Best Day Trips from New Delhi

New Delhi is one of the most populated cities, and every day receives visitors who want to know one of the great works of architecture: Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of white marble inlaid with precious stones that was built in the seventeenth century by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to the wife, and that changes color depending on the light it receives.

Undoubtedly, one of the best things to do in New Delhi is to visit the Taj Mahal, but you can also visit other towns like the city of Agra, where the famous mausoleum is located; the town of Jaipur, known for its wonderful architecture, or the sacred cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Here I will tell you about the main tours you can do from New Delhi, so you can take advantage of them during your visit to the capital.

Without a doubt, the excursion that you cannot miss is the tour to Taj Mahal from New Delhi, the white marble mausoleum that has been declared one of the New Wonders of the World. In addition, these tours usually include a visit to the Agra Fort and the Little Taj, two emblematic constructions of the city of Agra.

Usually, these tours are done by fast train, which takes less than 2 hours to arrive, while by road it would take more than 3 hours. These are private tours in which only the people in your group participate, which ensures a more personalized experience.

This type of tour is usually coordinated by expert guides with years of experience who know every detail of the buildings and can provide you with valuable information about each site you visit. Some tour companies even allow you to add other attractions in the city of Agra that are of interest to you.

These experiences usually start early in the morning at various times. Most usually include pick-up and drop-off at the hotel or airport, and many allow you to add additional services of your choice. For example, you can go on your own and hire only the guide service, or you can hire a more comprehensive service that includes the guided tour, entrance fees and fast train transfer from New Delhi.

Details of interest

• Price: from 60 to 140 € approximately per person depending on the services you hire.
• Duration: about 12 hours.
• Means of transport: fast train.
• Advantages of this option: it allows you to visit the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and the Little Taj in one day, in a comfortable way and accompanied by an expert guide who will give you complete information about both constructions. You can customize the tour with the services of your choice.
• Disadvantages of this option: some tours do not include lunch and drinks.

Taj Mahal changes color throughout the day, and one of the best times to visit it is at sunrise, when it has a pinkish color. That is why a good option is to take an early morning tour from New Delhi, so that you arrive at Taj Mahal before sunrise. These types of tours also usually include a visit to the Agra Fort.

Tours to see the sunrise at Taj Mahal usually depart in the early morning hours, and arrive before sunrise in the city of Agra.

These types of tours are usually private, so you will only share the experience with your fellow travelers. Generally, you are accompanied by a guide who knows the history and all the details of the construction of the Taj Mahal, so you can provide complete information about the mausoleum, the gardens and all the sites you visit.

In addition to the Taj Mahal, you can visit the Agra Fort, an imposing red sandstone building that was built in the sixteenth century, and the Little Taj, a mausoleum of great beauty that is considered a "sketch" of the Taj Mahal.

Details of interest

• Price: about €190 for the full tour per person including entrance fees, guide, transfers and lunch. Children between 6 and 14 years pay about 40 € per tour.
• Duration: it is a full day tour.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to see one of the best postcards of India, the sunrise at Taj Mahal; and visit the Agra Fort and the Little Taj in a comfortable way and accompanied by an expert guide who will give you a lot of information about all the attractions.
• Disadvantages of this option: you must be willing to get up early to arrive before sunrise at Taj Mahal.

Another option, in addition to the fast train, is for you to hire a private car tour to visit Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. These tours usually depart at different times, from early morning to a little after noon. This is a great option if you want to see the sunset at the Taj Mahal, when it takes on a golden hue.

These tours are private, so you will only be sharing the car with your group of friends or family. They usually include the service of a guide, which is highly recommended, as they will be able to give you very complete information about the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, two of the most emblematic buildings of the city of Agra and India.

As children do not pay daytime entrance fee to Taj Mahal, usually these tours give them a special bonus. Lunch may or may not be included, and many companies offer it as an extra service that you can add to the tour.

Details of interest

• Price: from 15 to 130 € per person, depending on the services you hire.
• Duration: it is a full day tour.
• Means of transportation: car or vehicle according to the number of travelers.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to visit the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort comfortably in a private car and accompanied by an expert guide who will provide you with interesting information about all the attractions you visit.
• Disadvantages of this option: some tours do not include lunch and drinks.

If you prefer to see the attractions on your own, an interesting option is to hire only the car transfer, so you can visit Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Little Taj at your own pace. Also, it is ideal if you want to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise.

Transfers are private, so you will only travel with the people in your group. If you wish, you can hire a guide to learn all the details of one of the New Wonders of the Modern World that is the Taj Mahal, as well as the Agra Fort and the Little Taj, two emblematic constructions of the city of Agra. You can also include a skip-the-line ticket.

Transfers from New Delhi to Agra operate from early morning to early morning, so you can arrive as early as you wish at the Taj Mahal. These transfers have the advantage that you can customize the tour and include other attractions that are of interest to you. Lunch is also probably not included, but you can ask the driver to take you to the best restaurants in Agra.

Details of interest

• Price: about 100 € the transfer for adults, and about 24 € for children between 6 and 14 years. The option that includes entrance fees, guide service and transfer by private car costs about 170 € for adults and about 25 € for children.
• Duration: half or full day.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: hiring only the transfer is an ideal option if you want to visit the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and the Little Taj at your own pace.
• Disadvantages of this option: if you hire only the transfer, you must buy tickets on the official site, which does not include entrance without queues.

A very interesting city that you can visit from New Delhi is the city of Jaipur, which is about 4 hours by train from New Delhi. Jaipur is known as the "pink city" as its historic center has adopted that color after the visit of Prince Albert in 1883, and has some of the most impressive buildings in India.

Tours that take you to this city are usually full day tours, and some may even extend to more than a day due to the fact that it is located 300 km from New Delhi. These tours are usually done in small groups, but you also have the option of choosing private tours. They usually include visits to Jaipur's main attractions:

• The Palace of the Winds, which was built for the women who were part of the harem of Maraja Sawai Pratap Singh, so that they could observe the outside without being seen. Its shape with many windows is reminiscent of a peacock.
• The Jaipur Palace, a royal residence where today a museum operates.
• The Amber Fort, a palace complex built in the sixteenth century, located 11 km from Jaipur.
• The Water Palace, which is located in the center of the Man Sagar Lake.
• Handicraft markets.

Many of these tours include hotel pick-up, and usually include lunch as well. They are tours that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and are coordinated with an expert local guide who provides information about all the sites you visit. As they are full day tours, they usually start early in the morning and you return to New Delhi in the evening.

Details of interest

• Price: about 80 € per person.
• Duration: about 12 hours.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: these tours include entrance fees, guide service and all transfers, making them a convenient way to see the best of the city of Jaipur in one day.
• Disadvantages of this option: they usually do not include drinks.

If you are interested in learning about Hinduism and experiencing the spirituality of India, taking a tour to Haridwar and Rishikesh from New Delhi is a great option. This is a full day tour where you will visit both cities and witness rites, offerings and how people who profess Hinduism live their daily lives.

In these cities you will not see buildings with amazing architecture, but you will get to know the spiritual side of India. In Rishikesh, for example, only vegetarian food is eaten and alcohol is forbidden. You can also witness the sunset rite or aarti dedicated to the goddess Ganga, in which people light a fire in the Ganges River. Both are pilgrimage cities considered sacred.

These tours usually involve small groups of people and start early in the morning. Many include the service of a guide, who provides interesting information about the various sites visited. Some tours include lunch only, so drinks and other meals are on your own.

Details of interest

• Price: about 70 € per person.
• Duration: about 18 hours.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: you will visit in one day two cities considered sacred in India, Haridwar and Rishikesh, where you will learn about Hinduism and witness different rites and offerings.
• Disadvantages of this option: some guides and drivers only speak English.

Around New Delhi there are villages with a rich history and amazing architecture that you should not miss during your stay in the city, particularly those that are part of India's Golden Triangle, such as Agra and Jaipur. Moreover, from New Delhi, you will be able to reach these towns conveniently, as the country's capital is well connected by road, rail and/or air networks.

Agra

One of these towns that you cannot miss is Agra, home to one of the most beautiful buildings in the world: the Taj Mahal. Although this mausoleum may overshadow the others, in this city you will find many palaces and mausoleums of interesting architecture, such as the Agra Fort, the Little Taj and the Tomb of Akbar; and beautiful gardens such as the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

Jaipur

Another town you can not miss during your visit is Jaipur, whose historic center stands out for its pink and white colors. There you can see amazing buildings such as the Wind Palace, the Water Palace, the Jaipur Palace, the Amber Fort and the historical observatory Jantar Mantar, among others.

Haridwar and Rishikesh

It is also highly recommended to visit the towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh, two cities considered sacred in Hinduism. Haridwar is a pilgrimage town where you can witness rites and offerings, such as the aarti or evening ritual to the goddess Ganga, in which fires are lit in the Ganges River. Meanwhile, Rishikesh, considered the capital of yoga, is a spiritual city where alcohol is not consumed and only vegetarian food is eaten.

The main advantage of hiring a guided tour is that your transportation is taken care of. This is not a minor fact, since the city of New Delhi is one of the most populated cities in the world and many of the interesting places to visit in the surroundings are located many kilometers away from the city, such as the Taj Mahal and the city of Jaipur, which are about 300 km away from the capital.

You will also have your transfers arranged in each city you visit, which is more convenient when visiting attractions that are far from each other, such as the Amber Fort, which is about 11 km from the city of Jaipur.

On the other hand, guided tours offer complete packages that include skip-the-line tickets and guide service, as well as additional services such as lunch. The guides in charge of these tours are experts in history, culture and architecture, so they can provide you with a lot of information about the historical buildings you visit. Just try to hire a guide who speaks your language, or a language you can understand.