Agra
Poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as 'a teardrop on the cheek of eternity'; Rudyard Kipling as 'the embodiment of all things pure'; while its creator,…
Must-see attractions in Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi
Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and…
Agra
With the Taj Mahal overshadowing it, one can easily forget that Agra has one of the finest Mughal forts in India. Walking through courtyard after…
Agra
This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank (long before the Taj was conceived), fell into…
Varanasi
The furthest south of the main ghats and one of the biggest, Assi Ghat is particularly important as the River Assi meets the Ganges near here and pilgrims…
Agra
Nicknamed the Baby Taj, the exquisite tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg should not be missed. This Persian nobleman was Mumtaz Mahal’s grandfather and Emperor…
Varanasi
Varanasi’s liveliest and most colourful ghat. The name indicates that Brahma sacrificed (medh) 10 (das) horses (aswa) here. In spite of the persistent…
Mathura
This museum, renovated in 2016, houses a superb collection of religious sculptures by the Mathura school, which flourished from the 3rd century BC to the…
Varanasi
Harishchandra Ghat is a cremation ghat – smaller and secondary in importance to Manikarnika, but one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi.
Lucknow
This colossal imambara (Shiite tomb complex) is worth seeing in its own right, but the highly unusual labyrinth of corridors inside its upper floors make…
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
This is the particularly auspicious point (sangam means 'river confluence') where two of India’s holiest rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, meet one of…
Lucknow
The large collection of gardens and ruins that makes up the Residency offers a fascinating historical glimpse of the beginning of the end for the British…
Agra
This outstanding sandstone and marble tomb commemorates the greatest of the Mughal emperors. The huge courtyard is entered through a stunning gateway…
Uttar Pradesh
The highlight of this modest temple, rebuilt in 1927 and set among extensive lawns and excavated monastery and stupa ruins with a circumambulatory path,…
Krishna Balaram Temple Complex
Vrindavan
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (www.iskcon.org), also known as the Hare Krishnas, is based at the Krishna Balaram temple complex…
Fatehpur Sikri
This beautiful, immense mosque was completed in 1571 and contains elements of Persian and Indian design. The main entrance, at the top of a flight of…
Agra
This huge red-sandstone palace inside Agra Fort, a combination of Indian and Central Asian architectural styles, was most likely built by the Mughal ruler…
Agra
This beautiful marble pavillion and pool formed the living quarters of Shah Jahan, while the large attached courtyard housed the court harem.
Fatehpur Sikri
The main sight at Fatehpur Sikri is the stunning imperial complex of pavilions and palaces spread amid a large, abandoned 'city' peppered with Mughal…
Varanasi
There are temples at almost every turn in Varanasi, but this is the most famous of the lot. It is dedicated to Vishveswara – Shiva as lord of the universe…
Varanasi
Long regarded as a centre of learning, Varanasi’s tradition of top-quality education continues today at Banares Hindu University, established in 1916. The…
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
This intriguing park, surrounded by huge walls, contains four highly impressive Mughal tombs. One is that of Prince Khusru, the eldest son of Emperor…
Agra
Wildlife SOS runs this conservation centre, which offers rehabilitation and medical care to rescued elephants. You'll get to see the elephants while…
Agra
The narrow streets behind Jama Masjid are a crazy maze of overcrowded lanes bursting with colourful markets. There are a number of different bazaars here,…
Dhamekh Stupa & Monastery Ruins
Sarnath
Set in a peaceful park containing monastery ruins is this impressive 34m stupa, marking the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The floral…
Agra
Within the Taj complex, on the western side of the gardens, is the small but excellent Taj Museum, housing a number of original Mughal miniature paintings…
Lucknow
This prestigious boarding school – where British pop legend Sir Cliff Richard studied – was designed and built by influential Frenchman Major General…
Uttar Pradesh
Architecturally, this half-ruined 15m-high stupa is little more than a dome-shaped clump of red bricks, but there's an unmistakable aura about this place…
Uttar Pradesh
In Faizabad, the so-called 'Taj Mahal of the East' (OK, an overstatement) is a unique 42m-high maqbara (mausoleum) built for the queen of Nawab Shuja-ud…
Agra
Known simply as Swami Bagh, this huge white marble mausoleum houses the tomb of Sri Shiv Dayal Singh Seth, the founder of the intriguing Radhasoami Faith…
Agra
A sanctuary for over 200 rescued 'dancing' sloth bears, located in a bird sanctuary 25km outside Agra on the road to Delhi. Visitors can tour the park…
Uttar Pradesh
Pilgrims flock to this hill revered as the holy embodiment of Lord Rama. A 5km parikrama (circuit) around the base of the hill takes you past prostrating…
Vrindavan
The largest temple in Vrindavan, this is dedicated to the god Vishnu (of whom Krishna was an avatar). It's built in a South Indian Dravidian style, and…
Sarnath
This fully modernised, 100-year-old sandstone museum houses wonderfully displayed ancient treasures, such as the very well-preserved, 3rd-century-BC lion…
Agra
This Persian-style riverside tomb of Afzal Khan, a poet who served as Shah Jahan’s chief minister, was built between 1628 and 1639. Rarely visited, it is…
Lucknow
Just beyond the Bara Imambara, the striking Rumi Darwaza was built in the 1780s by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. It's unusual but imposing, and said to be a copy…
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
The Mughal tomb of Prince Khusru, the eldest son of Emperor Jehangir; he tried unsuccessfully to assassinate his father but was instead blinded and…
Agra
This fine mosque, built in the Kinari Bazaar by Shah Jahan’s daughter in 1648 and once connected to Agra Fort, features striking zigzag marble patterning…
Varanasi
On the Banares Hindu University campus, this museum hosts a wonderful collection of miniature paintings, as well as 12th-century palm-leaf manuscripts,…
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
This is the Mughal tomb of Shah Begum, Emperor Jehangir’s first wife, who committed suicide in 1603 with an opium overdose because of the ongoing feud…
