Tourist Spots

About 2 km from the Taj, on the banks of the river Yamuna, stands the imposing Agra Fort. It was during the reign of Emperor Akbar that the city of Agra reached its pinnacle of glory. During his reign, the main part of the Agra fort was built. The fort, which was first constructed in AD1156 and was finished by Akbar in the year 1605. Most of the buildings inside the fortress were erected by Shahjahan. While most parts of the fort was used as a military bastion, a portion of it was used as a court as by Shahjahan.


Structure of the Fort

The fort stretches almost 2.5 km alongside the Yamuna river. It is enclosed by a wall built in red sandstone and has several buildings inside. Though the fort has two gates- the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate- access can be gained only via the Amar Singh Gate. The entire fort is not opened to tourists, for part of it is nowadays used by the Indian Army. But still it has enough to give an insight into the 16th century Mughal lifestyle. It was the very place where Emperor Shahjahan was confined till death by his son Aurangzeb. Shahjahan is said to have died in the Musamman Burj, a tower with a beautiful marble balcony, which provides the most captivating views of the Taj.
Inside the fort Inside the fort there is the Great Courtyard, towards the right of which lies the multi- pillared Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), built by Shahjahan in 1628. Next, there are the Royal Pavilions. The fort houses two beautiful mosques- Nagina Masjid & Mina Masjid. There are the splendid palaces- Macchi Bhavan, Khas Mahal, Shish Mahal and Shah Jahani Mahal. Besides, there is also the Zenana Mina Bazaar. Many of the buildings are made of pure marble and embellished exquisite carvings. An interesting feature of the rooms in the marble pavilions is that the walls were hollow and filled with running water to provide a cooling effect. The balconies in the pavilions provide some eyeful views of the Yamuna and the Taj.


Entry Fee: Foreigners- Rs 300.00; Indian Nationals- Rs 20.00.


Tourist Timings: 6:00AM- 5:30PM daily

Access AIR: Agra's Domestic Airport 'Kheria' is 7 km from the city center and 3 km from Idgah Bus Stand. All major airlines operate daily tourist shuttle flights to Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi and back. The nearest International airport at Delhi is 203 km away and takes only takes 40 minutes by air / 3 ½ hr by road. Other major Airports nearby are Gwalior (54 km), Jaipur (117 km/International Flights), Lucknow (160 km).

RAIL: Agra has two major railway stations - Agra Cantonment (commonly referred as Agra Cantt) and Agra Fort. Between Delhi and Agra, travels a special luxury train - the Taj Express that leaves Delhi at day break and returns to Agra at night. Other fast trains include the Shatabadi Express ((Journey time-2 hrs) and Intercity Express (Journey time-3 hrs). Infact, there are more than many fast trains that connect Agra to major cities of India.

ROAD: Agra, on cross roads of National Highways 2, 3 and 11, is excellently connected to all parts of the country. ITDC and UPSTDC (both Govt. Transport), and a number of buses from Agra to the nearby cities.


Distances from nearby cities :

Bharatpur :	54 km
Delhi :	203 km
Gwalior :	119 km
Jaipur :	232 km
Khajuraho :	400 km
Lucknow :	369 km
Mathura :	45 km
Nainital :	353 km
Varanasi :	605 km
Mussorie :	417 km

Stay At Considering its iconic status as the hostage to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, accommodation provisions are multifarious, right from low range hotels to the high-priced ones. The Trident Hilton's Amarvilas, with a classic view of the Taj and facilities is undoubtedly the best option. But this may not be every purse's destination. So its best to seek your tour operators recommendation, if at all there is any indecision.

Five Star Deluxe Hotels in Agra
Jaypee Palace Hotel	Hotel Mughal Sheraton
Hotel Amar Vilas
Five Star Hotels in Agra :
Hotel Taj View	Trident Hilton
Clarks Shiraz	Hotel Yamuna View
Four Star Hotels in Agra :
Hotel Holiday Inn	Howard Park Plaza
Three Star Hotels in Agra :
Hotel Deedar-e-Taj	Hotel Amar
Hotel Mansingh Palace	Hotel Pushp Villa
Hotel Atithi	Grand Hotel
Hotel Ganga Ratan	Hotel Chanakaya
Two Star Hotels
Hotel Apollo	Joshi Tourist Complex
Hotel Taj Plaza	Hotel Royale Residency
Government Approved Hotels in Agra
Hotel Amar Yatri Niwas	Mayur Tourist Complex