Places to Visit Near the Taj Mahal: Agra’s Monuments, Gardens and the Land of Krishna Beyond

Key takeaways

• Agra Fort, just 2.5 km away, is the closest great sight to the Taj.

• Mehtab Bagh across the river gives the finest sunset view of the Taj.

• The Baby Taj and Chini Ka Rauza sit on the far bank of the Yamuna.

• Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra and Fatehpur Sikri are the further excursions.

• Mathura and Vrindavan, the land of Krishna, are only about an hour away.

• The Taj is closed on Fridays; its ticket is paid separately to the government.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, an hour from Agra and I plan and run Agra sightseeing constantly, most often for travellers who wish to see the Taj and then the land of Krishna close by. There is far more near the Taj Mahal than the great monument itself: the red fort of the Mughals, the gardens across the river, the tombs and mosques of the old capital, the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri and, only an hour away, the birthplace of Krishna. Here is the complete guide, with the timings, location, best time to visit and how to reach for each. See our same day Agra Vrindavan tour to add the land of Krishna, message us on WhatsApp at +91 7302265809, any day from 8 AM to 9 PM.

The places near the Taj Mahal at a glance

The sights near the Taj fall into three rings: those within Agra city, close by; the further monuments on the edges of the city; and the great excursions beyond, including the land of Krishna. The table places them all by distance from the Taj.

Places to visit near the Taj Mahal, by distance. Approximate; verify on the day.

1. Agra Fort

The closest and greatest sight to the Taj is Agra Fort, only about two and a half kilometres away and no visit is complete without it. This vast red sandstone fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the seat of Mughal power, built under Akbar from 1565 and added to by Shah Jahan and it was from a marble tower here that Shah Jahan, imprisoned in his last years by his son Aurangzeb, gazed down the river at the Taj, the tomb of his beloved. Within its walls are the halls of public and private audience, the mirror palace, the marble mosque and the palaces of the emperors. It pairs perfectly with the Taj, the seat of the empire beside its greatest monument. The table gives the essentials.

Agra Fort. Ticket paid separately to the government; verify on the day.

2. Mehtab Bagh

Directly across the Yamuna from the Taj lies Mehtab Bagh, the moonlight garden, one of the eleven riverside gardens laid out by the Mughals and now the finest place of all to view the Taj Mahal. Perfectly aligned with the monument on the opposite bank, it gives, especially at sunset, a view of the Taj changing colour over the river with no crowds around you, a completely different and quieter experience from the monument itself. For photographers and for lovers of the Taj it is unmissable and it is the perfect place to end a day of Agra sightseeing. The table gives the essentials.

Mehtab Bagh. Verify on the day.

3. Itmad ud Daula, the Baby Taj

On the far bank of the Yamuna stands Itmad ud Daula, the exquisite tomb affectionately called the Baby Taj, built by Empress Noor Jahan for her father between 1623 and 1628. The first Mughal building made entirely of white marble, delicate and jewel like with its fine inlay and lattice work, it is considered a precursor of the Taj itself and it is far quieter and more intimate than the great monument. Lovers of Mughal art count it among the loveliest sights of Agra. The table gives the essentials.

Itmad ud Daula, the Baby Taj. Verify on the day.

4. Chini Ka Rauza and Ram Bagh

Two quieter sights lie near the Baby Taj on the same bank. Chini Ka Rauza, about a kilometre away, is the tomb of Afzal Khan, a Persian poet and minister of Shah Jahan, remarkable for the blue glazed tiles, the chini or Chinese clay, that once covered it, a rare and lovely example of Persian art in Agra. A little further, Ram Bagh is the oldest Mughal garden in India, laid out by Babur, the founder of the dynasty, around 1528, a peaceful green oasis where Babur himself was briefly buried before being taken to Kabul. Both are little visited and reward those who love the quieter corners of Mughal Agra. The table gives the essentials.

Chini Ka Rauza and Ram Bagh. Verify on the day.

5. Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra

On the western edge of the city, about twelve to thirteen kilometres from the Taj on the Delhi road, stands the great tomb of the emperor Akbar at Sikandra, begun by Akbar himself and completed by his son Jahangir. Set in a vast walled garden in the Char Bagh style, its red sandstone and marble gateway and the exquisite calligraphy of its interior reflect Akbar’s own vision of a faith uniting Hindu and Muslim. The grounds, roamed by deer and monkeys, are peaceful and grand and the tomb is one of the masterpieces of Mughal architecture, often combined with a visit on the way to or from Delhi. The table gives the essentials.

Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandra. Verify on the day.

6. Fatehpur Sikri

The great excursion from Agra, about thirty seven to forty kilometres to the west, is Fatehpur Sikri, the perfectly preserved red sandstone city that Akbar built as his capital and then abandoned within a few years for want of water. It is magnificent and atmospheric, with the towering Buland Darwaza, one of the highest gateways in the world, the Jama Masjid, the marble tomb of the saint Salim Chishti where the childless come to pray for children and the palaces of Akbar’s queens. It needs half a day, an hour’s drive each way and two to three hours there and it is often combined with Agra over two days. Beware the aggressive touts posing as guides at its gates. The table gives the essentials.

Fatehpur Sikri. Ticket paid separately to the government; verify on the day.

7. Mathura and Vrindavan: the land of Krishna

Here is the excursion most Agra guides overlook and the one closest to my own heart, for it is my home: only about fifty to sixty kilometres from the Taj, an hour to an hour and a half away, lies the land of Krishna, Mathura the birthplace and Vrindavan the town of his youth, with their thousands of temples. Having come all the way to Agra, to add the sacred land of Braj to the Mughal monuments is to complete the picture of north India, the empire and the divine together. Countless travellers do exactly this and it is the journey I know best of all. It can be done as a long day from Agra or, far better, over two days. The table gives the essentials.

Mathura and Vrindavan from Agra. Verify temple timings on the day.

For how the single day works, see our same day Agra Mathura Vrindavan tour and to have it arranged in comfort, the three day Agra Mathura Vrindavan tour does it beautifully. Our Agra to Vrindavan travel guide has the route.

Other sights and excursions

For those with more time, Agra and its region hold still more. Within the city, the grand Jama Masjid opposite the fort, the Guru Ka Taal Gurudwara on the Delhi road and the Wildlife SOS bear and elephant rescue centre reward a visit. Further out lie the bird sanctuaries of Sur Sarovar, also called Keetham and the National Chambal Sanctuary with its rare gharial crocodiles and Gangetic dolphins and the ancient temple town of Bateshwar with its hundred and more Shiva temples on the Yamuna. These are for the traveller with days to spare rather than the first time visitor, who should hold on to the Taj, the fort, the gardens and Braj.

The Taj Mahal itself: timings and tickets

At the centre of it all stands the Taj Mahal and a few essentials govern any visit near it. The Taj is open from sunrise to sunset and is closed every Friday, a fact that catches thousands of visitors, so never plan your Agra sightseeing on a Friday around the Taj. Its entry ticket is bought separately, paid to the government and is never part of any tour company’s price; you can buy it online in advance to save queuing. The best view of all is at sunrise, before the crowds and the heat. The table gives the essentials.

The Taj Mahal. Closed Fridays; verify hours and rules on the day.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit the Taj and all the sights near it is the cool season from October to March, when the days are pleasant for walking the monuments and the light is soft and clear. The summer from April to June is very hot, often well above forty degrees, punishing on the open marble, so if you must come then, an early start matters more than ever. The monsoon brings some relief and a green Mehtab Bagh but also humidity. Whenever you come, remember the Friday closure of the Taj and time your sightseeing around it. For how Agra fits with the Braj seasons, see our best time to visit Mathura and Vrindavan guide.

How to reach Agra and the Taj

Agra is one of the best connected cities in north India. It lies on the Yamuna Expressway from Delhi, about two hundred and thirty kilometres and three to three and a half hours away and fast trains, the Gatimaan and Shatabdi, reach Agra Cantt in well under two hours from Delhi. Agra has a small airport with limited flights, but most fly into Delhi. From Braj, Agra is very close, about sixty kilometres from Mathura and seventy to seventy five from Vrindavan. Within Agra, a private car for the day is much the easiest way to move between the spread out sights. The table gives the distances.

Reaching Agra. Distances are approximate; verify on the day.

Our Mathura Vrindavan and Agra taxi service covers Agra sightseeing, airport transfers and the run to Braj and the two day Agra and Fatehpur Sikri tour gives the monuments the time they deserve.

The honest bit

Honest words on the sights near the Taj. The Taj Mahal ticket and every monument ticket, is paid separately to the government and is never part of a genuine tour price; anyone bundling it or selling a special pass is overcharging you. The Taj is closed every Friday, so never plan your Agra day on a Friday. Beware the touts and self proclaimed guides, especially at Fatehpur Sikri and around the Taj, who mix misinformation with pressure; a proper guide is booked in advance. Buy your Taj ticket online to skip the worst queues. And do not try to cram every sight into one day; choose the Taj, the fort, a garden and one excursion and give each its due or add days and, best of all, the land of Krishna nearby.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul Mahaban Bangar, an hour from Agra and I run the Agra sights and the Agra with Braj combination constantly. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims and travellers, 4.5 stars across 204 Google reviews, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. What a local adds is the sights sequenced around the light and the Friday closure, a car that moves you between the spread out monuments, the honest word that the ticket is the government’s and never ours and, above all, the seamless pairing with Mathura and Vrindavan that other Agra operators cannot give. One clear fare and never a charge for what should be free or bought directly.

Tip from Gurudutt: do not treat the Taj as a thing to see and leave. See it at sunrise, then the fort, then a garden and end at Mehtab Bagh for the sunset Taj across the river and if you have a second day, give it to the land of Krishna an hour away. Planned so, near the Taj becomes not one monument but a whole region of wonder, Mughal and divine together and it is the finest way to see this heart of India.

Related guides

• Places to visit in Agra in one day: a perfect plan

• Same day Agra to Mathura Vrindavan tour

• Agra Mathura Vrindavan tour package: the options

• Mathura Vrindavan trip cost: a complete guide

Plan your Taj and Braj trip

Tell me your dates, your group and whether you would like to add the land of Krishna and I will plan your Agra sights around the sunrise and the Friday closure, with a car that moves you between the monuments and Mathura and Vrindavan added if you wish, 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.