Agra Travel Information is the city of the Taj Mahal, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, some 200 km from Delhi.
Agra has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri 40 km away. There are also many other buildings and tombs from Agra's days of glory as the capital of the Mughal Empire.
Besides these three sites, the city has little else to recommend it. Pollution, especially smog and litter, is rampant and visitors are pestered by swarms of touts and hawkers at every monument, besides the inner Taj Mahal which, once you are in, is free of scams and touts. The sites are some of the wonders of the world and no trip to India is complete without at least one visit to the Taj. For the vast majority of visitors, a single day in Agra is more than enough.
Taj Mahal – I don’t think anyone comes to Agra without visiting the Taj Mahal, it’s THE reason people visit Agra; I’m not going to lie, it was almost completely the reason I visited the city. The good news is, the Taj Mahal really does live up to its fame (at least I thought so). It’s truly a marvelous display of white marble and I was impressed by its beauty and historical significance. At 750 INR for entrance, it’s not cheap, but I thought it was worth it. There’s a huge list of what you’re not allowed to bring in, so make sure you leave those things at your hotel. Here a Taj Mahal video I made.
Agra Fort – Another site, which I wasn’t expecting to be so impressive after visiting the Taj Mahal, is Agra’s Fort. It was yet another incredible piece of architecture history built by the Mughals. Agra Fort is really an entire red walled city, and you can easily spend a few hours browsing the different buildings and lookouts in the fortress. I really liked the fine details within the fort, carved into marble and stone. Entrance was 300 INR and I’d consider one of the things to do in Agra that you shouldn’t miss.
Baby Taj – The Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, or better known more simply as the Baby Taj, is another great attraction to see in Agra. It’s not a big mausoleum, so it doesn’t take long to visit, but it’s another great example of Mughal construction and design with beautiful detail. It was 100 INR to enter and an auto rickshaw from the Taj Mahal should cost 100 – 150 INR (the Baby Taj is across the river).
Mehtab Bagh Gardens – Since I was at the Baby Taj, I decided to stop by the garden across the river from the Taj Mahal as well. It’s just an ordinary park designed as a garden, and while it does have a nice view of the Taj Mahal, I didn’t think it was worth a visit unless you’re really into photography and want to capture a shot of the Taj from across the river. It’s also 100 INR entrance.
Sadar Bazar – Sadar Bazar is a shopping area in Agra, and while it’s a little touristy, it’s also quite local. There is a strip of shops where you can find souvenirs and also convenience store items and food. It’s a good market to search for leather and marble goods, though I personally have no idea what prices might be. There are a number of restaurants and street food snack stalls in the area, including Mama Chicken House (more below), a place you should eat at just for its awesome name!
