Agra

Agra, a city in Uttar Pradesh (India), has three UNESCO World Heritage sites and is worth visiting. The three UNESCO World Heritage sites are the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. If you come to India and do not visit Agra and see Taj MAhal, your visit will be incomplete.

When to go: In summer, temperature here is very high so it is advisable not to visit Agra during this time. The right time to visit is between September to March.

How to go:  Agra’s Kheria Airport has seasonal service. It is served by only Kingfisher Airlines and Air India Regional. Lateness problem is also so its better not to prefer flights.

The city is very well connected to other cities via train route. Everyday there are around 20 trains for Delhi and three to four for Mumbai and Chennai respectively. If you are planning to come via Delhi, then you must keep in mind that there will be very low temperature in Delhi during winter. There will be fog which will make trains late.  Driving in fog is risky so prefer trains and avoid coming via road. Agra Cantt, Agra Fort station and Raja Ki Mandi are three stations in Agra.

You can come to Agra via bus also. It takes around 4-5 hours from Delhi to reach here. If you are travelling towards Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh, you will have catch bus from Idgah Bus Stand, 8 km from the Taj. ISBT at Transport Nagar is an interstate bus terminal. It is 12 km from the Taj. Except buses which start from Idgah Bus Stand, most of the othrt buses pass through this bus stand.

What to see: The Taj Mahal is a tomb made of white marble. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. Every day it is open from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM except Fridays. The entry fee is Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 250 (plus levy of Rs 500) for foreigners. Ticket counters at the west and east gate open at 6:00 AM while counter at south gate opens at 8:00 AM. The right time to see the Taj is during dusk and dawn to experience the full effect of changing sunlight on it. Security is very tight at the Taj and you must follow the rules. All electric goods except video camera, arms, fire, smoking items, liquor, food, chewing gum, knives, wire, mobile charger etc are prohibited inside the Taj Mahal complex. Mobile Phones must be kept switched off. Smoking and eating is strictly prohibited inside the Taj Mahal complex. Photography is prohibited inside the main mausoleum. The charge for video camera is Rs 25. Visitors should keep silence inside the mausoleum. Wheelchairs are available for disabled persons.

On the nights of a full moon and the two days before and after, night viewing sessions are held. But it is not held on Fridays and in the month of Ramadan. For these sessions, tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance.

Agra Fort is again worth visiting.  The entry fee is Rs 250 (plus levy of 50 Rupees if not paid the Rs 500 fee for Taj Mahal). Audio guides are available at the fort. The rental charge for English and other foreign languages audio guides is Rs 100 and for Indian languages, it is Rs 60.

Fatehpur Sikri, a town near to Agra, was Akbar's capital for approximately 12 years. Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Panch Mahal and the tomb of Saint Sheikh Salim Chishti are the monuments within this area which are worth seeing. All these monuments are open on all weekdays. The timing is from sunrise to sunset. The entry fee for children below 12 is free and above 12 is Rs 5. On Fridays, the entry is free.

Travel within city: You can travel within the city by hiring a cab. Hertz, eCabs Enterprises and Car Rental are some of the companies which give cars for rent. The government authorized taxi stand is outside the railway station. It takes Rs 950 /day for 12 hours. Keep in mind that cars are not allowed near the Taj Complex.

Electric buses, tongas and electric tempos are also available. Auto-rickshaws are also available but fix the price before getting into it. Bargaining needs to be done for almost everything and especially for a foreigner.

Food: Other than the Taj, Agra is also famous for Petha and Daal moth. Petha is a type of sweet candy and Daal moth is a spicy lentil mix. If you love chaat then Agra is surely a heaven for you. Here you can find varieties of chaats.

Shopping: Here in Agra you can buy stone products and leather goods. But do bargain hard. While buying jewels, be careful of stones. The stones can be fake and you may be charged for the original. You can do some shopping at Sadar Bazaar.  

Where to stay: Dayal Lodge in Dayalbagh Road, Hotel Amba Inn near Raja ki Mandi Railway Station and Hotel Jaiwal in Sadar Bazar are some of the budget hotels in Agra. Hotel Mandakini Villas in Fatehabad Road and Laurie's Hotel in Mahatma Gandhi Road are some of the mid range hotels. You can also find five star hotels ITC Mughal, Oberoi Amarvilas and Trident Hilton.