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Credit Oberoi Hotels
Just 600m southeast of the Taj Mahal, this property’s suites, rooms, terraced lawns and swimming pool all boast uninterrupted views of the iconic monument across an expanse of shrubbery and thin forest.
Pavilions, fountains and reflection pools – all echoing the architecture and motifs of refined Mughal and Rajput design – add to the hotel’s sumptuous atmosphere.
Rooms here balance modern styling with vintage detailing and ‘ethnic’ touches, and all have Taj Mahal views – the only hotel in the area that can offer that.
Amarvilas experiences include private balcony dining – candle-lit dinners for two served by a butler – and dining under the stars beside gurgling pools of water, a particular treat on full-moon nights.
There’s probably no better hotel in Agra.
Apart from the modest protected forest expanse fronting the hotel’s lauded Taj views, the immediate surroundings are rather unglamorous.
Agra’s unprepossessing suburbs – and Amarvilas stands in one – reflect much of the modern city: lively but earthy and congested.
Shilpgram, a nearby open-air crafts market, is a government-run enterprise that might tempt shoppers. It’s especially lively during February’s Mahotsav festival which includes traditional music and dance performances.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India[1 miles]
India’s iconic landmark and one of the world’s most beautiful buildings readily matches, if not exceeds, the hype. Built in 1653 by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to entomb his wife, Mumtaz.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India[3 miles]
A symbol of Mughal military might, this massive, rust-red fort, built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1573, is an almost self-contained royal city.
Best for ages: 13+ | £8
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India[3.8 miles]
One of Agra’s cheeriest markets is a fun and colourful Aladdin’s cave of everything from cosmetics and perfume to decorative knick-knacks and artefacts.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India[3.3 miles]
Sometimes referred to as the ‘baby Taj’, this outstanding 17th-century noble’s tomb with formal gardens showcases the kind of pietra dura inlay on white marble that reached its apogee with the Taj Mahal.
Best for ages: 18+ | £2
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Uttar Pradesh, India
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
India’s cultural essence combined with its most iconic sights and greatest bucket list experiences, all distilled into one compact, diverse and vibrant region.
