May 3, 2021

Agra Adventures: Things To Do In Agra

THIS POST: will give you some great suggestions of things to do in Agra, and includes my top tips for this location!

Top Tips

Do not miss the Taj Nature Walk. It’s less well-known and a diamond of a find!
Book your Taj Mahal tickets early and if you’re lucky enough to be there at full moon, get a moonlight ticket! If you’re not going for a moonlight ticket, pick either the first or the last slot of the day
The Mehtab Bagh is an incredible viewpoint for the Taj Mahal too

Agra Fort

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is kind of like an awesome walled city. Straight out of Game of Thrones or something. It was the main residence of the Mughal emperors until the Capital of India was changed to Delhi.

Its a cool place to spend an afternoon wondering around really. Shah Jahan, the emperor who commissioned the Taj Mahal for his wife, died here. He was imprisoned by his son for 8 years at the Agra Fort until his death in 1666.

The Agra Fort is only a couple of kilometres from the Taj Mahal and it can be viewed clearly from certain parts of the fort.

Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden), Agra

Now this is somewhere special. The Mehtab Bagh (or Moonlight Garden) is a Mughal garden built on the flood plains, directly across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal. It is somewhat beautifully derelict and feels almost like a lost, forgotten land.

The Mehtab Bagh perfectly aligns across the river with the Taj and legend has it, that this was the planned site for the Black Taj Mahal. It is believed by some that the site for the Black Taj Mahal was converted into the Mehtab Bagh when Shah Jahan died, having never built the mausoleum he had planned for himself.

Shah Jahan himself concluded that the area in the flood plains was the ideal location to view the Taj from. And he was not wrong!

My advice would be to visit the Mehtab Bagh at the opposite time of day you plan to visit the Taj. This way, you will see the Taj in both of its best lights. As you will see below, the Taj is best seen at sunrise or sunset.

The Taj Nature Walk

This is not to be missed! The most wonderful place to escape the bustle of Agra. The Taj Nature Walk is 70 hectares of natural woodland where you can get a dose of peace and tranquility in the middle of Agra.

Loads of birds, wildlife and just a beautiful setting. There is also a Taj Mahal viewpoint and you can spot the Taj in multiple places walking around the nature reserve. Such a great find, this feels very off the beaten path and seems to be mainly used by locals rather than tourists.

The Taj Mahal

Well. It is the shining jewel of India. When you see it standing there in front of you, you do not doubt why. I have had the pleasure and good fortune to visit the Taj twice, many years apart.

I did wonder if I had built up its beauty in my head so that when I returned, I would be disappointed. However, upon my second visit I was intrigued to find that this iconic mausoleum still did not look tangible. It looks almost untouchable, as if someone has breathed it gently into appearing.

Booking Your Tickets For The Taj Mahal

Book your tickets for the Taj on the official govt website and follow the links provided. You will see from the link there are also moonlight tickets available for 5 days per month. These are available on the night of the full moon and both two days before and after the full moon.

If your trip aligns, take this slot! You can always book another daytime slot or see the Taj in daylight from the Mehtab Bagh. Seeing the Taj Mahal at moonlight is truly rare.

If you are not going for a moonlight ticket, my advice is to get either the earliest or latest ticket slot available. The Taj is best seen at either sunrise or sunset.

Bear in mind that the Taj will open 30mins before sunrise but will close 30mins BEFORE sunset. Hence, we chose to go for sunrise and visited the Mehtab Bagh to see the Taj at sunset.

The sunrise ticket slot was from 6am-9am when we visited at the end of October. The ticket cost 1250 rupees which is the equivalent to around £12.00.

The only con of going at sunrise (apart from the early alarm clock!) is that there is a slight sense of rushing to ensure you can capture the photos you want before the sun is fully risen, which happens quick.

The Dawesy Roundup

Agra is an incredible place to visit. I would highly recommend doing all of the above! You can fit this into two days or you might want to make it three, depending on how tight you are for time. Enjoy the wnders that make this city legend. See below for how happy visiting Agra makes me!