Delhi to Agra. After much thought and debate. Looking at other destinations like Jaipur, Jodhpur and Amritsar. We finally agreed on our third and final destination, the city of Agra. Serving as the capital city of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1648. Agra is home to many Mugal Monuments, including the famous Taj Mahal.
Although our other choices had more sights to see. Sights that that were older, more culturally significant or just more interesting. What building is synonymous with India? The Taj Mahal. We had to see what all the fuss was about.
What we learned on our 2 day trip from Delhi to Agra:
- Taking the Train from Delhi to Agra
- Uttar Pradesh
- Where to stay in Agra?
- Fatehpur Sikri
- Visiting Taj Mahal
- Our Return Back to Delhi
Taking the Train from Delhi to Agra
To get from Delhi to Agra we chose to take the train. We left Delhi at 7:30 am and we arrived in Agra at the Agra Cantt train station only 2.5 hours later at 10:00 am. As we exited the train and made our way to the exit, we were caught up in a rush of people.
Be sure to watch your belongings, it gets very busy as there are a lot of people coming to check out the Taj Mahal. We even had some young children asking us for some of the food we had packed from earlier and had leftover from the train, which we were okay to donate.
Once we exited the station, we got in touch with our prearranged rides. We packed our cars and started heading to our hotel. Exiting the station was probably one of the most chaotic things we had experienced in our lives.
The crowd that we had been with on the train platform was now in cars, trucks, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, regular bikes, on foot and even on horseback. All trying to get through one exit, it was a madhouse! I swear we hit other cars, people etc at least 3 times on our way out. Celine loved all the action going on outside our window. She even got plenty of waves from passers-by as we inched our way out.
Uttar Pradesh
As we finally got out of the chaos, we started making our way to our hotel through the busy streets of Agra. On the way to the hotel, we notice there are tons of potholes in the road and little or no sidewalks for pedestrians.
This is because Agra is located in Uttar Pradesh, one of the fastest-growing, densest and most populated states in India. With a population density almost 4 times that of Rajasthan and a growth rate of over 26%, the state is suffering through major growing pains. As can be seen in the overall deterioration and lack of infrastructure.
Where to stay in Agra?
For our 2 day trip from Delhi to Agra, we choose to stay at the DoubleTree Hotel. Conveniently located only 4.5 km away from the Taj Mahal, the DoubleTree is a great choice for those planning to visit the Taj.
Once we entered the gates onto the property of the hotel, we were swept away from all the chaos outside into a beautiful and peaceful oasis.
What were our other choices for where to stay in Agra? Read our Review of Hotels in Northern India
Once we had dropped off our bags and settled in, we headed off to our first destination Fatehpur Sikri.
Fatehpur Sikri
Located about 40 km west of Agra is Fatehpur Sikri. Founded in 1571, Emperor Akbar commemorated the site to the local Sheikh. The Sheikh had predicted the birth of a son, to the previously heirless ruler. The massive city fortress is primarily built using local red sandstone. Fatehpur Sikri served as the capital of the Mughal empire for 15 years. Only after Akbar’s death, a lack of water supply eventually forced them to move.
Roughly translating to “City of Victory” Fatehpur Sikri contains many monuments dedicated to Akbar’s successful military campaigns throughout India. The city is enclosed within an 11 km wall that surrounds the building.
Jama Masjid
Within the walls are amazing examples of exquisite Mughal architecture. Beautiful open courtyards lie beside extravagant palaces. The first and largest structure Jama Masjid is a large congregational mosque, containing the Tomb of Salim Chisti. The Sheikh who had originally foretold of the birth of Akbar’s son.
Culture
Do keep in mind, Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are the most visited sites in Agra. Because of this there are a lot of vendors aggressively selling their wares. You will be swarmed by people trying to sell you anything from bangles to mini chess boards to noisemakers. Additionally, everything does have a fee, from someone watching your shoes as you enter the mosque to small plastic caps to cover your head when entering the Tomb of Salim Chisti, so keep some money aside.
Visiting Taj Mahal
When is the best time to visit the Taj Mahal?
The best times to visit the Taj Mahal are either during sunrise or sunset. We had originally planned to visit at sunset, but as our train ride back had been delayed by 10 hours, we postponed our plans and decided to see the Taj at sunrise. Instead, we went to dinner at Pinch Of Spice a Mughlai restaurant recommended to us by friends. Then we wrapped up our night back at the hotel, where we enjoyed a complimentary puppet show.
Things to keep in mind when visiting the Taj Mahal
Our next day started early. As we had booked our tickets for sunrise, we were up at 6:30 am. We had a quick light breakfast and headed on our way. Our rides drove us to the Taj Mahal parking area. Located about 1 km away from the Taj, no polluting vehicles are allowed within 500 meters from the complex. Over the years, the pollution and soot from all the vehicles caused the white of the Taj to look more like a shade of tan. Luckily there are electric carts that transport visitors to and from the complex for a small fee.
Ticket booths are open 45 minutes before sunrise, up to an hour before sunset. We do recommend getting your tickets ahead of time, to avoid hassles or additional waiting in line. Just be sure to come for your booked time or you will have to buy a new ticket.
What you need to know about entering the Taj Mahal Grounds
A government-issued ID is mandatory to enter, so make sure to bring along your passport. Also keep in mind is the list of restricted items is very extensive and they are very strict on enforcing it. We had some snacks taken away, along with our selfie stick because it had a tripod function. For the full list check the dos and don’ts of the Taj page. There are lockers nearby where you can store your stuff for a small fee. Keep in mind, they are far from the exit.
When entering, make sure to keep your admission ticket, you will need your ticket to exit. Your entry time is capped at 3 hours. So be sure to leave before your 3 hours is up, otherwise, you will be charged an additional fee. Also, security lines are separated by gender, just as in the airports.
The Taj Mahal
The Taj itself was magnificent. We can absolutely see why it is one of the most visited sights in the world and nominated as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Like the Grand Canyon, one cannot capture how amazing it is in real life. The iconic white mausoleum sits high above the garden, between the all red sandstone buildings. It’s hard to imagine that the Taj used to be even more brilliantly white before it was discoloured from all the pollution.
The Mausoleum
If you are planning on going into the mausoleum there is an additional charge. You can add this to your admission when purchasing your ticket or pay for it at the secondary gate. You will also need to remove your shoes before entering the mausoleum, but there are plastic shoe covers you can purchase, that allow you to keep your shoes on.
For our visit, the interior of the mausoleum was underwhelming. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and it was very difficult to see anything. On a sunny day, the light actually passes through the white marble that is slightly transparent. Additionally, the interior ticket allows you to see the Taj Mahal up close. Up close the Taj Mahal becomes even more awe-inspiring. One is really able to appreciate the intricate craftsmanship throughout the entire monument.
Faster than we had imagined, our 3-hour window came to a close and we made our way to the exit. As we made our way out, we were very glad that we had chosen to visit at sunrise, rather than later in the day.
When we had first arrived, there were only 50-100 people. This made it difficult but we still managed to get around and take pictures. As we were leaving 2 hours later, the crowd had easily ballooned to 500+ people. Now it was next to impossible to take pictures without the crowds of people in the background. If you are planning on visiting the Taj Mahal, we highly recommend booking the sunrise spot. Then come as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
Our Return Back to Delhi
The best thing about starting our day early is we were able to make it back to the Doubletree. There we were able to relax and enjoy the breakfast buffet before heading out on our 4-hour train ride back to Delhi.
To read about our adventures in Delhi. Be sure to read our Top 10 Non-Touristy Things to do in Delhi