Taj Mahal Visitor Guide: Timings, Tickets and Context
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan for Mumtaz Mahal, completed in the mid-seventeenth century. It is also one of the most crowded monuments on earth, which makes timing the whole game.
When to go
Sunrise is the best hour: soft light, thin crowds and bearable temperature. The monument is closed to general visitors on Fridays for prayers. Night viewing is allowed on a few nights around the full moon through a separate ticket and quota.
Tickets
Separate rates apply for Indian citizens, visitors from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries, and other foreign nationals, with a small supplement to enter the main mausoleum platform. Buying online is cheaper and avoids the counter queue. Tickets are timed, and the visit is limited to a fixed duration after entry.
What you cannot take in
- Food, tobacco and lighters.
- Tripods and drones without written permission.
- Large bags. Use the free lockers at the gates.
Shoe covers are given with the ticket and must be worn on the marble platform.
What to look for
The inlay work, called pietra dura, uses semi-precious stones set into marble. Calligraphy panels around the arch are sized so they appear uniform from the ground. The whole complex is symmetrical apart from one element: the cenotaph of Shah Jahan, added later and off-centre.
Making a day of it
Pair the visit with Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan spent his final years, and Mehtab Bagh across the river for the sunset view. Agra is a short train ride from Delhi, so this works as a day trip, though staying one night is what makes the sunrise entry easy.
Verify current timings and ticket rates before travelling, since both are revised from time to time.