Taj Mahal – a day Tour to Agra, India
Taj Mahal by Car … 200km / 4 hrs drive Delhi to Agra by Car via Yamuna Expressway
Taj Mahal by Train…100 minutes Delhi to Agra by Luxury Train (Gatiman Express)
One Day Taj Mahal Luxury Car Tour is the best tour package from Delhi to Taj Mahal by Car OR by Train. The Best way to visit Taj Mahal is a same day trip Delhi to Agra by Car OR by Train. Taj Mahal is well connected by Express Road and Express Train from Delhi to Agra.
Location of Taj Mahal : TAJ MAHAL is located on the South Bank of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA
Year of Construction : 1631 – 1653
Taj Mahal Built By : Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (Grandson of Emperor Akbar The Great)
Architect of Taj Mahal : Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Taj Mahal Spread Over : 42 acres
Significance of Taj Mahal : A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World
Taj Mahal Visitor Information
Best time to visit Taj Mahal: Round the year (Except Fridays)
Timings of Taj Mahal : Sunrise to Sunset (Every Day Except Fridays)
Best way to reach Taj Mahal, Agra (Ex-Delhi)
By Road (Best Road Delhi to Agra)
Delhi to Agra drive in just 4 hrs (oneway) via Yamuna Expressway.
By Rail (Best Tourist Train)
Best Tourist Train operating between Delhi to Agra Starting from H. Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi.
By Air (nearest Airport)
Best air connection is from Delhi Airport which is 230 km (oneway).
Best time to visit Taj Mahal, Agra
Taj Mahal at sunrise
Taj Mahal at sunset
Taj Mahal under Full Moon (8:30 PM to 12:30 AM on Full moon night, 2 days before and 2 days after)
Entrance Fee (Taj Mahal) : (updated October 2019)
INR 1300 Per Person (Foreigner Tourist)
INR 740 Per Person (Citizen of SAARC Countries)
INR 250 Per Person (Indian National)
No Entry Fee for children below 15 years of age (Photo ID required)
* all visitor must carry Photo ID to visit Taj Mahal.
Interesting Facts of Taj Mahal, Agra (a day trip to Taj Mahal)
✔ Emperor Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram, before his accession to the throne.
✔ Arjumand Bano Begaum (Mumtaj Mahal) was third wife of Emperor Shah Jahan.
✔ As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used in Taj Mahal.
✔ Passages from Quran have been used as decorative elements throughout the Taj Mahal complex.
✔ 99 Names of Allah can be found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal.
✔ Taj Mahal was built in stages, with the plinth and the tomb taking up around 15 years. Minarets,
✔ Mosque, Jawab and gateway took additional 5 years to be completed.
✔ Marbles of different types were brought from many different regions and countries – Rajasthan, Punjab, China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Srilanka and Arabia.
✔ During Indian rebellion of 1857, many precious stones and Lapis Lazuli (a semi-precious stone) were ripped off from its walls by the Britishers.
✔ Taj Mahal attracts 2 – 4 million visitors annually with over 200,000 from overseas.
Taj Mahal of Agra – an example of how deeply a man loved his wife, even after she remained but a memory, he made sure that here memory would never fade away. This was Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who built Taj Mahal. Prince Shah Jahan met Mumtaz, at the age of 14, and fell in love with her. Five years later in the year 1612 they got married.
Mumtaj Mahal died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child. In the memory of his beloved wife, Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument – a tribute to her, which we know as Taj Mahal today and is one of the seven wonders of the world.
In 1631, construction of Taj Mahal was started. Many Artisans including Masons, Stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, Caligraphers, domebuilders from Central Asia and Iran were requisitioned. To complete An epitome of love, used services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants to complete Taj Mahal in 1653 after 22 years. An expenditure of approximately 32 million Rupees was spent that time.
Soon after completion of Taj Mahal, Emperor Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest at Agra Fort. Shah Jahan died in 1666 in captivity and quietly laid beside Mumtaz. Besides Taj Mahal – One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Red Fort in Delhi, Jama Masjid of Delhi, Section of Agra Fort, The Wazie Khan Mosque and the Moti Masjid in Lahore now in Pakistan, are some of the noble structures associated with the name of Shah Jahan – meaning “King of the World” in Persian.
Other Monuments in & around Agra
Agra Fort : This Agra Fort is similar, in layout, to the Red Fort in Delhi. Agra Fort was built between 1565 and 1571 by Emperor Akbar. Emperor Shah Jahan added to the fort and ended up a prisoner in this Fort. On a clear day, one can have a beautiful view of Shah Jahan’s masterpiece the Taj Mahal.
- Fatehpur Sikri
- Itmad-ud- Daulah’s Tomb
- Sikandra
- Mehtab Bagh