Travel bucket list idea:
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Bucket List Experience
One of the world’s most beautiful buildings is not merely an exquisite tomb but a monument to love. The Taj Mahal was completed after two decades’ labour in 1653 by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to entomb his wife, Mumtaz.
It stands at the head of formal gardens by the Yamuna River. The combination of milky-white marble (much of it inlaid with semi-precious stones, a technique known as pietra dura), a great bulbous dome and four slender minarets lend the mausoleum an astonishing almost ethereal beauty.
Admire it at your leisure – its well-kept gardens coax lingering, relaxed visits.
What’s rather less well-known is that this isn’t Mumtaz’s original resting place. She died 22 years earlier in Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh) while in labour, and was interred in a formal pleasure garden. The original – an all but forgotten and extremely modest ‘tomb’ – is still there, long empty since she was moved to Agra and eventually her final resting place in the Taj. Shah Jahan was inconsolable, mourned in seclusion for a year and his hair turned white.
East of central Agra and just south of the Yamuna, the Taj’s subsidiary gateways all funnel visitors to the main entrance and its classic archway-framing view of the tomb itself.
The east gate is generally less crowded than the west one, while the south is closed until further notice.
While many visitors arrive on guided tours, independent travellers might wish to use on-the-spot local guides (whose quality varies wildly) or audio guides. Food is not allowed inside the grounds and expect heightened security checks.
Some of the most striking views of the Taj are from the Yamuna River itself or from Mehtab Bagh on its northern banks. River boats with boatmen can usually be found down by the north-eastern side though this appears to be rather ad hoc and unregulated – don’t expect a life jacket. The undulating nearby scrubland also offers good viewpoints.
For Mehtab Bagh (open sunrise to sunset), a part-restored 16th-century Mughal garden that aligns perfectly with the Taj’s profile, it’s a 7km drive to cross the Yamuna River and loop back to within 250m of the mausoleum.
The Taj Mahal is open all year round, Saturday to Thursday, from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. It’s closed on Fridays.
Dawn and sunset lend the softest and most atmospheric light, with dawn also having fewer visitors.
October to April offers the most comfortable climate – but is the peak tourist season. May and June are hot and uncomfortable.
Five nights each month, the Taj opens for ‘Full Moon’ viewings between 8.30pm and 12.30am but you’ll need to book in advance.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Uttar Pradesh, India
Destination guide
Home to the iconic Taj Mahal, the relentlessly congested and clamourous city of Agra and its hinterland host an array of superb Mughal architecture, along with vigorous bazaars.
India
Destination guide
India’s cultural essence combined with its most iconic sights and greatest bucket list experiences, all distilled into one compact, diverse and vibrant region.
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
Inspiration
The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.
