02 Jan 2023
The good:
> Taj Mahal is AMAZING. So glad we did the sunrise tour since it meant we could see the Taj without the crowds.
> Our tour guide took lots photos and knew how to get us into the Taj at the front of the line.
The downsides of this tour:
> The car was not nice (which means a lot when you're driving 4 hours in India)
> It's very overpriced. You have to pay for the entrance fees at each location (which was a huge hassle since we didn't have enough cash and spent 30 minutes driving to ATMs). I'm not sure why this tour is $100+ USD pp. Another tour company we used for a trip to Jaipur said they'd do the same tour w/ entrance fees for $50 USD. It was too late since we had already paid for this one.
> We only went to 2/3 stops. This felt like such a scam! We didn't go to the Baby Taj.
> They try and force you, then guilt you when you say no, into going to shops at the end. So annoying.
> Unprofessional conversation topics: Trump, divorce rates in India vs. the US, and when I asked to use the restroom he looked at me and said "1 or 2, pee or poop" (HUH?!) Maybe these are cultural differences, but jet lag + waking up at 2am + constant stomach issues from the food meant we didn't have any interest in these topics. We were there to learn about the Taj Mahal.