Things to do · Agra · India
13 best things to do in Agra
13 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: g.kaustav, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Agra are Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah. Of the 13 picks below, 5 are free, 0 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Taj Mahal
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- —
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taj Mahal | Taj Ganj | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Agra Fort | Old City and Agra Fort | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah | Yamuna east bank | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Mehtab Bagh | Yamuna north bank | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra | Sikandra | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Jama Masjid | Old City and Agra Fort | 45 minutes | Free |
| Chini ka Rauza | Yamuna east bank | 30 minutes | Free |
| Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani | Sikandra | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Ram Bagh | Yamuna east bank | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Kinari Bazaar | Old City and Agra Fort | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Sadar Bazaar | Sadar Bazaar and Agra Cantt | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Taj Nature Walk | Taj East Gate Road | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Guru ka Tal | Sikandra | 45 minutes | Free |
The 13 best things to do
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Landmark · Taj Ganj
1.Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan built this white-marble mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631; work continued for about two decades. The tomb stands on a raised platform at the end of a formal charbagh garden, flanked by a mosque and its mirror-image guest house, with calligraphy and pietra dura inlay of semi-precious stones covering the surfaces. Entry is through the East, West or South gates, and a small museum sits inside the complex. The Taj is closed to sightseers every Friday.
Be at the East or West Gate before sunrise: crowds are thinner, the marble glows pink, and the morning haze lifts as you walk the garden. Bring only a small bag; food, tripods and large bags are not allowed inside.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Buy tickets online in advance to skip the ticket queue; entering the main mausoleum needs a separate add-on, and limited night-viewing slots around the full moon must be booked ahead.
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Kids
Castle · Old City and Agra Fort
2.Agra Fort
Akbar began this massive red sandstone fortress on the Yamuna in 1565, and his grandson Shah Jahan added white-marble palaces. Inside the 2.5 km of walls are the Jahangiri Mahal, the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas halls of audience and the octagonal Musamman Burj, where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb and could see the Taj downstream.
Enter through the Amar Singh Gate and allow time for the riverside terraces, which frame the Taj about 2.5 km away; afternoon light is best for photos.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Kids
Historic site · Yamuna east bank
3.Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah
Built between 1622 and 1628 by Empress Nur Jahan for her father, this small, jewel-box tomb was the first Mughal building faced in white marble with pietra dura inlay, and it is often called the 'Baby Taj'. Its walls are covered in inlaid wine cups, cypresses and flower vases, and its riverside garden is peaceful.
Visit in the late afternoon, then continue a few minutes north to Chini ka Rauza or south to Mehtab Bagh for sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Couples
- Photo spot
Garden · Yamuna north bank
4.Mehtab Bagh
This restored Mughal garden lies directly across the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal and is aligned with it. From its riverbank you see the Taj's full symmetry reflected in the water at sunset, without the crowds inside the monument.
Arrive about an hour before sunset; the Taj glows gold and the light fades over the river behind it.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
- Kids
Historic site · Sikandra
5.Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra
About 10 km north-west of the centre, Emperor Akbar's tomb stands in a vast walled garden entered through a monumental gate decorated with inlaid geometric patterns and four white minarets. Blackbuck deer and langur monkeys roam the lawns, which makes it more relaxed than the Taj.
Combine it with the nearby tomb of Akbar's wife Mariam-uz-Zamani and the Guru ka Tal gurdwara on the way back into town.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Old City and Agra Fort
6.Jama Masjid
Agra's congregational mosque was built in 1648 and dedicated by Shah Jahan's daughter Jahanara Begum. Its red sandstone domes are patterned with white marble zigzags, and its courtyard faces the lanes of Kinari Bazaar near Agra Fort station.
Visit outside prayer times, dress modestly and carry a scarf; then walk into Kinari Bazaar for street food.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Historic site · Yamuna east bank
7.Chini ka Rauza
The riverside tomb of Afzal Khan Shirazi, a poet and minister of Shah Jahan, was once covered in glazed Persian-style tiles in blue, green and yellow. Much has weathered away, but surviving panels show a style rarely seen in India.
Stop here between Itimad-ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh; it takes only 20 minutes and you may have it to yourself.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Historic site · Sikandra
8.Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani
The tomb of Akbar's wife and Jahangir's mother stands in a garden about 1 km from Akbar's Tomb. The building was originally a garden pavilion, and its plain red sandstone exterior and vaulted interior are rarely visited.
Ask your driver to stop here after Akbar's Tomb; the two take under two hours together.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Garden · Yamuna east bank
1.Ram Bagh
Believed to be the oldest Mughal garden in India, Ram Bagh was laid out by the first Mughal emperor, Babur, around 1528 in the Persian charbagh style, with raised walkways, water channels and riverside pavilions. It is a quiet stop on the east-bank tomb circuit.
Visit with Chini ka Rauza and Itimad-ud-Daulah in one afternoon loop on the east bank.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Market · Old City and Agra Fort
2.Kinari Bazaar
The main market of the old city winds behind Jama Masjid, selling wedding trim, saris, bangles, spices, brass and sweets. It is crowded and loud, and it shows everyday Agra far from the monument circuit, with stalls frying bedai and jalebi in the mornings.
Go in the morning for breakfast stalls and lighter traffic; watch your pockets in the crowds.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Photo spot
Market · Sadar Bazaar and Agra Cantt
3.Sadar Bazaar
The cantonment's main shopping street sells shoes and leather goods from Agra's many workshops, alongside clothes, petha shops and chaat stalls. Evenings are the liveliest time, when families come out to eat.
Come after dark for aloo tikki and golgappe, and buy petha from a busy shop to take home.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Park · Taj East Gate Road
4.Taj Nature Walk
A forested park run by the forest department near the Taj's East Gate, with walking paths, birdlife and raised viewpoints where the dome appears over the treetops. It is a calm alternative to the crowds outside the monument.
Walk here in the early morning or late afternoon after visiting the Taj; bring water as there is little shade on some stretches.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Sikandra
5.Guru ka Tal
This Sikh gurdwara near Sikandra commemorates Guru Tegh Bahadur, who was arrested here in 1675. The red sandstone complex is built around a historic water tank, and like all gurdwaras it serves free communal meals (langar) to visitors of any faith.
Cover your head (scarves are provided), remove shoes and join the langar if you have time.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| History | Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah and Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra |
| Views | Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh and Taj Nature Walk |
| Outdoors and nature | Mehtab Bagh, Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra, Ram Bagh and Taj Nature Walk |
| Food and markets | Kinari Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar and Guru ka Tal |
| After dark | Sadar Bazaar |
| With children | Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh and Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra |
What to book ahead
- Taj Mahal: Buy tickets online in advance to skip the ticket queue; entering the main mausoleum needs a separate add-on, and limited night-viewing slots around the full moon must be booked ahead.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Agra?
Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan built this white-marble mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631; work continued for about two decades.
+What can you do for free in Agra?
Jama Masjid, Chini ka Rauza, Kinari Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar and Guru ka Tal. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Agra at night?
Sadar Bazaar are best after dark.