The Taj Mahal mirrored in the long rectangular reflecting pool of its formal garden, cypress trees flanking the walkway.

Uttar Pradesh · 2 Days

Agra — The Taj Mahal Overnight

One night in Agra, timed for the Taj at sunrise — the way to see it properly rather than on a rushed day trip.

Day by Day

2 Days, In Full

The Taj Mahal rewards an overnight stay. You arrive from Delhi in the afternoon, see Agra Fort in the long light, and get the Taj to yourself at sunrise the next morning, before the coach parties. There is time for Itimad-ud-Daulah, the Baby Taj, and for Mehtab Bagh across the river. One night, in a hotel close to the monument. It is the difference between ticking the Taj off and actually seeing it.

The Taj Mahal seen across the gardens from within the Agra grounds

Delhi → Agra

Delhi to Agra — The Yamuna Expressway

The drive to Agra runs about 165 kilometres down the Yamuna Expressway and takes three to three and a half hours. It is flat, fast and unremarkable, which is the point — it replaced a full day on the old road. You reach Agra by early afternoon. The rest of the day is Agra Fort, in the long light, with the Taj Mahal visible downriver from its marble balconies — a first sight of it before tomorrow's sunrise.

The Taj Mahal's marble mausoleum and flanking minarets standing pale against a bright, near-cloudless early sky.

Agra

Agra — The Taj at Sunrise, then Agra Fort

The gates open at first light, and the first hour is the coolest, the quietest and the best for photographs, as the marble shifts from grey to pink to white. A private guide handles the tickets and the queue. Back to the hotel for breakfast. The rest of the morning is Agra Fort, Akbar's red sandstone citadel, including the rooms where Aurangzeb held his father prisoner within sight of the Taj. The Taj is closed on Fridays.

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