Agra

Agra (Hindi: आगरा Āgrā) is the city of the Taj Mahal, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, some 200 km from Delhi.

Agra has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri 40 km away. There are also many other buildings and tombs from Agra's days of glory as the capital of the Mughal Empire.

Besides these three sites, the city has little else to recommend it. Pollution, especially smog and litter, is rampant and visitors are pestered by swarms of touts and hawkers at every monument, besides the inner Taj Mahal which, once you are in, is free of scams and touts. The sites are some of the wonders of the world and no trip to India is complete without at least one visit to the Taj. For the vast majority of visitors, a single day in Agra is more than enough.

Understand
While the heyday of Agra (ahg-rah) was as the capital of the Mughal Empire between 1526 and 1658, the city was founded much earlier. The earliest reference to Agra is in the ancient epic, the Mahabharata, while Ptolemy was the first person to call it by its modern name. The recorded history of Agra begins around the 11th century, and over the next 500 years, the city changed hands between various kings, both Hindu and Muslim.

In 1506, Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, moved his capital from Delhi to Agra. His son Ibrahim Lodi was the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, as he was defeated in 1526 by Babur, the first Mughal ruler, in the battle of Panipat. Agra fell too, and became the capital of the Mughals, whose rule over Agra was uninterrupted except for a brief period between 1540 and 1556. In 1540, Sher Shah Shuri overthrew Humayun became the ruler of much of North India, including Agra. After Sher Shah Suri's death his descendants proved unequal to the task of ruling the kingdom, and Hemu, a Hindu general of Suri became the effective ruler who would later crown himself King Hemachandra Vikramaditya just as the kingdom was facing an assault from the reinvigorated Mughals. In 1556, Hemu would be defeated and killed in the second battle of Panipat, and the Mughals regained Agra.

Mughals were great builders. Babur built the Aram Bagh (garden of relaxation) modelled after the garden of paradise, where he was eventually buried after his death. His grandson Akbar refurbished the Agra fort and built the Fatehpur Sikri, an entire city just on the outskirts of Agra. He also renamed Agra after himself, and the city was known as Akbarabad while it was in Mughal hands. Akbar's grandson Shah Jahan would give Agra its most famous monument, the Taj Mahal, which is the mausoleum of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj is constructed in white marble. It took 20 years to construct, and is now universally known as a monument to love. Legend has it that Shah Jahan wanted a replica of the Taj constructed in black marble that would be his final resting place. There is no support for this theory, but even if it were true, it would have been unlikely to be undertaken. His son Aurangzeb was austere and pious, and had no time or inclination for the ostentation of his forefathers, preferring to spend his money on wars in South India. In any case, even during Shah Jahan's reign, which was the period when the Mughal empire was at its height, the construction of the Taj put a strain on the resources of the empire and caused a mini-famine around Agra. Shah Jahan was eventually buried in the white Taj, next to his beloved Begum.

Shah Jahan, in addition to giving Agra its greatest claim to fame, was also responsible for beginning its decline, as he decided to shift his capital to Shahjahanabad, which is now known as Old Delhi, in 1658. Though Aurangzeb ordered a move back, this too was short lived, as he moved his headquarters down south to Aurangabad (present-day Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) to be focus on his wars. Agra declined, and so did the Mughal Empire. The city was eventually captured by the Marathas, who renamed Agra. In 1803, it came under the British, who situated the Agra Presidency there, and when India gained independence, the city was incorporated into the state of Uttar Pradesh, and did not gain even the limited honour of being the state's capital, that distinction going to Lucknow, further east. It is now a tourist town, known for the Taj and a couple of other monuments.

A novel based on the remarkable story behind the Taj Mahal's is Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors. It is an international bestseller, and is being made into a film by Hollywood. Another historical novel is The Taj by Colin De Silva.

Local information

 * Agra District government website

Get in
Agra is 200 km southeast from Delhi and is one of the points of the tourist's Golden Triangle of Agra-Delhi-Jaipur. Agra is also very well connected via rail and road with other nearby cities and tourist destinations and thus suitable for a day trip from Delhi or as a part of a larger itinerary.

By train
Agra is on the main railway line between the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Chennai routes, and many trains connect Agra with these cities every day. Some east-bound trains from Delhi also travel via Agra, so direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata) are also available. There are close to 20 trains to Delhi every day, and at least three or four to Mumbai and to Chennai. Agra and Delhi are notorious for their thick winter fog which reduces visibility to almost zero. In late December and early January (the fog season), because of the reduced visibility, all trains slow down and travel time goes up. The Bhopal Shatabdi, for example, may arrive in Agra well after 10AM, and might return to Delhi well after midnight. From a safety point of view, it is always preferable to travel by train during the winter.

At Agra station, you can hire "UP Tourism" conducted tours on air-conditioned luxury coaches. Also, organized tours are available from Delhi. If you travel during the high season, you must book your tickets a few days to a few weeks in advance if you wish to make it a day trip, i.e. travelling early in the morning and coming back at a reasonable time at night.

Train tickets can be booked online through the Indian Railways website paying by debit or credit cards, although those issued by foreign banks are often declined. For more information how to book tickets online, visit the article Rail travel in India.

Stations
There are several railway stations stations in Agra. However, tourists only need to concern about Agra Cantonment and Agra Fort as almost all mainline trains calls here.



Lines
Also train number 2965 from Agra Cantonment to Jaipur at 5:40PM. The train arrives at 10:15PM. ₹300 air-con carriage.
 * Delhi to Agra — Close to 20 trains connect Delhi and Agra each day with journey times varying from 2-5 hr. The best options include the Rani Kamalapati Vande Bharat Express (fastest), Rani Kamalapati Shatabdi Express (departs New Delhi at 6:15AM arriving Agra Cantt at 8:12AM; departs Agra Cantt at 8:30PM arriving New Delhi at 10:30PM, daily except Friday; meal and water included in air-con carriage) and the Taj Express (departs Hazrat Nizamuddin at 7:15AM arriving Agra Cantt at 10:07AM; departs Agra Cantt at 6:55PM arriving Hazrat Nizamuddin at 10PM, daily).
 * Agra to Jaipur - The journey to Jaipur (station code: JP) takes around 4 hr by train no. 2988 which leaves Agra Fort at 6:25PM and reaches Jaipur at around 10:20PM.


 * The Luxury train — Palace on Wheels stops at Agra on its 8-day round trip of tourist destinations in Rajasthan and Agra.

By bus
There are several buses to Agra originating from Jaipur, Delhi, Ajmer, Lucknow etc.

From Delhi
The highway between Delhi and Agra has a toll, so most buses do not take it. Rather, they take the local roads, which makes the trip significantly longer than the express trains (4-5 hr). It is possible to make it by bus and minibus to Agra by the smaller roads, however you must ask around where the buses to Agra depart from, preferably from a trusted local or the staff at your hotel or hostel. Indian bus stations are, most of the time either large pavement areas situated under flyovers, very crowded and without no further indications of which bus goes where or stands of private bus companies, which will offer a more comfortable trip at a higher price. This option is for the ones who feel adventurous, as your journey can be halted by a sudden breakdown of the bus or a road closure due to a local protest or other form of gathering. Note that this is by far the cheapest way to get to Agra, as it should not cost more than ₹60 the normal "bus" and ₹200 for a more coach-type bus.

From Agra
There are three interstate bus stands:
 * Idgah Bus Stand is the primary bus stand for travelling towards Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh, in the heart of the city, 8 km from the Taj.
 * ISBT at Transport Nagar, 12 km from the Taj, is an inter state bus terminal. Most of the buses pass through here, except for buses originating from Idgah Bus Stand and going towards Rajasthan.

If you wish to travel with these buses which are government-run, you must insist to your rickshaw driver that he gets you there. If you only ask for the buses to Delhi, he will probably take you to a private bus company, from which he gets a cut. It will be slightly more expensive for you and these buses tend to stop at random places and drop you at random places as well, as these buses are not direct.

By taxi
You can either book a taxi from hotel or directly book one outside the railway station. There is usually a government authorised taxi stand, however it may be hard to find and the locals present at the station (looking for gullible tourists) will not help you find it. ₹1500/day for 8 hours. It maybe more costly to book through hotel as hotels do have their in the fares. It is better to negotiate with the driver directly or book trough some online car rental portal.

Cars are not allowed near the Taj Complex, but the rest of Agra is easily discovered by car.

By car
NH2 Highway: The primary access to the highway is along Mathura Road in Delhi but, if coming from South Delhi or Delhi Airport, it is easier to take Aurobindo Marg (Mehrauli Road) and then work up to NH2 via Tughlakabad. While the highway is divided, it is important to keep an eye out for trucks, cars, and bullock carts heading the wrong way. It is possible to hire a car with a driver (a big car for five persons from/to the Delhi airport costs ₹3500). Moreover, both online and offline options are available for tourists. But beware, if you need to get from Agra to the airport in order to catch a flight, ensure you have plenty of time for the trip, as traffic conditions may increase the drive time significantly. Also, it is wise to know your driver. There are situations when he may take over five hours to cover the distance, and you cannot force him to drive any faster than an autorickshaw (tuk-tuk).
 * From Delhi: Yamuna Expressway, connects the 210 km distance from Delhi to Agra. The drive is typically 3.5 hours. The expressway runs from the city of Greater Noida to Agra. The highway has a toll.


 * From Jaipur: National Highway 11, a four-lane divided highway, connects Agra with Jaipur via the bird sanctuary town of Bharatpur & Fatehpur Sikri. The distance of around 255 km can be covered in around 4 hours.
 * From Gwalior: A distance of around 120 km, takes around 1.5 hours on the National highway 3 (Agra- Mumbai Highway).
 * From Lucknow / Kanpur: NH2, the divided modern highway, continues on to Kanpur (285 km, 5 hours) and from there to points East ending in Kolkata. From Kanpur, NH25 heads for the city of Lucknow (90 km, 2 hours).
 * From Lucknow] Agra-Lucknow Expressway, the longest expressway in India, connects the 302 km distance from the state capital, Lucknow to Agra. The drive is very smooth and takes 3 hours. It is a tolled highway.
 * From Greater Noida : Perhaps the best route as it connects to Agra directly by the Yamuna Expressway, 165 km, which can be completed in 1.5–2 hours because it has less traffic. The road is very smooth.

By metro
The first section of the Agra Metro is now open, conveniently connecting the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal with Agra Fort. Tickets are ₹30 and trains run from 6 am till 10 pm.

By bus or auto
Tongas, electric buses and electric tempos are readily available, and the best way to get to the Taj, where no cars are allowed. Auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are available every where, remember to agree on fares clearly in advance. Foreigners should bargain everywhere and bargain hard. Generally things are available at 40% of the initially quoted fares. Normally Charges for e-rickshaws are ₹150-200 per e-rickshaws which can accommodate up to 4 people. Tempos have been replaced by auto-rickshaws, which mainly run on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).

UP State Road Transport Corporation operates some non-air conditioned and air-conditioned buses but those run only on specific routes. The best way to experience the city is to take a walk on the Mall Road (Sadar). The street is full of handicraft and leather goods shops. You will also find plenty of food items quite unique to the city.

As polluting vehicles are banned around Taj Mahal, one needs to use Tonga or electric auto while travelling in the range of Taj Mahal. Camels are also available. As a guide, an auto rickshaw from Agra Cantonment station to the Taj is about ₹200 (at least in off season); and a cycle rickshaw from the Taj to Agra Fort is ₹40. You can also walk between the Taj and Agra Fort, in about 30 minutes.

See
Agra's top two sights by far are the incomparable Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

Taj Mahal


The Taj Mahal has a life of its own that leaps out of marble once you understand that it is a monument of love. The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore called it a teardrop on the cheek of eternity, while the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, said it was Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor's love wrought in living stones.

Although it is one of the most photographed edifices in the world and instantly recognisable, actually seeing it in person is awe-inspiring. Not everything is in the photos. The grounds of the complex include several other beautiful buildings, reflecting pools, and extensive ornamental gardens with flowering trees and bushes, and a small gift shop. The Taj framed by trees and reflected in a pool is amazing. Close up, large parts of the building are covered with inlaid stonework.

There is an apocryphal tale that Shah Jahan planned to build an exact copy out of black marble on the opposite side of the Yamuna river. His plans were foiled by his son, Aurangzeb, who murdered three of his elder brothers and then overthrew and imprisoned his father to acquire the throne. Shah Jahan is now buried alongside his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Because the Taj is white, your camera may underexpose your photos. Overexposure by 1 or 2 stops is recommended.

The Taj is located in the middle of the city. Expect a queue to get into the grounds. There are three gates: The western gate is the main gate where most tourists enter. A large number of people visit on weekends and public holidays and entry through the western gate may take hours. The southern and eastern gates are much less busy and should be tried on such days.

Once inside, expect long queues to enter the Mausoleum. There are two lines depending on the type of ticket that you've purchased. At the base of the monument, turn to your right for general (Indian) entry and turn to your left for high-value (foreigner) tickets. The general line can wrap around the building several times by the afternoon, whereas the foreigner line is typically empty. Helpful guards can direct you if you get lost.

Mosquito repellent is advisable in the warmer months.

Opening times
Open daily (except Fridays) from sunrise to sunset (6-7AM until 6-7:30PM, depending on time of year).

Get there as early as possible to beat the crowds, and plan to visit the Taj at least two different times during the day (dusk and dawn are best) in order to experience the full effect of changing sunlight on the amazing building. Note that entry to the monument closes 30 minutes before sunset.

Night view
There are night viewing of Taj Mahal sessions on the nights of a full moon and the two days before and after (so five days in total). Exceptions are Fridays, the Muslim sabbath, and the month of Ramadan. Tickets cost ₹510 for Indians and ₹750 for non-Indians; tickets can only be purchased online at Archeological Survey of India website and are usually sold out very quickly. Opening times: 9PM-midnight; attendance is split into 30-minutes slots, 50 visitors group for each slot. A visitor must arrive 30 min prior to viewing hours for a security check at the Taj Mahal ticket kiosk at the East Gate. However, the night view is likely not worth spending the money as the visitors are kept far from the Taj Mahal (nearly 200 m away) and there is not sufficient light for viewing or photography.

Tickets
Entry to the Taj Mahal costs ₹50 for Indians and ₹1100 for foreigners/NRI(Non-resident Indians). To enter inside the mausoleum (the main structure of the Taj Mahal), you must pay an additional ₹200 (March 2024).

The Taj Mahal ticket fee for foreigners includes a small bottle of water, and disposable shoe covers for entering the mausoleum. You may also enter the mausoleum barefoot, so consider refusing the disposable shoes covers and going in barefoot. There are shoe racks to keep your shoes just outside the mausoleum.

You can buy tickets from 3 entrances: the South, East and West gates. The West gate (opens 6am) is typically the busiest (you could be queueing for hours) but closest to the city. The south gate is less busy but opens later at 8am. The East gate (opens 6am) is the furthest from the city but also generally the least busy.

Online ticketing
The Indian government also provides online ticketing for the Taj Mahal.

Tour guides and audio guides
Official guides are available for Agra for ₹1200 for a half day (including Taj Mahal & Agra Fort). Ask at your agent for details. Any guide that charges less than that is probably an unlicensed tour. Most unlicensed touts have fake IDs and focus more on taking you shopping rather than on presenting accurate information. You can book a local Govt. approved guide by logging www.tajtourguide.com or online search.

You can purchase a self-guided audio tour (allows two to a device) from near the ticketing booths. Cost is ₹100 in English and foreign languages and ₹60 for Indian languages.

You can also consider downloading a free audio guide such as the CaptivaTour Travel Audio Guide, which has a reasonable free 45-minute audio guide for the Taj Mahal.

Agra Fort


Emperor Akbar, king at 14, began consolidating his empire and, as an assertion of his power built the fort in Agra between 1565 and 1571, at the same time as Humayun's Tomb in Delhi. Emperor Shah Jahan added to the fort and ended up a prisoner in it. The fort has a beautiful view of his masterpiece, the Taj Mahal, on a clear day.

You can get to the fort by Rickshaw from Taj Mahal for around ₹45-50. Entry to the fort is ₹600 plus a levy of ₹50 if you have not already paid for the Taj Mahal.

There are left luggage services at Agra Fort where you can store your bags at no cost. A fine of ₹5,000 applies if you lose your luggage ticket. Eating is not allowed.

There are also audio guides available at Agra Fort which you can rent for a cost of ₹100 in English and other foreign languages (German, French, Spanish) or ₹60 in Indian languages such as Hindi or Bengali.

Temples

 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.
 * Sheesh Mahal, within the Agra Fort, is a stunning palace adorned with intricate mirror work and glass mosaics. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it served as a royal dressing room and exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mughal era.

Do

 * City Walks: Other than the monuments visits, one can also stroll in the local markets in old city area. Its a nice experience to have a walk in one of the oldest parts of the city.

Buy
Agra has many shops selling stone products, from jewellery to small boxes and plaques with inlay work resembling that on the Taj. The best of these are wonderful, and even the run-of-the-mill ones are rather pretty. Agra is also famous for its leather goods. Consider spending time in Sadar Bazaar for some shopping and cheap food. These markets have gemstones, both precious and semi-precious, cut and polished but unset, and finished jewellery. You can also find chic boutiques, classy leather goods, culturally-designed clothing, and marble markets.

Beware of being overcharged. Do not let anyone lead you to a shop, lest the price go up to cover their commission, typically 50%. Be very wary of the promises these people make. Bargain hard. Be prepared to walk away, you can nearly always get the same items in another shop or order items you liked during your visit over the Internet after you return. Expect to encounter petty and greedy shopowners who will resort to every lie in the book to make a sale (with initial markups of 1,000-10,000%).

There are many local markets: Sadar Bazar. a sophisticated market, Raja ki Mandi market, Sanjay Place for all the offices, Shah Market for electronics. All of these markets are situated along the M G Road. Hospital Road Market and Subhash Bazar for clothes situated near Agra Fort railway station. Rawatpara market is for spices. Besides these there are many branded shops along the M G Road.

Many wholesale marble products are available at Gokul Pura Market near Raja Mandi on M. G. Road which can be easily reached by auto rickshaw, the price of most items are nearly 25% in the retail market.

Be careful when buying jewels: lots of stones are fake and the price is comparatively high.

Eat
Agra specialities are petha, a type of very sweet candy, and Dal Moth, a spicy lentil mix. Both are also popular souvenirs.


 * Chaat - Agra is a heaven for any Chaat lover. Chaat can be of various types but there is one thing common among them all is that they are spicy and you will find crowd outside virtually every chaat stall, especially popular places like Double Phatak (near Sikandra) for Mangores. You'll find quality Bhallas and Panipuri at Sadar and Belangunj. Samosa and Kachori are found at every sweet shop that flood the city. Some typical chaat items are Aloo Tikki (made by roasting mess made out of boiled potatoes), paneer tikka (cubes of cottage cheese baked in a tandoor with spices), pani puri or golguppa (small round hollow shells filled with a potato-based filling and a spicy sweet blend of sauces), mangores, Samosaes, Chachori, etc. If you want to savour the typical Agra breakfast have a bite of one of those spicy Berahi and round it off with sweet Jalebies.
 * Sweets - There are quite a few good sweets shops. The best for the famous petha of Agra are at Hari Parwat, a short distance from Agra Fort. Amongst the well-known shops are Panchi's, Bhimsain BaidyaNath and The Pracheen Petha store. There are many types of petha available but, for the authentic experience, try either the plain one (ivory white) or Angoori flavoured (rectangular and yellow pieces soaked in sugar syrup). Other shops in Agra include: Bikanervala, Deviram, Munnalal Petha, Gopaldas, and Ajanta Sweets, Kamla Nagar. You can round off your meal with a Joda (pair) of Pan unique to the city.
 * There is also an abundance of Korean food.
 * There are several restaurants in the Taj Ganj area, catering for the many tourists staying around the Taj Mahal.

Drink
A bottle of Indian beer costs around ₹70-100 in a hotel, but there is virtually no nightlife in Agra outside of cultural shows at some of the larger hotels and restaurants. After getting off the streets of Agra and into your hotel, you will not want to go back anyway.



Splurge
Thanks to heavy competition, Agra's five-star hotels are good value compared to most other cities in India.


 * Four Points by Sheraton
 * Four Points by Sheraton
 * Four Points by Sheraton
 * Four Points by Sheraton
 * Four Points by Sheraton

Stay safe

 * Don't leave cash or any valuables in the hotel room. Cross check all hotel, restaurant and lounge bills for errors.
 * Never pay anyone for anything upfront, including taxi drivers.
 * Beware of pickpockets.
 * If you decide to purchase anything, beware that most items are cheap replicas of original items and not likely to last long. The toys are really poorly put together so do not buy them!
 * During the winter season, the weather of Agra is unpredictable and temperature may go as low as freezing; be well prepared.
 * Some unscrupulous dealers of carpets use the classic 'bait and switch'. If you buy something, insist on carrying it yourself else what arrives in the post might not be what you bargained for. A carpet shop named 'Kanu carpets' is particularly infamous for this. It is prudent to steer clear of shady looking establishments.

Connect
BSNL, AirTel, Vodafone and Idea provide GSM (triband) and Reliance and Tata provide CDMA services.

Internet
There are several Internet cafés for sending email or uploading digital photos.
 * Sify Iway also offers broadband connectivity at different locations spread all over the city.

Many cheap cafés, such as the Taj Café, offer free Wi-Fi.

Go next



 * Bharatpur is about 56 km from Agra and houses the famous bird sanctuary in which you can see thousands of rare birds including Siberian Crane. The Lohagarh Fort remained invincible despite several attacks by the British. Just 32 km from Bharatpur is the Deeg Palace. This strong and massive fort was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and has many palaces and gardens.
 * Fatehpur Sikri ghost city is a UNESCO world heritage site about 40 km from Agra. Built in the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, the "City of Victory" was the capital of the Mughal Empire for a brief decade and was abandoned in 1586 due to inadequate local water supplies and proximity to the Rajputana areas in the North-West, which were increasingly in turmoil. It includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid. Full of well preserved palaces and courtyards, it is a must see for anyone visiting Agra. In order to get a full idea of this site it is better to take a guide (₹450 for 2h for its free entry part) or have a good printed guide. Entry to the site of the mosque (even to the yard) is only without wearing footwear. The vehicle parking is about a kilometre away and Agra Development Authority (ADA) runs some rickety non air conditioned buses to the site entrance, fare is ₹10 per person one way. Entry to the fort area where the palaces are located is ₹610 for foreigners.
 * Mathura is said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. There are many beautiful temples in Mathura, including the one built at Shri Krishna's birthplace.
 * Nandgaon was the home of Shri Krishna's foster father, Nand. On the top of the hill is the spacious temple of Nand Rai, built by the Hat ruler Roop Singh. The other temples here are dedicated to Narsingha, Gopinath, Nritya Gopal, Girdhari, Nand Nandan, and Yasodha Nandan, which is half-way up the hill. Nandgaon springs into action every year around March for the festival of Holi, when many tourists flock to the city for the famous "lath mar holi".
 * National Chambal Sanctuary, (70 km away) is a natural sanctuary and the home of the endangered Indian gharial (a relative of the crocodile) and of the Ganges River Dolphin (also endangered).
 * Vrindavan is also a religious place around 50 km from Agra, and quite close to Mathura. There are many temples here devoted to Lord Krishna, a few of the more famous of which are Banke Bihari and the Iskcon Temple.