Last Updated on: 8th February 2026, 12:46 pm
As one of the world’s most iconic structures, it’s hard to say much more about the Taj Mahal that hasn’t already been said. But upon visiting the Taj Mahal in-person, you’ll quickly understand why it’s been captivating the world for centuries – even if you’re the type of traveler that likes to avoid ‘touristy’ things.
Situated in the heart of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, the 17th-century structure is considered the pinnacle of Indo-Islamic architecture. And as cliché as it may be to include it in your India itinerary, Agra’s easy access from both New Delhi and Jaipur leaves little reason to skip it.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering some practical tips for visiting the Taj Mahal, followed by an overview of its history and architecture.
For more information on reaching Agra and where to stay, be sure to check the end of the article.
Visiting Tips
OPENING HOURS: The Taj Mahal is open daily from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
TICKETS: While you can purchase tickets in person, given the crowds at the site, it’s a much better idea to purchase them online in advance.
The official site for purchasing tickets is here. The design is so outdated that it almost seems suspicious, but this is indeed the real site. Choose ‘Agra’ and then ‘Taj Mahal’ and then proceed from there.
You have the option between two types of tickets: ‘Taj Mahal with Mausoleum’ which costs Rs 1250 for foreigners, and the ‘Taj Mahal’ on its own, which costs Rs 1050.
You should definitely choose the former, as it doesn’t make sense to come all the way to Agra and not go inside the mausoleum – especially for just a couple of hundred rupees extra.
WHEN TO ARRIVE: Determining the best time to arrive is a bit tricky. As mentioned above, the site opens before sunrise, and if you really want to beat the crowds, you can arrive from that time.
However, the light is best from around 8:00 or 8:30, so even if you make it at sunrise, you’ll likely find yourself waiting around for the sun to hit the mausoleum just right.
During my recent visit, I arrived at 7:00 am, which turned out to be a good idea. There were already crowds there, but not nearly as much as there would be from 9:00 or 10:00.
When determining arrival time, you also have to factor in the long security lines. But the earlier you arrive, the quicker they should be.
A NOTE ON SHOES: Visitors entering the mausoleum must remove their shoes, but you can keep them on everywhere else at the site. Though the Taj Mahal used to be somewhat notorious for being a place where shoes would go missing, that problem has fortunately been solved.
You can now get free shoe covers at a booth before security, while it also seems like a booth inside near the mausoleum provides them as well.
HOW TO REACH THE TAJ MAHAL: During my initial visit about fifteen years prior, visitors would walk all the way up to the traditional entrance gate, the Darwaza-e-Rauza, right from the city. But a lot has changed since then.
The official archaeological site has expanded quite a bit, and one now must buy tickets and go through security lines well before even reaching the Darwaza-e-Rauza. You can enter the site via the east or the west – whichever gate happens to be closest to where you’re staying.
Leading up to either entrance are long, car-free commerical streets lined with cafes and souvenir shops. Near the beginning, you’ll encounter electric buggies that can take you right up to the ticket gate.
In my case, however, the shuttle didn’t appear to be departing anytime soon, so I opted to walk instead. Again, this is another issue you should anticipate when determining your arrival time.
Visiting The Taj Mahal
The first major landmark you’ll encounter past the security gate is the Darwaza-e-Rauza. As mentioned above, Agra’s urban sprawl used to reach right up to this point.
But authorities have taken efforts to mitigate pollution, and the gate is now surrounded by a modern garden. Archaeologists believe, however, that the remaining urban sprawl further south of the gate was likely once home to a caravanserai.
The red sandstone gate, which stands at 23 m high, was constructed around the same time as the main mausoleum. It consists of two stories and features four octagonal towers at its corners. Two sides, meanwhile, are topped by eleven umbrella-shaped cupolas.
And it’s through this gate that one gets their very first glimpse of the Taj Mahal. And stepping outside, you’ll be greeted with the iconic view of the mausoleum in the distance that you’ve surely seen hundreds of times before in photographs.
Interestingly, Mughal mausoleums were typically placed right in the center of their surrounding garden complexes. But the Taj Mahal was instead built at the far end, something considered quite an innovation at the time.
Today, at the very center of the complex is a square pool. Irrigated with water from the nearby Yamuna River, it’s from here that one can enjoy even more classic views of the Taj in the distance.
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, to entomb his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who had passed away in 1631. Work on the project would commence shortly after her death, ultimately reaching completion in 1648.
While eighteen years isn’t terribly short, it’s still surprisingly fast for something of this grandeur.
The Taj Mahal was long believed to have been mostly built of white marble. But at other Mughal mausoleums in Delhi, some of the outer casing has been stripped away, revealing a much cruder core.
Archaeologists now suspect, therefore, that the Taj Mahal’s core likely consists of brick and other cheaper materials. And that’s one potential reason for its speedy construction.
Bricks, of course, can be produced locally, as opposed to marble and other stones that must be quarried and transported long distances. Nevertheless, construction of the Taj Mahal still put great financial strain on the Mughal Empire.
Though the empire may be long gone, the Taj Mahal seems to have barely aged in centuries. But that’s also thanks to recent restoration efforts to remove discoloration caused by rampant pollution.
Speaking of marble, the structure seems to gradually change its tint depending on lighting conditions. So it’s worth spending at least a few hours here to observe the transformation.
This was likely a deliberate design feature, as this particular marble contains certain amounts of dolomite that reflects light in a special way. And it was sourced from mines around 400 km away.
Other colorful stones inlaid into the marble, meanwhile, were sourced from various parts of the vast Mughal Empire – and even beyond.
With the help of 20,000 laborers, the main architect of the Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who came from Lahore but was of Iranian heritage. His family had roots in Herat, a former capital of the Timurid Empire that’s part of modern-day Afghanistan.
The Mughal Empire’s founder, Babur, was himself a descendant of Timur, a Turco-Mongol ruler who absorbed many facets of Persian culture during his control over Central Asia.
That’s why you might see the Taj Mahal referred to as ‘Persian architecture’ rather than Indian. But ‘Indo-Islamic’ is the more appropriate term.
Mughal architecture wasn’t purely Persian, but it also borrowed elements typical of traditional Indian architecture, such as using marble instead of colorful mosaic tiles, along with domed kiosks known as chhatris.
Indo-Islamic architecture was already a few hundred years old by the time the Taj Mahal was built, and structures like Mandu’s Tomb of Hoshang Shah were believed to have directly inspired it.
The main mausoleum is octagonal in shape, which was likely inspired by Quranic verses referring to the eight gateways of paradise. It also features four recessed arches, or pishtaqs, pointing to the four cardinal directions.
Topped with a finial representing the Mughal Empire, the dome stands at 73 m high. Interestingly, there are actually two dome layers, but that detail is obscured by the outer coating.
The Taj Mahal is also surrounded by four 40 m-high minarets which contribute to its overall visual symmetry.
As mentioned above, you need to place plastic covers on your shoes before stepping inside. You should be able to find them at certain booths both within and just outside of the complex.
Photography is prohibited within, but upon entering, you’ll find the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and his wife buried side by side. You’ll also find beautiful latticed marble art and various intricate floral patterns.
For an idea of what to expect, see our photos of the interior of the Bibi Ka Maqbara, a smaller replica of the Taj Mahal that would later be carried out by Shah Jahan’s son, Aurangzeb.
Speaking of Aurangzeb, he and his father had a highly tumultuous relationship. Shah Jahan had favored his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, to succeed him. But Aurangzeb would ultimately emerge victorious in a war of succession.
Shah Jahan was then deposed by Aurangzeb and declared unfit to rule, being forced to spend his remaining years imprisoned in Agra Fort. He could, at least, enjoy a view of the Taj Mahal in the distance.
Following his death, Aurangzeb then had his father interred within the Taj Mahal alongside his Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb would also try, but fail, to match the grandeur of the Taj with the Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad.
On either side of the main mausoleum are two identical monuments made of red sandstone and topped with multiple domes. The one on the west served as a mosque, while the one on the east served as a pavilion for guests.
At the time of my visit, visitors were unable to go inside either
Behind the Taj Mahal, you can also appreciate views of the Yamuna River. Notably, while not evident today, the Taj Mahal complex was once situated at the center of a long series of pleasure gardens that lined either side of the river.
Given the fact that the soil by the river is very soft, builders needed to create solid foundations that were several meters deep. They likely achieved this by constructing a multitude of circular wells which they then filled in with rubble and mortar. And above that, they placed a series of brick arches.
Directly across the river is another garden known as the Mehtab Bagh which was designed as a spot from which to enjoy the Taj from another angle. It’s still accessible today, though some reviews complain of barbed wire fences obstructing the view.
At the western edge of the complex, you can also check out the Taj Museum which doesn’t open until 9:00. I ended up waiting around until opening, but photography was prohibited inside, and I wouldn’t consider the small museum a must-see.
After the crowds started pouring in after 9:00, I decided to walk around the gardens to admire the Taj from different angles. Even at such a crowded place, it’s not too difficult to find pockets of quiet within the complex.
Additional Info
Unsurprisingly, the desirability of a hotel’s location in Agra is based on its proximity to the Taj Mahal (but there are, of course, plenty of other sites to see around town).
Just be careful, because lots of places will exaggerate how close they really are. Before confirming your booking, carefully read through reviews and also do some measurements yourself using Google Maps.
I ended up staying at Friends Guest House, which offers budget-friendly, comfortable rooms. They also have a rooftop restaurant, though you will have to walk around for quite a bit to find real (non-instant) coffee.
Though it was a little bit further from the Taj Mahal than I expected, it was still walkable.
Other highly-rated places near the Taj Mahal include The Vacation Villa Agra, Sheela Homestay, and Hotel Shyam Palace.
Agra is one of the easiest places in India to reach by train, with well over a dozen direct trains departing from Delhi each day. The journey takes just a few hours.
Trains connecting Agra with Jaipur are also abundant, with the journey lasting around four hours.
You can also reach Agra directly from cities like Kota, Bhopal, Mumbai, and even Chennai, among many others.
Like many cities in India, Agra has multiple railway stations, but most people will want to arrive at either Agra Cantonment or Agra Fort stations.
If you’re doing a long trip through India, it’s best to create an account on the official Indian Railways (IRCTC) website. But that’s much easier said than done!
If you’re just doing a shorter trip, it’s best to book train tickets through 12GoAsia. You’ll pay a significantly higher fee, but it’s a much smoother experience.
The above link is an affiliate link, but I did use 12GoAsia a few times before I got my IRCTC account set up and I had no issues.
As mentioned, you should be easily able to just walk to the Taj Mahal and explore on your own. But you might prefer the expertise of a local guide.
Furthermore, if you have limited time in Agra, you’ll want to make the most of your time, as there’s a lot more to see than just the Taj. Tours like this one also include visits to Agra Fort, the Baby Taj & Mehtab Bagh.