Exploring New Delhi on January 25

fgold

My wife and I would be interested in exploring some New Delhi (or surrounding area) sites on January 25, before the formal India tour begins. If other tour members are interested, please let us know and perhaps we can collectively arrange something interesting.

Susan InToronto

We will be arriving very early that morning. Definitely interested in getting together with others to check out some sights that aren't covered by the tour.

Ann K

Whatever you choose to do (I’m on the Jan 4th trip, been here since early on the 3rd - trip really starts on the 5th!) - always hire a car w driver, or hire a taxi - through the Concierge. I’ve used both, with a couple I met, and it’s worth it. Make sure you hire them to wait for you. As for visiting Akshardan, think ‘Disney’. Somewhat interesting, and huge, but artificial, just my two cents, of course. Free except for a 5 rupee guidebook plus the car. We skipped the exhibits that had a charge - enough to see outside. Leela Palace Hotel is stunning, excellent service so far. All ATMs nearby are out of cash or broken.

smarks50

Ann k: I am doing this trip in mid-February and have been unable to buy rupees in the US. If the ATMs are not working, how did you make a conversion from dollars? Does the hotel accommodate this? Thanks much.

British

smarks50 wrote:

Ann k: I am doing this trip in mid-February and have been unable to buy rupees in the US. If the ATMs are not working, how did you make a conversion from dollars? Does the hotel accommodate this? Thanks much.

When we took this tour several years ago, I mention that few people on the tour were able to use ATM's successfully. We did even though we had not told our credit card or bank that we were going to India. But we did get ruppees in the US. Suggest getting them when you arrive at the airport. Get the smallest denomination notes you can for trinkets. Anything else, you can buy with your credit card. And you can change money at the hotel.

joycesw

Good advice from British. The airport is a pretty sure place to use an ATM. We had anticipated doing this until we arrived at 1:30AM and my husband’s luggage did not! In the frenzy of the Delhi airport and the 2hours it took me to process the claim, we totally forgot about it and ended up not getting any money.
When we hired a driver to do some touring, finding a working ATM was first on the to-do list! He knew where to go. In Agra, the hotel instructed me where to go to find one. I set off on my own, with a Tuk-tuk driver following me and offering to give me a ride ( politely declined) and did actually find a working one about two blocks away. It was our experience that many of the city ATM’s were not working, but we could always count on the airports.

susietb

Just returned from this trip in November. The best place for an ATM is at the airport in Delhi. You probably won't need more than $100 US in rupees. Big bills are easily exchangeable at the Hotel.

Ann K

The hotels will exchange rupees at a slightly lower rate (but since it's approx. 60 rupees to a dollar, it's just a few cents charge per dollar) - and you probably won't need more than $150 (even if you like the little trinkets). Credit cards were fine in all the stores we went to, not necessarily fancy places. Even airport ATMs were out of money or ran out of money after one or two people used them. Take some singles along as backup, assume roughly 60 rupees per dollar in the street - you can bargain for the trinkets.

Ann K

Folks - maybe you used to be able to get rupees in the ATMs, but this is the status from these past three weeks. Again - hotels will exchange (bring 20s/10s for them), but the ATMs, even in Delhi, are unreliable.