Season 1 · Leg 8
Let's See the Taj Mahal, Then Visit the Temple of Rats
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The route map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate and show the on-the-ground route in Rajasthan. Download the KML for Google My Maps / Google Earth
Why go here?
Because this is Rajasthan at full volume. We'll see the Taj Mahal at sunrise, the pink honeycomb front of Jaipur's Hawa Mahal, a hilltop fort, and then a temple where thousands of rats are treated as holy. It's the leg that tests whether you're a traveler or a tourist, and I think we've got this.
Getting there: LA to Delhi
I checked SNA and LGB, but Delhi fares were best from LAX. Google Flights showed a $1,006 round trip on American (Google Flights). From Delhi, the Gatimaan Express gets us to Agra in about 100 minutes for about ₹860 in chair car, with no Friday service (Taj Mahal Day Tours).
Total cost for flight and train: about $1,015 per adult
Where we're staying
- Hotel East Gate, Agra. A short walk to the Taj, with a pool and family rooms from ₹4,500 with breakfast (Hotel East Gate).
- Khandela Haveli, Jaipur. Family rooms from ₹4,169, with a rooftop pool.
- Laxmi Niwas Palace, Bikaner. The teams' actual Pit Stop, from about ₹6,106 a night (Laxmi Niwas Palace).
Total cost for 4 nights: about $100 per adult, two sharing (East Gate 1 night + Khandela 2 nights + Laxmi Niwas 1 night = ₹18,944, about $200 total)
Stop 1: The Taj Mahal
The teams' clue hunt was on the Taj grounds, and we're going at sunrise. Foreign visitors pay ₹1,100, plus ₹200 to go inside the main mausoleum. It opens 30 minutes before sunrise and is closed on Fridays (Taj Mahal official site). Don't plan your arrival for a Thursday night.
Running cost: about $14 per adult
Stop 2: Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
A train takes us from Agra to Jaipur, with chair car at about ₹430–450 (redBus). Then we find the Hawa Mahal, the Palace of the Winds. It's ₹600 on its own, or part of Jaipur's ₹1,700 composite ticket that covers Amber Fort too (Tourismo Guides). I'd buy the composite.
Running cost: about $37 per adult
Stop 3: The Detour, Elephant or Rowboat
The teams rode elephants up to Amber Fort or rowed to Jal Mahal. I'd skip the elephant ride, for the elephants' sake, and walk or take a jeep up to the fort instead. For the boat half, Jal Mahal is view-only, but you can take a boat on Maota Lake below Amber Fort for ₹1,600 (Tourismo Guides). Then stop on the road back for a photo of Jal Mahal floating in its lake.
Running cost: about $54 per adult
Stop 4: Karni Mata Temple (Roadblock)
The train from Jaipur to Bikaner is about ₹660–855 in chair car (ixigo). Karni Mata, in Deshnoke, is where the rats live, and they're considered holy. Entry is free, a camera pass is about ₹30, and it's open roughly from 4am to 10pm (Rajasthan Tourism). You go in barefoot, so bring socks you'll throw away. If a rat runs over your foot, it's considered good luck.
Running cost: about $63 per adult
The Pit Stop: Laxmi Niwas Palace
The leg ended at the Laxmi Niwas Palace in Bikaner, a red sandstone palace that's now a hotel. We're staying there, so we just walk in. Order a cold drink on the terrace and pretend we're royalty. That's where we'd meet Phil!
To get back to Delhi, a 3A sleeper on the overnight train is from about ₹810 (ixigo).
Running cost: about $71 per adult
Total cost of this leg for Pit Stop Passport racers: about $1,186 per adult (estimate, two adults sharing rooms: flight and train $1,015 + hotels $100 + activities and trains $71. It doesn't include the India e-visa, drivers or taxis, meals or tips. Prices checked Oct 2026, at $1 ≈ ₹94.94, and they will change.)
Family Pit Crew
Kids under 15 get into the Taj free, and the forts feel like real-life castles. I'd plan big outings for the cool mornings and pool time in the afternoons.
Age rules, stop by stop
| Stop | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Taj Mahal | Free under 15. Closed Fridays (Taj Mahal official site). |
| Jaipur monuments | Free under 7 (Tourismo Guides). |
| Maota Lake boats | Half price for ages 3–8 (Tourismo Guides). |
| Karni Mata Temple | Free entry for everyone. Barefoot inside, so bring kid socks too (Rajasthan Tourism). |
What I'd skip with kids. I'd skip the elephant ride, just like the grown-ups. I'd also check how your kids feel about rats before we drive out to Deshnoke. If anyone's squeamish, Bikaner's Junagarh Fort makes a fine backup.
Family-friendly places to stay
- Samode Haveli, Jaipur (splurge). A kids' pool and old-palace rooms, from ₹19,349.
- Khandela Haveli, Jaipur. Family rooms from ₹4,169 with a rooftop pool.
- Hotel East Gate, Agra (budget pick). Family rooms from ₹4,500 with breakfast, and a pool (Hotel East Gate).
Total cost for the Family Pit Crew: about $4,516 (estimate for two adults and two kids: four $1,006 round trips with kids at the adult fare = $4,024; all four trains for four = ₹11,900; East Gate family room = ₹4,500; Taj for two adults = ₹2,600, kids free; Khandela 2 nights = ₹8,338; composite ticket for four = ₹6,800, less if a child is under 7; Maota boat for four = ₹6,400, less for ages 3–8; camera pass = ₹30; Laxmi Niwas 1 night = ₹6,106. That's ₹46,674, about $492. It excludes visas, drivers, meals and tips. Prices checked Oct 2026.)