A bike trip from Delhi to Agra is an exciting journey for more reasons than one. Goes without saying, one of them is riding to the home of one of the seven wonders of the world. Being able to ride down to Agra on the rapid Yamuna Expressway (Taj Expressway) is also the icing on the cake. The ride brings many more sites and experiences that this historic city has to offer.
Planning the ride to Agra
A bike ride is best enjoyed when all safety measures are taken care of. So ensure you have the ideal riding gears. A visible and fitting helmet, riding jacket and even the right shoes go a long way in ensuring not only safety, but also the comfort of your ride.
Check your bike for any oil leakages and ensure your bike is in good condition. It is also important to make sure there’s enough fuel in the tank for your trip. Especially since there are just two petrol pumps on the entire duration of the Yamuna Expressway (Taj Expressway).
Checking tire pressure is also of critical importance, since the expressway can get extremely hot and cause severe damage to your tires. A little bit of preparedness goes a long way in ensuring a smooth ride without any hiccups. If you are renting a bike for your trip to Agra, be sure to check if the bike is in place for such a long journey. Don’t forget to check the PUC certificate and other papers that are needed to ensure your ride has no hassles.
Agra is about 240 kilometres away from Delhi. The best route for this journey is crossing Greater Noida and getting on the relatively new Yamuna Expressway. A six lane highway that has made the commute between Delhi and Agra extremely convenient. While Agra is just three and a half hours away from Delhi, we recommend spending a night in Agra and breaking the journey up over two days. There’s two major reasons why you should spend a night in Agra, before making your way back to Delhi.
The main reason here is the fog. It is a serious problem for riding in North India. Fog here drastically affects visibility, especially very early in the morning and at night. It often leads to accidents too. So the best thing to do is to commence your journey after sunrise and spend a night in Agra. There’s another major reason to spend a night in Agra. That’s because you get to experience the Taj Mahal on the first day at sunset, from Mehtab Bagh, This beautiful former Mughal Garden is situated just behind the Taj Mahal. You can also experience it the next day at sunrise. Breaking the journey up over two days also helps in beating the traffic.
About The Bike Trip to Agra
Make an early start to Agra, ideally at around 6 AM, to evade traffic on the outskirts of Delhi and in Noida. Get on the Yamuna expressway (Taj Expressway) and make your way towards Agra. The ride to the historical city is certainly enjoyable. History buffs would especially love this city that rose to greatness under Emperor Akbar, and was the capital of the Mughal Kingdom through most of the 15th and 16th century.
To reiterate, ensure there’s enough fuel in your tank and you have checked your tire pressure before. If you haven’t done it, stop at the first petrol pump as soon as you get on the expressway. There are just two petrol pumps on the entire highway, one at the start and one near Agra. After around 3 and a half hours, you will be in Agra! Stop for lunch at a local restaurant. Dasaprakash is known for its delectable South Indian fare. Surely worth a visit.
After lunch, ride towards Agra Fort. While the Taj Mahal is obviously the main highlight, the Agra Fort is also a formidable monument with an extremely interesting history. Emperor Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal, was exiled at the Agra Fort by his son, Emperor Aurangzeb. Emperor Shah Jahan was exiled in a room in the Fort from which he could see the Taj Mahal. It’s one of the most vivid stories of the Fort, since Emperor Shah Jahan had played a pivotal part in contributing to the fort’s stunning architecture.
Next, head to Baby Taj, which is officially known as the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Dawah. The white marble tomb is considered the first draft of the Taj Mahal, after you check out what is fondly called the ‘Bachcha Taj’, by locals. Ride to Mehtab Bagh, the relaxing Mughal built garden to unwind, and stretch your legs as you watch the sunset over Taj Mahal.
Get an early night as an exciting day beckons. Ideally book a hotel that is close to Taj Mahal, so it’s easier to just wake up before sunrise and just walk to the Taj Mahal to see this stunning monument from a different perspective. Exploring the monument from the inside and the courtyards around should take you a couple of hours.
After being in awe of this amazing monument, head back to your hotel or grab some breakfast. You could either choose to explore the markets of Agra or you could ride back. There’s a lot you can shop for at the markets of Agra. You can buy some Pethas that Agra is famous for. Once again, check your bike and ensure there’s enough fuel in the tank to make a peaceful journey back to Delhi.
Delhi to Agra is an extremely enjoyable journey. It is one of those journeys that no matter how many times you embark on, is always special. It’s just an amalgamation of many great experiences. Right from riding on the Yamuna Expressway (Taj Expressway) to exploring Taj Mahal and discovering Agra’s hidden gems, a bike trip from Delhi to Agra is always fun.
The journey from Delhi to Agra and back is extremely comfortable as the road for the entire journey is excellent. However, if you do not have a bike, or are not sure if your bike can sustain the journey, you could always rent a bike and make this trip happen!
Check out all the bike rentals in Delhi and pick the most economical bike rental for your road trip!
If you can’t go for a multi day bike trip. Here a few one day bike trip options from Delhi for you to consider.
See also: Bike Trip from Delhi to Jaipur
