Thursday, 3 April 2025
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Thursday, 3 April 2025
Thursday, 3 April 2025
There may be several questions and doubts in your mind regarding Taj Mahal timings and entry fee updates when you decide to plan a trip to the Taj Mahal. You are left in the lurch with such questions as to when should you visit the Taj Mahal, What is the best time to visit?
In this blog, I will try to put forth the updated information regarding the Taj Mahal Agra which can be beneficial to you in designing your Taj Mahal vacation. As the Taj Mahal is one of the most photogenic buildings in the world and Taj Mahal photos can not do justice. Taj Mahal is an eternal love story and manifests Mughal empire architecture. I would like to focus on giving the best tips for Taj Mahal timings and entry fee updates. You also get to know about taking worth visit pictures according to the best time and season.
After the second wave of corona pandemic, the historic Taj Mahal is going to open for tourists from the 16th of June 2021. It is to be noted that it was closed on the 15th April considering the Covid situation and to check the spread of the virus. Thus after a long closure of two months, it will be open shortly. Last year in 2020 it was closed for almost 6 months. Now it is a good sign for the tourism industry in India for revenge tourism.
Taj Mahal is the burial place for Arjumand Bano Begam who was the most favorite wife of Shah Jahan. Later on Shahjahan after his death was also given a place inside the Taj Mahal. Thus Taj Mahal inside has Two tombs built out of white marble stone. There are no pictures of husband and wife inside the Taj Mahal. The interiors of the Taj Mahal are well done with the marble and other stone workmanship. There are replica Taj Mahal at other places like Taj Mahal Dubai or the Trump Taj Mahal but all fade before the real Agra Taj Mahal which uncured heavy expenditure in it’s making. It is calculated that Taj Mahal cost is nearly 5 cror in that time.
There are no fixed Taj Mahal timings that can suit your Taj Mahal travel. This is because of the preference of time changes according to the month of your visit. Generally, the monsoon month of July and August are cloudy and the inclement weather prevails sometimes incessant rains prevail and the winter months of December and January remain a bit hazy, thus you should avoid planning sunrise Taj Mahal Tour.
Suggested Tour Packages :- Delhi-Agra-Jaipur Tour Package
During the month of December and January, you are suggested to visit the Taj Mahal after 8:00 A.M in the morning and in the evening you should plan entering latest by 4 P.M. The time between 9 A.M to 3 P.M is highly recommended when you can find the best view of the Taj Mahal with proper sunlight.
In the extreme summer season during the months of May & June, you should try to reach the Taj Mahal as early as possible as the mercury rises up to 47 degrees Celsius sometimes during the midday. Thus sunrise Taj Mahal visit can prove a better option. In case it does not suit your schedule you can plan late evening tour of the Taj Mahal by the sunset. If you have the only option to visit the Taj Mahal by midday don’t forget to carry sunscreen (at least 35 PFA) and goggles (UV resistant) to save yourself from the very harsh sun.
During the monsoon period, you have to be very cautious and should have a few hours extra in hand while designing the Taj Mahal Trip. It is uncertain how many hours it is going to rain and when and where? Whenever you find clear weather, freak out from the hotel with proper monsoon gear comprising of an umbrella and raincoat.
All the monuments of Agra whether the World Heritage Monument or the notified and ticketed monuments under A.S.I (Archaeological Survey of India) open at the time of sunrise except the Taj Mahal where the ticket window opens half an hour before the sunrise but the monument entry is allowed only at sunrise. You can find a useful schedule for the opening of the monuments according to various months.
| Months | Opening time | Closure time |
| January | 6:45 A.M | 5:45 P.M |
| February | 6:30 A.M | 5:45 P.M |
| March | 6:15 A.M | 6:00 P.M |
| April | 6:00 A.M | 6:15 P.M |
| May | 5:45 A.M | 6:30 P.M |
| June | 5:30 A.M | 6:45 P.M |
| July | 5:30 A.M | 6:50 P.M |
| August | 5:50 A.M | 6:40 P.M |
| September | 6:00 A.M | 6:00 P.M |
| October | 6:00 A.M | 6:00 P.M |
| November | 6:15 A.M | 5:45 P.M |
| December | 6:45 A.M | 5:30 P.M |
All the monuments of Agra remain open 7 weekdays except The Taj Mahal which remains closed on each Friday in a week (closed for intense maintenance schedule).
The entry tickets of the Taj Mahal & Agra fort can be purchased easily either online or at the monuments. The booking windows at the Taj Mahal open half an hour before the opening of the Taj Mahal but at the Agra Fort and other monuments, they open only at the time of sunrise. You can buy the tickets by using plastic money or cash.
There are two entry gates of the Taj Mahal- Eastern and Western with the turn-style gates. As you get the entry coin, you use it and the gates open. You are supposed to carry the magnetic coin with you during the entire visit and when you come out you have to use the coin-like in Metro stations of Delhi.
| Nationality | Taj Mahal |
| Indian | INR 480 |
| Foreigner | INR 1600 |
| SAARC | INR 1140 |
| BIMSTEC | INR 1140 |
| Steps | What to do? |
| Step 1 | You have to log in to the official website of the ASI www.tajmahal.gov.in |
| Step 2 | Now you click on the tab “Taj Mahal Timing |
| Step 3 | Come down to buy a ticket online option |
| Step 4 | Now you will be directed to the page asi payumoney.com |
| Step 5 | You have to select the monument date and time. |
| Step 6 | Now you select category and country |
| Step 7 | Now enter your details of gender, name, and ID proof |
| Step 8 | Agree to the terms & conditions |
| Step 9 | Now get the payment details |
| Step 10 | Now you get your ticket displayed |
The duration of the TAJ Mahal tour is a maximum of 3 hours and the time is counted from the time of entry. In case you take more time, you have to pay more. In the case of the loss of the magnetic coin, you have to pay a nominal fine. The third Gate of the Taj Mahal-South Gate is used only for the exit.
There is a two-tier ticketing system at the Taj Mahal. One step ticket allows you to visit the Taj Mahal from the gardens only and with the second step ticket you can go inside the tomb/mausoleum.
Know More:- Golden Triangle Tour Packages
| Monuments | Indian Fee | Foreign national Fee |
| Taj Mahal | 250 INR | 1300 INR |
| Agra Fort | 50 INR | 650 INR |
| Baby Taj | 30 INR | 310 INR |
| Sikandra | 30 INR | 310 INR |
| Mehtab Bagh | 30 INR | 310 INR |
| Ram Bagh | 30 INR | 310 INR |
| Dayal Bagh | FREE | FREE |
| Fatehpur Sikri | 50 INR | 610 INR |
Often the tourists are left in the lurch what to carry inside the Taj Mahal and what are the things not allowed to carry inside the Taj Mahal. On account of security reasons and to avoid pollution at the Taj Mahal several items and gadgets are not allowed to be carried inside the Taj Mahal premises Here you can find an easy checklist of such articles-
Cigarettes, Matchbox, lighter, chewing gum, candies, chocolates, Dry fruits, Liquor, inflammable, Tripod, Laptop, scissors, Knife, Greeting cards, Flowers, Banners, posters, Flags, Soft Toys, any eatable, any form of Tobacco, Pen diary, Torch, cosmetics, any form of drugs, Drone camera, magazines, newspapers, etc.
Mobile phones and cameras are allowed to be carried.
| Top Monuments | Top Monuments | Distance |
| Taj Mahal | Agra Fort | 3 K.M |
| Agra Fort | Baby Taj | 2.5 K.M |
| Baby Taj | Taj Mahal | 5 K.M |
| Taj Mahal | Mehtab Bagh | 6 K.M |
| Mehtab Bagh | Baby Taj | 1.5 K.M |
| Baby Taj | Sikandra | 8 K.M |
| Taj Mahal | Sikandra | 14 K.M |
| Taj Mahal | Fatehpur Sikri | 45 K.M |
| Agra Fort | Fatehpur Sikri | 40 K.M |
| Taj Mahal | Radha Swami (Dayal Bagh) | 10 K.M |
| Agra Fort | Mehtab Bagh | 4 K.M |
Tourists from far and wide always cherish the desire to see the Taj Mahal in the night. So far the night viewing Taj Mahal viewing is possible only 5 days in a month. The timings of Taj Mahal night viewing is from 8 P.M to 12 P.M on these days. There is a limit to the number of visitors. In one night a maximum of 400 persons is allowed making a group of 50 people in one batch. Each batch is given a time of 30 minutes with all security concerns. You can visit the Taj Mahal from the platform only, not entering the main tomb.
For this, you have to apply one day in advance in the office of A.S.I Agra with your identity proof. Then A.S.I issues the tickets which cost 750 I.N.R for the foreigners and 510 INR for the Indians. The moonlight viewing is possible two days prior and two days later to the Full Moon besides the Full moon.
If in these five days any day is Friday, it is not operated on that particular day. Another option for the night viewing is from the platform on the other side of the river Yamuna close to Mehtab Bagh. This also gives you the same privilege for five days. In case you are not able to book the night viewing tickets for the interior visit on account of the pressure of tourists or the time crunch, you can try the other option.
Kindly check the exact date of full moon night viewing from the A.S.I Website. The distance of the Taj Mahal from Important.
| Cities / Destinations | Distances from Taj Mahal |
| Delhi | 200 K.M |
| Jaipur | 230 K.M |
| Varanasi | 650 K.M |
| Mumbai | 1200 K.M |
| Kolkata | 1296 K.M |
| Bengaluru | 1925 K.M |
| Chennai | 1960 K.M |
| Goa | 1800 K.M |
As of now, there is an increasing demand for activity tours to feel the pulse of the culture of any region. While you are touring the Taj Mahal and wish to involve yourself in the short activities, you can choose some according to your desire. You can enjoy a heritage walk tour in the old Taj Ganj area.
This area is contemporary to the era of Shahjahan when this market and residential colony came into existence as most of the artisans used to dwell in the surroundings. While walking you get to see many colorful shops brimming with the inlaid marble work. You also get to see the marble inlay work being done in the same old manner using the age-old techniques. You can also visit several other tombs built in the surroundings of the Taj Mahal.
If you have a passion for Yoga, what can be the other best option than to choose a venue in the surroundings of the Taj Mahal Timings for yoga class- may be in the Taj Nature walk or Dussehra ghat. Thus you can rejuvenate yourself for few hours indulging yourself in the Ashtang Yoga session.
If you desire to explore the village culture, go for a cycle tour in the adjoining villages like Dhandupura, Kachhpura, etc and thus enjoy the beauty of the Taj from remote and get soaked in the Indian village life. You get to know how people domesticate animals, how they cook or milk animals. You also get to know about the village schooling or Local Judicial system.
You are a theater-loving genre you can book a seat for the cultural show “Mohabbat the Taj” in Kalakriti auditorium and enjoy a 90 minutes Bollywood dance melodrama on the lives of Shahjahan Mumtaj Mahal.
It is a frequently asked question, how much total time it takes for an ideal Taj Mahal tour? Drive from Agra hotel to the Taj Mahal parking takes a maximum of 15-20 minutes to drive from your Agra hotel to the Shilpgram Taj parking. This drive can be only 5 minutes if you are staying at the hotels in close proximity to the Taj Mahal such as Amar Villas or the Taj convention hotel, Hotel Atulya Taj, Hotel Taj Resort, etc.
Hotel Sheela is just a minute walk from the Taj Mahal east gate
As you leave your car in the parking you have few options to reach the Taj Mahal. If you prefer walking it will take a maximum of 10 minutes. In case you want to use the golf cart or the C.N.G. Bus, it will take only 5 minutes.
You can also have the fun of using a horse cart which would again take 10 minutes.
3 minutes short walk after leaving the golf cart you have to walk for another 3 minutes and you reach the Taj Mahal East Gate where you have to go through the turn style gate and pass through the security frisking.
20 minutes walk with narration now entering the Taj you can enjoy walking through the main gate in the Taj Mahal gardens and enjoy listening to the narration of the live tour guide or the machine guide.
10 minutes guided narration now you can enjoy another 20 minutes commentary of the tour guide on the architecture of the Taj Mahal and the stories behind it. You also get to know about the Mughal gardens.
As you ascend the steps of the Taj Mahal mausoleum you get the golden opportunity to enjoy watching the artwork of the magnificent filigree and inlay work done using the semi-precious stones in the white marble. The calligraphic work done in the Arabic language would certainly mesmerize you. Thus you spend 25 minutes visiting the interiors of the Taj Mahal and listening to your guide.
Descending the mausoleum you can spend 20 minutes watching the Taj Museum and the Royal Guest House and the Mosque. Remember the Taj Mahal remains closed each Friday in a week and it is open on all National and public holidays. It also remains closed on certain occasions during the visit of the head of States from other countries.
Post-Covid period there have been so many drastic changes in the Agra tourism industry the iconic Taj Mahal and other important monuments of Agra remained closed for almost six months. The entry to the Taj Mahal was open again in September with a lot of new Taj Mahal Timings and rules for a long course of time there was capping on the number of visitors. Under this only 5000 tourists were allowed in 2 shifts. Now, this capping is increased to 15000 tourists and can be revised according to the need.
Presently there is only an option to book e-tickets of the Taj Mahal. According to the need, the windows will start selling the tickets by the orders of the authorities. Indian citizens who buy the Taj Mahal tickets online get a rebate of INR- 5 while the foreign nationals get for INR 50 children below the age group of 15 are exempted from the tickets. There is a separate ticket cost of INR 200 for the mausoleum.
Suggested Reading: – 16 Best Online Travel Websites in India for Holiday Trip Booking
