Visiting The Taj Mahal in Agra: 6 Valuable Tips

One of the seven wonders of the world, visiting the Taj Mahal is at the top of every avid traveller’s bucket list. It’s beauty is famous all over the world and people fly thousands of miles to see it. There’s good reason for this too.

This incredible place is famous for being ‘a love story carved in white marble’, gifted by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to his favourite of his seven wives. Does anyone else feel slightly sorry for the other wives? Where’s their Taj Mahal? Anyway. Built over the course of 17 years between 1631 – 1648, this mind blowing place is a hit with all.

But there are plenty of tips that can make your visit that extra bit special. So be sure to read all of my top tips for visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Sunrise is the best time for visiting the Taj Mahal

I cannot recommend this time of day enough for visiting the Taj Mahal. It is something else to watch the Taj Mahal come to life as the sun comes up. Sure you’ll be a bit sleepy, but who cares? You’ll be visiting the Taj Mahal!

The white marble will transform from a light grey, to pale pink into a bright white as the sun comes up. It’s absolutely beautiful and a very humbling thing to witness. The reflection on the water is also incredible as the main structure emerges from the mist in an almost magical moment.

Get there early to avoid queues

No one likes the 4am alarm, but it’s a must for those wishing to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise as mentioned above. Gates open around about 6am, but queues start forming at 5:15am. We got there at 5:30am and were about 7th in line.

By 6am though, there were about 100-150 queuing behind us, it’s inspiring what some sight seeing can attract! It really is worth it though and the buzz in the queue is incredibly exciting

Buy feet covers before you go in

If you have tickets to just the grounds, then keep scrolling. If you have bought tickets for the grounds and main mausoleum, then you need these. This is where the emperor and his favourite wife are buried and it is considered incredibly holy. So, feet must be covered to preserve the space.

You can buy these inside, but I couldn’t see where personally. However the little food kiosk across the road from the entrance sells them at just 20 rupees a pair. So you might as well go and grab them whilst you’re waiting to be prepared.

Book your tickets in advance for visiting the Taj Mahal

This isn’t essential, but I would recommend it, because why not? Tickets can be booked via this link, which is the main website for any major monument in India. Be sure to fill in all of the areas correctly as it’s more expensive for foreigners than Indians, and some foreigners do make the mistake of buying the wrong ticket.

You can opt for a morning or afternoon slot, and choose between visiting the Taj Mahal, or Taj Mahal and mausoleum. Tickets are either 1,100 Indian rupees (£11) or 1,300 (£13). Personally I’d opt for the main Mausoleum option. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is very beautiful and well worth the small extra charge.

Be patient and get the photos you want

There’s people everywhere, so be prepared. Everyone flocks to that all famous photo spot – you know the one I mean – and it can be pretty overwhelming. If you go at sunrise, I would go and take all your other photos first, because the main spot is not going to get any quiter or busier, it will stay the same for the entire day.

However if you go right upto the Taj Mahal and walk up some small steps to the side, this is actually a really gorgeous photo opportunity. It will be misty in the morning and you’ll get some truly breathtaking shots. These spots will get busier though if you wait, so I’d go when there’s less people.

For tackling the main photo op when visiting the Taj Mahal, you need to embrace both patience and pushyness. It’s worth it in the end trust me. Have a friend waiting with your phone up on the steps with other photo takers, then wait at the side for your turn. You’ve paid to be here and this truly is a beautiful experience, so you deserve to get the photos you want to be.

So wait your turn but also be assertive. I didn’t have to wait long, there were about three people before me, but there’s no sign of a queue. An American couple walked up and tried to go in before me but they hadn’t waited at all…so I asserted myself and went first even when they were saying they’d be quick. Everyone will ‘be quick’ so they can wait their turn.

Once you’re in, know your poses and get in and get out. It’s overwhelming as hell and people are shouting but it’s worth it I promise! Just look at the cover image of this post!

Enjoy it!

This may sound silly, but make sure you enjoy yourself when visiting the Taj Mahal. Yes it’s great to take all the best photos and post stories, but I seriously recommend to put your phone down and soak it up. There is so much beauty, history and culture here and it’s important to truly soak it in.

Take a few deep breaths, smile, look around, chat to other people, and pinch yourself because you are visiting THE Taj Mahal! Be sure to realise that and not just live through your pictures later on.