Best Day Trips from New Delhi

New Delhi is one of the most populated cities, and every day it receives visitors who want to know one of the great works of architecture: Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of white marble inlaid with precious stones that was built in the seventeenth century by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his wife, and that changes colour depending on the light it receives.

Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in New Delhi is to visit the Taj Mahal, but you can also visit other towns such as the city of Agra, where the famous mausoleum is located; the town of Jaipur, known for its wonderful architecture, or the sacred cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Here I will tell you about the main tours you can do from New Delhi, so you can make the most of your visit to the capital.

The tour to the Taj Mahal from New Delhi, the white marble mausoleum that has been declared one of the New Wonders of the World, is definitely not to be missed. In addition, these tours usually include a visit to the Agra Fort and the Little Taj, two of Agra's landmarks.

These tours are usually done by fast train, which takes less than 2 hours to get there, while by road it would take more than 3 hours. These are private tours in which only the people in your group participate, ensuring a more personalised experience.

This type of tour is usually coordinated by expert guides with years of experience who know every detail of the buildings and can provide you with valuable information about each site you visit. Some tour companies even allow you to add other attractions in the city of Agra that are of interest to you.

These experiences usually start early in the morning at various times. Most usually include pick-up and drop-off at the hotel or airport, and many allow you to add additional services of your choice. For example, you can go on your own and book just the guide service, or you can book a more comprehensive service that includes the guided tour, entrance fees and fast train transfer from New Delhi.

Useful details

• Price: from approximately €60 to €140 per person depending on the services you book.
• Duration: about 12 hours.
• Means of transport: fast train.
• Advantages of this option: it allows you to visit the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and the Little Taj in one day, in a comfortable way and accompanied by an expert guide who will provide you with complete information about both constructions. You can customise the tour with the services of your choice.
• Disadvantages of this option: some tours do not include lunch and drinks.

Taj Mahal changes colour throughout the day, and one of the best times to visit it is at sunrise, when it has a pinkish colour. So a good option is to take an early morning tour from New Delhi, so that you arrive at the Taj Mahal before sunrise. These tours usually include a visit to Agra Fort as well.

Taj Mahal sunrise tours usually depart in the early hours of the morning, arriving in Agra before sunrise.

These tours are usually private, so you will only share the experience with your fellow travellers. You are usually accompanied by a guide who is knowledgeable about the history and details of the construction of the Taj Mahal and can provide you with comprehensive information about the mausoleum, the gardens and all the sites you visit.

In addition to the Taj Mahal, you can visit the Agra Fort, an imposing red sandstone building built in the 16th century, and the Little Taj, a beautiful mausoleum that is considered a "sketch" of the Taj Mahal.

Details of interest

• Price: about €190 per person for the full tour including entrance fees, guide, transfers and lunch. Children between the ages of 6 and 14 pay around €40 per tour.
• Duration: Full day tour.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to see one of the best postcards of India, the sunrise at the Taj Mahal; and visit the Agra Fort and the Little Taj in a comfortable way and accompanied by an expert guide who will give you a lot of information about all the attractions.
• Disadvantages of this option: you must be willing to get up early to get to Taj Mahal before sunrise.

Another option, in addition to the fast train, is to hire a private car tour to visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. These tours usually depart at various times, from early morning to a little after midday. This is a great option if you want to see the sunset at the Taj Mahal, when it takes on a golden hue.

These tours are private, so you will only be sharing the car with your group of friends or family. They usually include the service of a guide, which is highly recommended, as they will be able to give you comprehensive information about the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, two of the most iconic buildings in the city of Agra and in India.

As children do not pay daytime admission to the Taj Mahal, they usually get a special bonus on these tours. Lunch may or may not be included, and many companies offer it as an extra service that you can add to the tour.

Details of interest

• Price: from 15 to 130 € per person, depending on the services you hire.
• Duration: this is a full-day tour.
• Means of transport: car or vehicle depending on the number of passengers.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to visit the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort in a comfortable way in a private car and accompanied by an expert guide who will provide you with interesting information about all the attractions you visit.
• Disadvantages of this option: Some tours do not include lunch and drinks.

If you prefer to see the attractions on your own, an interesting option is to hire a car transfer only, so that you can visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Little Taj at your own pace. It is also ideal if you want to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise.

Transfers are private, so you will only travel with the people in your group. If you wish, you can hire a guide to show you all the details of one of the New Wonders of the Modern World, the Taj Mahal, as well as the Agra Fort and the Little Taj, two iconic buildings in the city of Agra. You can also include a skip-the-line ticket.

Transfers from New Delhi to Agra operate from early morning to early morning, so you can arrive as early as you wish at the Taj Mahal. These transfers have the advantage that you can customise the tour to include other attractions of interest to you. Lunch is also probably not included, but you can ask the driver to take you to the best restaurants in Agra.

Details of interest

• Price: about €100 for the transfer for adults, and about €24 for children aged 6-14. The option including entrance fees, guide service and transfer by private car costs around €170 for adults and around €25 for children.
• Duration: half or full day.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: hiring just the transfer is an ideal option if you want to tour the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the Little Taj at your own pace.
• Disadvantages of this option: If you book the transfer only, you will have to buy tickets from the official site, which does not include skip-the-line entry.

A very interesting city to visit from New Delhi is the city of Jaipur, which is about 4 hours by train from New Delhi. Jaipur is known as the 'pink city' as its historic centre has taken on that colour since Prince Albert's visit in 1883, and has some of the most impressive buildings in India.

Tours that take you to this city are usually full-day tours, and some may even extend to more than a day as it is located 300 km from New Delhi. These tours are usually in small groups, but you also have the option of choosing private tours. They usually include visits to Jaipur's main attractions:

• The Palace of the Winds, which was built for the women who were part of the harem of Maraja Sawai Pratap Singh, so that they could look outside without being seen. Its many-windowed shape is reminiscent of a peacock.
• Jaipur Palace, a royal residence which today houses a museum.
• Amber Fort, a palace complex built in the 16th century, located 11 km from Jaipur.
• The Water Palace, which is located in the centre of the Man Sagar Lake.
• Handicraft markets.

Many of these tours include hotel pick-up and often include lunch. These are tours that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and are coordinated with a knowledgeable local guide who provides information about all the sites you visit. As these are full-day tours, they usually start early in the morning and you will return to New Delhi in the evening.

Details of interest

• Price: about €80 per person.
• Duration: about 12 hours.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: these tours include entrance fees, guide service and all transfers, making them a convenient way to see the best of Jaipur in a single day.
• Disadvantages of this option: Drinks are not usually included.

If you're interested in learning about Hinduism and experiencing the spirituality of India, a tour to Haridwar and Rishikesh from New Delhi is a great option. It's a full-day tour where you'll visit both cities and witness rituals, offerings and how people who profess Hinduism live their daily lives.

In these cities you won't see buildings with amazing architecture, but you'll get to see the spiritual side of India. In Rishikesh, for example, only vegetarian food is eaten and alcohol is forbidden. You can also witness the sunset rite or aarti dedicated to the goddess Ganga, in which people light a fire in the Ganges River. Both are pilgrimage cities considered sacred.

These tours usually involve small groups of people and start early in the morning. Many include the service of a guide, who provides interesting information about the various sites. Some tours include lunch only, so drinks and other meals are at your own expense.

Details of interest

• Price: around €70 per person.
• Duration: about 18 hours.
• Means of transport: car.
• Advantages of this option: in one day you will visit two cities considered sacred in India, Haridwar and Rishikesh, where you will learn about Hinduism and witness various rites and offerings.
• Disadvantages of this option: some guides and drivers only speak English.

There are villages with a rich history and stunning architecture around New Delhi that are not to be missed during your stay in the city, particularly those that are part of India's Golden Triangle, such as Agra and Jaipur. These towns are easy to reach from New Delhi, as the capital is well connected by road, rail and/or air networks.

Agra

One of these must-see towns is Agra, home to one of the most beautiful buildings in the world: the Taj Mahal. Although this mausoleum may overshadow the others, in this city you will find many palaces and mausoleums with interesting architecture, such as the Agra Fort, the Little Taj and Akbar's Tomb; and beautiful gardens such as the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

Jaipur

Another town not to be missed during your visit is Jaipur, whose historic centre stands out for its pink and white colours. There you can see amazing buildings such as the Wind Palace, the Water Palace, the Jaipur Palace, the Amber Fort and the historical observatory Jantar Mantar, among others.

Haridwar and Rishikesh

A visit to the towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh, two cities considered sacred in Hinduism, is also highly recommended. Haridwar is a pilgrimage town where you can witness rites and offerings, such as the aarti or sunset ritual to the goddess Ganga, in which fires are lit in the Ganges River. Rishikesh, considered the capital of yoga, is a spiritual city where alcohol is not consumed and only vegetarian food is eaten.

The main advantage of taking a guided tour is that your transport is taken care of. This is no small feat, as the city of New Delhi is one of the most populated cities in the world and many of the interesting places to visit in the surrounding area are many kilometres away from the city, such as the Taj Mahal and the city of Jaipur, which are about 300 km from the capital.

Transfers are also taken care of in each city you visit, which makes it convenient to visit attractions that are far away from each other, such as Amber Fort, which is about 11 km from Jaipur city.

Guided tours, on the other hand, offer complete packages that include skip-the-line entry and guide service, as well as additional services such as lunch. The guides on these tours are experts in history, culture and architecture, so they can provide you with a wealth of information about the historic buildings you visit. Just make sure you hire a guide who speaks your language, or a language you can understand.