The Taj Mahal is one of the new seven wonders of the world – and rightly so! This stunning building is a magical place to visit and should definitely be on your India itinerary. Many travelers are put off going to the Taj Mahal due to the hordes of crowds and the long queue – I will explain the best way to visit so you enjoy your experience (although I can’t magic away all the crowds for you).
Top Tips for the Taj Mahal:
- GO EARLY. I cannot stress this enough. If you want to enjoy your time at a place as famous as the Taj Mahal you need to make sure that you are there when the crowds are lightest. Most tourists cannot be bothered to get up early while on holiday – you can benefit from their laziness. Many tourists also day-trip to Agra so you want to get there before all the tourist buses arrive. Having said that – even if you start queueing at 6:30am like we did there will still be a long queue. The Taj Mahal is busy day in day out all year round.
2. See the sunset view from the other side. Across the river Yamuna from the Taj Mahal is a park called Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden). This is a serene place to watch the sunset and get another picture perfect view of the Taj Mahal. Take a picnic along and get comfortable while laughing at all the people jostling for space in the Taj Mahal complex. A cycle rickshaw including waiting time should be about maximum 400 INR return to the Taj.
Where to stay:
We stayed in The Coral House Homestay – a beautiful guesthouse very close to the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal. We were able to walk to the Taj Mahal very early in the morning and then return to the guesthouse for breakfast once we were finished. The house had a beautiful garden and had a very restful feel.
However, we don’t recommend eating dinner here – this was an optional extra and we found it overpriced.
Getting there and away:
To get to Agra, we took an overnight train to Agra Fort Station from Umaria (the closest station to Bandhavgarh National Park where we saw tigers). This took almost 14 hours.
We left Agra by train from Agra Fort Station to Jaipur (4 hour journey).
Many people would take the train to Agra from Delhi – this is 3 hour journey.
Getting around:
As in the rest of India, rickshaws are the best way to get around. The train station has pre-paid autorickshaws with prices displayed on charts. This will give you a good guide to help with haggling for trips around the city.
Food:
We didn’t really eat much while in Agra as we were still full from days of overeating amazing food at our resort in Bandhavgarh National Park.
What to bring:
Take as little as possible into the Taj as many items are restricted and this list seems to change on a whim. Key to remember is no tripods or food items are permitted.
What to expect:
- Purchase your tickets from the ticket office close to the gate – the office opens at 6:30am.
- The security line to enter the Taj Mahal is divided into men’s and women’s lines. So, if travelling as a couple don’t expect to be able to pop off to grab a coffee and leave your partner in line (as I was hoping to do – I hate having to survive 6am sightseeing without coffee).
- Your ticket includes shoe covers and a bottle of water – you will need the shoe covers once you get inside to protect the marble.
- The Taj Mahal opens at sunrise. There will already be a long queue by then but the line moves fast once the gate opens.
- Expect to be blown away by the beauty of the Taj Mahal!
While you are in Agra visiting the Taj Mahal, check out some of the other great spots worth seeing in Agra such as the Agra Fort, The Baby Taj and Fatehpur Sikri.
Erika xx
THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE 