Description
It is 240 km each way and it makes for a very long day, but it works — and the Taj at opening time, before the haze and the crowds, is worth the alarm clock.
We leave Jaipur around 2:00 in the morning so that you are at the east gate when it opens. You sleep in the car on the way; the seats recline and there are blankets.
How the day runs
02:00
Leave Jaipur
Expressway most of the way. Four to five hours with one tea stop.
Sunrise
The Taj Mahal
Two to three hours inside with a local Agra guide. First light on the marble, then the river side, the mosque and the details close up.
09:30
Breakfast in Agra
10:30
Agra Fort
The red sandstone fort across the river, and the window Shah Jahan is said to have watched the Taj from.
13:00
Drive back with a stop at Fatehpur Sikri
The abandoned Mughal capital, an hour outside Agra, if you still have the energy. Skip it and get home earlier — your call on the day.
19:00
Back in Jaipur
What’s included
- Private air-conditioned car with driver for the full day
- Licensed guide in Agra
- Fuel, all tolls, parking and driver allowances
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Jaipur
- Water and blankets in the car
What’s not included
- Taj Mahal entry, around $18 per person, plus $7 for Agra Fort and $8 for Fatehpur Sikri at current foreign-national rates
- Breakfast and lunch
- Tips
Where we meet you
Hotel lobby at 02:00. We will confirm the exact time based on sunrise on your date.
Good to know
- The Taj is closed every Friday. We will tell you if your date falls on one.
- Priced per car for up to 4 people; ask us for a larger vehicle.
- If a 2 am start sounds brutal, consider staying a night in Agra instead — say the word and we will price that route.
- Tripods and drones are not allowed at the Taj. Small cameras and phones are fine.
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