One day is enough for Agra city if you start early. Leave at about 06:15 for the Taj Mahal as it opens, then Agra Fort, Jama Masjid and Kinari Bazaar, lunch, and Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, Chini Ka Rauza and Mehtab Bagh in the afternoon. It is about 31 km by cab, back by about 17:00. Not on a Friday: the Taj is closed.
7 places31 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1
The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the Baby Taj
The Taj Mahal as it opens, then Agra Fort, Jama Masjid and Kinari Bazaar in the old city, lunch, then Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, Chini Ka Rauza and Mehtab Bagh, for the Taj from across the river. Not on a Friday, when the Taj is closed.
06:15 to 16:517 places31 km by cab
1Taj Mahal
2Agra Fort
3Jama Masjid
4Kinari Bazaar
Lunch
5Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
6Chini Ka Rauza
7Mehtab Bagh
Back
★
Leave Agra Cantt railway station
6.7 km · 19 min by cab
1
Taj Mahal
2 h 30 min here
Closed on Fridays
The white marble tomb Shah Jahan built for Mumtaz Mahal in the 1630s and 1640s, on the bank of the Yamuna. Walk the long garden from the main gate, then up onto the plinth to see the inlaid stone flowers and the calligraphy around the arches up close.
Mughal monumentsFrom 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset; closed on Fridays
Tip: Closed every Friday. Cars cannot go right up to the gates: the cab drops you at the East or West Gate parking, and a battery bus or a short walk takes you on. Large bags, food and tripods are not allowed in.
3.9 km · 11 min by cab
2
Agra Fort
2 h here
The red sandstone fort of the Mughal emperors, about 2 km up the river from the Taj. Inside are the halls of public and private audience, the white marble Khas Mahal, and the Musamman Burj, the tower where Shah Jahan spent his last years looking out at the Taj.
Mughal monumentsSunrise to sunset, every day (about 06:30 to 17:30 in winter, later in summer)
Tip: Visitors enter by the Amar Singh Gate on the south side; the cab drops you at the parking there.
1.3 km · 3 min by cab
3
Jama Masjid
30 min here
The great mosque built in 1648 by Jahanara, Shah Jahan's daughter, facing Agra Fort across the railway. Its red sandstone domes have white zigzag stripes, and the courtyard is calm after the fort crowds.
Mosques & gurdwarasAbout 07:00 to 18:00; avoid prayer times, above all Friday midday?
Tip: Cover your legs and shoulders and take off your shoes. Women should carry a scarf for their head.
0.8 km · 3 min by cab
4
Kinari Bazaar
1 h here
The old city's main bazaar, a tangle of narrow lanes behind Jama Masjid selling wedding trim, saris, bangles, shoes and spices. It is the place to try Agra's petha sweets and street snacks.
BazaarsAbout 11:00 to 21:00; some shops close one day a week?
Tip: The lanes are too narrow for cars. The cab waits near Jama Masjid and you walk in.
Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
3.8 km · 9 min by cab
5
Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
1 h here
Called the Baby Taj: a small white marble tomb built by Nur Jahan for her father between 1622 and 1628, on the east bank of the Yamuna. Its walls are covered in inlaid stone patterns, the first Mughal building done this way, before the Taj.
Mughal monumentsSunrise to sunset, every day (about 06:30 to 17:30 in winter, later in summer)
Tip: It is much quieter than the Taj. Walk round to the river side of the garden for the view up the Yamuna.
1.6 km · 4 min by cab
6
Chini Ka Rauza
20 min here
The tomb of Afzal Khan, Shah Jahan's prime minister, built in the 1630s. What is left of its glazed tile work, in blue, green and yellow, is a rare Persian style in Agra.
Mughal monumentsSunrise to sunset, every day; free entry
Tip: It is small and often empty, so twenty minutes is plenty.
4.6 km · 16 min by cab
7
Mehtab Bagh
45 min here
A Mughal garden on the far bank of the Yamuna, directly opposite the Taj Mahal. From the riverside path you see the Taj side on, with no crowds, and the river in front of it.
GardensSunrise to sunset, every day (about 06:30 to 17:30 in winter, later in summer)
Tip: It closes at sunset. In winter that is about 17:30, so arrive by 16:45 if you want the low light.
8.7 km · 26 min by cab back
★
Back at Agra Cantt railway station
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The roads round the Taj and the fort are slow from mid-morning, and cars must stop at parking a short way from the Taj gates, so allow extra. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Book a cab for this day
Call or message a local Agra operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
1 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator
Yes, the city sights: the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, the old city and the tombs and gardens across the river. You miss Fatehpur Sikri and Akbar's Tomb, which the 2-day plan adds.
What time should a one-day Agra tour start?+
Early. The Taj opens 30 minutes before sunrise, about 05:00 in summer and 06:40 in midwinter. This plan leaves at 06:15. The light is softer and the queues far shorter in the first hour.
Can I do this plan on a Friday?+
Not the Taj Mahal, which is closed every Friday. Everything else in the plan is open. On a Friday, see the Taj from Mehtab Bagh across the river, and spend the morning at Fatehpur Sikri instead.