What to see
Taj Mahal in Agra: visiting, tickets and Friday closure
The Taj Mahal is a Mughal funerary complex in Agra beside the Yamuna. A visit follows a sequence of gateway, garden and monument. Give those spaces time, rather than treating the whole experience as a single photograph beside the central pool.
- Suggested base
- Agra
- Time to allow
- 2–3 hours, editorial estimate; allow separately for checks and transfers
- Regular closure
- Fridays for general sightseeing
- Published admission
- Foreign visitors INR 1100; online INR 1050 with the published discount; main mausoleum optional extra INR 200
What you are visiting
Shah Jahan commissioned the mausoleum in memory of Mumtaz Mahal. UNESCO dates its construction to 1631–1648. The design gives the garden, sightlines and flanking buildings a role in preparing the approach to the white-marble mausoleum.
Your attention changes as you approach. The overall composition gives way to inscriptions and surface decoration. If you wish to enter the main mausoleum, make that decision when choosing your ticket: this additional visit should not be confused with admission to the complex itself.
Hours and admission for a foreign visitor
The official Uttar Pradesh website gives opening as 30 minutes before sunrise and closing as 30 minutes before sunset on normal operating days. The monument is closed for general sightseeing on Fridays. Do not replace this seasonal rule with one fixed year-round clock time.
Published foreign-visitor admission is INR 1100, with an optional INR 200 supplement for the main mausoleum. The portal lists a foreign-visitor online discount of INR 50: INR 1050 before any mausoleum supplement. SAARC/BIMSTEC categories are separate. Check your category and final amount through official ticketing; night viewing has separate conditions.
Fitting it into a day in Agra
As an editorial estimate, reserve two to three hours for the visit and add time for entry procedures, checks and transfers. An overnight stay in Agra can make an early visit easier, but does not guarantee an empty entrance queue. Check the weekday before fixing the order of your bases.
Agra Fort makes a coherent pairing for continuing the Mughal theme, with a break between monuments. Mehtab Bagh is across the river, so treat that journey as another deliberate addition, rather than an immediate walking continuation of the Taj Mahal. A long arrival from Delhi calls for a lighter schedule.
Useful questions
Can I visit the Taj Mahal on Friday?
Normal tourist viewing is not available on Fridays. Choose another day and check official notices before purchasing transfers or admission.
Is the main mausoleum included in basic admission?
The official portal lists an optional INR 200 supplement. Select the appropriate option if you want to visit the interior, and check the summary before paying.