Agra: Visiting the Taj Mahal

Have you ever been to a place that you have seen countless times in photographs, and when you arrive it is just as incredible as you imagined? That’s the only way I can describe my first ever visit to the Taj Mahal. I thought that seeing it so many times in photographs would dampen the initial reaction of seeing it in real life, but I was wrong.

Local women visiting the monument.

For those that don’t know or haven’t been, the Taj Mahal is a grandeur mausoleum in Agra, India, built by emperor Shah Jahan in the 1600s in memory of his favourite wife. The structure is made entirely from white marble, and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is a popular stop on an Indian itinerary, as Agra is part of the Golden Triangle of India. Agra can be reached in a few hours from Delhi, making it the perfect place to stop for a night or two before venturing further into India.

For your chance at the best photos of Agra, planning is vital. I’d recommend booking a hotel within walking distance to either the East or West Gate of the Taj Mahal, as you’re going to need to get up early to enjoy this monument as it should be enjoyed. I’d recommend booking your tickets online the day before you go so that you don’t need to queue in the morning to buy them, and keep in mind that the Taj Mahal is closed to tourists on Friday. Get an early night as you’ll need it with a very early wake up call!

A local man walking through the Mehtab Mag. Gardens.

For your best chance at being the first in the queue for entrance into the Taj Mahal when it opens, you should aim to get in the queue about an hour before gates open. Gates open half an hour before sunrise, so depending on the time of the year, you may need to be in the queue as early as 4.15am. Trust me, though, it’ll be worth it. Don’t bring a bag if you can help it as the scanning process for bags can be time consuming, and run (yes you heard me) for the main entrance once the gate has opened and with any luck, you’ll be the first inside.

Early morning is the best time for photos.

Take advantage of the fact that you won’t have anyone else in your shot and head straight to the famous Princess Diana bench for a traditional, symmetrical view of the incredible building, and then walk round to the left to the mosque. From there, you can take some great photos framing the Taj Mahal with the gateways to the mosque, and this is where the best local people photography will come from. The sun rising behind the Taj Mahal is quite a view, and if you are incredibly lucky (we weren’t), you may even get a low morning fog surrounding the mausoleum.

The Taj Mahal framed perfectly by the mosque nextdoor.

Once you are finished photographing the Taj Mahal from inside the grounds, I’d recommend exiting and walking around the East side of the Taj to the waterfront at Shri Dauji Mandir Ghat, where you will be able to hire a local to take you out on his boat to get a different, and not as well-known, view of the iconic building. Head back to your hotel for lunch, and if you have another evening in Agra, hail down a tuk tuk and ask him to take you to Mehtab Magh gardens for sunset over the Taj from the other side of the Yamuna river. This is the perfect way to end your stay in Agra, and leave the beauty of the Taj Mahal etched in your memory forever.