Agra is one of the most famous cities in India because this is where the iconic Taj Mahal stands in the “Golden “Triangle”. But going to Agra just to visit the Taj Mahal is a big mistake. You will actually be surprised how many places you can visit in the city in one or two days apart from the world-famous Taj Mahal. The nightlife is not one of its attractions, but it is still definitely worth spending one or two days in Agra to be able to visit everything.
Agra has a glorious past. Its golden era is linked to the Mughal Emperors. (During your visit to North-India you will encounter the name of the different Mughal Emperors from Akbar to Shahjahan, who ruled North-and Central India for around 300 years (1526-1857). The Mughals constructed many of the most famous monuments in India.
The city was called Akbarabad (after the biggest Mughal ruler) and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire until Shahjahan erected a new capital in Delhi in 1649.
Locals do not favor Agra as a city. The traffic is chaotic, the streets are narrow, and apart from the monuments it lacks charm. The truth is, you will visit Agra exclusively for its sights.
How to go from Delhi/Jaipur to Agra?
1. Private tour with a car
2. Take a train: from Delhi to Agra – 2:15 hours or from Jaipur to Agra: 4 hours
Book your train ticket to Agra here: https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search
3. Take a bus
Book your bus ticket to Agra here: https://www.redbus.in/
A complete guide about the best places to visit in Delhi
A complete guide about the best places to visit in Jaipur
The best time to visit Agra
The best time to go to Agra is between October-March when the climate is dry.
But in December and January the temperature drops sometimes even close to “zero” in the north of India and it can be so foggy that the visibility is limited to a couple of meters in the morning. The sky usually clears up slowly, but you have a narrow window for clear weather.
In September, April and May the temperature can be well above 30 degrees. But if you do not mind the hot temperature. it is also a good period to visit Agra.
The best two-week itinerary for your first visit to India including Golden Triangle
1. Visit Agra during wedding season
Visiting India and Agra in the wedding season is a great experience. The wedding guests march in the streets accompanied by complex music and light systems. The groom is sitting on a white horse like a maharaja until they get to the house of the bride. They often invite the tourists around to join them in the street dancing.
Agra is a popular choice to celebrate weddings close to the Taj Mahal.
In India there are either many or no weddings at all. The Brahmin (Hindu priest) revelas in the beginning of each year the months favorable for weddings in that year. The period between mid-December and mid-January is usually never a good time to get married.
If you want to be an official guest at an Indian wedding and experience probably the most amazing wedding rituals in the world, there is a company that connects tourists with couples.
Please check their website: https://www.joinmywedding.com/
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2. Visit Agra during festival time
It is a great time to visit Agra during festivals, but then you need to plan 2 days for your visit in Agra.
Taj Mahotsav festival (in February every year)
The purpose of the festival is to provide a platform for local craftsmen to exhibit their products: marble work of Agra, handmade carpets from Kashmir and Gujarat, silk from Varanasi, Zardozi hand embroidery, and stone carvings from Tamil Nadu. The festival of arts is a great place to learn about Indian handicrafts and buy some good quality objects for a reasonable price.
Since 1992, when the Taj Mahotsav festival took place the first time, it has become a lot more popular. This festival is now well-known among locals and many Bollywood stars show up as well. There are plenty of opportunities for entertainment. They organize camel and elephant riding and children can play in the fun park. It is a great place for foodies and those who love dancing.
The main center for the celebration is Shilpgram near the Taj Mahal, that is often called as craft village.
Holi festival (March)
Holi is the craziest festival in India with religious importance as always. If you arrive in Agra during Holi, the best thing you can do is to head to the holy cities of Mathura and Vrindavan or to Barsana, where they celebrate the festival of colors in the most special way. You will enjoy Holi wherever you are in India. But Lathmar Holi close to Agra is the only place where the women of Barsana village chase away the men from the village of Nandgaon with wooden sticks. All that in a playful way of course.
The dates of Holi: 29th March in 2021, 18th March in 2022 and 8th March in 2023
Bateshwar Mela – the largest cattle fair in Asia (October-November)
Bateshwar, a divine village hosts every year the Bateshwar Mela, an immense cattle fair in October and November. It is some 70 km away from Agra in Madhya Pradesh state. There is not an exact date for the festival. It will vary according to the lunar calendar. The sellers cover big distances to trade their cows, bulls, elephants, horses, camels, goats, and donkeys.
It rivals with the most famous animal fair of India, the Pushkar Mela regarding the choice of entertainment and the number of animals. Bateshwar Mela starts before the festival of lights, Deepawali, and lasts for almost a month. Every festival in India has a religious aspect. During the Mela the devotees will dip in the holy Yamuna river at ghats and perform puja in the main temple. Bhateswar is a very religious, spiritual place. Here, the Hindus believe that Shiva resides and Krishna’s mother was born. Hindus consider it a pilgrimage when they come to the cattle fair.
Ram Barat festival – to celebrate the marriage of Lord Rama and Sita (September or October)
Ram Barat means „marriage procession”. This festival is the speciality of Agra, where they bring to life the wedding of the Hindu gods Rama and Sita. Every year they choose a different place in the city to decorate with flowers and lights. This will be the symbolic place of the bride, Sita.
Rama and Sita are one of the most well-known Hindu Gods. During the festival of lights, the Deepawali Hindus celebrate that king Rama managed to rescue his love, Sita abducted by Ravan, the demon of Lanka.
The top sights to visit in Agra in one day
1. Taj Mahal – the mausoleum of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal – the landmark of India
2. Mehtab Bagh – „The Moonlight Garden”, the best viewpoint for the Taj Mahal
There are many spots in the city from where you can have a great view of the Taj Mahal. But the best one is on the other side of the Yamuna river. This is the site where Emperor Shahjahan planned to build the black Taj Mahal for himself. He wanted to connect his black tomb with the white marble mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal (The Taj Mahal) over the Yamuna river. But excavations proved that it was designed as a garden complex.
Opening hours: 6am to 6pm
Entrance fee: INR 300
3. The Tomb of Akbar, the greatest Mughal Emperor
In the outskirts of Agra, in Sikandra, stands the tomb of the biggest Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Despite being a Muslim by religion, the ruler of North and Central-India (1556-1605) was famous for his tolerance for every religion. His 5 story mausoleum built from red stone and marble contains his simple cenotaph. You will be surprised that moufflons, deer, peacocks, and squirrels are long-term residents of the garden around the tomb.
Opening hours: From sunrise to sunset (6 am to 6 pm)
Entrance fee: INR 310
4. Mariam’s Tomb (Mariam-uz-Zamani)
Just 1.5 kilometers from that lies Mariam’s tomb. Mariam was the favorite wife of the greatest Mughal ruler, Akbar. He married the Rajput princess from Jaipur for political reasons. Her name was Jodha Bai, but Akbar ordered her to change it to Mariam after the birth of their first child.
Even though Akbar was a Muslim ruler, he did not force Jodha Bai to change her religion and remained Hindu. Akbar had wives of every religion, but Jodha Bai occupied a special place in his heart and she was the mother of the heir, Jahangir. The structure was originally a pleasure pavilion, but was converted into a tomb after the death of Jodha Bai.
The love story of Akbar and Jodha Bai is as famous in India as that of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. A really nice Bollywood movie (Akbar Jodha Bai” tells the story of Akbar and his Hindu wife.)
Opening hours: From sunrise to sunset (6 am to 6 pm)
Entrance fee: INR 300
5. Itmad-ud-daulah – „The big surprise of Agra, the baby Taj”
This tomb preceded the Taj Mahal and probably served as an example for the Taj Mahal. It has a similar architecture, except that it lacks the onion shape dome unique to the Taj Mahal. Located in the middle of a garden it is definitely a „must visit” and if possible before the Taj Mahal. The baby Taj was the first monument made with an inlay work of semi-precious stones peculiar to the Taj Mahal as well.
Opening hours: From sunrise to sunset
Entrance fee: INR 310
6. The Agra Fort – The royal seat for the Mughal rulers
The massive red sandstone complex, located only 2 km from the Taj Mahal, was the royal seat of the Mughal Emperors right at the bank of the Yamuna at that time. Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jahan all added some parts to the palace. The fort, surrounded by massive red sandstone walls, contains private and official palaces, pavilions, mosques, and even a bazaar inside. It includes the famous tower (Mussaman Burj), where Shah Jahan, the constructor of the Taj Mahal spent the last 6 years of his life as a prisoner. His son, Aurangzeb killed his brothers and imprisoned his father to get to the throne. His only compensation was that he could always keep an eye on the mausoleum he built for his love, Mumtaz Mahal.
Opening hours: From sunrise to sunset
Entrance fee: INR 650
Source: Flickr by Andrea Kirkby_ Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra 
Source: Flickr_Mariam’s tomb 
Source: Flickr by Adrian Dutch_ Agra Fort 
Source: Flickr by John Dalkin_ Baby Taj Mahal
Top sights to visit in Agra in two days
1. Taj Nature Walk
Only 500 meters from the Eastern Gate, on Fatehabad Road, is the Taj Nature Walk. From the watchtower in the garden, you can have a great view of the Taj Mahal. The best time to visit is at sunrise or sunset.
Opening hours: 6am- 7pm
Entrance fee: INR 100
2. Radhasoami or Dayalbagh Temple – The unknown top attraction of Agra
This huge and magnificent temple complex should be on a tourist’s list of top places to visit in Agra.
The main temple of the Radhasoami sect is located 8 km away from Agra. The Radhasoami Faith has 2 million followers worldwide. In contrast to the chaotic Agra, you find a peaceful atmosphere at the Dayalbagh temple. Its beauty almost lives up to that of the Taj Mahal. This 116 years old temple is a combination of white and red marble.
It is a self-sufficient colony. Dayal Bagh is a tribute to the founder of Radhasoami faith and the tomb of their master is the central monument. The members of the sect believe that the service to humanity purifies their soul. It functions as an ashram, where dedicated disciples follow a strictly spiritual life. They also help anybody asking to find the same path.
The temple of the Dayalbagh community has been constantly under construction since it was founded in 1904 with a good reason. They believe that until the temple is under construction, the sect will thrive.
They used the same white marble from Makrana to build this temple as for the Taj Mahal. The inner walls also have similar inlays with semi-precious stone.
3. Chini ka Rauza tomb in Agra
If you want to visit more tombs in Agra, that of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s prime minister, Afzal Khan Aalmi is an unique example of using blue glazed tiles. It is located just a kilometer away from the baby Taj in the center of a park.
4. Ram Bagh garden
Agra’s oldest garden from 1528 is located some hundred meters from Chini ka Rauza. According to common belief the first Mughal emperor, Babur constructed the garden and was buried here temporarily before his remains were transported to his final resting place in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Opening hours: Every day from sunrise to sunset From 06:00 am to 06:00 pm
Entrance fee: Foreigner – INR 300, Indian INR 15
5. Jami Masjid in Agra
They constructed the main mosque of Agra with red sandstone by Jahanara, the eldest daughter of Shah Jahan. It is one of the biggest mosques in India located just opposite the Red Fort in Agra. 5000 people were working on the red sandstone and white marble structure for 6 years in the 17th century.
India is a Hindu country, but approximately 14% of the population are Muslims. Muslim rulers defined the Indian history for 600 years, that is the reason why there are so many Muslim monuments in a Hindu country.
Opening hours: 7 am to 12 pm, 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm
Entrance fee: free of cost
6. Guru Ka Taal sikh temple
A trip to India without visiting a Sikh temple would not be complete. However, the followers of the Sikh religion only make up less than 2 percent of the population. They are succesful businees men, soldiers and are respected for being involved in charities to help the needy.
Sikh temples are always built in similar architectural style. The main Golden temple is located in Amritsar, in the North of India. But the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi is also amazing.
It happened exactly on this spot that the ninth famous sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur surrendered to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. After that he was beheaded in Delhi on 11th November 1675.
He gave his life to the free practice of his religion and since then this place is a famous pilgrimage site.
Opening hours: always open
Entrance fee: free of cost
Important rules to visit a Sikh temple:
- Remove your shoes and socks! You can only enter the temple barefoot. Ther is a place to deposit your shoes.
- Women have to cover their heads with a scarf of kerchief which is given at the entrance. Men also have to cover their heads with the kerchief. Baseball caps are not accepted.
- You cannot take any cigarettes or lighters to the temple.
- As in general in India, dress modestly, cover your knees and shoulders.
- It is not allowed to take photos inside the temple in most cases.
The best things to do at night in Agra
It is true that Agra is not the best place to go out and have fun at night. Despite having a population of 1.5 million it is considered a sleepy town. There are not any very recommendable discotheques or clubs in Agra. But there are still a couple of things you can do in the evening in Agra.
1. Go to the Sheroes Hangout café
This relatively new café is special because it is managed by victims of acid attacks. In many parts of India women are still considered inferior to men and have to obey their masters. So, if women are cheating on their husbands or are not able to pay the dowry, it happens that the men punish them by throwing acid in their faces. These victims need to bear the scar all their lives impeding them to get married and destroy their self-confidence for a lifetime.
Sheroes Hangout is an initiative by Stop Acid Attacks campaign that was founded in New Delhi in 2013.
2. Go to Sadar Bazar – the main place for shopping in Agra
Sadar Bazar is the best place to hang out in Agra. You can go shopping or try one of the specialities. It is open till 9pm.
3. Visit the Taj Mahal at full moon night
Taj Mahal is open for a visit at night only 5 days a month: At full moon, 2 days before, and 2 days after. Only a limited number of tickets are available for the visit at night, and you can only buy them one day before this period. They let the visitors in groups of 50 in 8 sets of time to enter the monument between 8.30 pm and 00.30 am. Their visit is limited to half an hour.
Everything you have to know before visiting the Taj Mahal
4. Watch the Taj Mahal theater play (Mohabbat-the-Taj)
If you spend a night in Agra the best way to make the most of your visit is to watch the 80 minutes live show at the Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Centre in Agra. The legendary love story of the Taj Mahal comes to life on the stage boosted with the latest audio-visual effects. The translation is available in several languages. The biggest marble replica of the Taj Mahal is the core of the spectacle that took 7 years to build out of the same marble of Makrana as the original one.
Show timetable: 18:30 to 20:00 or 20:30 to 22:00
Tickets: You can buy directly at the counter, through a travel agent or if you have a private guide, he can also buy that.
5. Visit the Kinari Bazar in the oldest part of Agra
The narrow lanes of the centuries-old bazaar of Agra are packed with people in the evening.
You find every sort of product from spices to sweets and clothes. Indian bazaars are not very charming, they are old-style. But it is still a great way to observe Indian life and make some good bargains.
The best restaurants in Agra recommended by local guides
- Agra Pinch of Spice
- Golden Street Restaurant
- Joney’s place
- Jahanpanah
- Pind Balluchi
- Bob Marley Café & Restaurat
- Daawat-e-Nawab
- Sankara Vegis Restaurant
- Taj Terrace
- Dasaprakash Restaurant
- The Park Restaurant
- Brijwasi Sweet House
What do you have to taste in Agra?
Petha
Pethais made of white pumpkinand has two types: dry, chewy and the soft, syrupy version. It is sold in different flavours.
It is said to be beneficial for blood pressure and hydration. The best place to buy Petha is Panchi Petha Store that has many branches in Agra.
Dalmoth
Is a mixture of nuts, spices, lentils and oil. A traditional crispy and spicy snack that best goes with some tea.
As you can see Agra is not only the Taj Mahal. There are plenty of things to do and you can easily spend 2 days there.
How to plan your trip to India
Book your flight ticket to India: I always use Google Flights, Skyscanner or Wayaway to find the cheapest flight tickets worldwide. To get an extra 10% for your Wayaway Membership Plus program use my discount code VOG
Insurance to India: Safetywing is an affordable insurance that covers COVID-related issues as well.
: Book your train, bus and domestic ticket in India:
Check Indian Railways website for train tickers, or 12Go which gives you the best option (train, bus, and flight) based on the city of departure or arrival.
Book accommodation in India: Booking.com and Hostelworld.com offer a wide choice of low and higher-budget hotels.
Local tours and tour packages: Viator and GetYourGuide offer transfers and several one or multi-day tours.
by Agnes Simigh
I’m a passionate tour guide and travel writer, who is curious to discover places that seldom catch the attention of the media or that are misrepresented. My goal is to inspire you to choose off-the-beaten-track destinations by sharing objective and detailed information. I believe that it is mainly the lack of “intel” that keeps us away from incredible places. And that just shouldn’t be the case.
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