9 Travel Hacks to Stay Safe While Travelling In Agra

While it is very unlikely that anyone traveling to Agra will end up in serious danger, not having the right information can put you in trouble. With pre-planning and a bit of common sense, you can enjoy the scenic beauty of this place and safely return home. We compiled a list of some of the most useful travel safety tips which you may use to stay safe in Agra.

1. Call the hotel directly

You can always book hotels without even calling or texting the hotel reception, but to be safe, speak to the hotel staff. Tourists often book hotels through agents or booking websites and don’t contact the host at all. Call the hotel staff and confirm that your room is booked with them. Doing so will not only help you build a relationship with the host before arrival, but you can also ask questions about your booking details to make surethat you will get what you are paying for.

2. Don’t be a polite victim

Don't Go out alone at Night in Agra

It takes practice to stand up for yourself, especially when you’re on foreign land. But it is always the right thing to do. If you don’t feel safe with a tour guide, taxi driver or with your hotel staff, refuse to stay in that situation. If you feel that what you’re doing is dangerous, stop. Many tourists feel obliged to do what they are being told, especially in places like hotels, mosques, temples, and shops. If you don’t feel safe, don’t be a polite victim.

3. Always rent or buy from reputable companies

Don’t let the terms like ‘low price’ or ‘local rate’ fool you. Always prefer reputable companies when it comes to booking tickets, taxis, rooms, tours, etc. When traveling, awareness is key and it can help you a lot. The moment you’ll step out of your hotel or taxi, people will come to you and start insisting on taking their services. People such as guides, shopkeepers, auto-rickshaw drivers, photographers will most likely come to you. There’s nothing wrong in taking their service, but make sure to choose the right people and use your common sense when dealing with their emotional drama.

4. Don’t venture out at night

Need we say more? Agra is not the place where you can just step out of your hotel at night and roam around with peace of mind. There’s no nightlife in this city and if you still want to go, never go out alone. Markets and shops are closed after 10 PM and you’ll hardly see any tourists outside at night. Agra is best during the day, but at night, it’s not a place where you can feel completely safe outside.

5. Put a ‘fragile’ label on your luggage

Marking your luggage as ‘fragile’ increases the chances of your baggage being handled correctly. Of course, a small sticker on your bag will go unnoticed, so make sure to put a large sticker that clearly says there are fragile items in your bag that need extra care while handling. Baggage handlers at airports often throw luggage into cargo, so putting a fragile label on your baggage can save your precious items from damage.

6. Be aware of money exchange scams

Tourists are often the best targets of scammers as they come from other cities or countries and are unfamiliar with the local life. Currency exchange is one of the biggest scams tourists often fall for. In Agra and also in many places in the world, you will find shops and even individuals offering 0% charges on currency exchange. The deal looks attractive, but you should not fall for it unless they are offering an exchange at a fair rate.

7. Don’t trust people who tell you to watch their bags

Scammers often sit near to their victims and after a few minutes they “suddenly” feel the urge to go away, asking you to watch their seat or bags. The whole drama is to distract you. One of the members of their group will sneak by and steal your bags while you’re not looking at them. This scam has many variations such as staining clothes or asking to babysit. Helping others never hurts but helping the wrong people does hurt badly.

8. Skip the dodgy tour agents

Choose a Reliable Travel Company

A large number of tour operators in Agra have allegedly formed a cartel and not only tourists but also the authorized guides are often troubled by them. These tour operators take tourists to designated shops and emporiums in Agra as they get a commission on each sale. Guides who legitimately work for tourists are often denied work by such tour operators. So next time you visit Agra, make sure to book your tours with a reputed company like AgateTravel.com.

9. Save these emergency numbers in your phone

In India, 100 is the emergency number to call the police. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department has shared a list of emergency numbers. Note that these numbers are for ambulance, police, and fire safety departments so be sure to save them in your phone’s contact list.

To call an ambulance in Agra dial 108. There’s a dedicated emergency helpline for women and you can reach the helpline by calling 1090. In case of fire, call 101 and for any other emergency, you can call 1363 or 1800 11 1363. This is a 24x7 helpline launched by the Government of India for tourists. The helpline support is available in 12 languages.