Agra
is the majesty of the Taj
Welcome to Agra
The magical allure of the Taj Mahal draws tourists to Agra like moths to a wondrous flame. And despite the hype, it’s every bit as good as you’ve heard. But the Taj is not a stand-alone attraction. The legacy of the Mughal empire has left a magnificent fort and a liberal sprinkling of fascinating tombs and mausoleums, and there’s also fun to be had in the bustling chowks (marketplaces). The downside comes in the form of hordes of rickshaw-wallahs, touts, unofficial guides and souvenir vendors, whose persistence can be infuriating at times.
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Agra activities
Private Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in One Day from New Delhi
Take a private tour of several antique structures of Agra, a city on the banks of the Yamuna River. Private pickup will take you from Delhi approximately four hours to Agra. Stop first at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Agra Fort, a treasure house of Mughal architecture.This 94-acre (34-hectare) brick fort dates back to 1080 AD and has seen many battles and undergone major renovations. Witness the interesting fusion of Hindu and Islamic influences on its construction and decor as you walk inside the fort with your guide and learn about the different functions of the buildings including the Moti Masjid (Pearl Fort), Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) and more.Head to the Taj-Mahal, India’s most iconic building and a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. Along the way, stop at a popular restaurant for traditional Indian eats.Spanning an area of about 1,000 acres (400 hectares), this majestic architectural wonder offers incredible sights. On your guided tour, admire the structure’s magnificent construction, the intricate exterior and interior decor, the beautiful garden and the outlying red-sandstone buildings. Its most predominant structure, the white-domed marble mausoleum, was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and combines Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles.Finally, visit the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah, situated on the opposite bank of the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal and commonly known as the Baby Taj. Built between 1622 and 1628 by Empress Nur Jahan for her father, the mausoleum is often described as a jewel box. Admire the trellis work and precious stone inlay as you listen to your guide’s commentary and learn about the strong Persian influence on the tomb’s design—the first in India entirely made out of marble.At the end of private tour, sit back and relax on the drive back to Delhi.
Delhi to Agra Private Day Tour with Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productPass By: New Delhi, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiGet picked up from either the airport or your New Delhi hotel at 2:30am in order to reach the Taj Mahal at dawn. Travel in a private vehicle to Agra, around a 3-hour drive away via the Yamuna Express Highway.Once you arrive in Agra, meet your local tour guide and begin a sunrise tour of the world-famous Taj Mahal, and you'll be just in time for sunrise. See just how stunning the majestic palace looks under the beautiful rising sun before you head out with your guide on a tour of the grounds.Please note: the Taj Mahal is closed every FridayAfter your Taj Mahal tour, enjoy an included buffet breakfast in a 5 star hotel before moving on to yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Agra Fort. Built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 CE, this large fort is made of red sandstone, and its elegant buildings reflect the synthesis of Hindu and Central Asian architectural styles. Its maze of courtyards, mosques, and private chambers echo the story of the Mughal Empire. Next, enjoy some shopping in Agra, which is known for its unique handicrafts made of marble with soft-stone inlay work. The city’s other major handicraft products besides inlay work are leather, brass, carpets, jewelry, and embroidery work (own expense). At around 1pm, enjoy a lunch break at one of the best local restaurants in the city (own expense).After a memorable day, you will be driven back to Delhi, arriving by 5pm, where you will be dropped off at your hotel or the airport.
4-Day Private Golden Triangle: Agra and Jaipur from New Delhi
ItineraryDay 1: New Delhi - Agra (You will be picked up from your Hotel, Airport or any desired location in Delhi, Noida or Gurugram)Stop At: Qutub Minar, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiIt's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Lotus Temple, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiIt's also known as Bahai temple.Duration: 30 minutesStop At: India Gate, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiIt is a war memorial.Duration: 30 minutesPass By: Parliament House, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiIt's a Government Building, you may click photos of this building.Pass By: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiIt's President House in Delhi.-There will be time for lunch at a local restaurant and then you’ll set off for the three-hour drive to your five-star Agra hotel.No meals included on this day.Accommodation included: Overnight stay at Hotel Jaypee Palace or Courtyard By Marriott or Similar 5 Star Hotel.Day 2: Agra (Taj Mahal) - Jaipur Stop At: Taj Mahal, Agra, Agra District, Uttar PradeshWatch the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, Take a guided tour inside the Taj Mahal for approximately two hours, as your guide shares its history as a tomb built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1630 to enshrine his wife. Return back to your hotel to enjoy breakfast, check out from hotel and visit Agra Fort.Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Agra Fort, Agra, Agra District, Uttar PradeshVisit Agra Fort as your guide reveals the marvels of its palaces, balconies, and gardens. From Agra Fort, make the five-hour journey to your five-star Jaipur hotel, Upon arrival at Jaipur, check in at hotel.Duration: 1 hourMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: Overnight stay at Hotel Holiday Inn or Similar 5 Star Hotel.Day 3: Jaipur city tourStop At: Amber Fort, Amer, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanAfter breakfast, travel to Amber Fort, the capital of Rajasthan until 1728, and follow your guide on a two-hour tour of its palaces, squares, and monuments. Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Hawa Mahal - Palace of Wind, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanHead down the hill to Jal Mahal, a palace floating on Man Sagar Lake, for a photo opportunity. Duration: 15 minutesStop At: City Palace of Jaipur, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanSpend one hour to explore Maharaja’s City Palace.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Jantar Mantar - Jaipur, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanJantar Mantar, an observatory built by Rajput King Sawai Jai Singh.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Hawa Mahal - Palace of Wind, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanVisit Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) before returning to your hotel.Duration: 15 minutesMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: Overnight stay at Hotel Holiday Inn or Similar 5 Star Hotel.Day 4: Jaipur - Delhi (5 hours drive)Pass By: Holiday Inn Jaipur City CentreAfter breakfast, make the approximately five-hour journey back to Delhi or be dropped-off at Jaipur airport.Meals included: • BreakfastNo accommodation included on this day.
Private Tour: Agra and the Taj Mahal Day Trip from Delhi
To begin your day trip to Agra, you will be collected from your Delhi hotel. As you travel the 124 miles (204 kilometers) to Agra you will be amazed by the colors and diversity of India displayed in everyday life.On arrival in Agra, your first stop is the sublimely beautiful Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a testament for his love for his wife Mumtaz Muhal. This World Heritage site is an architectural masterpiece, and the most remarkable legacy of the Mugal Empire that ruled over India for 200 years from the early 16th century. Your guide will enlighten you with stories from the Taj Mahal, tales of love, loss, tragedy and amazing architectural feats.Continue by road across the Yumuna River to the red sandstone Agra Fort, built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. Your guide will lead you into the fort's massive walls and through a maze of buildings that form a city within a city. As you explore this magnificent Word Heritage site you will learn of its history and of the golden era of art, literature and architecture in India.Return to Delhi and to your hotel by road. Please note the journey between Delhi and Agra will take between four and five hours.IMPORTANT NOTE: The length of the trip can vary depending on the unpredictable traffic conditions, so plese be prepared for a long day.
Taj Mahal and Agra Fort Private Tour: Delhi to Agra Transfer
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Taj Mahal, Agra, Agra District, Uttar PradeshEnjoy the spectacular tour of The Taj Mahal, celebrated for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty. Emperor Shah Jahan built this exquisite white marble mausoleum for his favourite queen Mumtaz Mahal. The monument was commissioned in 1631 and took 20,000 artisans, 22 years to complete. Witness the dramatic interplay of light as the sun rises and casts its golden rays over the pearl white tomb, recreating the magic of the Taj. Once you have taken some memorising morning photos, there is time to explore the Taj . Duration: 1 hour 30 minutesStop At: Agra Fort, Agra, Agra District, Uttar PradeshAgra Fort, An outstanding example of Mughal architecture and stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. Shah Jahan, the creator of Taj, spent the last years of his life time imprisonment awarded by his son Aurangzeb, here. It was built in the late 1560`s by their predecessor, Akbar, with later embellishments by Jahangir, his son, and Shah Jahan, his grandson. Duration: 1 hour
3-Day Private Golden Triangle Tour: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
ItineraryDay 1: New Delhi - Agra (3-4 Hrs Drive)Stop At: Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiHumayun's Tomb (Unesco World Heritage site) - is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi. Constructed for the Mughal emperor in the mid-16th century by Haji Begum, Humayun's Persian-born wife, the tomb marries Persian and Mughal elements, with restrained decoration enhancing the architecture. The arched facade is inlaid with bands of white marble and red sandstone, and the building follows strict rules of Islamic geometry, with an emphasis on the number eight.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Qutub Minar, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiQutub Minar (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - The Qutub Minar that gives the complex its name is an unmissable, soaring Afghan-style victory tower and minaret, erected by sultan Qutb-ud-din in 1193 to proclaim his supremacy over the vanquished Hindu rulers of Qila Rai Pithora.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Lotus Temple, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiDesigned for tranquil worship, Delhi's beautiful Lotus Temple offers a rare pocket of calm in the hectic city. This architectural masterpiece was designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Fariburz Sahba in 1986. It is shaped like a lotus flower, with 27 delicate-looking white-marble petals. The temple was created to bring faiths together; visitors are invited to pray or meditate silently according to their own beliefs.Duration: 1 hourStop At: India Gate, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiThis imposing 42m-high stone memorial arch was designed by Lutyens in 1921. It pays tribute to around 90,000 Indian army soldiers who died in WWI, the Northwest Frontier operations and the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War. Duration: 30 minutesPass By: Parliament House, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiThis circular, colonnaded building, designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, was where the 1947 handover of power from Britain to the newly independent India took place, and parliament still meets here.Pass By: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of DelhiRashtrapati Bhavan or President House is an official residence of the President of India.Formerly home to the British Viceroy, the President’s House has 340 rooms, with 2.5km of corridors, and it's fascinating to take a peek inside. No meals included on this day.Accommodation included: Hotel in Agra: 5 star - Jaypee Palace or similar / 4 star - Sarovar Crystal Premier or similar Day 2: Agra - Jaipur (4-5 Hrs Drive)Stop At: Taj Mahal, Agra, Agra District, Uttar PradeshAt sunrise visit Taj Mahal (a Unesco World Heritage Site) - widely considered the most beautiful building in the world. Built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Agra Fort, Agra, Agra District, Uttar PradeshAgra Fort (a Unesco World Heritage Site) - is a historical fort along the bank of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 and one of the finest Mughal forts in India. Walking through courtyard after courtyard of this palatial red-sandstone and marble fortress, your amazement grows as the scale of what was built here begins to sink in.Duration: 1 hourMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: Hotel in Jaipur: 5 star - Hilton or similar / 4 star - Four Points by Sheraton or similar Day 3: Jaipur - Delhi (5-6 Hrs Drive)Stop At: Amber Fort, Amer, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanAmber Fort - The magnificent, formidable, honey-hued fort of Amber (pronounced 'amer'), an ethereal example of Rajput architecture, rises from a rocky mountainside about 11km northeast of Jaipur, and is the city’s must-see sight. It comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard. Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Jal Mahal, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanPhoto Stop at Jal Mahal (Water Palace) - Near the cenotaphs of the maharanis of Jaipur and beautifully situated in the watery expanse of Man Sagar, is this dreamlike palace. It's origins are uncertain, but it was believed to have been extensively restored if not built by Jai Singh II (1734). Duration: 15 minutesStop At: Hawa Mahal - Palace of Wind, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanPhoto Stop at Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) - Jaipur’s most distinctive landmark is an extraordinary pink-painted delicately honeycombed hive that rises a dizzying five storeys. It was constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh to enable ladies of the royal household to watch the life and processions of the city.Duration: 15 minutesStop At: City Palace of Jaipur, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanThe City Palace is the residence of the royal family. A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive City Palace is right in the centre of the Old City. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh II, but within it the palace has been enlarged and adapted over the centuries. There are palace buildings from different eras, some dating from the early 20th century. It is a striking blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Jantar Mantar - Jaipur, Jaipur, Jaipur District, RajasthanJantar Mantar Observatory (a Unesco World Heritage Site) - is a collection of curving geometric buildings that are carefully calibrated to monitor the movement of the stars and planets.Duration: 1 hourMeals included: • BreakfastNo accommodation included on this day.