Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

The Government of India Tourist Office is at 191 The Mall (tel. 0562/222-6378; goitoagr@sancharnet.in; Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm, Sat 9am-2pm). A 24-hour Tourism Reception Centre is at Cantonment Railway Station (tel. 0562/242-1204). Not as much on the ball, the U.P. Tourism Bureau is at 64 Taj Rd. (tel. 0562/222-6431; Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; closed second Sat of the month).

Getting There & Away

By Road -- Agra lies less than 4 hours away, on a good double-carriage highway from Delhi. Many Delhi operators offer bus tours to Agra. If you don't mind being part of a bus tour, a good option is to take a day trip from Delhi with TCI; alternatively, hire a car and driver. Should you need to stop for refreshments, the Country Inn at Kosi, 99km (61 miles) from Delhi, is a good bet.

By Air -- At press time, the only flights into Agra are charters; it is unknown whether commercials flights (suspended several years back) will ever resume.

By Train -- The Bhopal Shatabdi leaves New Delhi at 6am daily, arriving at Agra Cantonment Railway Station (inquiries tel. 131 or 133, reservations 0562/242-0998) at 8am; it returns to Delhi at 11:05pm. Alternatively, you can catch the Taj Express, which leaves Delhi's Nizamuddin Station at 7:15am, returning to Delhi at 10:05pm. The station has a prepaid taxi/auto-rickshaw service (Rs 50-Rs 120/$1.25-$2.95/65p-£1.50), and is 2km (1 1/4 miles) from downtown; this is also where you can book a city sightseeing tour. Note: Trains from Rajasthan pull in at the Agra Fort Station. (If arriving from elsewhere, avoid inconveniently located Agra City Station.)

Getting Around

By Taxi & Auto-Rickshaw -- As is the case everywhere in India, make sure you negotiate your taxi or auto-rickshaw rate upfront (or use the prepaid facility). Hiring an air-conditioned car for 4 hours should run you around Rs 800 ($20/£10), while a full day will cost upwards of Rs 1,450 ($35/£18), depending on how far you want to go. Unless you're traveling to Sikandra or Fatehpur Sikri, an auto-rickshaw should suffice. In an attempt to cut down on the air pollution that threatens the Taj, motorized transport is not allowed in the Taj Sanctuary area (2km/1 1/4-miles radius); walk or hire a cycle-rickshaw.

Guided Tours

Uttar Pradesh Tourism operates city tours that cover all the major sights. The tour usually starts at 10:15am, costs Rs 1,650 ($40/£20), and covers the Taj, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri and includes all entrance fees, a guide, and transport by air-conditioned bus; book with the manager of Hotel Taj Khema (tel. 0562/233-0140; tajkhema@up-tourism.com). A recommended private tour operator from Delhi is TCI (C-35, Connaught Place; tel. 011/2341-6081 through -6085; www.tcindia.com). The TCI bus departs Delhi at 7am and returns by 10pm, covering Agra Fort and the Taj; it costs Rs 2,000 ($49/£25), including breakfast, sightseeing, lunch at the Taj View Hotel, snacks, and an English-speaking guide; you pay your own entry fees at monuments). Traveling around with a tour group is, however, far from the ideal way to experience the mystery and magical allure of the Taj or Fatehpur Sikri. To book one of the best guides in Agra (one of the best, in fact, in India), contact the intelligent and knowledgeable Rajiv Rajawat (tel. 98-3702-3601; rajivrajawat@yahoo.com) before you even get to India, to ensure he is available on the days you'd like to use his services (Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500/$24-$37/£12-£19 per day). Pitching himself more affordably is Sudhir Agarwal (tel. 98-3714-2946 or 0562/260-2441; sudhir_agra@rediffmail.com), who charges as little as Rs 600 ($15/£7.40) for the day, from 8am through 5pm.