Hi - Here's a week long trip that I have planned for our family in March. Can somebody critique it (including choice of hotels) and let me know if they would plan something differently? Thanks!
Mon March 21 - Arrive Delhi @ noon. Check in at the Imperial hotel. Relax all afternoon.
Tues. March 22 - Sightseeing in Delhi
Wed. March 23 - Depart by Air Deccan to Jaipur arriving at 3:35pm. Check in at Rambagh Palace
Thu. March 24 - Sightseeing in Jaipur
Fri. March 25 - Depart for Agra - should I leave first thing in the morning? Perhaps straight to Fathepur Sikhri. Check into Jaypee Palace (couldn't get Amarvilas that night)
Sat. March 26 - See the Taj and Agra fort. Spend the night at Amarvias
Sun. March 27 - Need advice here - I initially planned to spend a second night at Amarvilas and then depart on Monday morning to catch our flight out of Delhi that leaves around 1:30pm on Monday. Would I be better off leaving for Delhi on Sunday night rather than cutting it close on Monday? What would you do? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

My comments. Too few nights in Jaipir and too many in Agra. Spend the night you are not getting at Amar Vilas at Jaipur as well - Jaypee is very average esp comapred to your other acco. Furtrher you do not need 3 nights in Agra. Any reason by air to Jaipur? Gioven check in timesd and distance from Imperial to the domestic airport you might spend almost the same amount of time by train. The train station is very near the Imperial. Actually, 1 night in Agra is enough to see Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort and the Taj twice if timed well so consider rearranging like that.

Thanks hobbes. I think we'll stay an extra night at the Rambagh Palace and forgo the Jaypee. We will leave early Saturday morning for Agra, check into the Amarvilas and see the Taj, Agra fort and Fathepur on Sunday and leave that evening for Delhi.

I think this itinerary is way too rushed and not nearly enough time in any place. You only have 6 days on the ground excluding the days you arrive or depart on an international flight. IMO, one day in Delhi is really not worth it, you may be able to see one or two places, but that is it, and you have no time for shopping. I would actually say drop Delhi and concentrate on Jaipur and Agra. This will give you time to actually see and enjoy the sights, and build in time for late planes and trains, etc. Ideally, this trip would be for 2 weeks in cooler weather and you could see more parts of Rajasthan, but perhaps you can do this on another trip.

Remember that in late March it is going to be very hot in these parts of India. It will be in the mid to high 80s F and temps in the 90s and over 100 F would not be unusual. This will slow you down, esp your child and jet lag will slow you down a bit for the first few days as well.

My suggestion would be:

21 March -Arrive Delhi transfer to domestic flight to Jaipur,
22-23-24 - Jaipur, including an afternoon for shopping and an afternoon for relaxing
25 - drive to Agra, 3-4 hours at Fatephur Sikri on the way in
26 - 27 - Agra
28 - Drive to airport from Agra


On March 21, you could make the Air Deccan 2:50 pm flight to Jaipur, and there is also an Indian Airlines at 4:55 pm flight, it arrives at 5: 30 pm. A long day, I admit. There are also JetAirways, Air Deccan and an Indian Airlines flights quite early in the morning on the 22nd which may work. You could arrive in Delhi and stay the night at the Radisson Hotel which is about 5 minutes from the airport and has a pool. They also have an airport shuttle.

Radisson Hotel Delhi
NATIONAL HIGHWAY 8
NEW DELHI, 110037
Telephone: +91-11-26779191 Fax: +91-11-26785143
Radisson.com

Thank you cicerone. I will keep your suggestion in mind.

Two other options you could consider for your last night are the Neemrana Palace Hotel - www.neemranahotels.com - gorgeous property but en route by road Jaipur-Delhi, not Agra-Delhi I think. Also the Oberoi has a property situated not far from the international airport, The Trident Hilton - gorgeous if the intention is basically to laze around in the hotel. I would not delete Delhi from your itinerary if it is something you are unlikely to do again - it may be rushed but at least you will get a flavour of Delhi. Instead ask your agent to tell you what is on your sightseeing agenda and maybe delete some of the ones which will require a lot of traveling. I did a comfortable day of Delhi sightseeing in Apirl last year - it was hot but we survived. We saw the Qutub Minar, Humayuns Tomb (with a quick stop at Saga to see silk carpets), India Gate area, the Birla temple and the Bangla Sahib gurudwara (with a short Cottage Industries shopping stop). I posted re this earlier - we really enjoyed seeing the homes of the 3 religions which are all practiced in India, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.

Hobbes, I saw the Neemrena Palace in Conde Nast Traveler in December and would love to go, I am planning my next trip to India for Feb 2006. Is this drivable from Dehli? I had the impression it was further out in the desert south east of Jaipur and was not on the Jaipur-Delhi road. How far from Jaipur and/or Delhi would you estimate the drive/train to be? Have you seen the hotel? Any comments?

Cicerone, I've been to the hotel and seen the rooms though not stayed there. They are beautiful and the entire restoration of the fort has been done with much attentiion to detail - the group has, IMO, some of the most picturesque properties in India. It is on the Delhi-Jaipour highway and actually makes a good break for one night on a drive to or fro a spot in Rajasthan - is also a good option for a last night in Delhi as it is close to the international airport. I use close loosely only to say that it is further than Gurgaon so in the same direction, it will still be probably an hour and a half drive. The hotel has loads of character but is somewhat remote so I am not sure you will have much to do there for more than a night unless you are in a group. I have been for lunch on a day trip from Delhi - very doable, less than 2 hours drive one way on a recently renovated highway. Not accessible by train to the best of my knowledge.

hobbes, Cicerone,
So here's what we have decided:
Day 1 Arrive Delhi @ Imperial
Day 2 Sightseeing Delhi
Day 3 Shop in the morning. Taking the 3:35pm flight to Jaipur. Check in at the Rambagh Palace
Day 4 Jaipur sightseeing
Day 5 Jaipur sightseeing
Day 6 Leave for Agra first thing in the am. Arrive and check in at Amarvilas. Relax rest of the day
Day 7 Sunday - Visit the Taj in the morning. In the afternoon quick visit to Fathepur Sikhri and then drive back to Delhi. Check in at the Maurya Sheraton.
Day 8 Depart out of Delhi. Hotel is close to the airport.
In summary - 2 nights at the Imperial, 3 nights at Rambagh Palace, 1 night at the Amarvilas and one night at the Maurya Sheraton. I will cancel the one night we were planning at the Jaypee Palace and stay the extra night in Jaipur.
Now that I have that out of the way - I need to start worrying about transportation once we get there outside of the air travel from Delhi to Jaipur. What do you guys suggest - start to arrange that now through the hotel's concierge desk? Cars all the way? trains? Will the hotels arrange that? Thanks!!

Fatephur Sikri is about an hour outside Agra and is on the road in from Jaipur to Agra and is not on the road to Delhi. It makes more sense time wise to do this on the way from Jaipur to Agra.

I would drive between Jaipur and Agra. Up to you whether to drive or train between Agra and Delhi, time wise is about the same if there is no traffic on the Delhi-Agra road. I would opt for the train as IMO you need at least one Indian train (and train station) experience to see how 99.9% of Indians travel. However, if you decide to stay at an airport hotel, then I would drive between Agra and Delhi and go right to the hotel and will avoid Delhi traffic from the train station.

The Mauyra Sheraton is not close to the airport. The Hilton Trident or Radisson are close, i.e less than a mile or so. Maurua Sheraton is in the diplomatic enclave and has got to be about 10 miles from the airport.. It is a nice hotel and has a good pool and some very good shops, but I would not consider it to be any more convenient to the airport than any other downtown hotel. If you stay there, ask to stay in “ITC One”, which is their boutique hotel-within-a-hotel property. Quieter and more luxurious than the regular Sheraton rooms. They don't always mention it if you call for reservations, and it is not specifically listed on the Sheraton website.

If you decide to stay at the Sheraton and to take the train up from Agra, I would arrange for a car from the Sheraton to meet you at the Delhi train station and help with baggage, and save yourself the time and hassle of having a dozen cabbies descending on you. Unless the price charged by the Sheraton is outrageous, it is worth it. You may even get it included in the room price, esp if you stay at ITC One in the Sheraton.

The hotels will be happy to arrange a car service for you, or you can step outside the hotel grounds and speak to the numerous drivers who will be waiting for your custom. I would check with the hotel on their prices, then go outside and do some comparison shopping, assuming that the hotel is charging you more than the going rate. You can also hire drivers for the day, i.e., in Jaipur this way as well, they will wait for you outside sights, shops, etc. All this can wait until you are there, there is never a problem finding a car and driver. If you go by train, the hotel can buy tickets for you ahead of time and even reserve seats.

Cicerone,
Thanks again. So I'll take your advice and hit Fathepur Sikri en route to Agra. Any idea on how long it would take to get through that part?

Also one last question. If you had the choice of staying at the Amarvilas on that final night (Sunday) instead of returning to Delhi that night to catch your plane on Monday afternoon what option would you choose? Our flight leaves at 1:30pm in the afternoon on Monday. I could catch the Air Deccan am flight to Delhi or a train or by car. Just paranoid about missing the flight. Any suggestion there for peace of mind. Because I do need to cancel one night either at The Amarvilas or The Maurya Sheraton. Thanks!

OK my comments

(1) Cicerone is quite right re Fatehpur Sikir being en route by car from Jaipur-Agra. It will take you around 1 hour to see FS depending on how long you spend inside.

(2) I would see the Taj twice - I have already said this in my earlier post - once the day you arrive - check if it is open at night (which it often is nowadays). On my trip in April 2 out of 4 of us felt the Taj was the most amazing part of the holiday. Also, the Taj looks very different at different parts of the day as the sun bathes it in different hues. Finally, the Amar Vilas is a hop, skip and jump from the Taj. So, see it twice in short. If some of your family is not enthu about doing it twice I suggest you do - I assure you you will not regret it!

(3) I would work with a local travel agent for internal transfers - I am also of the opinion that a guide can enhance your experience unless you ahve done a great deal of background reading before your trip. A local travel agent will arrange a car for you in Jaipur, large enough to accomodate your guide as well, the same car will probably transfer you Jaipur-Agra, a guide will join you at fatehpur Sikri then accompany you to Agra. In Agra he/she will give you a guided tour of the Taj (once or twice), and Agra fort seeing as on day 2 in Agra you are now seeing only the Taj and then depart. Email me if you want details of the person we worked with. I can also tell you a local agent will be MUCH cheaper than cars arranged by hotels.

(4) Much as I love Amar Vilas I think I would drive back Sun night for peace of mind and because getting up very early AM on Monday to drive back to Delhi is IMO not a good end to a holiday especially if this is going to be followed by a long flight journey. I think 1 night at Amar Vilas will give you a good feel for the hotel. Please ensure the hotel knows you wil be requiring an early check in on Sat morning as they tend to be completely sold out.

(5) Re train or car Agra Delhi check train timings for the fast train then decide. A car gives you more flexibility and also New Delhi Railway Station can be a bit nightmareishly crowded so I think I would go with the comfort of a car and getting in once then disembarking once at my final destination. However Cicerone is quite right in the "experience" of a train journey. When you say "family" who all is traveling? How heavy? Basically IMO train works well for agile, younger people with luggage they can manage.

(6) In Delhi at the Maurya Sheraton you can enjoy a meal at Bukhara which was high on Clinton's list of MUST Dos on his recent trip to india. Make a reservation in advance. Try to leave Agra post lunch (which gives you enough time in the morning to see the Taj and Agra Fort if you like - if you can motiavte your family to wake up for sunrise at the TAj it is well worth it IMO - a far less crowded time of day and beautiful in terms of the light; you can then go back to the hotel for breakfast and a laze at the pool, see Agra Fort (or not as you choose) have lunch then leave for Delhi around 3 to get in by 6 or so in good time for freshening up and enjoying dinner.

While Cicerone is correct that the Maurya is not as near the international airport as the Radisson or the Trident it is still closer than say the Imperial and at the time you leave i.e. 11ish Monday morning there should not be much traffic. Also, Cicerone, that area has some great new bypasses which have reduced travel time. Net net not a bad choice of hotel for proximity to airport.

Thanks hobbes. I'll take your advice and head back to Delhi on Sunday. On the train front - the three of us (wife, 14 year old daughter, and I) are all very athletic, slim and work out like maniacs so getting tired is not an issue. How much luggage the girls bring though could be a problem
After India we are headed to Dubai for 10 days.

Can't wait to dine at the Bukhara which is why I booked a room at the Maurya. Any other restaurants you guys recommend? Is the one at Amarvilas worth dining at as well? Thanks for all your help so far.

The Indian food restaurant at Amar Vilas is good tho not oustanding. However the hotel is gorgeous and nothing else in the city really compares. As you are now there just a night I would not bother heading out for meals. In Jaipur if you want a change from Rambagh for a meal go to the Samode in the city - gorgeous property and you will enjoy the setting. Food at the Raj Vilas is also great but it is a bit out of the city - see if you feel like making the effort for dinner one day.

Second the recco on Bukhara. There are so many new restaurants opening all the time now in Delhi, it is hard to pick. Dumpukth also in Sheraton is another good choice for a different style of Indian food, it is also a bit more formal than Bukhara. I like the Haveli at the Taj Mahal Hotel as they have music and dancing in the evenings. Baan Thai in the Oberoi has excellent Thai food if you want a change from Indian curries.

6 days in India and 10 in Dubai seems a bit lopsided. Are you going anywhere else in the ME but Dubai? 10 days is a VERY long time in that country, as there is not a whole lot to do after you have seen the desert, seen the small old town, done the waterpark and maybe done some shopping (alhtoughj you will not find things cheaper than the US) you will have pretty much seen it all. Beaches are OK but nothiung spectacualr (beaches of Goa and Kerala are much more beautiful) and the current can be very strong. If you can spend more time in India, you might not feel so rushed. Also, you can go to Jordan (e.g. Petra) for 2-3 days easily from Dubai, there are frequent flights.

Hobbes, if you say the Maurya has a better connection to the airport now, I believe you. I last stayed there in 2001 and that was not the case.

Thanks again guys for the suggestions. The Dubai visit stems from the "Family Reunion" thing. My brother with his family live there. Parents are flying in plus have a lot of other buddies I grew up with. Don't get to go there often so 10 days there will be well spent.

You guys seem to know a lot about India. How manys times have you visited the country?

Used to live there!