India 24 Hours - Delhi to Agra is One Exciting Day

Greaves Travel, whom I found thanks to a travel-guru friend, really took care of me on my one free day during a recent work travel junket in Delhi, India. When the 50-50 work/play trip turned into a 98%-2% proportion instead, there was time to do only one thing.

The one requisite trip for the American tourist is, of course, the Taj Mahal, so that became the one sightseeing adventure I would do for myself.

My friend recommended that I include the Red Fort as well, and I was glad I took her advice, as the two combined made for a rich day's travels. An email and one call to Greaves put me in contact with my driver, who picked me up in Delhi at my hotel at dawn on a Saturday and escorted me on a hair-raising 3-hour road trip south to the environs of Agra, site of the Taj.

As the roads in India are largely a free for all, having a fearless driver who is willing to use his or her horn unceasingly is a huge plus. So while the din of the constant horn for the 6-hour plus ride may be a little headache-making, let's say it's also life-preserving.

I was met at the perimeter of the Taj by Raj, my guide, whose English was better than mine. His father had come to the US on a 4-H  scholarship, and while he was predictably loquacious and solicitous, he had a surprisingly disarming capacity for frankness and self-reflection, gave me lots of great reading recommendations (if I can only find them in my still-scattered trip notes!), and was just a charming travel companion.

Even though it was September, it was blazing hot at the Taj, and there's not a lot of shade, but... This was my first, maybe only time there, and Raj was keen to take lots of photos of me in the key photo op sites. 

He was appropriately protective of his tourist charge from other guides, vendors, etc. - although I must admit I found the Indian habit of staring at people (like me) at extremely close range (inches), for long minutes... unnerving. But I was later told, this isn't rude (if you say so), just a deep fascination with foreign people.

Agra's Red Fort was super-cool, and the perfect tie-in to the story of the Taj. I think you really have to see the two together to get the whole family story.

Take plenty of water, set aside the whole day. One thing: be sure to come armed with coins, or pieces of fruit or candy, for the children who will be asking for something from you. It's hard not to want to give something and feel confused about when/how much.

Your driver and/or guide will offer advice when and when not to engage with people. For instance, at the one border crossing, the driver instructed me to sit in the car and absolutely NOT make eye contact with anyone outside the vehicle -- no kids, snake charmers, anyone -- for fear they may take offense and turn over the vehicle.

Think I paid about $170 for driver, car, guide etc for the day when all was tallied, plus my own lunch etc, so it probably did come to around US$200. This for a whole days' escorted trip in US is very reasonable; in India that's a king's ransom for many.

And by the way, I had heard maybe I should stop at Fateh Pur Sikrii too but, for me, it would have been too much in one day. See Greaves India on how to make this adventure your own.