Agra has incredible heritage beyond the Taj Mahal. Agra Fort is a massive UNESCO World Heritage red sandstone fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned — 2.5 km from Taj Mahal. Fatehpur Sikri is a stunning abandoned Mughal city 40 km from Agra. Itmad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) is a beautiful marble tomb often less crowded than the main Taj. Mehtab Bagh is the garden across the river from Taj Mahal offering the best sunset view. Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra is 10 km from Agra. EZPZ Taxi offers Delhi-Agra day trips — book at ezpztaxi.com or call +91-9871121217.
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Most visitors spend only 3–4 hours in Agra seeing the Taj Mahal and leave — missing some of India's finest Mughal heritage. Here's everything worth seeing:
1. Agra Fort — 2.5 km from Taj Mahal
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of India's most impressive forts. Built in red sandstone and marble by Akbar (1565), expanded by Shah Jahan. The fort was the centre of Mughal power for nearly 100 years.
Key structures inside:
- Diwan-i-Aam (Hall of Public Audiences) — the carved marble throne platform where the Emperor held court
- Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) — ceiling covered in tiny convex mirrors; a single candle creates a sky full of stars
- Musamman Burj — the octagonal tower where Shah Jahan spent his final 8 years imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. The Taj Mahal is visible from here — deeply moving
- Jahangiri Mahal — the only purely Hindu-style structure in the fort, built for Akbar's Rajput wives
Entry: Indians ₹40, Foreigners ₹550. Closed Fridays. Allow 2–2.5 hours.
2. Fatehpur Sikri — 40 km from Agra
Emperor Akbar's complete Mughal capital — built 1571–1585, abandoned 14 years later due to water scarcity. One of India's most extraordinary UNESCO sites — a ghost city frozen in time.
- Buland Darwaza: 54m gateway — one of the world's largest. Inscription: "The world is a bridge — pass over it but build no houses upon it"
- Dargah of Salim Chishti: White marble tomb of the Sufi saint who predicted Akbar's son's birth — women tie threads on the marble screens to pray for children
- Panch Mahal: 5-storey pleasure palace with 176 different columns — no two are alike
Entry: Indians ₹40, Foreigners ₹550. Allow 2–3 hours.
3. Itmad-ud-Daulah — 6 km from Taj
Called the Baby Taj — built 1622–1628 by Nur Jahan for her father. The first Mughal structure built entirely in white marble with pietra dura (stone inlay) — a direct precursor to the Taj Mahal's technique. Less visited than the Taj, so much more peaceful.
Entry: Indians ₹35, Foreigners ₹310. Closed Fridays. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
4. Mehtab Bagh — Best Taj View
A garden directly across the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal. The best photography spot — the Taj reflects in the river from here at sunrise. Entry: ₹300 foreigners.
5. Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra — 10 km from Agra
Emperor Akbar's mausoleum — designed by Akbar himself in a unique blend of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist and Christian motifs. Open on Fridays (unlike most Agra monuments). Entry: Indians ₹35, Foreigners ₹310.
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