Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - TravBuddy

After you've seen the Taj Mahal, you've pretty much seen all that Agra has to offer, especially if the army happens to be occupying the fort there, as they were when we visited this July. Every guide will want to take you shopping, where his "friends" make the "best" inlaid marble, woven carpets, tunics, pashminas, etc. This can be very interesting, as long as you don't get bothered (or persuaded) by persistent salesmen. Be realistic in reminding them that you do NOT need 3 carpets, however equisite, to accompany your new jewelry box.

So instead of being haggled, the next day we hired a car (for a reasonable 1500 Rupees) to drive us (about one hour, through captivating rural landscapes) to and from Fatehpur Sikri, a mughul emporer's abandoned city. The grounds are extensive and well-preserved, and feel strikingly different than the mughul monuments that can get repetitive in Delhi. The mosque was a bit hectic, as everyone (and their four brothers) wanted to be our guide (or talk to us, and then ask for money), but the palace (which demands a small entrance fee) was peaceful enough to really enjoy the grand structures.