Mumbai to Agra
Sep 23rd, 2008, 09:15 PM
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Mumbai to Agra
Author: DorisG ([email protected])
Date: 09/24/2008, 12:39 am
Will take a cruise departing Mumbai, but will arrive few days earlier to go & see the Taj Majal. Please some questions:
How many extra days needed?
Is plane the best way of travelling from one place to the other? Do not think train will be a good option for us.
Is a stop-over in Delhi,a recommended choice? Not really interested in seeing too much of India besides the Taj.
Will prefer an escorted tour, please recommend a luxury tour company or possibly a private tour guide.
A reliable, luxury hotel in Mumbai, so I can leave the luggage in storage? as will have a lot of luggage for a 30+ days of cruising.
Any other recommendation/suggestion will be apreciated.
Thanks a lot.
Doris
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Date: 09/24/2008, 12:39 am
Will take a cruise departing Mumbai, but will arrive few days earlier to go & see the Taj Majal. Please some questions:
How many extra days needed?
Is plane the best way of travelling from one place to the other? Do not think train will be a good option for us.
Is a stop-over in Delhi,a recommended choice? Not really interested in seeing too much of India besides the Taj.
Will prefer an escorted tour, please recommend a luxury tour company or possibly a private tour guide.
A reliable, luxury hotel in Mumbai, so I can leave the luggage in storage? as will have a lot of luggage for a 30+ days of cruising.
Any other recommendation/suggestion will be apreciated.
Thanks a lot.
Doris
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Sep 24th, 2008, 12:42 AM
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You cannot fly non-stop between Mumbai and Agra. You can only fly via a change in Delhi. The only airline which serves Agra currently (to the best of my knowledge) is Kingfisher, but that is good news as they are an excellent airline. See http://www.flykingfisher.com/
for schedules. Take business class, especially with your luggage, as service is excellent, and check-in easier.
If I understand your itinerary, you wish to see the Taj Mahal <i>before</i> you start the cruise. Therefore, my first recommendation is that if you could arrange your international flight so that you can fly from your home <i>to Delhi</i>, rather than Mumbai, this may make a trip to Agra a bit more workable. Due to the flight arrival time of most international flights, you may have to overnight at a hotel in Delhi, but you will more than likely have to do this if you fly into Mumbai as well, and by going via Delhi you can save time the next day. I would therefore suggest an int’l flight to Delhi, an overnight at an airport hotel outside Delhi and driving to Agra the next day. (The flight to Agra from Delhi does not leave until the late afternoon so I would see no sense in waiting to take the flight. The drive takes 4 hours. The fast train takes 2 hours and leaves at 6 am and is another good option as well, but for that I would stay at a downtown hotel.) As you seem to not have a price issue, for hotels in Delhi I would go with the Trident Gurgaon, a lovely hotel quite close to the Delhi airport. See http://www.oberoihotels.com/ or http://www.tridenthotels.com/home/index.asp. You can then start from there for Agra. If you choose the train option, then stay at the Imperial in the Connaught Circle area in central New Delhi, another wonderful hotel. See http://www.theimperialindia.com
IMO, to properly appreciate the beauty of the Taj Mahal, you need to see it at sunrise, sunset and is possible during the day.(Admission price is fairly steep, and must be paid each visit, but it is the Taj Mahal after all.) Agra itself also offers several other interesting sights, and about 1.5 hours away is the preserved former capital of Fatephur Sikri, which is also quite interesting. So all in all, I usually recommend 2 nights in Agra. It may be possible to do 2 pretty full days and only 1 night, but with travel time, IMO this is difficult and rushed. In the luxury range there is no other hotel to consider but the Oberoi Amarvillas. http://www.oberoihotels.com
After you have seen Agra, you can fly from Agra to Mumbai, this would be a late afternoon flight with a change in Delhi and you would probably would not arrive into Mumbai until after 10 pm. There are numerous daily flights between Delhi and Mumbai on Kingfisher and Jet Airways (another very good local carrier, see www.jetairways.com), so it would be possible to train or drive to Delhi and then fly, but assuming your cruise departs in the morning, IMO there will be no way to get from Agra to Mumbai <u>on the same day</u> as say a 10 am cruise departure. (If your cruise departs at 5 pm it should be possible to drive or train to Delhi and then fly to Mumbai on the same day, but IMO you should not take a flight later than about 11 am just to be on the safe side. And do not drive the Agra-Delhi road in the dark, it is not safe from an accident standpoint. If you need to travel in darkness, take the train.) So most likely you would need to overnight in Mumbai before the cruise. In that case, and assuming you are departing from Ballard Pier (check with the cruise line), I would stay at the Taj Mahal hotel as that is closest to the pier. (If you have left luggage at the Four Seasons or the JW Marriott, you could collect it on the way into town, although the JW is a bit out of the way for this purpose, but at night with no traffic will only take 15 minutes or so to reach that hotel.)
I am not a tour person, but I know that Cox & Kings and Abercrombie & Kent come highly recommended on this board and elsewhere for luxury tours of India, and if you feel you want to go the tour route, you should probably look at them first. They can do a personalized tour for you which would include a car and driver and guides. I am guessing that the cruise line will also offer a pre-cruise trip to Agra which you might consider for ease and the fact that the ship may in fact wait for you if you are on a cruise-sponsored excursion and you are delayed in arriving into Mumbai to get to the ship. Otherwise, leave some time to get to Mumbai and the ship on your departure day.
If you have a car and driver for Agra, they can take your luggage with you in the car. Ask for a large SUV like a Toyota Qualis, I would assume that you would not have more than 6 large suitcases, and I believe this would hold them all; otherwise the Delhi hotel would hold it, the Trident is esp convenient for this as it is near the airport.
I personally find Delhi to be an extremely interesting city, which offers a lot to see and do, and much more so for the tourist than Mumbai, so if you can take the time, I would say that you should spend a few days there either before or after a trip to Agra. There are also other interesting cities in the area, especially in Rajasthan, or a place like Varanasi. Jaipur is an easy drive from Agra, and you can fly to Mumbai from there (via a change in Delhi). You could go on safari at a place like Ranthambore and if you are lucky, see tigers, but even if not just interesting wildlife generally. (And stay in tented luxury at either the Aman-i-Khas, see http://www.amanresorts.com/ or the Vanyavilas, see http://www.oberoihotels.com.) There is a wonderful spa/yoga resort above Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalaya that I would rate with anywhere in the world, and when you add the ability to go down to Rishikesh for the eveing <i>aarti</i> ceremony at the temple on the river, it becomes just sublime and IMO better than anywhere else. (See http://www.anandaspa.com) Do not believe all the horrors or hype you may have heard about India. Yes, there is poverty, but there is so much more.
If you have to fly into Mumbai first before going to Agra, and have to overnight at a hotel, then I would pick either the JW Marriott which is not at the airport but close to it and very nice, or the Four Seasons, which is a bit further from the airport but still fairly convenient. I would not drive all the way to a downtown hotel like the Taj Mahal to overnight before a flight, esp as the drive back to the airport the next day could easily take 2 hours. I am not sure I would bother to store luggage at either, but I am sure they would do so.
for schedules. Take business class, especially with your luggage, as service is excellent, and check-in easier.
If I understand your itinerary, you wish to see the Taj Mahal <i>before</i> you start the cruise. Therefore, my first recommendation is that if you could arrange your international flight so that you can fly from your home <i>to Delhi</i>, rather than Mumbai, this may make a trip to Agra a bit more workable. Due to the flight arrival time of most international flights, you may have to overnight at a hotel in Delhi, but you will more than likely have to do this if you fly into Mumbai as well, and by going via Delhi you can save time the next day. I would therefore suggest an int’l flight to Delhi, an overnight at an airport hotel outside Delhi and driving to Agra the next day. (The flight to Agra from Delhi does not leave until the late afternoon so I would see no sense in waiting to take the flight. The drive takes 4 hours. The fast train takes 2 hours and leaves at 6 am and is another good option as well, but for that I would stay at a downtown hotel.) As you seem to not have a price issue, for hotels in Delhi I would go with the Trident Gurgaon, a lovely hotel quite close to the Delhi airport. See http://www.oberoihotels.com/ or http://www.tridenthotels.com/home/index.asp. You can then start from there for Agra. If you choose the train option, then stay at the Imperial in the Connaught Circle area in central New Delhi, another wonderful hotel. See http://www.theimperialindia.com
IMO, to properly appreciate the beauty of the Taj Mahal, you need to see it at sunrise, sunset and is possible during the day.(Admission price is fairly steep, and must be paid each visit, but it is the Taj Mahal after all.) Agra itself also offers several other interesting sights, and about 1.5 hours away is the preserved former capital of Fatephur Sikri, which is also quite interesting. So all in all, I usually recommend 2 nights in Agra. It may be possible to do 2 pretty full days and only 1 night, but with travel time, IMO this is difficult and rushed. In the luxury range there is no other hotel to consider but the Oberoi Amarvillas. http://www.oberoihotels.com
After you have seen Agra, you can fly from Agra to Mumbai, this would be a late afternoon flight with a change in Delhi and you would probably would not arrive into Mumbai until after 10 pm. There are numerous daily flights between Delhi and Mumbai on Kingfisher and Jet Airways (another very good local carrier, see www.jetairways.com), so it would be possible to train or drive to Delhi and then fly, but assuming your cruise departs in the morning, IMO there will be no way to get from Agra to Mumbai <u>on the same day</u> as say a 10 am cruise departure. (If your cruise departs at 5 pm it should be possible to drive or train to Delhi and then fly to Mumbai on the same day, but IMO you should not take a flight later than about 11 am just to be on the safe side. And do not drive the Agra-Delhi road in the dark, it is not safe from an accident standpoint. If you need to travel in darkness, take the train.) So most likely you would need to overnight in Mumbai before the cruise. In that case, and assuming you are departing from Ballard Pier (check with the cruise line), I would stay at the Taj Mahal hotel as that is closest to the pier. (If you have left luggage at the Four Seasons or the JW Marriott, you could collect it on the way into town, although the JW is a bit out of the way for this purpose, but at night with no traffic will only take 15 minutes or so to reach that hotel.)
I am not a tour person, but I know that Cox & Kings and Abercrombie & Kent come highly recommended on this board and elsewhere for luxury tours of India, and if you feel you want to go the tour route, you should probably look at them first. They can do a personalized tour for you which would include a car and driver and guides. I am guessing that the cruise line will also offer a pre-cruise trip to Agra which you might consider for ease and the fact that the ship may in fact wait for you if you are on a cruise-sponsored excursion and you are delayed in arriving into Mumbai to get to the ship. Otherwise, leave some time to get to Mumbai and the ship on your departure day.
If you have a car and driver for Agra, they can take your luggage with you in the car. Ask for a large SUV like a Toyota Qualis, I would assume that you would not have more than 6 large suitcases, and I believe this would hold them all; otherwise the Delhi hotel would hold it, the Trident is esp convenient for this as it is near the airport.
I personally find Delhi to be an extremely interesting city, which offers a lot to see and do, and much more so for the tourist than Mumbai, so if you can take the time, I would say that you should spend a few days there either before or after a trip to Agra. There are also other interesting cities in the area, especially in Rajasthan, or a place like Varanasi. Jaipur is an easy drive from Agra, and you can fly to Mumbai from there (via a change in Delhi). You could go on safari at a place like Ranthambore and if you are lucky, see tigers, but even if not just interesting wildlife generally. (And stay in tented luxury at either the Aman-i-Khas, see http://www.amanresorts.com/ or the Vanyavilas, see http://www.oberoihotels.com.) There is a wonderful spa/yoga resort above Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalaya that I would rate with anywhere in the world, and when you add the ability to go down to Rishikesh for the eveing <i>aarti</i> ceremony at the temple on the river, it becomes just sublime and IMO better than anywhere else. (See http://www.anandaspa.com) Do not believe all the horrors or hype you may have heard about India. Yes, there is poverty, but there is so much more.
If you have to fly into Mumbai first before going to Agra, and have to overnight at a hotel, then I would pick either the JW Marriott which is not at the airport but close to it and very nice, or the Four Seasons, which is a bit further from the airport but still fairly convenient. I would not drive all the way to a downtown hotel like the Taj Mahal to overnight before a flight, esp as the drive back to the airport the next day could easily take 2 hours. I am not sure I would bother to store luggage at either, but I am sure they would do so.
Sep 24th, 2008, 12:52 AM
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Cicerone did not know you could not fly to Agra from Mumbai. I have to start sightseeing more there in between work 
DorisG - Can you fly direct into Delhi? that would be easiest and then fly to Agra. Spend one night in Delhi to resy up and the hotels mentioned by Cicerone are lovely. I am fond of the Imperial (I eat and drink there when over on Business but never stayed) they are pricey though. I usually stay at the Taj Mahal Mansingh Rd Hotel. Its an Indian hotel and I feel its my home when in Delhi for work. This and the Hyatt are places I stay and may be cheaper than the Imperial or Oberoi if you feel they are too pricey.
Delhi is new to me each time and a very interesting city. Don't just do the Taj see a little in Delhi while you are in India!
DorisG - Can you fly direct into Delhi? that would be easiest and then fly to Agra. Spend one night in Delhi to resy up and the hotels mentioned by Cicerone are lovely. I am fond of the Imperial (I eat and drink there when over on Business but never stayed) they are pricey though. I usually stay at the Taj Mahal Mansingh Rd Hotel. Its an Indian hotel and I feel its my home when in Delhi for work. This and the Hyatt are places I stay and may be cheaper than the Imperial or Oberoi if you feel they are too pricey.
Delhi is new to me each time and a very interesting city. Don't just do the Taj see a little in Delhi while you are in India!
Sep 24th, 2008, 08:30 AM
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Thanks so much (both of you ), specially Cicerone. As always.... such detailed info gives a peace of mind & many wonderful options. You covered most of my questions.
After my post I did a bit or air research departing the US & will definitely go directly to Delhi, stay a couple of days there, a night in Agra at the Oberai Amarvilas & them flight the day before the cruise to Mumbai. The cruise leaves at noon, so I won't risk it by flying the same day. All around these may be around 4 nights, which is OK. As it will be just the 2 of us (My husbanb is nor too much oriented, doesn't have a clue in anything & it's not a planner like me) & we are a little bit of conservative not too much adventurous. I think an escorted tour will become handy. Will look into the 2 recommendations as I know them both, posibly also the cruise tour department to see what pre-cruise tour they may offer. These will be my last choice as usually those pre cruises tours are the most expensive.
Will be in touch if something else is needed.
After my post I did a bit or air research departing the US & will definitely go directly to Delhi, stay a couple of days there, a night in Agra at the Oberai Amarvilas & them flight the day before the cruise to Mumbai. The cruise leaves at noon, so I won't risk it by flying the same day. All around these may be around 4 nights, which is OK. As it will be just the 2 of us (My husbanb is nor too much oriented, doesn't have a clue in anything & it's not a planner like me) & we are a little bit of conservative not too much adventurous. I think an escorted tour will become handy. Will look into the 2 recommendations as I know them both, posibly also the cruise tour department to see what pre-cruise tour they may offer. These will be my last choice as usually those pre cruises tours are the most expensive.
Will be in touch if something else is needed.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 03:13 PM
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We will be arriving in Mumbai on a Holland America Cruise March 28, 2012 at 6:00 am and departing on March 29, 2012 at 11:00 pm. Can you recommend a tour to the Agra in during this time period, perhaps by going through Delhi? We would like very much to see the TajMahal.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 06:56 PM
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Bear in mind that going to see that Taj Mahal for one day from Mumbai is very much like going to <i>Chicago</i> for a day on a cruise which docks in New York. You will spend far more time in transit that you will in Agra. Even if you can make it work to fly all legs, between flight time, check-in and travel to and from airports, you are easily looking a 14 hours of travel for an overnight trip, and could be closer to 20 hours. You do the math on whether this is a good way to spend your time.
Also note that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so if the only morning you would have in Agra is a Friday then there is no point in making this trip IMO, as missing sunrise kind of misses the whole point of a trip to see the Taj Mahal.
I assume your ship is docking at Ballard Pier in downtown south Mumbai, but could you confirm that, as it could make a very big difference in the amount of traffic you will have to fight if you have to drive to and from Ballard Pier and Mumbai airport.
There is currently only one flight a day to Agra, from Delhi on Kingfisher. It departs from Delhi at 1:50 pm. So you need to get from Mumbai to Delhi by about Noon or 12:30. Flight time from Mumbai to Delhi is 2 hours. From Ballard Pier to Mumbai airport at that hour of the morning will easily take you 1.5 hours, and it could be more like 2.5. So you will have to hustle to the airport as soon as you dock, so you can make the 8:50 am or the 10:10 Kingfisher flights to Delhi. (And the 10:10 flight may be pushing it as you don’t land until 12:20. You can also consider the Jet Airways flight a 9:30 am. But it might be better to stick with Kingfisher in case there are any connection issues. )
And then pray that there are no delays in the flights taking off from Mumbai or landing in Delhi. Delays of course are possible, and on that heavily trafficked route, quite common.
If you miss the connecting flight from Delhi to Agra, you can of course drive down from Delhi airport. This takes about 4 hours. You may want to consider doing this in any event just to avoid the possibility of missing the connection and then having to arrange for a car and driver at the airport to take you down to Agra. You might want to arrange to have a car booked ahead of time to meet you at the Delhi airport and start the drive. Try Kumar Tourist Taxi Service at [email protected] for a quote, I have used them several times and find them very reliable and not expensive. Also see http://www.kumarindiatours.com/. You can search this board for other reccos.
Either way, in my estimation you will arrive in Agra sometime between 4- 6 pm. You may be able to make it to the Taj for sunset, which will be around 6:30 pm in March. (See sunrisesunset.com) If you have to take a later flight from Mumbai, then IMO you won’t make it to Agra for sunset. (Also, you do NOT want to be on the Delhi-Agra road after dark if at all possible.)
On the return, if you choose to fly, the Kingfisher flight departs at 11:50 am from Agra for Delhi. This means you have to leave Agra for the airport at about 9:30 or 10 am. While sunrise is sublime at the Taj, this could be a lot of hassle to experience the sunrise.
You could of course choose to drive back to Delhi from Agra and take an afternoon flight. IMO you will want to be landing in Mumbai by no later than 8 pm so that you can be sure of making it back to the cruise ship on time. So at most, from the flight schedules I see, you would have maybe 3 more hours in Agra if you do it that way.
Even if you arrange this through a tour, the logositcs will be much the same becuase of the distance and the fact that there is only one fligth a day to and from Agra. A tour may take some of the hassle out of it, but can't really change the fact that you will spend a lot of time in transit for a day trip to Agra from Mumbai.
Mumbai is not my favorite city to recommend to tourists, but for a day you can find more than enough to occupy you. If you are docking at Ballard Pier, you will be right in the middle of areas of interest, and much will be walkable or a short ride away. I would just stick to Mumbai.
Also note that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so if the only morning you would have in Agra is a Friday then there is no point in making this trip IMO, as missing sunrise kind of misses the whole point of a trip to see the Taj Mahal.
I assume your ship is docking at Ballard Pier in downtown south Mumbai, but could you confirm that, as it could make a very big difference in the amount of traffic you will have to fight if you have to drive to and from Ballard Pier and Mumbai airport.
There is currently only one flight a day to Agra, from Delhi on Kingfisher. It departs from Delhi at 1:50 pm. So you need to get from Mumbai to Delhi by about Noon or 12:30. Flight time from Mumbai to Delhi is 2 hours. From Ballard Pier to Mumbai airport at that hour of the morning will easily take you 1.5 hours, and it could be more like 2.5. So you will have to hustle to the airport as soon as you dock, so you can make the 8:50 am or the 10:10 Kingfisher flights to Delhi. (And the 10:10 flight may be pushing it as you don’t land until 12:20. You can also consider the Jet Airways flight a 9:30 am. But it might be better to stick with Kingfisher in case there are any connection issues. )
And then pray that there are no delays in the flights taking off from Mumbai or landing in Delhi. Delays of course are possible, and on that heavily trafficked route, quite common.
If you miss the connecting flight from Delhi to Agra, you can of course drive down from Delhi airport. This takes about 4 hours. You may want to consider doing this in any event just to avoid the possibility of missing the connection and then having to arrange for a car and driver at the airport to take you down to Agra. You might want to arrange to have a car booked ahead of time to meet you at the Delhi airport and start the drive. Try Kumar Tourist Taxi Service at [email protected] for a quote, I have used them several times and find them very reliable and not expensive. Also see http://www.kumarindiatours.com/. You can search this board for other reccos.
Either way, in my estimation you will arrive in Agra sometime between 4- 6 pm. You may be able to make it to the Taj for sunset, which will be around 6:30 pm in March. (See sunrisesunset.com) If you have to take a later flight from Mumbai, then IMO you won’t make it to Agra for sunset. (Also, you do NOT want to be on the Delhi-Agra road after dark if at all possible.)
On the return, if you choose to fly, the Kingfisher flight departs at 11:50 am from Agra for Delhi. This means you have to leave Agra for the airport at about 9:30 or 10 am. While sunrise is sublime at the Taj, this could be a lot of hassle to experience the sunrise.
You could of course choose to drive back to Delhi from Agra and take an afternoon flight. IMO you will want to be landing in Mumbai by no later than 8 pm so that you can be sure of making it back to the cruise ship on time. So at most, from the flight schedules I see, you would have maybe 3 more hours in Agra if you do it that way.
Even if you arrange this through a tour, the logositcs will be much the same becuase of the distance and the fact that there is only one fligth a day to and from Agra. A tour may take some of the hassle out of it, but can't really change the fact that you will spend a lot of time in transit for a day trip to Agra from Mumbai.
Mumbai is not my favorite city to recommend to tourists, but for a day you can find more than enough to occupy you. If you are docking at Ballard Pier, you will be right in the middle of areas of interest, and much will be walkable or a short ride away. I would just stick to Mumbai.
Jun 14th, 2011, 03:52 PM
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Cicerone:
You are amazing!! I just finished using all your advice for Hong Kong and then I see you pop up on this site! What good luck for me!!
I am planning my first trip to India for next February. Leaving from the US and staying north for 14 days, what general itinerary would you recommend? I am thinking Delhi, Varanasi, Khujaraho, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and maybe Mumbai. Thanks so much for your imput.
You are amazing!! I just finished using all your advice for Hong Kong and then I see you pop up on this site! What good luck for me!!
I am planning my first trip to India for next February. Leaving from the US and staying north for 14 days, what general itinerary would you recommend? I am thinking Delhi, Varanasi, Khujaraho, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and maybe Mumbai. Thanks so much for your imput.
Jun 15th, 2011, 03:27 AM
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dogster: i was just making a comment to Cicerone. I would be thrilled if anyone else would comment. i have been on these boards for many years, giving and taking advice. I have seen other posts where people add comments to long threads and direct comments to different posters.
lcuy: good idea, I will do that, thanks.
lcuy: good idea, I will do that, thanks.
