What better way to cap off our Incredible India blog series than with an answer to the question that I often receive after our trip: How much did you spend?
I brought my travel journal with me to write down my thoughts. It helped me a lot as a blogger, but little did I know, I was still making a Blogger booboo by not documenting our daily spending. All I know is that Ed and I did not spend more than 6,000 AED in total for a 5-day trip at the Golden Triangle of India. Whenever somebody asks, I usually reply with an estimated price for flights, tours and food; hoping it would be enough to help them on their trip.
Recently, I got an ample time in my hands to check the receipts (Thankfully, I kept some of them.) and over a thousand photos that we had during our trip as few of them are snaps of ticket counters and food menu. So, now, I can finally share a more detailed summary of our India-Golden Triangle tour expenses along with our complete itinerary.
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| 5 Days in India |
5-Day India Travel Budget
Let's start with a graph showing a breakdown of my total spending. I traveled with three people; Ed and two friends. We booked a tour package in a travel agency based in India. The package includes hotel stays (2 people per room, with breakfast), a private van, a driver and bottled waters at a reasonable price of 945 AED (16,000 in Indian Rupees and almost 260 in US Dollars) per person.
The rest of the expenses per person are shown in the graph below in UAE Dirhams:
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| My Expenses in India |
India-Golden Triangle 5-day Itinerary and Expenses
Now, here's a summary of our days in India; where we went, what we ate and how much we paid. Please note that we traveled on October 2014; prices may have changed. Some of the food and souvenir prices are only roughly estimated as I lost a few receipts and as I have said, I committed a Blogger booboo by not writing down every single detail. Sorry. But I really do hope this overview can help. :) The words in PINK are links to previous posts. Please click for more details.
Day 1: From Dubai to Delhi
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| in-flight meal * Indira Gandhi International Airport * in-room dining |
* Flight from Dubai to New Delhi via Indigo Airlines
* In-flight meal is not included in the flight ticket, so I bought a snack on board:
- Indigo Airlines Cashew Nuts in reusable tin box: 30 AED - Box is called Nut Case! Cute!
- Bottled Water: 30 AED - Pricey because the label says it's from the Himalayas! :)
* Arrival in New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
- Visa on Arrival: 3,700 INR or 217 AED - As of February 2015, Indian Visa on Arrival should be processed online! Please check the application process here: Indian Tourist Visa on Arrival.
* 1 night hotel stay at Hotel Ibis Delhi Airport
* In-room dining for dinner (meal is good for two):
- Pasta: 525 INR or 30 AED
- Sandwich: 455 INR or 26 AED
Day 2: Old Delhi to New Delhi to Jaipur
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| Delhi City Tour * Indian Lunch * Light Dinner |
* New Delhi Tour
- Rajpath: King's Way. It is a road where special ceremonies and parades take place.
- Rashtrapati Bhavan: residence of the President of India - photo ops only at the gates
- Government Buildings: Secretariat and Parliament buildings - again, photo ops at the facade
- India Gate: the heart of Delhi
- Jama Masjid: largest mosque in India - We did not go in because of certain personal reasons.
- Red Fort: astounding fort with red sandstone walls - We only passed by the gates. Why? My story is in this blog post.
* 4-hour drive from Delhi to Jaipur
* Stop-over at Hotel Maharani's restaurant for lunch (meals below are for two people):
- Butter Chicken: 420 INR or 25 AED
- Biryani: 330 INR or 20 AED
* Arrival in Jaipur
* Visit a Gem's Store. Jaipur is known as the City of Gems. - I did not buy anything. A friend got a precious gem for 30,000+ INR, around 2,000 AED.
* light dinner at The Baradari Mahal restaurant in Hotel Diggi Palace:
- Cheese Naan: 60 INR or 3.50 AED
- Tea: 50 INR or 3 AED
* Check-in at Ramada Jaipur for two nights stay
- WiFi at Ramada hotel: 500 INR or 30 AED for 24 hours / device
Day 3: Jaipur - Local City Tour
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| Jaipur City Tour * fast food lunch * Ayurveda spa |
* Breakfast at Ramada Hotel --- Sightseeing
- Amber Fort (entrance fee: 200 INR or 12 AED): a palace complex of the Rajput Maharajas
- Jal Mahal: Jaipur's water palace
- Jantar Mantar (entrance fee: 200 INR or 12 AED): astronomical observatory built in the 18th century
- City Palace (300 INR or 18 AED): It is a huge complex of palaces turned into museums and art galleries. A part is still a royal residence.
- Hawa Mahal: Palace of the Winds - We only had photo ops at the facade. Visitors can go in for a fee.
* Lunch at Pizza Hut
- Big Pizza Overloaded (Meal for 4): 599 INR or 35 AED - 9 AED/pax
* more expenses at Ramada Hotel:
- Ayurveda Massage: 1700 INR or 100 AED
- in-room dining for dinner (Chicken Stroganoff): around 700 INR or 41 AED
Day 4: Jaipur to Agra
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| Agra Fort * Taj Mahal * Mughlai dinner |
* Breakfast at Ramada Jaipur
* Travel from Jaipur to Agra (4 hours on the road with a coffee break in between)
* Travel from Jaipur to Agra (4 hours on the road with a coffee break in between)
* Agra Tour (composite ticket for Taj Mahal and other attractions: 1000 INR or 60 AED)
- Rice Meal (for one person): 185 INR or 11 AED
* Mughlai Dinner at Taj Mahal Restaurant - It is NOT inside the Taj. It is a restaurant called Taj Mahal in Agra! (meals below are for two people):
- Chicken Tikka Masala: 340 INR or 20 AED
- Saffron Rice: 250 INR: 15 AED
- Butter Naan: 70 INR or 4 AED
- Gulab Jamon: 95 INR or 6 AED
* Overnight stay at Clark Shiraz
- WiFi at the hotel: 300 INR or 18 AED for 12 hours - good for two devices
Day 5: From Agra to Delhi to Dubai
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| breakfast buffet * road trip * Starbucks * back to Dubai |
* Breakfast at Clark Shiraz
* Akbar's Tomb (entrance fee: 100 INR or 6 AED): mausoleum of Akbar the Great located in the outskirts of Agra
* 4-hour drive from Agra to Delhi with a stop over at our tour driver's place for snacks
* expenses at New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport - During this time, I was already exhausted to document the prices; hence only estimated prices are indicated below.:
- dinner in a restaurant at the "Arrivals" area: around 400 INR or 23 AED per person
- Starbucks Iced Shaken Green Tea: 100 INR or 6 AED for Tall size
- Starbucks Mug: less than 50 AED
Extras!
* Tipping: In restaurants and in services, our tips range from 5 to 10 % of bill amount.
* Souvenirs- These are rough estimation only as I forgot the exact prices. Don't forget to haggle!
- Jewelry Box with embroidery and semi-precious stones: 50 AED
- small Marble Plate with Taj Mahal design made of semi precious stones: 150 AED
- fridge magnets: 10 AED for 3 pieces
PS. Wishing this blog post can assist you on your trip to the Golden Triangle!
Happy Travels in Incredible India! xoxo, Lady
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4 Blogger Comments
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