Delhi To Agra Road Trip

Road trips in India offer an exhilarating experience to the entire family. One has to take care of certain factors, which can otherwise upset your apple cart such as weather, car servicing, route, etc. But the thrill in terms of what India has to offer is unparalleled.

And Agra fits the bills on all fronts, world class roads, royal feel and a relatively quick drive from Delhi. Agra had traditionally been the religious and commercial centre for centuries. Later on, Mughals took over. Today, Agra is overwhelmingly hosted as Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal. The drive to Agra is royal, smooth and larger-than-life.

If you want to feel the Mughal era, get a car, munchies, good company. What better than this for a good weekend and to unshackle from the city life!

Best Time To Visit

October to March is undoubtedly the best time to visit Agra. This is the time when the heat has ebbed and it is the onset of winter, when the weather is pleasantly cold making it perfect for sightseeing. It is unbearably sultry from April to July. Due to the geographical positions of these places, the winters are cold and the summers are sweating hot. August marks the start of the monsoon in Agra and is a great time to witness the Taj Mahal in its rain-washed splendour.

Places To Eat

Agra cuisine is influenced by the way Mughals ate, which is meat with rich curries with true-to-Indian origin spices. Parathas also originate from here. As such, most restaurants serve rich curries and tongue tickling kebabs with parathas.

One extremely popular dessert is “Agra ka Petha”. It is made from white pumpkin or sometimes ash gourd and flavoured with nuts.

You can visit the following restaurants:

• Esphahan is Agra’s finest restaurant, which is located inside the stunning Oberoi Amarvilas hotel. It is famous for North Indian tandoor dishes and Kerala shrimp curry. The atmosphere is soothing, as live santoor players play music in the background.
• Shankar Ji is a local dhaba, for an authentic dhaba experience.
• Saniya Palace is known to have one of the best views of the Taj Mahal. At the same time, this rooftop restaurant offers good ambience.

Route

Distance between Delhi to Agra is 233 kms. Delhi to Agra by road takes between 3 to 4 hours depending on traffic. It is expected to take at least 4 hours approximately through Yamuna Expressway if you leave in the morning hours after 9 am or 10 am. If you leave early in the morning i.e. 6 am, it can take as less as 3 hours. The road is smooth and easy. Also, there are many routes from Delhi to Agra, however, the most expensive and the fastest route is via the Yamuna Expressway, starting from Noida to Agra. And the signboards and patrolling Bike on the highway are very helpful while driving.

What To Eat And Stopovers

Meat marinated in Indian spices, Naan, a thick creamy Lassi completes a North Indian meal. On your way to the city of Agra, you will find tons of such legendary dhabas like Gulshan ka Dhaba, Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba and Pahalwan Dhaba at Murthal. Most of them have comfortable and air-conditioned seating with clean washrooms. You will also find Mc Donalds near Mathura.

Reaching There And Places To Visit

The epic iconic majestic Taj Mahal is the most of the times the main reason to select Agra as a destination. There many other memorable spots to Agra, which are unique to Agra.

• Agra Fort is a historical fort boasting of Islamic architecture. It used to be the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638.
• Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah often described as "jewel box" or "Bacha Taj" is a Mughal mausoleum.
• Meena Bazaar, where the ladies shop handicrafts, souvenirs, etc.
• Last and the best is the Taj Mahal, ivory-white marble mausoleum. It was made IN 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan.

Points To Note While Planning Trip (Car/Bike)

When on a road trip, you have to make sure that you are highly equipped to deal with unexpected circumstances. It would be useful to take lessons on how to fix a car puncture. Needless to say that your mobile phones should be charged and that you are carrying car chargers and portable chargers. You need to back your bags with ample snacks and you cannot forget the most important thing, which is water, in order to stay hydrated. It may also make sense to carry a hammer, just to stay steer clear of rare situations like being stuck in a car. And the most important of all is a first aid kit in case of injury. Also ensure that your Two wheeler or Four Wheeler is covered with a suitable and comprehensive Two Wheeler insurance policy or a Four Wheeler insurance policy.

Diesel/Petrol Pumps

There are fuel pumps at regular intervals on the entire Yamuna expressway. Close to 50 fuel stations will come your way in the road trip.

Overnight Halt If Any

Many travel from Delhi to Agra non-stop. But if one wants to take a break, then Mathura is the best halt. Mathura gravitates people all over the country because of the famous temple Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi, where Lord Krishna is believed to have taken birth.

Another place not to be missed is Prem Mandir, in the outskirts of Vrindavan. It’s another Hindu temple known for its white marble facade, beautiful gardens & musical fountain. Temple’s stones are hand carved by the hundreds of artisans, depicting scenes of Radha Krishna leelas.

The Mystic Palms is one of the best hotels in Mathura. Rooms are warmly decorated and the lawns are lush green.

The most recommended, popular and doubtless stopover is Neemrana.

Distance/Altitude Change graph

Distance between Delhi to Agra is 233.1 kms via Taj Express Highway/Yamuna Expressway and is expected to take 4 hours to complete this distance.

Stay And Eat At Other Eating Places

This road trip is replete with dhabas serving scrumptious food, locally called as desi food. Meat curries, naan and lassi are staples. Agra cuisine is royal.

Mobile Connectivity

Mobile connectivity is expected to be strong in this journey. You can get the best connectivity with Airtel Network.

ATMs

There are multiple ATMs of banks like Syndicate bank, State bank, Indusind bank etc.

Mechanics

Along the highway it might be difficult to reach out to mechanics. However, one could keep the highway patrol number handy for any emergency.

Medical Facilities

You will find multiple hospitals during this road trip. Gopi Krishna hospital is a reliable hospital in Mathura, which is on the way. Agra’s best hospital is Agra hospital.

Electricity

Electricity is managed efficiently by Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. in every part of Agra.

Tool Kits

One extremely important thing to carry is a tool kit for fixing a flat tyre. Another option is to carry tyre inflator to pump air in the flat tyre until you reach a mechanic's shop to put on the spare. Other good-to-have tools are screwdrivers, crescent wrench, hammer, duct tape or electrical tape.