Full Day Old And New Delhi City Tour With Entrance Fees

My husband and I are full time travelers. We take lots of tours and while most are good this was excellent. I rarely write reviews. However, we had such a wonderful informative tour today that I wanted to share. Yesterday, we were Whatsapp -ed that Hitesh would be our tour guide and Suresh would be our driver. We booked a private tour for two people that had 8 stops over 8 hours. They were prompt and very friendly in their arrival. As we did not have 8 hours to spare, we discussed possibilities of personalizing the tour to suit both a shorter time frame and a focus on our interests. They both were completely understanding and amenable to these changes. Hitesh went through each of the 8 options and helped us decide which to focus on for the day. We laughed as Hitesh assured us that "Anything is possible in India" which we would say the rest of the day. We started with the Jama Masijid. This Mosque was so grand and interesting. The fact that it is open to the public is wonderful. There were many local people there enjoying the beautiful Sunday. Hitesh is so knowledgable and passionate about Old Delhi. He focused on the construction of the Mosque as well as how important it has been to Delhi for hundreds of years. We walked to the Old Delhi bazaars and markets. He explained so much of what the local families do on Sundays. We took an extra lengthy auto-rickshaw ride through Old Delhi. Because Old Delhi is the heart of Delhi, he encouraged us to spend more time in the area. We felt safe and met so many wonderful locals and it was truly a highlight of our trip. We moved on to Akshardham. Which is on the top of most people's lists when they visit Delhi. This Temple did not disappoint. In fact, it is the most elaborate building we have ever been too (I am including the Taj Mahal in this comparison). We could not believe how beautiful the whole area is. It really is paradise in the middle of 20 something million people. AMAZING! Hitesh is very informed about the Hindu religion. He was so kind in answering all of our questions and he offers such interesting insight on the peacefulness of the Hindus. We lastly made our way to South Delhi to see the Lotus Temple. Suresh had been a fabulous driver the whole day. He told us about the average drivers in Delhi and the ins and outs of how the laws work and when people are breaking rules. We always felt very safe and comfortable with Suresh behind wheel. When we made our way to the Lotus Temple, the line was insane. As it was a Sunday, there were droves of people there waiting in line. As it seemed that we may be in line for hours, Hitesh searched around to find us a spot on a hill to view the Temple. He told us all the history of the Temple and described the inside of what the celebrations that occur. It was extremely enjoyable as we did not wait for another two hours and we had the perfect view!!! Honestly, we adored meeting Hitesh and Suresh. Do not hesitate booking a tour with them. I can only imagine that the full tour is incredible. They are truly lovely people!!!

What a great day! Hitesh and Suresh are the dream team guides. My main complaint with tours in India so far have been the hurried nature and having things pushed on me that I didn't want to do. We only had limited time so we came with a plan and they tailored to tour to make sure we saw everything we wanted and were back in time. They gave us plenty of time to see things at our own pace and take pics. Lots of great local knowledge on avoiding queues and busy times all while answering lots of questions. I could not speak highly enough of them or the tour. Everything was communicated clearly. I loved it! I'll never forget whizzing through Old Delhi on a Rickshaw - well done guys, authentic, wonderful trip