http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi#mediaviewer/File:Delhi_Montage.jpg
I was one of the lucky people to book a cheap flight to New Delhi on Emirates Airline (see post: $225 New York to India). Now comes the more difficult part. Planning. I really could use some help, and I’m calling on you!
I arrive 3pm on a Wednesday and I leave at 10 am on the following Monday (and I have about 12 hours in Dubai on the way home). So, I have 5 nights in India.
The question is where to go, how to divide my stay, and how to get around. Essentially, everything! I originally thought 3 nights Delhi, 1 night Agra, 1 night Jaipur, but I realize it is too far to travel from Jaipur to Delhi airport, so the last night will probably be either Delhi or near the airport. I have seen the post by Travel is Free, but I need to read it in more depth.
I understand it is advisable to hire drivers and tour guides. yay? nay? hire on a daily basis for for the entire stay?
Here were some initial thoughts:
Night 1 & 2 – Delhi – – perhaps Raddisson Blu (Connaught) or Le Meridian. Both are good on points and seem central – but then again, what do I know? I would’ve liked to book the Hyatt, but it seems far away from the city.
Night 3 – Agra – there’s a new Doubletree Hotel close to the Taj Mahal (10K Hilton points)
Night 4 – Jaipur – no clue yet.
Night 5 – airport or near airport
I might have to reverse Jaipur and Agra – with Taj Mahal closed on Friday. Is it smarter to go to Delhi first, or is it better to go last?
I am open to any and all suggestions, and grateful for your assistance!
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
I’d definitely avoid LM in Delhi. They make it look nice in pictures but that places is dated! Raddison or the Hyatt are much better choices. Also don’t miss Fataphur Sikri on the way to Jaipur from Agra. 1 day in Agra is more than enough- other than the Taj Mahal and red Fort it is a dump. Jaipur is fun. If you like Elephants don’t miss Amber palace. You can also get a good view of the city from there.
If you have the Club Carlson card, I’d recommend the Radisson for your first stay, since you get the 2nd night free.
Sorry I’m not much help on what to do in India – never been!
I spent two months in Delhi back in 2010. With your short stay you need to hire a driver/guide. They may not be the same person. I would look on trip advisor for some suggestions or you could wait and book through your hotel. It would be easier to just hire one person/team. Make sure you say you do not want to go to the rug factories, marble inlay factories (in Agra and Jaipur) when you book your tour. They are the really hard sell type of places and your driver/guide will get a cut from each place. If you want a rug they will ship to the US. I understand there is a byway to Agra from Delhi which saves time now. I would highly recommend going to Fatehpur Sikri near Jaipur. I enjoyed that more than Jaipur. Try to be at the Taj at sunrise or sunset. My favorite photo from my trip is the Taj at sunset taken from the Agra fort (another place I would recommend). If you go to the Lodi gardens in Delhi go to the tea house/restaurant to eat. Also I would recommend the Thai restaurant in the Imperial Hotel.
Hotels. I stayed at the Le Meridian in Delhi for a month. It is an atrium hotel so a few nights it was a little noisy. The service was “fine”. I held no status at the time so I cannot answer how they treat guests with status. If you want really good service and you are willing not to use points try one of the Taj properties. I stayed at the Taj Palace in a club level room for a month. The service is excellent but the location is not ideal for tourists. There are other Taj properties better located. I would also look at the Imperial and the Shangri La which is near the Le Meridian. I stayed at the ITC in Agra and it was fine. I cannot remember the name of the hotel I stayed at in Jaipur. I think it was the Palace and again an ok hotel. I don’t know anything about the Radisson in Delhi. When I was there I think there was a very loud club in the hotel. Check reviews on trip advisor etc.
I would not plan on running in India outside. First of all you will have limited time, the infrastructure may not be there for you to run safely (sidewalks), traffic is terrible, and I had friends who were chased by aggressive monkeys when out running but that was in a residential neighborhood. I was also there during wet/humid season and it was just too hot to run outside then. You just do not see a lot of runners around especially females.
If you have any further questions feel free to PM me.
I would also highly recommend getting car service from the airport. Make sure you have car service booked or have prepaid a cab in the terminal before you exit the terminal. You will not be allowed back in the terminal once you exit for security reasons. I had a friend who prebooked transportation with her employer and they did not show up. She could not go back in the terminal to book a cab and had to use the bandit cab drivers which will rip you off. Also if you get in a cab anywhere away from the airport make they use the meter. If you get in a tuk tuk negotiate your rate before you get in. Cabs/tuk tuk will try to take advantage of you as a tourist. Since I was around in Delhi awhile I knew what was a good rate and could negotiate without the meter.
Send me a private message. I will give you the name of an individual who made all my arrangements for a three week India/Nepal. I have been in 60 countries and the Golden Triangle area of India is not something I would plan/do independently. He hired all the guides/drivers–even when our train was delayed 11 hours and we arrived at 3 am the guide was waiting for us on the station platform. He usually does the hotel reservations, but am sure he would figure a price for all other items if that is all you want.
Here are some answers to your questions:
1. Hire a car with a driver in India – DO NOT ATTEMPT to drive yourself since you are on a short visit. Delhi is notorious for bad traffic. A car with a driver will put you back $25 per day for 8 hrs and 80KMS inclusive of fuel – extra after that.
2.Delhi Hyatt – there are 2 Hyatts in Delhi. The Grand Hyatt is little out of town but the main Hyatt is right in the town center. It is a great property.
3. Agra is a 2.5 hour drive from Delhi – plan to spend a night there as there is more to see than the TAJ. The Agra fort is a must see, very close to the TAJ. Have an Indian dinner at the Mughal Sheraton, it is close to the TAJ.
4. Jaipur is a 5 hour drive from Delhi. If you are planning to go – then plan at least 2 full days for the main attractions. You can spend a week in Jaipur and still there will be a lot left to do.
5. Delhi is a city full of things to do. For a totally authentic North Indian food experience – “The Bukhara” and the “Dum Pukht” restaurants, both in the Maurya Sheraton, are a must visit. Bill Clinton stays in this hotel just for the food. They have a Platter on the menu named after him. If you are into sightseeing historical places – this city is full of them. The Qutub Minar and the Delhi Red Fort are a good example. The National Museum will take a whole day.
6. For buying authentic Indian gifts to carry home – visit the Cottage Industries emporium on Janpath road in Delhi for fixed, fair prices and no haggling.
Agra is an easy daytrip, would not recommend staying there. Leave in the afternoon, arrive back to Delhi after sunset.
Jaipur is a good overnight trip.
Stay in central Delhi, Le Meridien is a great option. Hyatt Regency is good too. Radisson is okayish.
Uber works well and is cheap. For long trips, ask your hotel to arrange a day cab for $50-$100.
Sorry will not recommend running, use the hotel gym.
You should get out in Dubai if you have 10 hours, esp if you have never been there. Hire a cab, tell him to show you old Dubai, Dubai mall etc. You will need some local currency as they do not accept cards, but they are really cheap.
Email is you have questions!
@Lynn – Fatehpur Sikri in an hour from Agra – it is nowhere near Jaipur. I live in India and I am writing from there.
Should have said on the way from Agra to Jaipur
Please make yourself aware of Delhi first. At first I could not believe that you were going to travel Delhi by yourself !! Delhi is THE most dangerous city for women in India. Not just because of a few high profile incidents in the recent past but even when I was growing up in India. Let me tell you, I grew up in india and even I would not travel with my wife in Delhi without people who know the city as locals. Delhi is very very unsafe for female foreigners period. (btw, its pretty unsafe for indian women too). I have been to Delhi 3 times, once as a kid, once as grown-up while living in India and once with my wife (and my parents).
With that said, since you got your tickets and are going to go, here are my recommendations.
1) The safest way to see Delhi would be if you were part of those tour bus group that has a guide and you are traveling as a part of a group. Yes, you are less flexible in your plans when you travel with a group of people as a package tour. I would start emailing hotels to see if on those dates there is any such package tours going on AND if they can add you to that tour for the day. If they allow you to be part of such a tour group (and I dont know if its feasible) please don’t hesitate no matter what the cost.
2) If 1) is not feasible, try to contact the hotel directly and arrange for a guide (along with a driver) through the hotel. Please do not be visiting tour agencies and negotiate on your own. Insist on a guide along with a driver.
3) ABSOLUTELY NO STAYING OUT LATE. Delhi is not Bangkok, not Singapore nor Kuala Lampur. They are not in the same ballpark when it comes to safety for female tourists.
4) You should definitely visit Agra Fort along with Taj Mahal when you are in Agra. Agra Fort has a lot of history and there are lots of places to see so allocate at least 3-4 hours there and 2-3 in Taj Mahal. I know it sounds strange, but you do need more time in Agra Fort than Taj Mahal.
5) Places absolutely must see in Delhi – Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Bahai Temple (the lotus temple). Add others as your guide recommends.
6) I would skip Jaipur if I were you. Yes its “pink city” but its way overhyped.
7) If you are flying out at night, stay in Delhi the whole day that day, if flying out in morning, stay in Delhi whole day before. That way if there is some sort of sudden “bandh” (curfew) for any reason, you are not stuck in any other city. Stuff happens.
8) Most importantly, Please no solo running around in Delhi. NOT A SAFE CITY for women. nor has been for past decade or more. If you wanna explore the city by yourself, there are other cities (even in India), just don’t do it in Delhi.
****feel free not to approve/delete the post (i don’t mind), but please print out my advice. ******
Just be careful in Connaught Place. There was a caucasian female in her 50s who was raped in broad daylight there a few weeks ago.
God i thought India was over these kind of events…
Just my personal opinion, Agra is my least favorite place we’ve been in India. That being said, /w SPG it’s 3-4k… which is good. The city smells, smells bad, it’s generally crappy and touristy, and the Taj is a bit disappointing.
I know the Taj is the most famous of sites… and it is beautiful, but it’s one room on the inside with pigeons. But it’s just not awesome enough to make up for the crap of Agra. IMO.
I’d much rather skip and go to Jaipur, Udaipur, or Jodhpur. But if you’re on a time crunch, Jaipur is the closest.
The Radisson and Marriott and what not in Jaipur are WAY outside of town. The ITC and Country Inn Suites are a short Tuk Tuk from things. The ITC is another SPG cat 2 for 3k-4k. The Holiday Inn is slightly outside again, and is 10k. I highly recommend the Country Inn or ITC. It’s nothing in points and they are very close.
Jaipur has beautiful forts and grand buildings. Two of my three favorite places though are Jodhpur and Udaipur. Just wowza. Either way, get up to a fort and watch the sunset.
Take it from me, you need to book the train ahead of time through a travel agent (the only time you’ll ever hear me say that). Very cheap, and pretty quick on that route I believe. First class is pretty cozy and still cheap.
Looks like Indian Railways has an itinerary that fits your plan.
http://www.irctctourism.com/Golden-Triangle-of-India.html
Hi Kathy – I’m an India-based travel (points/miles) blogger (milesandevenmore.blogspot.com), and am happy to help, if you want to mail me direct. Here are some quick thoughts.
You could/should ideally hire a private taxi that’ll take you all the places you want, and drop you back at Delhi at the end of your trip, if that works for you.
Delhi: LM is avoidable. There’ll be a lot of options depending on what you want to do (and consequently, where you want to stay), so not to get too worked up about that. Careful about the traffic. Current pollution levels are *extremely bad*, and residents are advised not to venture out except 11 am to 3 pm, as far as possible. So do re-think DEL except for transit.
Jaipur – There’s a Hilton in Jaipur for 5k points a night as well as a Le Meridien (4k SPG a night), though I’d recommend the ITC Rajputana (SPG) for a stay – not available on points till end December, though. JAI-DEL is about 150 mi by road, but will take the better part of 3 hrs in the winter evenings. However, this can be planned effectively to meet a late night flight out of DEL.