Every year millions of tourists travel Agra for one and only one reason, The Taj Mahal. However Agra is not all about Taj Mahal, the city offers plenty of other places to visit to the tourists. Agra is a important tourist town in Uttar Pradesh around 200km from Delhi. Agra is part of the famous Golden Triangle tour along with Delhi and Jaipur.
Traditionally start their Indian adventure from Delhi then travel to Agra followed by Jaipur. This tour is called Golden Triangle. However domestic tourists prefers to visit Agra directly.
Agra has a glorious past. The city once served as the capital of Mughal Empire. Today tourists can see the impact of Mughal empire on Agra through several attractions like Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
For foreign tourists a trip to India can never complete without traveling to Agra. Its almost impossible to tour all attractions in Agra in one day. Tourists should plan at least 3-4 days trip of Agra to see what this wonderful city has to offer. There are plenty of hotels in Agra to accommodate tourists.
WHEN TO VISIT
The summer in Agra is extremely hot and foreign tourists are advised not to travel Agra during this period. Winter is the best time of the year spend holiday in Agra. October to March is generally regarded as the best time to visit Agra.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Taj Mahal - The main tourist attraction of Agra is Taj Mahal - The monument of love. Mughal Emperor Shahjahan built Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The splendid beauty of Taj enchants tourists from all over the world. The monument is built from White Marble. It took 20 years to built Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal remains closed on Friday. Tourists are not allowed to carry mobile, food, cameras inside the Taj Mahal complex.
Agra Fort - The Agra Fort is quite similar to Red Fort in Delhi. However this fort is better preserved. Agra Fort once served as the home to Emperor Akbar. The fort offers a very beautiful view of the Taj Mahal on clear sunny day. There are guided tours available in English, Hindi, French and German language.
Fatehpur Sikri - The Fatehpur Sikri is located around 35km from Agra. The city was built by the Akbar. The Mughal King wanted to make Fatehpur Sikri his headquarter but due to lack of water he later shifted to the Agra Fort. The prime attraction of Fatehpur Sikri is Buland Darwaza. The 53 meter high and 35 meters wide darwaza was built by the Emperor Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb - Often referred as the baby tomb, this tomb was built by the Empress Nur Jahan for her father. The use of white marble and mughal gardens are some of the similarities between Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb and Taj Mahal.
Mariam's Tomb - The tomb was built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in memory of his Christian mother, Mariam Zammani. The grave is made of White Marble. The tomb has not been maintained well, despite that its well worth the visit.
Akbar's Tomb - The final resting place of Akbar is in Sikandara, some 13km from Agra Fort. The Mughal King himself started the construction of the tomb however it was completed by his son Jahangir. The tomb lies in the center of large beautiful garden.
Ram Bagh - Ram Bagh is the first garden built by the Mughal Emperors. The garden was constructed by the Babar.
Mankameshwar Temple - The temple is dedicated to Hindu god Lord Shiva. This is one of the four ancient temples in Agra located on the four corners of Agra.
There are plenty of hotels spread across Agra. Some are located near the Taj Mahal as well to give easy access to the tourists. Agra has budget, mid range as well Luxury hotels. Some of the best hotels in Agra are Grand Imperial Hotel Agra, Trident Hotel Agra, The Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel Agra, Mansingh Palace Hotel Agra, ITC Mughal Hotel Agra and The Gateway Hotel Agra.
HOW TO REACH
By Air - Agra has a domestic airport named Kheria Airport. There are flights from Delhi and Jaipur to the Agra. Kingfisher airlines and Air India serves on these routes.
By Train - Agra is one of better connected cities by rail in India. There are trains to Agra from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and several other cities.
By Bus - There are direct buses to Agra from Delhi. Usually it takes around 6-7 hours to reach Agra from Delhi. However its more comfortable to hire car or travel by train to Agra.
By Road - Agra is connected quite well by road to important cities in India. There are highways that connects Agra to Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur and Gwalior.
