Last updated on June 30th, 2023 at 12:55 pm

It is no surprise that people visiting India for the first time usually have Agra on their tourist places list. We completely get that. I mean, if we were to visit China, we would also head straight to the Great Wall. Who doesn’t want to see all the 7 wonders of the world, right?!

Having said that, we highly recommend you also visit a few other historically important sites besides the Taj Mahal. In this blog post, we have listed our favorite places to see in Agra and why.

Also Read: Important things to know before visiting Taj Mahal

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

How many days to visit Agra 

I hope you are spending more than one day in Agra. Why? So you can experience the journey of Mughal history in Agra and not just check your box at the Taj Mahal. In order to do full justice to sightseeing in Agra, we recommend that you spend at least 2 days here.

We have more details at the end of this post on the best time to visit Agra, transportation in Agra, where to stay, and what to eat. If this is your first time traveling to our home country, then you must definitely read these tips on visiting India.

Agra sightseeing – Top places to see in Agra

TIP: Double check the information on the entrance fees to these attractions before visiting.

1. Akbar’s Tomb 

This one is for the books, guys. Whether you knew about Akbar’s tomb or not, you need to know a little bit about Mughal history to truly experience Agra.

Who is Akbar, and what is Mughal history?

Emperor Akbar was the 3^rd and one of the most successful rulers of the Mughal Empire.  The Mughal Empire occupied a majority of North Indian subcontinent in the 15^th century (before India was a British colony).

Akbar was crowned the King at a young age of 13 and continued to rule for the next 60 years, the maximum any Mughal ruler has ever ruled. Emperor Shah Jahan who commissioned Taj Mahal was Akbar’s grandson.

Now, after that crash course on Mughal history, you see why we asked you to visit the tomb of Emperor Akbar first?

Akbar’s tomb is located in Sikandra, a suburb of Agra. The exterior gates are made of red stone which was a typical choice during his time. The entrance to the tomb is decorated with beautiful Persian stones half of which have been stolen.

Finally, after pacing a long, dark, and narrow tunnel we entered his tomb which is a rather contrast to the pompous Taj Mahal. His insipid tomb would have definitely been a contrast to his prodigal lifestyle too. For history geeks like us, it was surreal to be standing a few feet away from the tomb of a legend that we’ve read in our Indian history books.

Tip: Look out for deer and monkeys in the neatly manicured Mughal gardens at Akbar’s tomb.

2. Mariam’s Tomb

Mariam-uz-Zamani was one of the many wives of Akbar (some say his favorite) and the mother of Emperor Jehangir. She was given the Persian title Mariam-uz-Zamani (Mary of the Age) after she bore Akbar a first-ever male child, an heir to the Moghul throne.

To put things in context, Emperor Jehangir was the father of Emperor Shah Jahan who commissioned the Taj Mahal. 

Mariam was a Rajput Hindu princess by birth who was married to Akbar for political reasons. Many argue that Mariam is also the famed Jodha Bai (princess of Jodhpur) whose romance with Akbar is adapted in many plays and movies (watch Jodha-Akbar trailer). Some also argue that she is the princess of Amer, i.e. today’s Jaipur city. Her tomb is just 1Km away from Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra.

3. Tomb of ItmaD-uD DaulaH

Itmad-ud Daulah’s tomb is often called as Baby or Mini Taj which is ironic given that Shah Jahan was inspired by this very tomb to built Taj Mahal. We highly recommend you visit this historical and architectural wonder in Agra along with the Taj.

This is the tomb that Empress Noor Jahan built for her parents. She was the wife of Emperor Jahangir and a key part of Mughal history’s evolution by ruling Jehangir’s throne behind the curtains. She was one of the first in Mughal history to commission intricate marble work instead of red stones. You have to give it to the artisans during that era who made some of the finest mausoleums in the country. We really enjoyed photographing here just as much as we did at Taj if not more.

4. Taj Mahal

Finally, let’s dive into the talk of the town. Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the loving memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child (yup lesser known fact!). Today Taj Mahal is home to both of their tombs, so please show respect on the grounds while you are there.

FUN FACT: Mumtaj Mahal was the daughter of Empress Noor Jahan’s brother.

Getting inside Taj is quite a process that you should know. We’ve explained that in detail in our Important tips for visiting Taj Mahal post. TIP: The Taj Mahal complex is quite large so give yourself enough time to walk around.

The best time to visit Taj Mahal complex is sunrise but being a popular tourist destination you won’t be the only one waking up early. However, sunsets are even worse in terms of the crowd so pick and choose wisely. 

Make sure you visit one of the red buildings on either side of the Taj for a perfect frame.

We highly recommend getting a tour guide if this is your first time visiting Taj Mahal and especially if you are interested in history and architecture. There are a lot of interesting facts that you will learn only from a trained guide.

Since this wasn’t our first visit to Taj, we skipped a tour guide and indulged in photography instead.

If you are really short on time then you could do the Taj Mahal tour from Delhi to Agra on a day trip.

5. Mehtab Baag

This garden across River Yamuna from Taj complex, called Mehtab Baag, gives one of the best views of Taj Mahal minus the crazy crowd. Yes, please! Rumor has it that Shah Jahan wanted to build a black marble replica of Taj Mahal on these grounds but that project never took off.

Best time to visit Mehtab Baag is right before sunset. Mehtab Baag (or garden) ticket counter closes at 5 pm so make sure to reach before closing. While everyone is busy capturing the monument, don’t forget to appreciate the actual sunset.

6. Agra Fort

Agra Red Fort is located just a few Kms away from Taj Mahal and makes for a perfect contender to visit after your sunrise Taj walk.

Agra was once the capital of the Moghul Empire for many years. The architecture of Agra fort will take you across different eras of the Moghul Empire. The red stone structure would be the early rulers such as Akbar and Jehangir while the marble extension would be from Shah Jahan’s time.

We hired a tour guide to learn more about the history and architecture of the fort and highly recommend you to do the same.

The ticket counter for Agra fort is at the main entrance. Beware of all the tour guides that will start approaching you as you reach the ticket counter. Ask them for their price but we suggest waiting till you enter the fort premise (just before the main entrance i.e. near Jahagir’s bathtub) to finalize on a guide. In our experience, the price quoted to us by a guide inside the fort was almost half of what was quoted outside. TIP: Ask to see their Government issued tour guide ID and check for its validity.

It’s very impressive to see these tour guides speaking different languages fluently. Our tour guide was fluent in French, English, and Hindi. Watch our Instagram Agra highlight stories to see him in action.

Today a majority of the Agra Fort (including the beautiful Moti Masjid aka Pearl Mosque) is under the Indian Army’s jurisdiction while a smaller section of the fort is open to the public.

7. Fatehpur Sikri

Just 45 minute away from Agra lies the city of Fatehpur Sikri which was one of the capital cities of the Mughal Kingdom. This is a must see place in Agra which can be easily visited if you are staying for 2 days. The intricate Moghul architecture is seen in its early stages here.

Buland Darwaza, the highest gateway in the world, is the main entrance to the palace at Fatehpur Sikri. It was built by Emperor Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujrat.

More Ideas For Things to Do in Agra

Must Eat in Agra

Along with sightseeing in Agra, it is also very important that you try some of Agra’s favorite food specialties –

• Petha – Agra is famous for this sweet which is difficult to find anywhere. The most famous shop here is Panchi Petha.
• Kulfi Faluda – Kulfi is nothing by Indian icecream but kulfi with faluda, a topping, is only done right in Agra.
• Chaat – Head to Sadar Bazaar and try some of the amazing chat (Indian fast food). Some of our favorites are Aloo Tikki Chat and Dahi Bhalla Chaat. My aunt recommends Bedai.
• Ram Babu Ke Parathe – Stuffed Indian bread, you just can’t go wrong with these.

Transportation to Agra

Unfortunately, commercial flights are not allowed to land in Agra airport at the moment. Your best bet is to fly into one of the cities closest to Agra such as Delhi or Jaipur. From there take a train or rental car or hire a cab to Agra. I’d stay away from taking public buses.

Delhi to Agra by train

There are two fast train options –

• Gatiman Express from Nizamuddin Railway Station leaving Delhi in the morning at 8:10 am.
• Shatabdi Express from New Delhi Railway Station leaving Delhi in the evening at 6 pm. 

We chose to fly to Delhi from Mumbai and take the fast train called Gatiman Express from New Delhi’s Nizamuddin Railway Station. The train was right on time and got us from Delhi to Agra in 90 mins. We were served a sumptuous breakfast with our executive class train ticket which had very comfortable seats. 

TRAIN TICKET RESERVATION: Book your tickets directly on the official Indian Railway booking website called IRTC. 

Alternatively, you can join one of the pre-arranged tours from Get your Guide, Viator, or MakeMyTrip.

Transportation within Agra

We’d recommend you to ask your hotel to arrange a car or an auto Rikshaw for you for the entire day in Agra. If you are comfortable with hopping on and off different Rickshaw’s within Agra (we were not!) then there are plenty to be found outside major attractions. However, the problem with that is they do not go by the meter in Agra, unlike Mumbai.

We decided to do a Rickshaw ride during our time in Agra and since it was arranged by our Aunt we knew we could trust him. For Fatehpur Sikri, you will definitely need a car since it’s 45 mins away from Agra.

Best time to visit Agra

Ask any local and they will tell you to stay away from Agra in the crazy hot summer months from April – August.

So the best time to visit Agra would be early in the year i.e. February – April or right before winter i.e. September – November. The only problem with winter is the occasional thick fog that envelopes Northern India leading to several flight cancellations.

But life is not ideal, is it? When we decided to visit Delhi and Agra at the end of December, our family wouldn’t stop talking about this fog. We took our chance and made it there with no major flight delays, fortunately. You will notice the haziness in our sunrise Taj Mahal photos which is due to fog which eventually clears up as the sun rises. 

Where to Stay in Agra  

It was nice that we had family in Agra hosting us. But if you are looking for hotel options, here are a few we’d suggest –

Upscale and Luxury

• Oberoi Amarvilas Agra or you can book it via Booking.com 
• Taj Hotel & Convention Centre
• ITC Mughal Agra
• Trident Hotel Agra

Affordable and Comfortable Stays

• DoubleTree by Hilton 
• Courtyard by Marriott
• Hotel Alleviate Agra – offers amazing views of the TAJ from its rooftop. Worth going here for dinner if you don’t plan on staying here. 

Hostels and Budget Stays

• Hotel Alleviate
• Budweiser Backpackers Stay
• The Coral House Homestay – has a great theme and gives you the flavor of India.  

Keep Reading

• 13 Best Souvenir Ideas from around the World
• The Ultimate Sri Lanka Itinerary for 7 or 10 Days
• 33 Unique Festivals around the World and How to attend them
• Important Tips on Visiting and Photographing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Hope you enjoyed this detail guide post on Agra!

Even though Agra is a cliche destination, this is our first post ever about our home country India. Don’t forget to share along or pin it for later!

Happy Traveling!