taj mahal – THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE

What to see in Agra apart from the Taj Mahal

Going to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal is one of the highlights of any India trip, but all the advice you have read tells you that you must go to the Taj early in the AM which means you need to spend a night in Agra. If you don’t know this yet I explain why in my post here. How will you spend the rest of your time while there?

Agra is actually a very lovely city with a lot of beautiful places – many of which are overlooked in favor of the more famous Taj Mahal. I would highly recommend basing yourself in Agra rather than Delhi for this part of your journey. I go into more detail about why I wasn’t a big fan of Delhi here.

GENERAL INFO

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.

Accommodation: 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.

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.

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.

Top Tip: Please DO go and see the Taj Mahal if you go to Agra – I am not recommending skipping it to visit these other spots. The Taj should be your top priority – it is breathtakingly beautiful. Read my post here on tips for visiting the Taj Mahal.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

1. Agra Fort

Agra Fort is an impressive structure which served as the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638. Shah Jahan (who commissioned the Taj Mahal) was also imprisoned in this fort and forced to gaze upon his beloved Taj Mahal built to house the tomb of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal.

You can wander the grounds and appreciate the expanse of the Fort, view the Taj Mahal in the distance and wander the well-kept gardens spotting Northern palm squirrels.

2. The Baby Taj (Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah)

The Baby Taj, as its name implies, is a small building similar to the Taj Mahal in design. It is also often described as the ‘Jewel Box’. The complex is small and it doesn’t take long to look around but its well worth a visit as the tomb is gorgeous and its almost completely devoid of tourists. Also on the east bank is Mehtab Bagh so you could combine these in to one visit.

3. Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri is also worth a visit – however it is a big monument outside of Agra itself so you will need most of a day to visit. Fatehpur Sikri was actually a city built during the second half of the 16th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains one of the largest mosques in India.

There are guides waiting to take you around the complex for a fee. We found the guide relatively informative but the tour was very rushed and we were only taken around the main part of the complex. We learnt just as much about the city from our Lonely Planet guide and doing some exploring on our own meant we saw some interesting things not mentioned by the guide such as an elephant tusk tower!

Erika xx

Visiting the Taj Mahal

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).

Spectacular details on the walls of the Taj Mahal

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.

Take a look at how few people you can see in this picture

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

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