[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by alpha1

...whether you wish to take the taxi operator around Delhi, use him to travel to Agra, do sightseeing in Agra, and return...

Or is it that you want a separate taxi guy for Delhi and another one for Agra.

If it would be good to stick to a single driver and cab, i'm ok with using the same taxi operator around Delhi, travel to Agra, so sight-seeing in Agra and return.
OR
It would be also fine to to break it up (seperate guy for Delhi and another one for Agra) if thats a better approach.

The first option of having a single operator looks more hassle free (provided we get a reliable operator)

Day 1, I would be arriving early morning so I'm hoping to utilize the two full days to cover Delhi.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by for_cars1

It would be also fine to to break it up (seperate guy for Delhi and another one for Agra)

Updating for the benefit of others planning the trip. I used TaxiForSure throughout Delhi.

I found taxi-for-sure service the most reliable and convenient to use, unlike Ola@Delhi which did not turn up at the Airport.
Taxi-for-sure mobile App has been designed very well ie., it gets you in direct contact with a driver who has willingly signed up to take you to a designated place (so there is very little chance of the driver not turning up to get you). Fares are as per meter. On the downside, you can be taken for a ride (longer route) if you don't know the route well and you'll end up paying more. This is not an issue as it can happen with any operator.

For Delhi-Agra-Delhi, I used Savaari.com, the driver turned out to be OK and billing was as listed on their site.

[naveenroy]

Guys, me and a couple of friends are planning to visit the Taj and Fatehpur Sikri this Saturday. We will be staying at Karol Bagh. Friend was suggesting Panicker travels but I don't see an option to visit Fatehpur Sikri along with the Taj. Can someone suggest a tour operator or suggest something else? Perhaps a taxi will be cheaper? Any pointers?

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Guys, me and a couple of friends are planning to visit the Taj and Fatehpur Sikri this Saturday. We will be staying at Karol Bagh. Friend was suggesting Panicker travels but I don't see an option to visit Fatehpur Sikri along with the Taj. Can someone suggest a tour operator or suggest something else? Perhaps a taxi will be cheaper? Any pointers?

Hi Naveen,
How was your trip? Am planning on driving down this saturday to Agra from Gurgaon. Is the taj, agra fort and Fatehpur Sikir doable in a day. I'd like to leave agra by 6PM. What was the itinerary you followed and any pointers? Thanks

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Hi Naveen,
How was your trip? Am planning on driving down this saturday to Agra from Gurgaon. Is the taj, agra fort and Fatehpur Sikir doable in a day. I'd like to leave agra by 6PM. What was the itinerary you followed and any pointers? Thanks

Hello there! Finally, 6 of us hired a cab and went to Agra. Though we did start off early at 7 - the Taj Mahal itself took too long to complete. Guess this was due to it being a Saturday. It was overcrowded and horrible and hot. Sorry but that is a real put off! If you can complete the Taj double quick, then maybe Fatehpur Sikri will be doable but I doubt it. If it is crowded, you cannot complete the Taj since there are snaking lines that go around the whole structure - waiting to get in. But it is worth looking up close, so I wouldn't ask you to run away after getting a view of the Taj from afar either.

And if you have an iota of respect for such monuments, please kick those pesky photographers for me, will you?

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Hi Naveen,
How was your trip? Am planning on driving down this saturday to Agra from Gurgaon. Is the taj, agra fort and Fatehpur Sikir doable in a day. I'd like to leave agra by 6PM. What was the itinerary you followed and any pointers? Thanks

Can be done I guess If you start early enough from Delhi. Taj and Agra fort are close by, you can cover them by 2 PM and then start for Fatehpur Sikri (about 40 kms/1 hr away from Agra). You can start back for Delhi by 5 PM. No need to come back to Agra, you can get on YEW from Mathura via Bharatpur.

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Can be done I guess If you start early enough from Delhi. Taj and Agra fort are close by, you can cover them by 2 PM and then start for Fatehpur Sikri (about 40 kms/1 hr away from Agra). You can start back for Delhi by 5 PM. No need to come back to Agra, you can get on YEW from Mathura via Bharatpur.

Was planning on heading to Fatehpur Sikri directly in the morning itself, to avoid the morning influx of delhi tourists at the Taj. Come back by 12 to agra, have lunch, park the car at the hotel, and take an auto to the taj and the fort. Hopefully the rush will be lesser. Wrap up around 5 and leave. The route via bharatpur is good? (in-case we do Fatehpur Sikri later)

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Hello there! Finally, 6 of us hired a cab and went to Agra. Though we did start off early at 7 - the Taj Mahal itself took too long to complete. Guess this was due to it being a Saturday. It was overcrowded and horrible and hot. Sorry but that is a real put off! If you can complete the Taj double quick, then maybe Fatehpur Sikri will be doable but I doubt it. If it is crowded, you cannot complete the Taj since there are snaking lines that go around the whole structure - waiting to get in. But it is worth looking up close, so I wouldn't ask you to run away after getting a view of the Taj from afar either.

And if you have an iota of respect for such monuments, please kick those pesky photographers for me, will you?

I've been to the taj twice and it was no where near as crowded as you've described. My wife has never seen the taj, and hence the trip. Will update this thread on how it goes, and will give dirty looks to the pesky photographers and people with selfie sticks

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Was planning on heading to Fatehpur Sikri directly in the morning itself, to avoid the morning influx of delhi tourists at the Taj. Come back by 12 to agra, have lunch, park the car at the hotel, and take an auto to the taj and the fort. Hopefully the rush will be lesser. Wrap up around 5 and leave. The route via bharatpur is good? (in-case we do Fatehpur Sikri later)

It was good the last time I used it (2015 end IIRC). Only pain point was crossing over NH2 towards YEW. Given that you would start **early** from Ggn, it would make sense to stick to NH2 for the onward journey - and take detour from Mathura towards Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri.

It is a huge complex and will take time to cover. If you reach there even by 9 am, it will easily be 2 pm by the time you reach Agra. One tip - Don't take the audio guide or you will spend 4 hours exploring the place.

Taj can be quite crowded like naveen said during the weekends. The entry lines usually circle around the Taj. Fort is a short hop away and will not take much time to cover.

ATB!

Edit: You can park the car in the Taj Parking and take e-rickshaws to the entry. Ask around for the VIP entry and the locals will be able to guide you to the gate. The parking is usually less crowded here and also the ticket/entry lines are shorter.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

I've been to the taj twice and it was no where near as crowded as you've described. My wife has never seen the taj, and hence the trip. Will update this thread on how it goes, and will give dirty looks to the pesky photographers and people with selfie sticks

Good luck and have a good time. Also, when I said photographers, I meant the "official" ones that pester you and everyone else to get photos done with hard copies. These guys are really, really pesky and they even fight among themselves and other people who do not use their services and take photos with just their own cameras. Pathetic lot - was so infuriated with them that we even planned to raise a complaint with someone higher up about their antics!