The Getaway Expert: How to do the iconic Taj Mahal without the crowds
You have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat me to the Taj Mahal.
About 4:45am should do it.
This is worth getting up for. This is one of the biggies. This is a staple on most people's bucket list. And this, in my opinioin, is the best way to see it.
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Enjoying the Taj Mahal before the crowds arrived. Supplied/John Walsh
The best time to visit the Taj Mahal
The Taj is open from sunrise to sunset, not fixed times so check your weather app the day you want to visit.
I recommend sunrise. It's the coolest part of the day, especially if you're visiting in summer and you'll beat the crowds.
Sunset also has its charms with the golden hour reflecting different colours off the Taj's marble surface. You can't go wrong with either, just avoid the middle of the day. Crowds and the harsh light.
Tickets
Buy your tickets online to save money and avoid queues at the ticket office. There are some dubious online sites so only use the official Taj Mahal site which is asi.nic.in - the page for the Archaeological Survey of India which looks after the monument.
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The Taj is open from sunrise to sunset, not fixed times. Supplied/John Walsh
You will see options for Taj Mahal or Taj Mahal with Mausoleum. You want to get the second one. This gives you access inside the Taj to see the tombs.
Tickets for foreigners are 1250 rupees or around $25 online which will save you a dollar on physical purchase. You just have to nominate morning or afternoon. It's closed on Fridays.
Getting there
The Taj Mahal is in the city of Agra. There are obviously plenty of hotels here and it's a short cab or tuk tuk ride from most of them. There are three gates: South, West and East. Best gate for sunrise is East.
You'll have to walk a hundred metres or so from the car park to the Gate. This is where you show your online ticket or buy one if you haven't already. From here it's about a kilometre walk to the actual Taj entrance.
I don't recommend walking - not because of the distance - but because you'll get bothered by hawkers trying to flog you souvenirs. There is a free electric shuttle or you can pay about 50 rupees ($1) for a tuk tuk.
There is a free electric shuttle and I don't recommend walking. Supplied/John Walsh
Arrival
This is such a great moment. I've been to the Taj Mahal twice and it never gets old. It wouldn't get old in a hundred visits.
The entrance or Great Gate is a stunning piece of architecture in its own right and a fitting portal to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Once you step inside there it is perfectly framed - the most spectacular monument to love ever built.
The entrance or Great Gate is another stunning piece of architecture. Supplied/John Walsh
Exploring
Remember, the Taj Mahal is not a temple, it's a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan between 1631-1648 to house the tomb of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. So, if you're a romantic at heart it doesn't get better than this place.
I would recommend about 90 minutes to look around. Take your time and take plenty of pictures. You can point and shoot at just about anything and get a great shot.
Apart from the Taj Itself there are beautiful gardens and reflection pools and, of course, the famous bench where Princess Diana cut a lonely figure when things were on the slide with Charles.
I would recommend about 90 minutes to look around. Supplied/John Walsh
To enter the mausoleum you will have to put on shoe covers and proceed respectfully. No photography allowed. The tombs of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are enclosed by an octagonal lattice screen carved from marble.
The tomb of the Shah's wife is framed perfectly in the doorway while her husband's is larger and offset to the left. The decision to bury him here as well came 30 years later so it became the only non-symmetrical feature in the whole complex.
To enter the mausoleum you will have to put on shoe covers and proceed respectfully. Supplied/John Walsh
To clarify, the tombs you see here are actually empty. Replicas for public viewing that were built at the time. The Shah and Mutzaz are actually buried directly below in another more modest chamber off limits to visitors to protect the real tombs from damage.
So, there it is. The billion dollar love bomb. 400 years before the term was invented.
If your idea of a romantic gesture is a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day the Taj Mahal is going to throw enormous shade on your efforts.
Just keep telling yourself it's the thought that counts.
John Walsh was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.
