Taj Mahal Experience with Tinggly

You can now download this article as an app and get an offline map so you can go and see these places yourself.

The Taj Mahal does not need to be introduced to anyone.

IndiaPart1Edited1

As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it must be visited by every human at least once in their lives. So here we are, in Agra, finally exploring the ultimate monument of love and pride of India.

IndiaPart1Edited

This time, instead of traveling independently, we wanted to try something different. We decided to try one of Tinggly’s experiences: a private full-day tour to the Taj Mahal from Delhi for two. Apart from visiting Taj Mahal, the tour also included discovery of the epic Agra Fort and the architectural wonder – the Tomb of Akbar the Great in Sikandra. Moreover, we paid a quick visit to Akbar International – a government sponsored shop dedicated to preserving native craftsmanship. 

DSC01949 003

One of the biggest advantages of this trip was the fact that during the entire experience we were accompanied by a professional guide, learning the fascinating and emotional history behind these buildings and marble – the precision and beauty of their designs.

Our Taj Mahal Experience

Our tour to the Taj Mahal from Delhi to Agra started early in the morning. At 7:45 am we were picked up by a private driver from the hostel and kicked off this exciting day in comfort with an air-conditioned vehicle.

DSC01979

After 4 hours of driving, we were welcomed to Agra by our private tour guide – a lovely lady named Sheela, who shared all stories not only about the city she loved, but also about her beloved country.

See also  The Castles of Sintra – An Incredible Day Tour from Lisbon (ERT Series)
IndiaPart1Edited3

We’ve found out that Taj Mahal was built in 22 years (1631-1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan. It was dedicated to Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah, who he was truly in love with (the rest of his marriages were for political reasons).

IndiaPart1Edited2

We were told that 20.000 workers labored and 32 crore rupees were spent during the construction of the monument and it was built according to Islamic architecture.

IndiaPart1Edited5

No doubt it is one of the Unesco world heritage sites – it’s truly a masterpiece!

IndiaPart1Edited4

We spent few hours exploring the monument. Time flew. We were taking pictures, listening to Sheela’s stories, walking around different parts of Taj Mahal and admiring its beautiful gardens where we had a chance to sit in the sun.

Agra’s Fort

Next we drove to the walled city of Agra, that was constructed of red sandstone by 4000 builders over a period of 8 years.

IndiaPart1Edited6

Agra’s fort is another UNESCO World Heritage Sites, that once housed some 500 buildings.

IndiaPart1Edited7

Agra Fort is very impressive and our guide provided interesting insights into the site’s history.

IndiaPart1Edited8

We highly recommend it to be explored although you may be a bit tired after spending so much time at the Taj Mahal.

Akbar International 

After a guided tour we were taken to an expensive sovereign gift shop which we honestly were not interested in.

IndiaPart1Edited10

We were initially taken through a simple demonstration of how stone embedding in marble was done. After this, we were taken to the expensive show room with the most exquisite pieces of marble in Agra. That being said, price is a very personal matter.

See also  5 Festivals Which Define India
DSC02203

You could bargain and go with your feeling of what the pieces are worth to you.

IndiaPart1Edited9

In the meantime our guide took us to a nice restaurant with an open buffet where we tried a lot of different Indian dishes – from butter chicken to garlic naans and local soups.

DSC02217
Our driver on the left and Sheela – our guide on the right. Thank you both!

That was indeed a great day exploring Agra and we both fell asleep in a car on the way back to our hotel in Delhi :-). And now we also know what is awaiting someone who gets a Tinggly gift of travel.

Have you ever heard of Tinggly? Have you visited Taj Mahal?

Share

Search
Close this search box.

We want you to know! Some links on this page may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission from what you buy. 
It will never cost you extra, or make us bias, but helps us run this blog and occasionally get a good cup of coffee. 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Agness Walewinder
Agness Walewinder
Travel freak, vagabond, photography passionate, blogger, life enthusiast, backpacker, adventure hunter and endless energy couchsurfer living by the rule "Pack lite, travel far and live long!"
Do you want to contribute?
Publish your guest post on Etramping!

65 thoughts on “Taj Mahal Experience with Tinggly”

  1. Avatar of Victoria@ The British Berliner

    ‘Lovely post guys!

    I’ve never heard of Tinggly but I have visited the Taj Mahal. It’s a gorgeous romantic place!

    I even did the Princess Diana pose on the bench. It can be a bit crowded but if you go very early in the morning, you pretty much have the place “to yourself!”

    I miss India! :)

  2. Avatar of Karolina

    What an amazing experience! Looks like you guys had a lot of time on your private cruise :). I’ve never heard of Tinggly before and I haven’t seen the Taj Mahal yet.

  3. Avatar of Halida A.

    Never heard of Tinggly before, but exploring Taj Mahal with a guide sounds great! And surely having an air conditioned car to drive you around is nice :) Taj Mahal is so beautiful ?

  4. Avatar of The Guy Who Flies

    Welcome to the Taj and Agra guys. Great to see that you made it there.

    I remember visiting in 2001 and it was certainly a must see. I also had a guide which was a great God send. Amongst all the chaos of the queing they can make sense of things and give you fast access to areas whilst also a great history lesson. (all the stuff which is more difficult to do on your own).

    The expensive shops is sadly a standard feature for these tours and the commissions can make a good month for your tour guide. I remember that we went to a marble shop like this (I did buy some coasters which are still going strong 15 years later!) and a clothing shop. Like you say the price is very much something you make your own judgement on as to whether it is worth it or not.

  5. Avatar of Stef

    I agree with you. Taj Mahal is a place you have to see once in a lifetime. And I think I would visit it with a tour/guide as well to find out more about the history of the place. Did Taj Mahal met your expectations?

  6. Avatar of Katarina

    That’s the one thing I don’t really like about guided tours. They always stop in really expensive gift shops where everything is at least $30 or more! Other than that, guided tours are amazing! I did get Tinggly for someone over Christmas. I wonder what they’ll do with it. :)

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Nice gift, right :)? Let us know how this person used the Tinggly gift :-). I’m very curious! :)

  7. Avatar of Antonina

    I’ve been there during my honeymoon – very significant, right? :) I’m glad you had a nice experience and enjoyed the Taj. Next time come to Mumbai :)

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Mumbai is one of the cities we wanted to go to, but unfortunately we did not have enough time :-(.

  8. Avatar of Linda Bibb

    Having taken my share of tours I must say that private tours are the way to go. It is harder to hear the guide in larger groups, plus it is more difficult to get the ideal shot. To often a fellow tourist gets in the way of that perfect shot.

    As for the craft showrooms, they all do it. When we were at the Dead Sea, our entire busload was herded into a shop full of assorted personal care products. Perhaps on a private tour one might offer larger tips instead.

  9. Avatar of Ryan Biddulph

    Hi Agness,

    I imagine the tour experience differs from doing it on your own. Smart move to get a customized experience. As for the place itself I have to visit because how can I miss a Wonder of the World? Fabulous pictures and super post!

    Ryan

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *