Mathura Tourism: A Complete Travel Guide to the Tourist Places of Mathura

Key takeaways

• Mathura is the birthplace of Krishna, a sacred city on the Yamuna.

• It lies in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Braj region.

• Top tourist places: Krishna Janmabhoomi, Dwarkadhish, Vishram Ghat, the Museum.

• The best time to visit is October to March; darshan is free everywhere.

• It lies about 150 km from Delhi and 12 to 15 km from Vrindavan.

• Pair it with Vrindavan and Gokul; give the area two days.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018: more than 50,000 of them. Mathura is the great city of my district, the birthplace of Krishna himself and this is the guide I wish every first time visitor had: everything you need to plan a Mathura trip in one place, the tourist places and temples, the best time to come, how to reach, where to stay, the food, the festivals and honest advice you will not find on the tourist boards. Plan it all with our Mathura Vrindavan Tour Package, message us on WhatsApp at +91 7302265809, any day from 8 AM to 9 PM.

About Mathura

Mathura is one of the oldest and holiest cities of India, on the banks of the Yamuna in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, revered above all as the birthplace of Krishna. It is an ancient city, a great centre of faith, art and history for over two thousand years, once a capital of the Surasena kingdom and later a famed centre of Buddhist and Jain culture as well, whose sculptures fill museums around the world. Today it is chiefly a place of Krishna pilgrimage, the heart of the Braj region and it sits about twelve to fifteen kilometres from Vrindavan and fifteen from my own Gokul, the three towns of Krishna’s birth, youth and infancy that are almost always visited together. The table gives the essentials at a glance.

Mathura tourism at a glance.

Top tourist places in Mathura

Mathura’s tourist places range from the sacred heart of the Janmabhoomi to the river ghats, the great temples and a world class museum. Here are the ones no visitor should miss, each with its own full guide on our site.

Top tourist places in Mathura. Darshan everywhere is free.

The heart of it is the Krishna Janmabhoomi, the very birthplace of Krishna and the grand Dwarkadhish temple near the river. In the evening, the aarti at Vishram Ghat is the loveliest half hour of the day and the Gita Mandir and the guardian Bhuteshwar Mahadev complete the circuit. For the full list with all the details, see our top places to visit in Mathura guide and for the experiences beyond the sights, our things to do in Mathura guide.

The ancient art of Mathura

One thing that sets Mathura apart from the other Braj towns is its ancient history as a centre of art. Two thousand years ago the Mathura school of sculpture flourished here, carving the red sandstone images of the Buddha, the Jain Tirthankaras and the Hindu deities that are now treasures in museums across the world. The Government Museum of Mathura holds a superb collection of these and it is well worth an hour for anyone with an interest in history and art, a quieter and very different experience from the temples. It is a reminder that Mathura is not only a place of pilgrimage but one of the great ancient cities of India.

Best time to visit Mathura

The best time to visit Mathura is the cool season from October to March, when the days are pleasant for walking and the great festivals fall. The summer from April to June is very hot, often above forty degrees and hard for temple queues and the exposed ghats; the monsoon from July to September is cooler and greener but humid. Within the good season, the festivals are the high points: Janmashtami in August, when Mathura celebrates the birth of Krishna in his own city as nowhere else on earth, Holi in spring which is famous across Braj and the autumn month of Kartik. For the full seasonal picture, see our best time to visit Mathura Vrindavan guide.

How to reach Mathura

Mathura is very well connected, on the main road and rail routes between Delhi and Agra. The nearest major airport is Delhi, about 150 kilometres and three hours away by the Yamuna Expressway, with Agra’s airport closer but smaller. Mathura Junction is a major railway station on the busy Delhi to Agra to Mumbai line, served by many fast trains, so the train is an excellent option. By road, the Yamuna Expressway makes the drive from Delhi quick and smooth. The table sets out the options.

How to reach Mathura. Verify train and flight times when you book.

For the full route detail from the capital, see our distance from Delhi to Vrindavan guide, which passes through Mathura and our Mathura Vrindavan taxi service handles airport and station pickups.

Getting around Mathura

Within Mathura, e-rickshaws and autos are the everyday way to get about, cheap and plentiful, good for hopping between the Janmabhoomi, the Dwarkadhish temple and the ghats. The old city around the Chowk and the river is a warren of narrow lanes best walked and cycle rickshaws thread them well. For a trip that takes in Vrindavan, Gokul and the villages as well, a private car that waits for you is much the easiest way, saving an hour a day over hunting autos at each stop, especially with the security checks and the scattered sights.

Where to stay

Mathura has a good range of places to stay, from simple dharamshalas and pilgrim guesthouses to comfortable mid range hotels, many near the Junction and along the main roads. Many visitors, though, choose to stay in Vrindavan, which is quieter and greener and only a short drive off and day trip into Mathura and that is often the more comfortable base for seeing the whole area. Wherever you stay, a night in the region rather than a rushed day trip from Delhi gains you the evening aarti and the early morning darshan that are the heart of a Braj visit. Our Mathura Vrindavan hotels page has vetted stays for every budget.

Food in Mathura

Mathura is famous across India for its peda, the dense milk sweet and eating it fresh in the city where it is made is one of the simple joys of a visit. The city is pure vegetarian and beyond the peda the Braj kitchen offers kachori with spiced potato for breakfast, thick creamy rabri, hot jalebi and lassi in an earthen cup. Eat where the local families eat, buy your peda from an established busy shop to carry home and drink bottled water. Meat, alcohol and eggs are neither sold nor welcome in the holy city, so come prepared for a simple, sattvic table, which is part of the spirit of the place.

Festivals of Mathura

The festivals are the soul of Mathura tourism and none more than Janmashtami, the birth of Krishna, which Mathura, his very birthplace, celebrates as no other place on earth, the whole city awake past midnight for the moment of his birth at the Janmabhoomi. Holi across Braj is famous the world over, with the Lathmar Holi of nearby Barsana and Nandgaon its most extraordinary chapter. The autumn month of Kartik fills the ghats with devotion and lamps. They are crowded beyond belief but they are Mathura at its most alive. Our festivals of Braj page has the full calendar.

How many days do you need?

One day covers the essentials of Mathura city: the Janmabhoomi, Dwarkadhish, the museum, the bazaars and the Vishram Ghat aarti. Two days let you add Vrindavan and my own Gokul, which is the shape most first visits should take. Three days bring in Govardhan and the villages of Barsana and Nandgaon. For most first visits, two days is the sweet spot, a day for Mathura and Gokul and a day for Vrindavan. To shape your days, see our mathura trip plan and our one day Mathura Vrindavan itinerary.

Travel tips and etiquette

• Dress modestly. Cover shoulders and knees; this is a holy city.

• Leave phones and bags for the Janmabhoomi. Security there is the strictest in Braj; travel light and leave them in the car.

• Mind the monkeys. They are practised thieves, especially near the temples and the ghats.

• Carry small cash. The lanes and small shops run on it, though many take digital payment.

• Agree the boat fare first. On the Yamuna, settle the price before you step in.

• Respect the midday break. Most temples close for a long midday rest; plan yours for then.

The honest bit

Honest words the tourist boards will not give you. Every temple darshan in Mathura is free and there is no official VIP darshan pass at the Janmabhoomi or anywhere in Braj, whatever a tout may claim; first timers and visitors from afar are targeted most, so buy your keepsakes but never buy access to God. Security at the Krishna Janmabhoomi is the strictest in the region, with phones and bags barred, so leave them in the car. The Yamuna is revered and, honestly, polluted, so take the aarti and a boat but not a careless dip and agree the fare first. And most temples close for a long midday break, so plan around it rather than fight it. Our VIP darshan in Vrindavan guide explains the fake pass trade in full.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul Mahaban Bangar, in this district and Mathura is the city of my own country. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars across 204 Google reviews, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. What a local adds to a Mathura trip is everything the guidebooks cannot: the Janmabhoomi reached before the queue and the security handled smoothly, the temples and the ancient art told with their stories, a car that waits through the scattered sights, the aarti timed right, the honest word on passes that should be free and the whole of Braj, Vrindavan, Gokul and the villages, fitted around Mathura in the right shape. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: do not treat Mathura as a quick stop on the way to Vrindavan, as most visitors do. Give it a proper day, trace the whole story from the Janmabhoomi where Krishna was born to Kans Qila where his uncle fell to the Vishram Ghat aarti on the river and add the museum for the ancient city behind the pilgrimage. Mathura repays the visitor who slows down for it far more than the one who rushes through.

Related guides

• Places to visit in Vrindavan: the full list

• Things to do in Gokul: places to visit and the temples

• Kans Qila, Mathura: timings, history and how to reach

• Krishna Janmabhoomi, Mathura: a complete guide

• Vrindavan trip planner: build your itinerary

Plan your Mathura trip

Tell me your dates and your group and I will plan the whole of your Mathura trip, the places, the darshan, the stay and the days, for one clear price. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from Rs 1,999 per person, 4.5 stars from 204 Google reviews. Born in Gokul, Mathura.