Holiday, Travel and Touring Guides for Fatehpur Sikri, India.

Located around 40kms to the west of Agra and designated a World Heritage Site, Fatehpur Sikri is a definite "not to be missed" location for anyone on holiday and touring in this part of Uttar Pradesh, India.

If either using a car-and-driver or on organised coach trips then getting there is no problem since it will obviously be already organised etc but equally it is easy to reach simply by bus if staying in Agra or Bharatphur since local buses and the sometimes faster express-buses run along the main road passing Fatehpur Sikri half hourly. The bus stop area on the main road is amazingly busy with traffic and people everywhere mainly because there is a fairly large market. To get to the actual Site at Fatehpur-Sikri you can either pick up an auto-rickshaw or it is actually quite a nice walk up there with one or two things to see on the way if you feel like it. The rickshaw drivers will probably offer to wait for you but this is not particularly necessary and obviously will cost more money - there are always tuk-tuks going to and from the site to hire for the trip back down - or why not walk back instead?

If getting off the bus from Agra go on through the chaos and bear right onto the road - this wanders along and gets somewhat quieter after a short while. Having once passed through the first Gate/Archway the road splits. If you take the "non-traffic" right hand road this will bring you past several ruins and eventually through Naubat Khana Gate and the remains of the Old Mint (Karkhanas Imperial Mint) which is well worth looking round as it has lovely arched interiors. After the Mint you soon reach a small ticket office at Diwan-i-am and then can go on into the Site.
The entrance fee for non-Indians is 250 Rupees, it's open daily from sunrise to sunset and the only extra charge is if you want to use a video-camera. There are no drinks or other facilities inside so take water with you and you cannot take in food to eat inside the complex - there is a toilet available though.

 

You can reach the Jama Masjid (Mosque) from an exit at the far side of the Palace (keep your ticket as you are allowed back into the Palace area if you wish). The Mosque is just up from a parking area and the thing is it is full of touts, peddlers and beggars and they are probably some of the worst we came across whilst on holiday in India. They do not give up - will surround isolated tourists and particularly older people and we saw several elderly tourists almost in tears as these idiots almost hung off their arms. It is a very sad reflection on India particularly in this case as sat on a wall and totally dis-interested were two Indian policemen.

To return to the bus-stop if you want to walk down there is a choice of the previously mentioned non-traffic road or from the Jama Mosque just wander down the other road - there are cold drinks kiosks and several of the hotels have cafes available on the way (don't buy drinks just outside the Mosque - they are totally rip-off prices by the way).

 

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