Agra is probably the most visited tourist hotspot in India. It’s home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the most substantial romantic gesture in the world, the Taj Mahal. I mean have you really visited India if you haven’t seen the Taj?
Other than the obvious though, what can Agra offer you? We spent 2 full days in Agra; one day to explore the sights and city and one day to enjoy our stay at ITC Mughal for my birthday! There are tons of hotels, hostels and guest houses offering places to stay. Many of which have rooftop viewpoints for the Taj Mahal. Whilst our first hotel, Sai Palace, had a superb location (2 minutes walk to the entrance gate for the Taj), the actual hotel was very below par and we would not recommend a stay there. There are plenty of others to choose from!
Taj Mahal
The most photogenic hours to visit the Taj Mahal are during dawn and dusk when the light turns golden. I can’t speak for sunset but sunrise was also much quieter than later in the day. So to beat the crowds (and the queue) try to get there at least 30 minutes before opening. We woke up at 4:30 to beat the crowds and it was worth it! In the afternoon, apart from being blisteringly hot, you could see the barrage of people in the grounds of the Taj from across the Yamaha River – it looked very unpleasant. We spent around 2 hours in the grounds and by the time we had left the crowds were certainly building.
The entrance fee is 1100 rupees each, the most expensive ‘attraction’ we’ve visited yet. There are many guides available, if you’re interested, inside the gate. You’ll be provided with shoe protectors to wear when inside the building itself. Or, like me, you can just take your shoes off – also necessary for the Mosque to the left of the Taj.
The story and history of the Taj is a beautiful one and the building is a reflection of that. Built for his favourite wife by Shah Jahan (the other wives must have been green with envy) during his reign, it cost 32 million rupees at the time (a not-so-small fortune) and took 22 years to complete. It is a breathtaking building no one can deny that. A must visit for your time in India.
Agra Fort
Better described as a walled community; the fort housed the rulers and highly regarded people of Agra. This is also where Shah Jahan had a residency and supposedly died. It’s a large area which tourists can, for the most pat, freely walk around.
If you visit on the same day as the Taj you can save around 75 rupees as you don’t need to pay the same tax – you need to show your Taj Mahal ticket when at the ticket booth for this! We paid 550 rupees each as entrance. (Tip: Another way to save some money at a few attractions is to pay on card. Weird but cashless payments are often cheaper!) Again there are guides here but the plaques give a reasonable description of what you’re looking at.
We really liked the fort and thought the architecture inside was really interesting. It’s almost more interesting than the Taj Mahal as there’s more intricacy about it. You can wind around the different rooms rather than just appreciating it from the outside. Shah’s balcony is of course the most beautiful part of the fort. With his signature white marble forming the balcony which was built specifically to give the perfect view of the Taj Mahal – how romantic!
Taj Gardens
Once you’ve finished with your early morning trip t0 the Taj, skip the seemingly endless mobs of auto drivers trying to get your ride. Instead take a walk out towards Agra Fort. The walk takes 30 minutes and is a much better way to experience Agra as a city, outside of the main attractions. On your way you can pass through Taj Gardens, a lovely spot to take 5 minutes rest.
It was pretty empty apart from a couple of families and the well-sized green space makes a nice break from the roads and buildings of the city. Look out for the turtle swimming in the fountain! We also spotted our first peafowl with two little peafowl babies in the forested part of the gardens.
Nothing too extravagant here but something pleasant that would be missed if you just jumped into an auto!!
The Black Taj
Most people will be interested in finding a good spot to watch sunset – we were the same. I had seen photos from people sat in boats on the Yamaha River behind the Taj which looked simply picturesque. When arriving in Agra though I soon found out that this is actually illegal. I’m not sure how people have managed to do this but when I asked about it we were told police actually patrol the river so it was impossible. Whether this is true and there is a way I’m not sure!
Instead we took an easier option. On the opposite side of the river is the Black Taj. Originally I thought this was created recently to accommodate tourists but in actual fact this was made at a similar time to the Taj Mahal. It seems Shah wanted to have viewpoints from all angles of his masterpiece.
The perfect time to go here would be when the river is full and the sun is setting at an angle further behind the Taj. For us neither of these conditions were right but we went anyway!
Put simply the Black Taj is some gardens that provide a scenic place to view the Taj Mahal. You DO have to pay entry which I think was 300 rupees each. We arrived just before sunset, by around half an hour. HOWEVER, no sooner had we arrived a guard started whistling to signal everyone to leave. His reason being that the Taj is closing and therefore this place is also closing. Now looking across the river and seeing hundreds of people still inside the Taj I was not best pleased by this. Also the sun had at least 20 minutes until it would set and closing time is definitely at, or just after, sunset. Obviously most people ignored him to start with and we didn’t leave for another 10-15 minutes or so. But be warned, go earlier or don’t go because it wasn’t worth paying 300 rupees for a flying visit.
For us, Agra did live up to expectations, despite being a tourist trap. People visit for a reason! Plus there are more things to see in Agra should you wish. Such as Little Taj, a tomb to the grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal (the wife buried in the Taj). It was built prior to the Taj Mahal but shares a lot of its architectural characteristics. Many buildings created during the Mughal era shared signature features due to being commissioned by a similar circle of people. Also be sure to try out the Indian sweets which are supposed to be delicious in this part of India! We asked a cafe owner to source us some Cashew Barfi which tasted sublime.
For our second day in Agra we relaxed and kicked back in the 5 star hotel ITC Mughal in celebration of my birthday. It felt SO GOOD to slip on a cossie and head to the pool, grab a massage and have some cocktails. Definitely felt refreshed, clean and pampered! Despite being expensive for India (and for backpackers) I actually think the hotel is great value. If you can spare £60-150 a night for a bit more comfort we would definitely suggest considering this hotel. The staff were very polite and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our time here.
The luxury was short lived though and soon enough we were back to the backpacker life and on to Bharatpur we went.
Lar
Brilliant!!!
Thank you!!!
An honest opinion Lara! I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, keep it up!
Love seeing these updates, beautiful photographs from you and Brad! Keeping all the chines guys up to speed for you. 🙂
Aw thank you Mat! You’re a star😁 hope the meal the other night was super tasty sad I missed out!
Fabulous! Happy Birthday too from The Haywards x
Thank you everyone! It was definitely one to remember 😁