How to Visit the Taj Mahal (Agra, India): 8 Top Tips to Ensure a Smooth Visit

The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Constructed between 1632 and 1647 (it took almost 20 years to build!), this gleaming white marble building is actually a mausoleum. It was built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal, empress consort of Mughal Empire, who died in childbirth in 1631. If you’re visiting India, definitely make a trip to Agra (part of the “Golden Triangle“) to visit the Taj Mahal.

However, with the Taj Mahal being such an incredibly famous building, it can get pretty crowded! It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Both international and local tourists alike jostle to get a glimpse of it. And everyone’s trying to get the best photos of what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, read on for how to visit the Taj Mahal (Agra, India): 8 top tips to ensure a smooth visit.

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

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

1) Purchase Tickets for the Taj Mahal in Advance Online.

You can buy tickets to visit the Taj Mahal in advance online, which will save you both time and money on the day. Visit https://asi.payumoney.com to buy tickets.

Tickets for the Taj Mahal cost INR 1,100 for foreigners, INR 540 for citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC countries and INR 50 for Indian citizens.

If you want to go inside the Taj Mahal building itself to enter the mausoleum, you can pay an extra INR 200 (same price for all nationalities).

https://asi.payumoney.com

2) Visit the Taj Mahal for Sunrise

I highly recommend visiting the Taj Mahal for sunrise, as this is the most peaceful time to visit. Gates open 30 minutes before sunrise*, so it’s best to arrive just over 30 minutes before that (when I visited I got there just before 5:30am) to get to the front of the queue. There are chai vendors and coffee shops open next to the queue area at that time.

*Opening times are based on sunrise, which varies throughout the year.

Watching the morning sunlight hit the ivory-coloured marble facade is truly magical. It’s also much less hot at this time of day, which makes the visit considerably more enjoyable!

3) Book Accommodation Nearby to the Taj Mahal

As I said above, the best time to visit the Taj Mahal is just before sunrise. To make this more feasible, I definitely recommend booking accommodation for the night before right nearby the Taj Mahal area. For a good budget option, I stayed at Joey’s Hostel Agra, which has a rooftop terrace with stunning views of the Taj Mahal. If you’re looking for something fancy, I’ve heard that the The Oberoi Amarvilas is nice!

4) Do Not Try to Visit the Taj Mahal on a Friday

Note that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so do not try to visit on that day. This is in line with Islamic tradition, as Friday is the Holy Day for Muslims.

If you are Muslim, I believe that you need an Agra residence card to be allowed in for Friday prayers.

5) Dress Modestly When Visiting the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is an Islamic mausoleum. It is respectful to dress modestly when visiting. Both men and women should ensure than their knees and shoulders are covered. Agra is also a more conservative city that Delhi or Mumbai.

6) Don’t Feel Pressured to Hire a Guide

There are plenty of guides touting their services both outside and inside the Taj Mahal. Don’t feel pressured to hire one if you don’t want to. They’ll try and convince you that your visit will be a waste without someone to tell you all about what you’re seeing, but just ignore them.

If you do want to hire a guide, just be aware that many of these “guides” focus more on taking photos of you for Instagram than on telling you about the history of the Taj Mahal. (In fact, a lot of the “history” they tell you is incorrect!) If that’s what you want that’s fine – just know what you’re paying for! And make sure that you agree a price upfront, or you could be in for an expensive surprise! Oh – and the identity cards that they show you to prove that they’re government-recognised guides? These are usually fake.

If you want a proper guide to tell you about the history, book onto a proper tour group or hire an official government-recognised guide beforehand via a registered tour company or your accommodation.

7) Visit at the Best Time of Year

Summer in Agra can be unbearably hot. The best time of year to visit the Taj Mahal is during winter, between October – March. Note that this is high season so it will be more crowded than during summer, but it’s worth it as summer can be scorching. Plus, there is a monsoon season between July – September), when even if it’s not raining it can be very cloudy.

8) Visit at Nighttime During the Full Moon for a Unique Experience

Tickets for visiting the Taj Mahal at nighttime are available on a limited basis one day in advance. The visiting slots are 30 minutes long.

You can book for the two days before full moon, full moon itself, and the two days afterwards. This is possibly one of the most romantic and magical ways of experiencing the Taj Mahal!

Further information about visiting the Taj Mahal at full moon is available online here.

Night time tickets for the Taj Mahal cost INR 750 for foreigners, INR 510 for Indian citizens and INR 500 for children (of all nationalities).

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

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:

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

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.

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