How to Spend a Day in Agra, India: 24 Hour Itinerary

Agra is home to India‘s most famous landmark of all: the Taj Mahal. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a true marvel, built in the early 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire world, the Taj Mahal is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. If you’re visiting India, I highly recommend coming to Agra so that you can see the Taj. It’s 100% worth visiting this Golden Triangle city. Many people say that the rest of Agra is busy, dirty and not worth visiting, but I had a wonderful time here. Besides the Taj, there are quite a few other sites that are definitely worth visiting. Read on for how to spend a day in Agra, India: 24 hour itinerary.

Remember to buy travel insurance for your trip. Receive a 5% discount on Heymondo travel insurance.

24 Hour Itinerary for Agra, India

Wake up Early for Sunrise at the Taj Mahal

The best way to actually enjoy your visit to the Taj Mahal is to get there early for sunrise. There’s something incredibly magical about seeing the morning light of the rising sun hit the white marble. And it’s the perfect light for photos. The gates open at 6am, and the queue starts around 5:30am, so I recommend getting there just before 5:30. Early mornings are best, as the Taj Mahal complex only continues to get busier and busier throughout the day. It’s incredibly popular and there are so many organised tour groups.

There are a number of tour guides on site offering their services. I personally chose not to accept a guide for my visit. My feedback from others is that these guides focus mainly on taking photos for you rather than telling you about the history of the Taj.

Book tickets online in advance via https://asi.payumoney.com

Advice: don’t visit on a Friday as the Taj Mahal is closed that day.

Relax with a Rooftop Breakfast and Chai

If you visit the Taj Mahal at 6am, it’s likely that you’ll be done around 9 or 10am. So time for breakfast! Agra has several rooftop cafes where you can enjoy your breakfast with a cup of chai and a view of the Taj Mahal in the distance. I personally stayed at Joey’s Hostel Agra, which has its own rooftop cafe.

How to Spend a Day in Agra: Afternoon City Tour

Agra is quite a big busy city with a lot of traffic. I recommend booking a sightseeing tour so that someone else organises all the transport for you. Or, you can hire a tuk tuk plus driver for the day. I went on a group tour organised by my hostel (Joey’s Hostel Agra) which started at 2pm. Alternatively, you can book tours online in advance like Agra Guided City Tour: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Itmad Ud Daulah. I’ve listed the main sites below as you can visit these either as part of a tour for ease, or independently.

Agra Fort

Agra Fort (“Qila Agra”), another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an impressive red sandstone city fort built on the site of a previous fort between 1565 and 1573. At this time Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire. The fort was the main residence of the emperors. It’s basically a mini walled city. There are a number of buildings surrounded by the red fort walls and a moat (which apparently used to be full of crocodiles – eek!). The entire complex contains a multitude of palaces, all with unique architectural features, and a number of beautiful gardens.

Book your entrance ticket to Agra Fort online in advance via https://asi.payumoney.com

Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah (“Baby Taj”)

The Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah (known as the “Baby Taj“) is an older mausoleum built around 1622 – 1628, before the more famous Taj Mahal. However this smaller building is so beautiful that it’s known as the “jewel box”. The facade of the tomb is covered in intricate Islamic artwork. You can sit in the alcoves for beautiful photos. This building is the perfect example of the Mughal Empire‘s transition from using red sandstone to building with white marble.

Book your entrance ticket to the Baby Taj online in advance via https://asi.payumoney.com

Sunset at Mehtab Bagh: Gardens Opposite the Taj Mahal

The gardens opposite the Taj Mahal, on the other side of the Yamuna River, are the most perfect sunset viewing point. This is a great place to snap some more pictures in the late afternoon golden light. The name of the gardens is “Mehtab Bagh“, which means “Moonlight Garden”. This style of garden is known as a “Charbagh“, a traditional Persian garden style that represents the four rivers and gardens of Paradise in the Quran. In Agra, this dates back to the city being part of the Mughal Empire.

Book your entrance ticket to Mehtab Bagh online in advance via https://asi.payumoney.com

Visiting from Delhi: Agra Day Trip

I’ve written this How to Spend a Day in Agra, India: 24 Hour Itinerary blog post assuming that you’ll be staying for a night in Agra itself. However, it’s also possible to visit Agra just for the day as part of a group trip from nearby Delhi. Book: All Inclusive Day Trip to Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Baby Taj from Delhi by Car.

Practical Information for Visiting Agra

As well as the itinerary for How to Spend a Day in Agra, India: 24 Hour Itinerary, I’ve also included some practical guidance for visiting this Golden Triangle city below:

Money in Agra (India): (INR)

If you’re visiting Agra you’ll need Indian Rupees (INR). To get INR at the best rates, I highly recommend getting a WISE card before you go. This allows you to convert money into Indian Rupees (or any other currency!) at the best rates and then spend on your Wise card as though it were a local bank card or withdraw cash in India without hidden fees. Wise is a UK-based financial services company (available in most countries worldwide) and is highly regulated in the various regions it operates in (in the UK it is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority).

Note that many businesses in Agra are cash only. There are plenty of ATMs.

Get your WISE card here.

How to get around Agra

The easiest way to get around Agra is by auto-rickshaw (tuk tuk). These are cash only and you’ll need to be prepared to negotiate the price, as haggling is standard here, even for locals. You can hail tuk tuks for individual rides, or make an agreement with a driver (or via your accommodation) to hire one driver for the full day. There are also taxis available, which have AC but are more expensive.

Travel Insurance / Stay Safe in India

Make sure that you have travel insurance to cover you for your trip. I can highly recommend Heymondo. I use them to cover me for all my trips and their app is very easy to use.

Purchase Heymondo travel insurance here.

Alternatively, you can use SafetyWing, who offer Nomad Insurance with globally mobile individuals in mind. Find out more here.

Useful Travel Resource Links:

Useful Travel Resources & Essentials

By using the following links, you can support Call of the World at no additional cost to yourself

HEALTH & INSURANCE

TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE: To ensure peace of mind while travelling or living abroad, we recommend getting health insurance. SafetyWing offer Nomad Insurance with globally mobile individuals in mind. Find out more here.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: Insure your trip with Heymondo, your trusted travel companion. They offer single-trip, annual and long-stay travel insurance. App with 24-hour medical support. (Call of the World readers get 5% off your travel insurance policy using my link)

BANKING & CURRENCY EXCHANGE

FOREIGN CURRENCY CARD: To pay by card and withdraw cash at the best rates, get a WISE card before your trip. This allows you to convert money into any other currency at the best rates and withdraw cash without hidden fees. WISE is a UK-based financial services company (available in most countries worldwide) and is highly regulated in the various regions it operates in (in the UK it is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority).

FLIGHTS & TRANSPORT

FLIGHTS: I always use SKYSCANNER to book my flights. It shows you the best deals and allows you to be flexible with dates. Feeling adventurous? Try out the “explore everywhere” feature.

BUS, TRAIN & FERRY TICKETS: Book your bus, train and ferry transportation in advance online using 12Go.

AIRPORT PICKUPS: Ensure peace of mind by booking your airport pickup with Welcome Pickups. Highly recommended if arriving late at night in an unfamiliar location.

TOURS & ACTIVITIES

DAY TRIPS & CITY TOURS: Book your tours and activities with Viator. Viator partner with local guides and businesses to offer you the very best travel experiences available. Browse tours here.

ETHICAL GROUP TOURS: If you fancy joining a group tour, I can highly recommend G Adventures. Not only do G Adventures offer amazing group tours all over the world, but they really put the effort in to do good in the communities they visit. Browse tours here.

STAYING CONNECTED

eSIM: AIRALO: Sort out an eSIM before your arrival with Airalo. Having an eSIM allows you to connect to local network data as soon as you arrive – super useful for Google Maps and rideshare apps!

eSIM: HOLAFLY: Likewise Holafly also offer a convenient eSIM service. They offer unlimited data plans at multiple destinations – perfect whether you’re a remote worker or just want unlimited data for Insta Stories! Call of the World readers get 5% off using the code “CALLOFTHEWORLD”.

eSIM: SAILY: Another eSIM provider is Saily, by the creators of NordVPN (see below), so security is a top feature. Call of the World readers get 5% off using the code “SPECIAL5”.

NordVPN: Remote worker and need a secure network? Or do you simply want to keep up-to-date with your favourite tv show from home? Having a VPN like NordVPN allows you to access the internet securely via an encrypted connection, making the use of public wifi spots much safer.

ExpressVPN: Likewise, ExpressVPN also offer a reliable secure connection using their VPN service, enabling you to protect your privacy when connecting to the internet overseas.

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