Planning a trip to see this stunning work of art that is one of the modern seven worldly wonders? Read this guide to ensure you make the best of your time in Agra and visiting the Taj Mahal.
When it comes to iconic buildings, I am sure the Taj Mahal comes to mind right up there with the Eiffel Tower. I'm sure many of you have also heard of the reasoning behind it being built, for love. Shah Jahan, the emperor, built it for his favourite wife upon her death, giving birth to their 14th child. Shortly after the Taj Mahal was completed, the emperor fell ill and his son imprisoned him for spending so much money. He actually died in Agra Fort, which has a view of the Taj Mahal and was buried in a hidden room beneath the tomb of his wife. I think their love story might have been the inspiration for a few soap operas.
The Taj Mahal is UNESCO site and brings in around 40,000 visitors each day. Historians estimate it cost close to 32 million rupees to build over the 20 year period. It is located in Agra, a city south of Delhi. The building itself is right along the Yamuna river bank and will 100% meet your expectations. This is a unique piece of art, with millions of precious gems having been in laid in the marble. I won't bore you with all the details of the building, but I do recommend looking into it more or hiring a guide when you go.
When to visit Agra?
India differs a bit from South East Asia as it has four seasons instead of two, more similar to Canada. It does have a season that is more hot and dry - summer, and a season that is more wet - monsoon, and then it also has a more cool season - winter and a spring.
The best time to visit would be in fall or winter, as the cooler weather will be more pleasant than the heat of the summer. However, this will be when the most people choose to visit which can increase prices and crowds. The winter is also known for being quite foggy in the mornings, which we definitely noticed during our February visit.
How to get to Agra?
If you are travelling to India, you most likely will fly in to Delhi, the country's capital. From here you can easily take a train to do the Golden Triangle, the most common tour. What we did in India was technically a self-guided Golden Triangle. The points that make up the triangle are Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. We started in Delhi and then went to Jaipur next, finishing off with Agra.
When you take the train in India there are several ticket type options. The cheapest option is less than 1CAD and does not have a seat assigned. This is the type of ticket that leads to a crowded train car with people hanging off the doors. This train car will be locked off and inaccessible from the other cars. Since there is no assigned seating, I do not believe they put a limit on how many people can purchase the ticket. The line ups we saw for people to get on these cars were really long and they would really push to get on the train.
I would not call any of the train tickets expensive by Canadian standards, even a sleeper car is less than 20CAD. However, you need to make a reservation well in advance for your ride. Don't show up at the train station and expect to get the next train out. You also want to plan to be there very early. We gave ourselves a one-hour window to get the train in Delhi and we missed it! Make sure to read my post on Jaipur to enjoythat story.
How to get around Agra?
The easiest way to get around in Agra will be to hire a driver. You can either hire an air conditioned vehicle or the more classic - a rickshaw. Your hotel should be able to help you hire someone if you are unsure how to go about it. Our accommodations were also in a fairly central area so it would have been possible to walk quite a bit.
What to do in Agra?
Day 1: Sunset over Taj Mahal
There are many places in Agra to enjoy the sunset, both over the Taj Mahal or other beautiful architectural spots. For our first night, we choose to watch the sunset near in the Mehtab Bagh, a mughal era garden, to see the Taj Mahal. IF you choose to watch it inside the gardens themselves, there will be a fee. However, you can visit the Taj View Point ADA at no charge. This place has grown in popularity for watching the sun set so you will not have it to yourself.
If you choose to watch the sunset at the Taj Mahal itself it's important to keep in mind that this site will become progressively more crowded as the day goes in. This means that by sunset, there will be a lot of people, if your goal is amazing photos, there will be a lot of people in them.
Day 2: Taj Mahal
In our research for visiting the Taj Mahal, we found My Life's a Travel Movie (<- click to see her photo guide) to be most helpful. She gave a lot of details on where to get the best photos and which order to ensure the least people in your photos. If this is not important to you, then sleep in, enjoy your breakfast and head to the Taj at a later time. However, if you want to get a stand out photo then you need to be up early.
To enter we chose the East Gate as it is closer to the building itself when you enter. We wanted to race to the photo spot before it got busy. We were debating whether or not to hire a guide, we knew it could be handy to have someone to answer questions. However, since getting some good phowed down or distracted.otos was key for us, we didn't want to be slowed down. Our driver was able to arrange a guide for us and we were happy with his service. He knew the majority of the photo spots and helped ensure we got some great family photos!
We went at sunrise to beat the crowds and have amazing lighting for our photos. To be here for sunrise you actually have to get up closer to 4 am and queue up for opening. We were happy we had hired a guide when he escorted us right past the line up and to the security gate! Men and women do have to separate for security and they will thoroughly search your belongings. You really don't want to bring much to visit here as there are lots of items not allowed and they will be confiscated. We had to bring a small bag with diapers and wipes, but that was it.
*I'll do another post on the best photo spots for Taj Mahal later, but I'll give you one amazing location if you keep reading!
Essentials to visiting the Taj
It's closed on Fridays to allow Muslims to worship.
No food allowed, to ensure no damage is done.
Dress respectfully, it is a mosque and tomb.
Consider hiring a guide to answer your questions and help with photos.
Look closely at the details, there are millions of gemstones set in the marble.
Day 3: Baby Taj & Agra Fort
The tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is often viewed as the inspiration behind the Taj Mahal, leading to it's nickname of Baby Taj. Built in 1622, this beautiful tomb has the most delicate marble works, even more than the Taj Mahal. It is set up in similar fashion, with a central building housing a tomb and then a building on each side. It is quick to visit, although you may not want to go in the afternoon like us as there is no shade and the sun is quite bright.
We chose to watch the sunrise along the river again. This time instead of crossing the river to the garden, we walked on the road alongside the Taj Mahal. We had been hoping we could go further down the river to an old fortress. We had seen pictures and videos taken from one of the towers and it looked stunning.
Unfortunately, there were guards on that road who said we could not pass. We continued straight and followed the path to the river beside the Taj Mahal grounds. We had also seen pictures taken on boats from the water but read that it had been shut down. Much to our surprise, there was one lone boatman offering rides.
Bonus:
Choosing where to stay in Agra can be a little bit tricky. The closer you get to the Taj Mahal, the more pedestrian-only streets you will find. It's important to look into this when you are booking a place, being close enough to walk to the Taj Mahal at 6am might be important but if you have larger bags, it will be tricky.
We stayed at The Orchid Retreat and I would highly recommend it for your visit. The room was not overly large, but modern and clean. The owner went out of his way to help us with everything we needed, even giving us cash and billing our room so we didn't have to find a money lender. His parents were also often in the common area and were always quick to check in see if we needed anything.