Views of the Taj Mahal: Sunrise and Sunset

Taj Mahal, all alone at sunrise

Agra is a town that lives in infamy—it’s one of the pushiest tourist traps in an already obnoxiously over-the-top nation. I’m convinced they named it Agra because it’s so aggravating. Despite this, it remains a necessary evil for many as it houses arguably the most majestic piece of architecture in the world: the Taj Mahal. A popular destination with Indians and foreigners alike, even the nationals see Agra as a hassle; this goes double—maybe even more—for the rest of us. Regardless, the view is truly magnificent and worth the effort, attestable by the millions who make the trip every year in spite of the hassles.

While some argue that there is no bad view of the Taj, there are a few choice locations that will make for some spectacular views at sunrise and sunset. These are my tips based on our recent trip to Agra.

Accommodations 

First off, I wouldn’t slight anyone who decided that one day of Agra was enough and chose not to even stay a night. We actually considered doing this—sandwiching a day at the Taj in between two overnight trains—but in the end, decided to stay one night. This gave us the time to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise and another day, which we spent on a daytrip 40 km down the road to Fatehpur Sikri to see the Mughal ruins there (pictures).

Many will recommend you stay in the Taj Ganj area just south of the Taj Mahal. This isn’t a bad option. A few of the hotels here have rooftop restaurants with impeccable views of the Taj. The best view that we saw was the Saniya Palace Hotel. We watched the sunset here our first night, but I could imagine that the sunrise might even be more spectacular. The hotel next door also has a rooftop restaurant, but is just east enough to have an obstructed view.

As you’ll want to enter the Taj grounds right as the gates open in the morning, personally I recommend staying near the east gate to make things easier. We chose the Hotel Sheela (NOT the Sheela Inn), just a stone’s throw from the east gate, but also considered the Friends Paying Guest House based on location.

Sunrise in the Taj Grounds 

Along the riverside

Use the East Gate. Entering the Taj Mahal grounds first thing at the crack of dawn is both the best view for sunrise and the only way to have an unobstructed view of the Taj. First, some logistics. The Taj Mahal has 3 gates: east, south and west. The south gate is open from 8 am to 5 pm, so it isn’t an option for sunrise. Most people use the west gate in the morning—this is because most people are lazy and apparently like standing in line longer than necessary. The ticket booths are easily accessible on the west side, but the ticket booth for the east gate is a good 1 km down the road. I know, you’re going to have to wake up at like 4:30 am if you want to go get tickets before the gates open at sunrise, but this is the Taj-fricking-Mahal! Sometimes, you just gotta man up.

The eastern ticket booth is a straight shot down the road from the east gate on the right-hand side. They even have an electric shuttle to give you a ride back to the edge of the vehicle-friendly zone, so you only have to walk one way. The gates will open at 6 am for sunrise; I bought our tickets at 5:30 am and wasn’t the first in line, so you might even be able to show up at 5 or 5:15 am. Alternately, you could be smart enough to just buy your tickets beforehand and leisurely saunter over to the gates, snickering at suckers like me. Either way, it’s a good idea to be at the gates and in line before 5:45 am at the East Gate if you want to be at or close to the front of the line, or probably even earlier if you choose the West Gate.

Don’t take unnecessary baggage. When the gates do open—and they’ll take their time, believe me—you’ll have to pass through security after getting your ticket stamped. They’re looking for things like tripods and flashlights. Again, do not bother bringing a flashlight, which is a no-no here despite Lonely Planet and other guidebooks recommending you bring one.

If you have a red flag item, they’ll either slow you down or stop you from entering, so only bring what you need. Your hotel will probably have a full list of things you can’t bring in, so either check with them or online. They say that they’re especially strict with women for whatever reason, so have the guy take things in if it’s an option for you.

First shot!!

Being one of the first ones there in the morning is about the only way to get an unobstructed picture of the Taj Mahal, so strike while the iron is hot. You’ll probably have at least 5-15 minutes before people start trickling down too far past the main gate. You may not appreciate how magical it is to have this place all to yourself until you see the droves of people swarming around later in the day. By 9 am, good luck getting any pictures without other people in them, and more and more Indian tourists will pile in later in the day.

Sunset at Mehtab Bagh 

Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh

Mehtab Bagh is a park directly across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal that was part of the original designs. It is thus perfectly aligned with the Taj and symmetrical, just as with the garden found inside the Taj grounds.

 It’s actually quite a haul to get out to Megtab Bagh at some 12 km from the East Gate, so allow at least 30 minutes from the Taj Ganj area. You can get a cycle rickshaw to take you out there for cheap, but most everyone we talked to that did so felt bad for the guy by the end of the trip and wound up paying just as much if not more than we paid for an auto-rickshaw out there. It’s one hellacious trip to cycle with 2 people in tow. Pay the driver for the roundtrip, and don’t let them try to charge you extra to wait. We paid 300 Rs for an auto-rickshaw for the latter half of the day, combining stops at Itimad-ud-Daulah, or Baby Taj (pictures), and Chini-ka-Rauza. You could probably skip on the latter, but the Baby Taj is worth seeing.

Park entrance at Mehtab Bagh is a cool 100 Rs/person. If you’re stingy, you can just walk down the edge of the park and have basically the same view, albeit from a limited angle. Really though, I know this is sacrilegious to the traveler mentality, but at the end of the day it’s only $2. Just cough it up, the view’s worth it. Being on the other side makes it good for sunsets.

Other options 

The best morning view is from inside the Taj grounds, but I can think of two possible alternatives that could look nice at sunrise or sunset. They won’t be as up close and personal, but they will certainly be more leisurely. First would be the rooftop restaurants mentioned before. Instead of worrying about why the guard can't just hurry up and open the damn gate, you can enjoy your Taj over tea and strumpets (ok, so maybe they're not that kind of restaurant). The other would be from Agra Fort; if you have a nice zoom lens, the angles should be great. For another sunset option, you could walk out the East Gate and down to the riverside and rent a boat. I hear it should cost about 100 Rs, but we didn't try.

Agra can be a bit overwhelming, especially If this is your first time to India. I wouldn’t really suggest hitting it up first thing after flying into Delhi, for example. We did it after roaming around Rajasthan for a couple weeks, which gave us the time to get a little acclimated to the Indian way of doing things. Don’t let the touts get to you as they can be relentless—if you’re playful and upbeat enough, it can make turning them away amicably and gracefully that much easier. As one pointer, kids don’t like it when you ask them for pens and rupees.

So for Agra, basically just get in, get out, and enjoy the rest of the country! I'll close with a few more of my own shots of the Taj Mahal. For the full album, go here.

Minarets and spires just before dusk sets

Inside of one of the mosque domes

The 3 themes of the Taj: spires, Sanskrit and floral patterns