Located in Agra in northern India, this is an immense white marble funerary mausoleum built between 1631 and 1648 by order of emperor Sha Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, who died giving birth to her fourteen child.
Agra is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, about 200 km from Delhi.
Plane: Approximately one hour flight from Delhi via Kingfisher Airlines and Air India Regional , both making the Delhi – Agra Jaipur tourist triangle. This is not the cheapest option and expect to delay.
Train: many trains connect Agra from the big cities of he country, but if you go there in December – January it is possible that the journey is very long due to the reduced visibility. Indeed at this period Agra and Delhi are covered by fog and the trains have to roll slowly for more security , but in normal time the train puts between 2th and 5th . From New Delhi the two best trains are the Bhopal Shatabdi Express and the Taj Express.
The main railway station is called Agra Cantt and is located in the south –west of the Taj and Agra Fort. From the train station you can take a taxi or rickshaw to a hotel (150 rupees/ 50 rupees).
If you arrive from the east of the country you may arrive at Agra Fort Station .
By Bus: about 4 to 5 hours from Delhi , with two bus stations in Agra: Idgah Bus Stand and ISBT (inter state bus terminal).
To move to Agra you will have to negotiate with taxi and rickshaw drivers, they may also take you to their cousin’s workshop to buy carpets or other , as they get a commission, so tell them Although you are not interested in shopping.
If you are several the most economical is to hire a taxi by the day by agreeing before on the total price and the place you want go.
Note: in Agra beware of monkeys at hang around and do not hesitate to snoop in the rooms in the rooms and poke a stuff (be careful if you have a plastic on the street).
Sleeping : You will find plenty of guesthouses and other hotel around the Taj Mahal, for all prices. The most ex pensive offer a view of the Taj so ask the question before. If your hotel does not have internet you will find internet cafes without problem in Agra.
Generally the hotels near the Taj are of poor quality . It is up to you to see where you prefer to stay according to your feeling. Any way you will spend more time on the roofs spying on what is happening at the street level and admiring the Taj in the distance.
Eating : Same, full of restaurants, either in the guesthouse where you stay either next door, and prices increase more or less depending on the view of the Taj. Go where there are people.
The entry of the Taj Mahal costs 750 Rupees and gives only one entrance, if you go out and want to re-enter it will have to repay 750 rupees.
It is also possible to visit the Taj Mahal during the full moon, but the visit lasts only half an hour, between 20:30 and midnight, and you have to book your ticket one day in advance. Groups are 50 people maximum.
You can also hire an official guide for 900 rupees for a half day tour of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Un official guides will offer their services for less expensive but will probably want to take you to buy rugs at their cousin after the visit . Some can tell you that the guide service is included in the entrance fee, which is wrong.
A few things to know before visiting the Taj:
For all the architectural I invite you to go to the UNESCO site.
To put it simply , the Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built on a pink sandstone basement and surrounded by a garden with canals and fountains. It is about a hundred meters wide and 56 meters high and encrusted with semi – precious stones . Passages of the quran are also inscribed on it , which one does not necessarily see at first glance.
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