We used the hotel's travel desk to book a day trip to Agra. The sales agent, Jimmy, discouraged us from using a hotel car and driver and recommended we use his outside company. When we said we preferred a hotel car, Jimmy became argumentative. The price was 2/3 of hotel's price. We finally agreed to use his company. The deal was to pay Rs 7500 upon return to the hotel. 15 minutes into the trip, the driver asked for Rs 5000 up front for gas. We contacted Jimmy, he asked us to pay 2500 to cover expenses and the balance at the end. Since finding an alternate driver was unlikely w/in our timeframe, we were stuck. The car was miserable. We picked up a guide in Agra who charged us about Rs 500 per ticket too much for Taj Mahal we later learned. After Taj Mahal, rather than see other sites in Agra as Jimmy had indicated, the guide would only take us to marble and rug shops operated by his friends. We dismissed the guide and returned home. On the way home, the driver insisted on picking up a hitch hiker despite our objections, specifically telling him no. All in all, it felt like a pretty sleazy experience. Thankfully Taj Mahal stands on its own merits, despite the low calibre of Jimmy and his associates. In summary: If you encounter Jimmy, demand to work with someone else. Or better yet, stay in a hotel that does not allow such people on their staff.