Agra
The Taj Mahal and Mughal monuments, UP's biggest draw
Best time to visit Agra
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, shoulder season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: October to February
- Shoulder: March and July to September, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryOctoberNovemberDecember
Agra season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Peak season: cool, clear days are ideal for the Taj, though January fog can delay sunrise views
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June plains heat hits 45C+; walking the marble courtyards at midday is genuinely dangerous
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Humid but the rains green the gardens and thin the crowds. An underrated window if you handle the stickiness
Autumn October to November Prime time
Excellent weather returns by late October. Comfortable temperatures, build-up to peak season
What Agra is actually like
Taj Ganj guesthouses cluster travelers together, though touts can be relentless
Getting to Agra
Gatimaan/Shatabdi Express from Delhi 1h45m, or drive 3.5h
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 170 m
- State
- Uttar Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 27.1767, 78.0081
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Agra?
October to February is peak season in Agra. March and July to September is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Excellent weather returns by late October. Comfortable temperatures, build-up to peak season.
How many days do you need in Agra?
2 days is the usual stay. Taj Ganj guesthouses cluster travelers together, though touts can be relentless.
How do you get to Agra?
Gatimaan/Shatabdi Express from Delhi 1h45m, or drive 3.5h. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Agra expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Is there a festival in Agra?
Feb: Taj Mahotsav. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Fatehpur Sikri
Uttar Pradesh
Akbar's red sandstone capital, abandoned after fourteen years
50 km from Agra, roughly under an hour by road
-
Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park)
Rajasthan
India's top bird sanctuary, best seen by bicycle
60 km from Agra, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Vrindavan-Mathura
Uttar Pradesh
Krishna's birthplace and playground of temple towns
70 km from Agra, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah)
Uttar Pradesh
Gharial river safaris on the Chambal near Bateshwar's Shiva temple row
80 km from Agra, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Barsana & Nandgaon
Uttar Pradesh
Braj hill villages where Lathmar Holi is fought with sticks
110 km from Agra, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Mitaoli, Padavali & Bateshwar
Madhya Pradesh
A hilltop ring of 64 yoginis and Bateshwar's 200 sandstone shrines
110 km from Agra, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Gwalior
Madhya Pradesh
Hilltop fort, Jain rock colossi and Tansen's dhrupad town
140 km from Agra, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Karauli
Rajasthan
Red sandstone city palace and the Kaila Devi pilgrim road
160 km from Agra, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Uttar Pradesh
- Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh
- Barsana & Nandgaon Uttar Pradesh
- Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah) Uttar Pradesh
- Bhitargaon Uttar Pradesh
- Bithoor Uttar Pradesh
- Chitrakoot (Ramghat) Uttar Pradesh
- Deogarh (Lalitpur) Uttar Pradesh
- Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh
- Fatehpur Sikri Uttar Pradesh
- Hastinapur Uttar Pradesh
- Jaunpur Uttar Pradesh
- Jhansi Uttar Pradesh
- Kalinjar Fort Uttar Pradesh
- Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
- Kaushambi (Kosam) Uttar Pradesh
- Kushinagar Uttar Pradesh
- Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
- Naimisharanya (Nimsar) Uttar Pradesh
- Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao) Uttar Pradesh
- Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Chuka) Uttar Pradesh
- Prayagraj (Triveni Sangam) Uttar Pradesh
- Salkhan Fossils Park (Sonbhadra) Uttar Pradesh
- Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet) Uttar Pradesh
- Varanasi Uttar Pradesh
- Vrindavan-Mathura Uttar Pradesh