homersimp

Hi expert travellers,

My friends and I will be heading from Delhi to Agra for 2 days w/ an overnight stay. I am inclined to follow this itinerary w/ stops at (in order):

Day 1: Sikandra, Itimad-ud-Daulah, Agra Fort, Jama Masjid, Taj Mahal
Day 2: Fatehpur Sikri, Deeg Water Palace, arriving back in Delhi around 7 pm

Questions:
1) Is above itinerary doable/reasonable or am I packing it too much?

2) Is Taj Mahal better viewed at dusk or dawn? Since we are going by car, we are likely to arrive at Agra by noon which I suspect will be very congested. So dusk may be a reasonable option though we can move it to next day early morning if it means a more serene visit.

3) Is Deeg water palace worth a visit?

4) I know regular shoes are not permitted in places of worship, which I suspect would mean flip-flops or slippers are not allowed as well, correct? I suppose it would be good to wear socks...

Thanks in advance!

Jaya

Hindu temples require you to remove your shoes/sandals at the door. You are allowed to wear socks which may feel better than walking barefoot with everyone else. I don't know what the Muslim mosques require.

Whatever day you go to Agra, just know that the Taj is closed on Fridays.

magical

Are you trying to see as many things as possible?

Sikandra is interesting and can be seen in about an hour, on the way to Agra. So is Agra fort, which is similar to Delhi Red fort. Itmad-ud-daulah, baby Taj, can be done in about an hour as well.

Fatehpur Sikri requires more time and is quite interesting.

Make sure you don't lose sight of the fact that the main attraction in Agra is Taj Mahal. I would focus on trying to see it at dusk AND early morning. And yes, don't do what Arnold Schwarznegger did last month on a visit to India.....he showed up at the Taj on Friday. It's CLOSED on Fridays.

rhkkmk

my guess is that on day one you will not arrive in agra until mid-afternoon...

homersimp

Thanks everyone. Good point re: Taj- that is the main sight to visit and we might as well do it right. I am tempted to do both dusk and daybreak though that means paying double (ouch!). It's really too bad we would miss the full moon- I bet the night viewing would've been cool. About how many hours should I reserve for Taj & Fatehpur Sikri if we don't want to rush through?

On a somewhat related question: how many of you would recommend visiting the rest of Mehrauli Archaeological Park outside the Qutb Minar complex (in Delhi)?

travel2eat

I have been to the Taj 7 times and didn't realize there was a night viewing.
Is there an event like Petra by Night or something?

As a matter of fact, one day by the time we finally made it inside it was dusk and you could not see anything.

One lady even fell.
Our local friend said she didn't even know why they kept it open.

The best time to visit the Taj is any time!!!! What you should void is the heat.

You only need an hour to take it all in and my favorite thing to do is sit and look at the beautiful women in their gorgeous traditional outfits.

For times sakes, go early in the morning or 2 hours before dark.
Don't bring anything but money and camera as it won't be allowed inside.
They make you rent a locker to put your things away.

Don't worry about shoes they will give you coverings like the kind that surgeons wear to protect the marble.

As far as taking your shoes off in public places I suggest you carry a shopping bag.
Put your shoes inside and carry them with you.

It saves you time and also what if your shoes were to 'disappear.'
Lol!!!!!

What a hassle!!!!

Have fun!

nancy1818john

The best time to see is at the dawn when the temperature is low and crowd is less, try to be near the red mosque to the left of the tomb when the call to prayer comes.

homersimp

Thanks everyone for the advice. Taj at morning was great. No wait, less crowd, and no heat. It was very beautiful indeed.