Taj Mahal - Overview

Taj Mahal is a beautiful monument built on the bank of Yamuna River in Agra. It is made up of white ivory marble. It was built as a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The monument includes a mosque and a guest house along with a garden which surrounds the monument from three sides.

Visiting Hours

Taj Mahal is opened for the public from sunrise to sunset on all days except Friday. Taj Mahal is also opened from 8:30pm to 12:30 am at night on the full moon day and two days before and after the full moon day.

Tickets

Tourists have to buy tickets in order to visit the monument. A foreigner has to pay a thousand rupees while citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC countries have to pay Rs. 530. For Indians, the cost of the ticket is Rs. 40 only.

The tourists can buy the tickets from the eastern and the western gates all the time. At the southern gate, the tickets are available from 8am to 5pm.

Recommendations

Visiting the Taj Mahal is not as easy as it was in previous days. Due to strict security reasons, the tourists have to make sure that they shall not carry the things that are prohibited inside the monument. Big bags and video cameras are not allowed but tourists can carry still cameras and mobiles. Small bags having essential things could be taken inside. The items that cannot be taken inside are edibles, mobile charger, ipad, headphones, knives, torches, pens, etc.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Agra is from February to April and from October to December as the weather remains pleasant during this time of the year. In the rest of the months, the climate is either very hot, humid or very cold which can lead to the discomfort of the tourists.