Most of you may have already visited Taj Mahal by now. But did you visit the right way? During my last visit I realized I was doing it the wrong way and decided to share my own experience so that you don’t get into the mess as I did at so many places. Here are some guides for Darjeeling, Kerala and Gujarat.
First of all, Taj Mahal is not the only monument you should be targeting in Agra. So take at least two to three days and be at peace and take your own time to appreciate the architecture and the pain that has gone into making this marvel. Ensure you have the same view of the mausoleum as Shah Jahan from his prison cell when he was overthrown and locked up by his son, Aurangzeb.
Most of you already know that it was after a bitter fight with his brothers post death of his father Jahangir, Shah Jahan crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (The one who wins is the king) was the best model at that time for the kings to rein in. Shah Jahan married Arjumand Banu Begum in 1612. She is popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal. Favourite among his three wives, she gave birth to 14 children. During the birth of the 14th child, she died which was a shock for Shah Jahan and he ordered the building of Taj Mahal on the bank of Yamuna river in her memory. The legends behind each brick of Taj and its surroundings are marvelous. But you have to see it to believe it. I am not here to give a tour of the monument. Here are my humble suggestions you should follow to make your visit worth each minute you spend in Agra:
- You may visit Taj any time of the year because it depends on your convenience. But during extreme summer and extreme winter, you will find it tough. Summer is fine but winter is an issue because of visibility due to fog. But once in Agra, the best time to enter into Taj is at 5 AM. Yes, you read it right. Taj opens early morning and there are very few visitors during this time. The timings are not fixed. It is 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, every day except Friday is the schedule. Though most of the Government run archeological sites are closed on Mondays, Taj is closed on Fridays because of religious reasons. Most of the year, early morning is almost day break with full light. Indian tourists normally do not leave their hotels without breakfast since it is complimentary with room. They come at leisure only find serpentine queues and huge crowd to handle. Instead, I suggest you come back to the hotel at 8 or 9 to have your breakfast but do not miss the early morning view of Taj. Indians pay peanuts to enter while foreigners pay around 1200. Take the additional ticket to mausoleum as well which will cost you around 200 bucks extra. But here is the disclaimer. The ticket window doesnt open till it is day. But if you have a ticket booked online, you could go in straight even before 5 AM.
- Always remember that Taj Mahal is just one of the many monuments in Agra. You have to see Agra in totality to experience Mughal architecture, which combines Indian, Persian and Islamic influences. The central point of this set of monument, though, is the Taj Mahal made of white marble. Agra Fort which you will need a few hours to go around, Mehtab Bagh — Mughal botanical garden with one of the best viewpoints in Agra, Itimad-ud-daula’s Tomb — or Baby Taj built by Empress Nur Jahan for her father Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, who was known by this title, Tombs of Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani at Sikandra, Jama Masjid and Fatehpur Sikri are some places you should not miss.
- You can cover Sikandra locally since it is located within 15 kilometer radius, you will need a day to go to Fatehpur Sikri — the then capital of the Mughal Empire but abandoned later. It is around 40 kilometers from Agra but is a trip worth taking. This is the reason why you need 3 days in Agra to fully explore it in its glory.
- Agra Airport is a military base and so you are not allowed to enter an hour before your scheduled flight time. There are not many flights either. You will not believe you are arriving at an airport when you criss cross the alleys leading to airport. A bus will be waiting outside the airport where your taxi guy will drop. Hop on to the bus and wait for the bus to move in. There is a charge of Rs 50 per person for this ride. The airline guys will check your tickets and ID before you can enter the airport through this ride. So there is no point in arriving early at the airport since you will not be greeted with lounges or restaurants.
- The best and cheapest way to reach Agra is via Delhi. If you are flying, then take the Airport metro and reach New Delhi Railway station and board a Shatabdi or any long distance train (prior booking is needed) and in two hours you will be in Agra. If you are landing in Delhi early morning, book a taxi and go to Qutub Minar from airport (it opens early morning) and from there to Humayun Tomb and have your lunch from Nizamuddin area (lip-smacking kebabs or anything of your choice) and then board Vande Bharat Express from Hazrat Nizammuddin station. The same goes with the return journey. Agra via road is also an option but train journeys are always better and safe. Get your local vehicle from Agra itself rather than get a Delhi vehicle.
- Getting a guide is the most important part of your trip. I suggest you get the guide for your entire trip of Agra and not merely Taj Mahal. Make space for him in your vehicle and take him along during your entire trip. You can bargain the price with him. If you are on a two day trip, get him to settle at Rs 3000. If you need a guide only for Taj, then you can settle at Rs 800. Pay that extra 200 bucks since you will be his only earning trip during the day. There are so many guides in Agra that during lean period they outnumber tourists. Once a guide is hired by a tourist, he has to come last in line for the next tourist. In most cases, that chance never occurs. So once a guide pitches to you and follows you asking you to hire him, he won’t be able to go back and reclaim his spot. If you reject him, the only option for him is to go back home. So in most cases, he may even agree on a lower term, but remember that some extra bucks won’t bring down your financial empire. Show your heart here.
- Entrance to Taj Mahal is the biggest headache for tourists. This always changes as a lot of infrastructure work is on at this point of time. But in the long run, the West Gate is the main entrance though the Eastern Gate is also open at times. This is where you will be haunted by the tourist guides. Once you get down from your taxi — which goes close to Amar Vilas Hotel Gate, you will have to walk at least a kilometer to reach the ticket counter. Battery operated Golf Karts are available if you have time to wait for it. You will be surprised to see the encroachment while you walk. The entire encroachment looks to be officially sanctioned and made with ulterior motives.
- If you are not early enough to the monument, there will be long queues for the tickets. But you can avoid it by booking online here. You can also buy tickets of other places in Agra from this link.
- There is a thorough checking before you enter Taj. Selfie sticks are not allowed and so are video cameras. Tripod stands are strict no. Needless to say don’t carry backpacks/big bags or laptops. Do not take them with you. Believe it or not, the moment you take a video from the most photographic place inside, a local cop will come and delete that from your phone. So do not show you are taking videos and do it without much fanfare.
- Since this is a mausoleum, there is a dress code of decency here. Avoid skimpy tank tops, short skirts etc. both for men and women. Come in casuals but maintaining the decency. Cotton preferred since it can be very hot during summer.
- Since you will not be visiting Taj more often, I suggest you hire a photographer. They know the best angles and will give you DSLR high resolution pictures. They charge around 1000 bucks for 40 to 50 soft copies. If you have a memory stick, then ask him to copy it to that and mail it too. Since the photo size is too large, the photographer will reduce its pixel size to accommodate it in the mail and you will end up getting poor quality pictures. But hiring him is worth because you are not always a good photographer with the knowledge of focus or white balance.
- Carry a pair of shoes cover along (ensure it is not plastic) since you will need them to go to mausoleum or else you will have to go without shoes which is a torture during summer as the floor becomes a hot plate where you will not be able to keep your bare foot. Shoes covers are available outside for Rs 10 apiece. If you don’t have one, you may need to search for a used one thrown by previous visitors.
- It is sad to say but Agra is extremely dirty and there have been no effort to make the city worthy for tourists. Except for these monuments, you will go back thinking what if the city also gets upgraded to a cleaner place. But it has not happened in the last several decades. Do not venture out for walks or lone treks if you are alone. To add insult to injury there are a lot of infrastructure projects coming up which has made the place dirtier and difficult to walk or drive.
- Do not be fooled by hotels named after Taj. I have seen foreign tourists misguided by the name Taj as the ones belonging to Tata owned Taj Group. Almost all the hotels near the monument is named with suffix or prefix of Taj. But most of them are lodges or dormitory type accommodations though I won’t say they are bad for a budget tourist. But the closest luxury hotel to Taj Mahal is The Oberoi Amarvilas which is almost on the gardens touching the monument. But it is super expensive. You can try your luck. But go a little distance and you will find some best four to five star hotels at competitive rates.
- Every second shop you see in Agra is a Petha seller. Made of pumpkins, it is super sweet and may not fit with most of your palates. I personally do not like it and always wonder how people can even eat this sugar concentrate. But you are free to make your own choice. Agra is also known for its leather. But not anymore. After a series of violence on cows and buffaloes transportation by the illegal vigilante squads, the skins are hard to come by as the people who are in the business, mostly Muslims, are scared to do their traditional jobs. The tanneries have closed making the industry crippled and left to die. The current leather products you are being offered in Agra may not be leather and is in all probability imported from China. But one exquisite thing you can take home as a souvenir is the marble replicas. Designed very carefully in ornate floral designs by local artists, this is one thing you can call as Agra’s own. You may need to have a hard bargain though. And you will also have to keep it safe to carry in transit as it may break if not handled well. Go to Sadar Bazaar at night to enjoy some local delicacies if you are a foodie. Pinch of Spice, Mama Chicken Mama Franky house, Agra Chaat House, Mughal Room, Joney’s Place, Saniya Palace Hotel are some of the good eating places in Agra and it varies from budget to budget and people to people. Search and see which one is good for you.
While I am sharing my own experience here, you can add in the comments if I have missed something. I will be happy to credit and add it in the article. I will continue to update this as and when I receive more tips to better your trip.
