!
The entry tickets can be purchased from the counters. Indian: 50 Rs and Foreigners: 1100 Rs. Along with that, there is an extra 250 Rs ticket, in case you want to go up to the tomb. You will find many guides near the ticket counter. If you are interested in history and the heritage of the place, its advisable to go with a guide as they will tell beautiful facts and stories about the place. The rates are not fixed and you can negotiate.
There are 3 gates to enter. Vehicles are not allowed within 500 Meters of the Taj premises. So, you need to walk the rest. Also, you need to submit your baggage to the counter and they will provide you with a shoe cover which you need to wrap around your shoe. This is to ensure the premises are kept clean.
The Taj is one of the most visited tourist places of India and the World! So, there is no much I have to say about the place. You can find a lot more on the internet itself. Here are some pro tips I can give:
A) Always carry 1 or 2 water bottles with you, the tour is long and you will feel thirsty!
B) A tomb is a sacred place. Please maintain silence and you will be amazed at how peaceful the feeling is!
If you are lucky, you can get some awesome pics from the top of Tajmahal. Please be careful on the steps as those are very steep!
Once the tour was over, we came out of the East gate and went towards our next destination, Agra Fort!
Agra Fort is one of the most important forts in India because of its rich cultural heritage and its importance in Indian history. I won’t get into the historical significance of this fort as once can easily get all the information here.
The entry fee here is 50 Rs for Indians and 550-600 Rs for Foreigners. Like Tajmahal, here also you can find guides roaming around near the ticket counter. Usually, the rate varies around 900-1000 Rs but negotiation is always welcome. We got our guide for 250 Rs only! Its advisable to go with the guides here. In weekends, you can expect long queues before entering the fort.
There are around 16 palaces inside the fort. And FYI, only 25% of the entire fort is open for tourists. The rest 75% is being used by the Indian Military and its closed for outsiders.
There are some interesting facts we got to know from our guide.
A) The fort was built by many emperors over time. You can find Red stones in some places and some places you can find White stones. That’s because Mughal Emperor Jahangir loved Red stones and Shah Jahan loved White stones ( Yes, the same reason for Tajmahal to be built using White Marble Stones!).
B) In his last days, Shah Jahan stayed with his daughters for some time. There are 2 ‘mahal’s which belonged to Jahanara and Shahanara. From Shahanara Mahal, there is an absolutely wonderful optical illusion of The Tajmahal. It still gives goosebumps thinking about that!
C) Do not miss the ‘Diwaan-e-aam’ ( for common people ) and ‘Diwaan-i-khaas’ ( for special people ). Also, don’t miss the cannon hole.
Once the Agra Fort tour was over, we went to the local market for some shopping. But, it was a disappointment. There is a govt shop where you can find marble stone Tajmahal replica and other things to take as a souvenir. But, it’s expensive if you compare to outside shops. You will get good Agra Petha ( a famous sweet of Agra made of Ash Gourd ). But, it's advisable not to keep it for a long time as it will be spoiled.
Next, we went to the Balaji Temple, but it was closed unfortunately. We decided to head back to the station.
Our train was at 5.50 PM. It was Gatimaan Express, India’s 2nd fastest train with a max speed of 160Kmph. We were served snacks in train. We reached Hazrat Nizamuddin station around 7.30 PM. We took an auto and headed to our hotel.
The next day was supposed to be a slow day with local sightseeing and shopping in Delhi.
Day 3 Blog: Click Here!
Find my other blogs:
Gokarna Trip
Bhaksunag Falls Timelapse
Himachal PhotoBlog
Sunrise @ BTM Lake
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