Wonderful India – The Best Travel Tips for Delhi & Agra

First Stop – Delhi

I left Goa with mixed emotions, as I mentioned in my last blog post. I wasn’t sure what to anticipate upon my arrival in Delhi, apart from the daunting tales everyone has heard about its traffic and hygiene issues. Despite not being particularly fond of cities, Delhi, the capital of India, holds iconic status, boasting a whopping population of around 33 million in 2023. I felt compelled to visit and experience it firsthand, especially since I’ll be traveling through Delhi’s main airport anyway.

Culture Shock

I had pre-booked a private room at Smyle Inn hostel for two nights in the heart of New Delhi, right by Main Bazar Road. To check the accommodation, I used the Hostelworld app but made the booking by calling the hostel directly, taking advantage of my unlimited calls with my Indian SIM card (details on getting a SIM card are explained in Uncovering Goa: Part 1). This method saved me some money on accommodation since I didn’t have to pay the commission fee to Hostelworld. Smyle Inn offers an airport pickup service, making it convenient and hassle-free to reach the center of New Delhi quickly.

It was almost unbelievable how much action you can experience happening around you all at once. The one thing you’ll notice immediately upon arrival – Delhi is loud! I would suggest having a few packs of earplugs with you; they make all the difference in the world if you are sensitive to noises while sleeping. I also found it a good practice to wear noise-canceling headphones on the streets, which also sends a clear signal to the hustlers and touts that you are not listening.

Use the Metro

The subway system in Delhi is, hands down, the best way to travel around the city for sightseeing. Not only do you get a break from the crazy busy streets by going underground, but it is also arguably the fastest way to get around. You can purchase a day ticket for ₹200 from the customer service booths near the security check. The Delhi metro also has a separate car strictly reserved for ladies.

Sometimes, you might need to take a walk from the metro station to your destination, but you’ll notice that there is no pedestrian way, and crossing the street seems impossible. In these cases, you can take an Uber or negotiate the price with tuk-tuk drivers. As a rule of thumb, you can consider that a 5-minute journey is a maximum of ₹50, a 10-minute ride is ₹100, etc.

Plenty of Options for Sightseeing

Delhi has almost an endless amount of temples, monuments and cultural sites to discover. These include:

• Red Fort: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, an iconic symbol of India’s rich history.
• Qutub Minar: Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the tallest brick minaret in the world.
• Humayun’s Tomb: A stunning Mughal architectural marvel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• India Gate: A war memorial and an important national monument in Delhi.
• Lotus Temple: Known for its distinctive lotus flower shape, it’s a Bahá’í House of Worship.
• Akshardham Temple: A Hindu temple complex known for its stunning architecture and cultural exhibits.
• Chandni Chowk: One of the oldest and busiest markets in Delhi, famous for its narrow lanes, street food, and diverse shopping options.

Just to name a few..

Delicious Delhi

Delhi is famous for its food culture, both the good and the bad. Hygiene levels among the population are far from Western standards, so foreigners have to be especially careful about what to eat or drink. However, the food in Delhi is delicious and diverse. You can find a wide variety of southern and northern Indian cuisines, as well as continental dishes. It’s advisable to stick with cooked food and drink anything boiled or that comes in bottles.

Restaurant recommendations

My favorite restaurant during the short visit was Everest Cafe by Main Bazar Road. On the rooftop terrace, you can take a moment to rest from the chaotic streets and observe them from above. The friendly service, reasonable prices, and delicious dishes ensure that you’ll hit the streets once again with a smile on your face.

Agra – The Home of Taj Mahal

IIf you are traveling within India or to Delhi, especially, you should definitely consider taking a day trip to Agra to see the magnificent Taj Mahal and Agra Fort..

The best way to travel to Agra is to catch a train from Delhi. I took an early morning train, which was an affordable and air-conditioned mode of transport. There are many different classes in the Indian train ticketing system, and depending on how comfortably you would like to travel, the prices increase with higher class options. For booking, you can use the Makemytrip.com website, which is easy to navigate, and you can also book bus tickets from there. Some trains also offer beverages and food within the ticket price, but to avoid the risk of getting sick, I would recommend sticking with your own snacks.

Be wary of the touts

As soon as you walk out of the train station, you will be confronted by many opportunistic tuk-tuk drivers who insist on helping you get to your accommodation and offer you the best tour around Agra at a “very low” price. They will convincingly say that your accommodation is trying to rip you off with their expensive official tours. However, your hostel or hotel reception is likely to say that the people on the street are trying to rip you off with their unofficial tour guiding. This can be confusing because in the end, you don’t know who you should believe.

My advice is to ignore everybody and believe no one but your own gut feeling. In the event you don’t want to pay triple the price for Taj Mahal with an official tour guide, just book the ticket yourself online and hire an Uber. There are also other well-written travel blog articles with more details about Agra that are well worth browsing through before traveling.

Accomodation

There are plenty of good options for hotels and hostels in Agra to stay overnight, but I prefer setting my camp in hostels just to have the opportunity to socialize with locals and fellow travelers. I can warmly recommend Friends Guest House & Hostel, where the host family treats their guests like part of their family and provides a safe place to stay and feel at home. The food on the rooftop cafe is also always freshly cooked and very tasty.

Next stop – The Capital of Yoga, Rishikesh

In the next and my last chapter about India, I’ll share with you how to reach this remote mountain town by the Ganges and what you can experience in the ‘Mecca of Yogis.’ Stay tuned!

Thank you for reading my stories, and please feel free to see more pictures and connect on Instagram at ‘FintasticJourney’.”

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Stay curious!