24 Hours in Agra
Seeing the Taj Mahal was a dream I had for years (and I will cut to the chase, it absolutely lives up to the hype). It wasn’t until I planned my trip to India that I even thought about the city of Agra or what it had to offer other than the Taj Mahal. I will first start by saying, I did not have enough time in Agra. I was following an itinerary I made and while I managed to predict a good amount of time in most cities, my driver let me know it wasn’t very safe to drive from Agra to Jim Corbett (our next stop, which you can read about here) so we had to change our plans. Originally, I expected to arrive in Agra around 6pm and not leave until 3 or 4pm the next day. However, my driver said we needed to drive during the daylight (and I’m glad we did!) so we left around 11am.
The drive from Jaipur to Agra was pretty easy compared to some of the drives we did! We arrived around 6:30pm, just in time for sunset! I hadn’t done any research to find this spot - I just told my driver I wanted to see sunset and he knew exactly where to go! The park is called Mehtab Bagh and if you can easily find it on google maps as “Taj Viewpoint ADA”. My hot tip - get there well before sunset. The cost to enter more then triples at the ambigous “sunset” time. Aka - they decide whats considered sunset and the ticket instantly goes from 200 to 500 rupees. Either way, the view was worth it.
For dinner, I ate at “Pinch of Spice”. It was definitely a place that catered to tourists, but my food was good. After dinner, I headed to my hotel Aman Homestay which was honestly perfect for my one night stay. They had some crazy fun lighting in my room but it was clean and the family was so nice!
The next morning I woke up at 4:30 so that we could be at the Taj gates for 5am. I chose to do an Airbnb tour, which was far more expensive then a local guide but in my opinion, totally worth it. There was already a huge line when we arrived and my guide had all the connects to get me straight to the front. Once we were through security (more on that later), we finally entered the grounds. My guide knew exactly where to go first to get all the good pics and knew exactly how to deal with all the crowds. He told me it was pretty quiet, so I can’t imagine how crazy it must get!
Seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise was a kind of magic I am certainly not capable of putting into words. This building looks like it was floating in this mist. It was so large and powerful. Watching the sun actually rise over the building - even more magical. At one point, my guide showed me how the building was literally shimmering from the sun hitting it in a certain angle and I damn near passed out it was so pretty.
I purchased the ticket that included the mausoleum, which I guess while your there, why not. But I don’t feel like I walked away needing to go inside. You did have to wear shoe coverings to enter and pictures were not allowed. You only get about 5-10 minutes to see the inside and truthfully, its not much different then the outside design. If your debating it, and you never plan to go to India again, just do it. But its defintily not a “MUST DO”
After my sunrise tour my guide brought me back to my hotel to eat breakfast, shower and check out. Then we headed to the baby Taj where my driver promptly told my guide we didn’t have enough time to see. So then we headed to the Agra Fort.
I’m so glad I had a guide! There were some other major monuments that I skipped having a guide for and I really regretted it - so I’m definitely glad I had one here!
My last stop was SheroesCafe. If you make time for anything other than the Taj, it should be this! I knew nothing about the problem in India with Acid Attacks, so this was quite the learning experience for me. If you don’t know either, definitely do some research. It is a horrible problem and so many women suffer from these harmful acts. Anyways, Sheroes provides employment opportunities for acid attack survivors, offering them a supportive environment to rebuild their lives. Besides serving good food, they will also play this incredible video (I cried, multiple times) introducing the survivors. It was quite the experience.
Agra Essentials
Where To Stay
Aman Homestay | A simple, clean hotel with a super friendly staff. Just a 5 minute walk from the Taj gates!
The Oberoi Amarvilas Agra | The best of the best - pure luxury with insane views of the Taj Mahal from every room.
Where To Eat
Pinch of Spice | Definitely ready for tourists, but honestly the food was really good!
Sheroes Cafe | I only ordered a lassi here, but go for the experience and to support the survivors who work here.
Good Vibes Cafe | I didn’t get to eat here, but I’ve heard the food is excellent!
Fauzdar Tea Stall | Good luck finding this place, but probably one of the best chai’s on my whole trip!
What To Do
Taj Mahal | Go for sunrise, get a guide and make sure to review my tips below.
Agra Fort | Again, get a guide and explore this incredible Fort! Its huge and amazing.
Baby Taj | often regarded as a draft or precursor to the Taj Mahal - but just as beautiful!
My Top Tips For a Smooth Taj Mahal Experience
Go early. Like be there by 5am. Sunrise is magical but you absolutly go to beat the crowds.
Get a guide and make sure they are good. They will get you to the front of the line.
Do not bring a bag with you. The secruity is absolute chaos and I was so worried my bag was going to get stolen! Seriously just bring your phone - thats it.
If you have to bring a bag, make sure you dont have food, cigarettes, lighter, edibles, tripods, books, diaries, or religious images or items. They will throw them out.
Order your ticket online here before you go.
Do not twirl in front of the Taj! Its considered disrespectful and the guards will make you delete the photos.
Traveling to India as a Solo Female Travel
When I decided to travel to India solo, safety was a big worry for me. My family, friends, and community couldn't quite wrap their heads around why I'd go alone. But despite the nerves, I was determined to have a great trip while staying safe. So, I took some steps to ease my worries, help me feel more secure and allow me to relax and enjoy my adventure without constantly worrying.
I hired a private driver. I used Discover India by Car and I couldn’t recommend them enough.
I booked trusted AirBnb tours. Scams are REAL in India and I didn’t want to be subject to a guide that was trying to get more money from me, or take me to places that I didn’t want to go to.
I stayed in well-known and well reviewed hotels. I stayed at Aman Homestay and felt incredibly safe! I loved it here.
I purchased a personal safety alarm. While I didn’t ever need it, it definitely gave me comfort when I was walking solo.
I traveled with a doorstop alarm. Since I was sleeping alone in hotel rooms, it was a comfort to know that if someone was trying to enter my room, I would know immediately!
I traveled with travel insurance. This gave me comfort to know that if I got sick, I would be able to see a doctor and not face a huge financial burden. (Speaking of getting sick, check out my guide to avoiding delhi belly here)
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