Home to the monument that needs no introduction.
Agra
Agra is built around the Taj Mahal, but the Agra Fort and the abandoned red-sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri nearby are reasons enough to stay an extra day.
Add Agra to a tripGallery
Taj Mahal at sunrise
Agra Fort ramparts
Fatehpur Sikri courtyard
Mehtab Bagh gardensWhere to go in Agra
Taj Mahal — photoTaj Mahal
A white marble mausoleum built by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Agra Fort — photoAgra Fort
A red-sandstone fort complex on the Yamuna, predating the Taj.
Fatehpur Sikri — photoFatehpur Sikri
A once-abandoned Mughal capital, remarkably intact red sandstone city.
Things to do in Agra
Sunrise viewing of the Taj Mahal — photoSunrise viewing of the Taj Mahal
The marble changes color through the morning light — worth arriving right at opening.
Marble inlay workshop visit — photoMarble inlay workshop visit
A look at pietra dura, the stone-inlay technique used on the Taj, still practiced by local artisans.
Day trip to Fatehpur Sikri — photoDay trip to Fatehpur Sikri
A half-day excursion to the abandoned red-sandstone Mughal capital outside the city.
Local food in Agra
Petha — photoPetha
A translucent, syrup-soaked sweet made from ash gourd — Agra's signature confection.
Mughlai paratha — photoMughlai paratha
A flaky flatbread stuffed with spiced minced meat or egg, pan-fried to order.
Bedai and jalebi — photoBedai and jalebi
A savory stuffed fried bread paired with a syrup-soaked sweet — a classic Agra breakfast combination.
Traditional dress in Agra
Zardozi embroidery — photoZardozi embroidery
Metallic thread embroidery once reserved for Mughal royal courts, still worked by hand in Agra.
Angrakha — photoAngrakha
A wrap-style tunic with Mughal-era origins, tied at the side rather than buttoned.