Taj Mahal
The white marble mausoleum Shah Jahan built for Mumtaz Mahal on the Yamuna in Agra, best seen in soft early light on a private sunrise tour from Delhi. Closed every Friday; open from just before sunrise on all other days.
India
Delhi & Agra
Delhi is India’s sprawling, layered capital, a city where seven centuries of empires left their monuments side by side with glass towers, metro lines and some of the best street food on earth.
The Mughals built the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, where the lanes of Chandni Chowk still hum with spice traders, sweet shops and cycle rickshaws; earlier sultans raised the soaring Qutub Minar, and Humayun’s Tomb set the pattern for the most famous building in the world. That building, the Taj Mahal, stands three or four hours south in Agra beside the mighty Agra Fort, and the pink city of Jaipur lies a long day’s drive to the west, completing the classic Golden Triangle. This guide books the tours and tickets worth booking, from a sunrise Taj Mahal trip to an Old Delhi food walk and a Jaipur day trip, flags the closures that catch people out, starting with the Taj Mahal’s Friday closing and Akshardham’s Monday closing, and shows how to fit Delhi and Agra into a first trip.
Don't miss
Red Fort (Lal Qila)
Shah Jahan’s great red sandstone palace-fortress in Old Delhi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where India’s prime minister raises the flag every Independence Day. Now open every day, including Mondays.
Agra Fort
The vast red sandstone fortress-palace of the Mughal emperors on the Yamuna in Agra, with marble halls, palace courtyards and views down the river to the Taj Mahal. Open daily, including Fridays when the Taj is closed.
Taj Mahal and Agra Day Trip from Delhi
A full-day private car trip from Delhi to Agra with a live guide, the Taj Mahal with optional skip-the-line entry, Agra Fort and an optional lunch at a five-star hotel, back in Delhi by night. Not on Fridays.
Humayun’s Tomb
The serene sixteenth-century garden tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the forerunner of the Taj Mahal, set in a vast walled char bagh garden. Open every day.
Things to do in Delhi & Agra
Agra Fort
The vast red sandstone fortress-palace of the Mughal emperors on the Yamuna in Agra, with marble halls, palace courtyards and views down the river to the Taj Mahal. Open daily, including Fridays when the Taj is closed.
Taj Mahal and Agra Day Trip from Delhi
A full-day private car trip from Delhi to Agra with a live guide, the Taj Mahal with optional skip-the-line entry, Agra Fort and an optional lunch at a five-star hotel, back in Delhi by night. Not on Fridays.
Jaipur Day Trip from Delhi
A long, rewarding private day from Delhi to the Pink City of Jaipur, the third point of the Golden Triangle, for the hilltop Amber Fort, the honeycomb facade of the Hawa Mahal and the royal City Palace. Rated 4.9 from more than 780 reviews.
Red Fort (Lal Qila)
Shah Jahan’s great red sandstone palace-fortress in Old Delhi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where India’s prime minister raises the flag every Independence Day. Now open every day, including Mondays.
Humayun’s Tomb
The serene sixteenth-century garden tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the forerunner of the Taj Mahal, set in a vast walled char bagh garden. Open every day.
Qutub Minar
A soaring 72.5-metre tower of carved red and buff sandstone begun in 1199, surrounded by the ruins of Delhi’s first mosque, a 1,600-year-old iron pillar and the unfinished Alai Minar. A UNESCO site, open daily.
FreeSwaminarayan Akshardham
A vast, intricately carved Hindu temple complex on the Yamuna in east Delhi, free to enter, with exhibitions, gardens and an evening water show. Closed on Mondays; phones and cameras are not allowed inside.
3-4 hoursDetails →
The Great Indian Food Tour in Old Delhi
A guided food and heritage walk through the crowded lanes of Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi, tasting street food that has been made the same way for generations. Rated 5.0 from more than 2,000 reviews on Viator.
Delhi Private Guided Tour with Hotel Transfer
A seven-hour private car tour of Old and New Delhi with a live guide, from Jama Masjid and a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Qutub Minar and the Lotus Temple.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$The Imperial New Delhi
Janpath (Connaught Place)
Delhi’s grandest heritage hotel since 1936, on Janpath steps from Connaught Place, with a palm-lined drive, more than 5,000 historic artworks, two pools, a spa and celebrated restaurants including The Spice Route.
Rates on Expedia →Haveli Dharampura
Old Delhi (Jama Masjid)
A restored 200-year-old haveli with 14 rooms around a carved courtyard in the lanes of Old Delhi, a three-minute walk from Jama Masjid, with the rooftop Lakhori restaurant, kite flying and Kathak evenings.
Rates on Expedia →Courtyard by Marriott Agra
Fatehabad Road, Agra
A comfortable, good-value five-star base on Fatehabad Road, about seven minutes by car from the Taj Mahal, with 189 rooms, an outdoor pool, the Tattva Spa and several restaurants and bars.
Rates on Expedia →
$$Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport
Aerocity (near the airport)
A bright, reliable 280-room hotel in the Aerocity hospitality district, about ten minutes from the airport and a five-minute walk from the Aerocity metro, with an outdoor pool, a spa and three restaurants and bars.
Rates on Expedia →
$Bloomrooms @ Janpath
Janpath (Connaught Place)
A bright, modern budget hotel on a quiet lane off Janpath in central New Delhi, with comfortable beds, rain showers, free Wi-Fi, the Bloom Café and the metro a five-minute walk away.
Rates on Expedia →Delhi & Agra guides
First Time in Delhi and Agra: What to Book, How Many Days and Getting Around
The practical primer for a first visit to Delhi and Agra: how many days to plan, what to book ahead, the Taj Mahal’s Friday closure and other closing days, getting around by metro and car, and how to fit in Jaipur.
Where to Stay in Delhi and Agra: The Best Areas and Hotels for a First Trip
Where to stay in Delhi and Agra: central New Delhi around Connaught Place, the old city by Jama Masjid, Aerocity by the airport, and Fatehabad Road for a Taj Mahal sunrise, with the best hotel in each.
