Alternate Proposed Plan for India and Taj Mahal Visit

When we first saw our itinerary for the Taj Mahal trip we were concerned that out of the 15 hour trip, we were spending only 1-1/2 hours at the Taj. We wanted them to reduce the 50 minute lunch and/or the 35-minute tea in order to increase the time at the Taj.

Given the 100 degree F temperature, and the layout, the 1-1/2 hours was kind of adequate, but I’d still recommend setting up your plans to allow more time at the Taj Mahal.

The only way to do the “Taj in one day” as we did was to do the ship’s excursion. Agra does not have a commercial airport that handles large planes. We landed at the military base on a charter flight. If you scheduled on your own, the logistics would not have worked for the single day.

The other choice, that I think sounds like the best plan, is to leave the ship in Mumbai, schedule flights and hotels that gets you back to the ship 4 days later in Dubai. Using our calendar, you’d spend 4/1 in Mumbai and stay in Mumbai that night. On 4/2 your fly to Agra, staying the nights of 4/2 and 4/3. You’d have all day at the Taj Mahal and other sites. On 4/4 fly to Dubai, staying there the night of 4/4. This gives you 4/4 and most of 4/5 in Dubai before rejoining the ship.

One passenger did a plan something like this. (She may have added a stop in Delhi.) I think her cost of this total plan was about $1,400, whereas our one-day trip through the ship was $899 each. Net, this type of extended plan on your own is not that much higher in cost.