Delhi can be a bustling, very hot city, but if you learn to live with these two negatives, it is a place worth visiting. Officially called the National Capital Territory, it covers the entire capital, New Delhi, which has a population of over 11 million people and dates back to the 6th century BC. much to offer. After exploring the capital, head south to Agra City to admire India’s most impressive sights: the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Although it is also a busy city, Agra is much smaller and quieter than Delhi. Read on to find out the best way to get from Delhi to Agra.
Travel options from Delhi to Agra
Agra is 230 kilometers south of Delhi. Although it is quite a distance, you can go and come back the same day. It’s a good option if you just want to visit the Taj Mahal and don’t intend to spend time in Agra, although this city has a lot to offer and if you have time, you can spend a few days there having fun. You can travel from Delhi to Agra by train, bus or taxi. Gone are the days of excruciatingly slow trains in this part of India and now you can travel on high-speed express trains to get from Delhi to Agra in record time. Thanks to the improved condition of the roads, you can also travel by bus or taxi. The Yamuna Expressway is a six-lane highway connecting Delhi to Agra that was built to reduce travel time from one city to another. Undoubtedly, land communication between both destinations has improved significantly.
From Delhi to Agra by train
New Delhi Railway Station © Damian Pankowiec / Shutterstock.com
If you are thinking about traveling by train from Delhi to Agra, the first thing you need to know is that there are many trains that serve this route. For this reason, there are many different departure times and journey durations, so you need to pay attention to these details. We’ve done some of the work for you so you know some of the most popular options.
First of all, you need to know which station the train leaves from. There are two major railway stations in Delhi: New Delhi railway station (NDLS) and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station (NZM). The second is a good option if you’re in the south of the city and it’s about twenty minutes south of NDLS, so it’s a little closer to Agra. There is only one train station in Agra, Agra Cantonment (AGC), so it’s easy to know where to get off.
If you want to get to Agra in a short time, especially if you are going to spend only a day, the best option is to take the high-speed train (semi-high-speed train), Gatimaan Express. This train takes one hour and forty minutes from Delhi to Agra, departing from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station at 8:10 AM and arriving in Agra at 9:50 AM. Different types of seats and tickets are available, as well as food service and good facilities on board. Please note that this train does not run on Fridays, coinciding with the closing day of the Taj Mahal. For the rest of the week it operates as normal and has a reputation for being punctual and offering good service.
The New Delhi Habidganj Shatabdi Express is another option that leaves early and allows you to visit Agra in one day. This train leaves New Delhi Station at 6:00 AM and arrives in Agra at 7:57 AM. It’s not much slower than the train we talked about before, but it can be a bit cheaper depending on where you choose.
Taj Express Superfast and Andhra Pradesh AC Super Fast Express depart from New Delhi Railway Station, and in case the former is full, there are two more options available. The cheapest is Andhra Pradesh, but its trains are not air-conditioned.
You don’t have to travel in the morning if you don’t want to. You may even want to avoid the train in the morning if you are staying in Agra for more than a day. Many trains fill up in advance, so make sure you buy your tickets in advance. You can search and book train tickets from Delhi to Agra through the website 12Go.asia.
From Delhi to Agra by bus
Train tickets have different prices depending on the class you travel in and the seat you choose. But in general trains from Delhi to Agra are more expensive than buses. Therefore, if you want to save some money, you can choose to travel by bus. This is a good option if you are going to stay in Agra for a few days and are not in a hurry to return. Thanks to the improved roads from Delhi to Agra, buses make the journey in less time than before. Of course, they are still slower than trains. The bus journey takes approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes, depending on the company.
From Delhi to Agra by taxi
The last option to get from Delhi to Agra is by taxi. While this may seem very expensive, the truth is that it can be an inexpensive way to travel as you pay a fixed price for the entire vehicle. With a six-passenger van, it’s worth taking a taxi from Delhi to Agra, as splitting the cost across all passengers, the price is quite reasonable. In addition, the taxi offers great flexibility and can be booked in advance to pick you up anywhere in Delhi and take you anywhere in Agra. If you are interested you can book a private taxi through 12Go.
Thanks to railway and highway improvements, traveling from Delhi to Agra is now much easier and faster than it was a few years ago. Whether you want to go to Agra for a day or you intend to extend your stay there, you can choose between buses, trains and taxis to make your journey.