If you have 23 hours in Agra, then you can visit & explore lots on things in Agra from 5 am in the morning (which is the Taj Mahal Sunrise tour) to 11 pm till night.
In the below list of places to visit in Agra in a day, we have shared the best one day Agra itinerary, along with lots of other things, to do in Agra. Have a look & feel free to call our Agra assistant Mr Maan Singh at 9983010250.
1. Have breakfast
1st thing to do in Agra
You are in Agra, you will visit Taj Mahal, buy first have some local Agra food, and thus we suggest to try Bedmi Puri & Kachori. Many believe that Agra is famous for its Mughal cuisine, which is wrong.
Agra is more like Chandni Chowk of India, and here you can try Aloo Puri at Chimmanlal Puri Wale (182 year old shop), Deviram Sweets, and Sattolala Kachori Wale.
And if you are not a fan for Aloo Puri, then you can try Prantha at the famous “Ram Babu Paratha Bhandar“, though I woud suggest Aloo Puri. For our guests searching Southern India cuisines in Agra, checkout Dasaprakash Restaurant.
2. Visit Taj Mahal
2nd Place to visit in Agra in 1 day
The best places to visit in Agra, Taj Mahal, a global tourist attractions, one of 7 wonders of the world and a symbol of love, built by Shahjahan for his late wife Mumtaz Mahal.
It is said that Shah Jahan was ready to spend the whole treasure of his Mughal empire to built Taj Mahal, and he also had plans to built a 2nd Taj Mahal (Made of zed black stone), just across the 1st one.
You can come here after breakfast, and spend 2-3 hours here exploring the main mausoleum, gardens and site of Yamuna river nest to Taj Mahal.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 245 Time: 5 am to 6 pm
3. Mehtab Bagh
3rd Place to visit in Agra in 1 day
Opposite to Taj Mahal, across Yamuna river, is a park which is aligned with Taj Mahal main complex. This is Mehtab Bagh or Moonlight garden, which is a perfect square shape (300 x 300 meter garden), developed by Shah Jahan himself as the ideal places to visit Taj Mahal on full moon.
There is a rumour attached with Mehtab Bagh as that Shah Jahan 2nd Black Taj Mahal would have been built here, and it would be of same size of White Taj Mahal, and then we could have said that one represent heave and other hell.
But today we suggest all our guests to visit Mehtab, for like 20-30 minutes, to get the best picture of Taj Mahal.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 20 Time: 5 am to 6 pm
4. Agra Red Fort
4th Place to visit in Agra in 1 day
Yes there is also 1 more Red Fort in India, apart from Delhi’s Red Fort, and it has seen many rulers like;
Ibrahim Lodi in 14th century to Mughals, who are the main reason that this fort has a huge 94 acres structure, and then it was ruled by Jat Kings, Marathas, & finally British before it became a tourist site for travellers like you.
Agra Fort is 2.5 km way from Taj Mahal, and the main attraction here is the view of Taj Mahal, which is so heart-breaking as, Shah Jahan (creator of Taj Mahal) was kept in prison here by his own son Aurangzeb for 8 years.
But still the place here, which is Shah-Burj, offer an amazing view of Taj Mahal.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 35 Time: 5 am to 6 pm
5. Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula (Baby Taj)
5th Place to visit in Agra in 1 day
Itmad-ud-Daula means The Lord treasurer, and this was a post given to Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, who was the grad father of Mumtaz Mahal, and father of Noor Jahan, wife of Shah Jahan father Jahangir.
At the court of Jahangir, his wife was a powerful personality and when her father passed away after his wife death, Nur Jahan built this mausoleum in memory of his father & mother who are buried here.
Today locals calls this place as Baby Taj as it looks more like a draft of Taj Mahal, as it has 4 pillars, square share gardens and after visiting this attractions, which l=takes like 15 minutes, you yourself will feel that its a smaller version of Taj Mahal, and its actually a beautiful places to see.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 20 Time: 5 am to 6 pm
6. Plan your lunch in Agra
6th thing to do in Agra
Well after explore all the above sites in Agra, you must be tired and hungry, and below we have shared a list of restaurants & café to checkout to plan your lunch. These are:
– Sheroes Hangout Café: A café run by acid attach victims.
– Mughchi Restaurant: A mixture of Mughlai & Chinese food.
– The Salt Cafe: Live Music
– Pind Balluchi: Near Sikandra Tomb
– Pinch Of Spice: At Hotel ITC Mughal
– Aahar Restaurant: Local Food
7. Akbar Tomb/ Sikandra Tomb
7th Place to visit in Agra in 1 day
Of all the above restaurants, if I have to choose my lunch option, I would prefer Pind Bulluchi as its just next to Akbar Tomb, the mausoleum King Akbar & 2nd best in Agra.
Akbar Tomb was built before Taj Mahal, and is very beautiful and was also robbed in 1691 by Jatt King Rajaram, as he was in a war battle with Aurangzeb.
Today travellers visit this place and find huge gardens, dears (my favourite thing about thus place) and the Tomb of Akbar which also has eeco sound architecture, quite amazing.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 20 Time: 6 am to 6 pm
8. Guru Ka Tal Gurudwara
8th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
This is a historical Gurudwara, devoted to Guru Sri Guru Tegh Bahudar Ji & is believed that Guru Sri Guru Tegh Bahudar Ji offered to to be arrested to Aurangzeb against his policy of force religious conversations.
Every year a big festival is organized here where thousands of followers comes to take blessings from this holy places and you can visit the gurudwara. You can come here, get blessings, & explore the Gurudwara anytime.
Entry tickets fare: Free for all Time: 5 am to 9 pm is best
9. Mariam’s tomb
9th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
Mariam’s tomb, or Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani is the 3rd mausoleum in Agra, and is of Akbar favourite wife, Jodha bai, who was a Rajput princes & daughter of of Raja Bharmal of Amer (in Jaipur).
You can come here in evening, spend some time here as its quite peaceful and not many people visit this place as its a bit far from Taj Mahal site, but still its a important part of Agra & Mughal history.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 20 Time: 5 am to 6 pm
10. Soami Bagh /Dayal Bagh
10th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
The Soami Bagh or Dayal Bagh is a beautiful temple of Radhaswami Faith followers, and is a very beautiful temple complex which started in 1904 and it took 100 years to built.
Photography isn’t allowed inside the complex and the details in stone work here is of the best in India. You can come here in evening and spend like 20-30 minutes here.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 20
Time: 5 am to 6 pm
11. Mathura & Vrindavan temples
11th in Places to visit near Agra
From Akbar Tomb to Dayal Bagh, if you can skip a trip to these sites, you can either plan a visit to Mathura Vrindavan Temples, or Fatehpur Sikri, which are both 35-60 km drive from Agra.
If you have decided to visit Mathura & Vrindavan, then leave from Agra after lunch, or visit Akbar Tomb and reach Mathura by 5 pm, and visit Shri Krishna Janmasthan Temple, Shree Dwarikadhish Temple and then arrive at Vrindavan to see Banke Bihari Temple, Krishan Balram ISCKON temple, Prem Mandir, & Radha Raman Temple.
Entry tickets fare: Free for all
Time: 5 am to 1 pm & 5 pm to 10 pm
12. Fatehpur Sikri
12th in Places to visit near Agra
Other option to visit Afra after lunch is Fatehpur Sikri. Here we suggest to leave by 3 pm from Agra and reach by 4 pm, get the tickets and entry the complex, which is a UNESCO World heritage site and once the capital of Mughals.
At Fatehpur Sikri you will find it as a city with lots of palaces, meeting halls, kings court, like:
- Buland Darwaza: a victory gate
- Jama Masjid: Mosque
- Tomb of Salim Chishti
- Diwan-i-Aam: King’s meeting place
- Diwan-i-Khas: King’s special meeting place
- Jodha Bai Mahal: Palace of queen Jodha Bai
- Panch Mahal: Ladies court
- Birbal’s House: House of a King’s advisor
Entry tickets fare: Rs 35
Time: 5 am to 6 pm
13. Shopping in Agra
13th in things to do in Agra
Agra is not just famous for Taj Mahal, its also famous for its handicraft and leather work. Like shoes in Agra are very famous, and you can visit a few markets to get some souvenir or some goods.
Check out markets like Hing Ki Mandi, which was once a market of imported Hing (asafoetida), and now its the best place to buy shoes in Agra. Then you can see Sadar Bazaar which is close to Jama Masjid of Agra and its a popular tourist market where you ca get souvenirs, leather bags, belt, and also some good street food.
And also checkout Subhash Bazaar; famous for Silk fabrics, Kinari Bazaar also a tourist market, and TDI Mall for travellers who wants to see stuff is less crowded environment.
Time: 10 am to 9 pm
14. Best place to have dinner in Agra
14th in things to do in Agra
Well have suggest many local food points and some great restaurants in Agra to try, but if you want to have dinner at a memorable place then checkout The Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel in Agra.
It is the number 1 hotel in Agra, where you can either plan to stay or have your dinner at their pool side restaurant that also has an amazing view of Taj Mahal.
Checkout there restaurants name “The Lounge” & “The Bar” which have amazing view of Taj Mahal, and cost for 2 here for dinner will come to Rs 4000-5000 per thali.
Dinner Time: 7 pm to 11 pm
Agra hidden gems
Below are some more famous, & historical landmarks of Agra, which are not visited in good numbers but still they are a part of Agra history & Culture.
15. Missionaries of Charity
15th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
Missionaries of Charity is a religious community started by Mother Teresa. In Agra you can visit the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries Of Charity Home and spend some time with underprivileged children, orphans, and also help the management in day to day work.
In the last decade, with Agra getting global tourist footfalls, the Missionaries of Charity in Agra has become a popular place for some of our guests who wants to do some charity work, and thus we suggest to checkout this place if you are in Agra.
Time: 10 AM to 8 pm
16. Wildlife SOS Agra
16th in Places to visit near Agra
Wildlife SOS has more than 110 Sloth Bear (most common in India), and all these are rescued bears from the hand of people who use them to make money either in terms of showing road side show or killing them for their body parts.
You can come here, see these bears in an artificially created but natural environment, where they are able to roam free in a large lush green jungle type facility. Its an amazing place to see with kids and even locals come here and thus encourage these facilities such noble work
Entry tickets fare: Free
Time: 10 AM to 5 pm
17. Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Center
17th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Center is an live theatre, where you can spend 1-2 hour to view their Mohabbat-e-Taj show, which narrate the story of Taj Mahal, with a mixture of Bollywood sings, nice dresses etc.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 1500-3000
Time: from 6:45 pm
18. Shri Mankameshwar Mandir
18th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
Shri Mankameshwar Mandir is a famous Shiva Temple in Agra, and is said to be constructed with Shri Krishan was born in Mauthura. The Shivlinga here is made up of silver and you can’t enter here with your normal clothes as you need to wear Kurta Dhooti to enter here.
As per many of our local Agra connections, they visit the temple every Monday and its located near Agra Fort Railway station.
Entry tickets fare: Free for all
Time: 6 am to 10 pm
19. Ram Bagh
19th in Places to visit in Agra in 1 day
Ram Bagh, previously known as Aram Bagh is the oldest Mughal garden in India, built i=on the banks of Yamuna river, when the 1st Emperor Babur was buried here (only temporary & later his tomb was built in Kabul).
As per the biography written on Jahangir, who was the great grandson of Babur, this garden was well developed by Jahangir, and many complex, fountains were built here, to portray the 4 garden scene of heaven as per Islam religion.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 20
Time: 6 am to 6 pm
20. Keetham Lake
20th in Places to visit near Agra
Keetham Lake is on0route to Mathura and just 12 km drive from Akbar Tomb. The lake area is developed by Agra Government, and here you will find a children park at entry gate, and a developed green area where you can relax, and also watch some migratory birds.
This place is also a family friendly place, and you can visit in in morning or evening (best time) and also take some shots of more than 2 dozens migratory birds. Plus you can also enjoy boating here and if lucky enough, you can spot a crocodile.
Entry tickets fare: Zero For car & Scooter: Rs 100-200 Time: 10 am to 5 pm
21. Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary
21th in Places to visit near Agra
Just next to Keetham Lake is the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, not as big as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, but a beautiful place to visit around Agra. Travellers come here to see migratory birds and we suggest to visit this place in winters.
You can visit Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary & Keetham Lake in summer but on a hot day, don’t keep too much expectation to see migratory birds.
Entry tickets fare: Rs 30 For car & Scooter: Rs 20-100 Time: 8 am to 6 pm
22. Taj Heritage Walk
22nd things to do in Agra
Taj Heritage Walk is a guided tour which you can take before entering Taj Mahal, and here you will entry the Taj Mahal premises from Eastern gate, and then visit 5 hidden place near Taj Mahal before finally seeing the main attraction. These 5 are
1. Sandli Masjid which is an Octaganol tomb of Shah Jahan 1st wife Quandari Begam.
2. Ban-Walo Ki Bahichi which was once the private garden of Baniya community.
3. Ahmed Bukhari Dargah is the tomb of one of the brother of Bukhari brothers who took the charge of Taj Mahal construction.
4. Hatki-Khana Gate was the entry gate for the elephants of Jahangir, and
5. Haveli of Khan-I Duran & Agah Khan which was the mansion of Khan-I Duran who was the military commander of Jahangir & Agah Khan was the guard of Mumtaz Mahal.
Time: 8 am to 6 pm
23. Chini Ka Rauza
22rd things to do in Agra
Chini Ka Rauza is a Mausoleum & sadly not a well maintained site, which is the Tomb of Shahjahan prime minister, Allama Afzal Khan. Today not many traveller come here but still its an important park of Agra history
Entry tickets fare: Free
Time: 6 am to 6 pm
24. Moti Lal Nehru Park
24th in Places to visit in Agra
There are many gardens in Agra, from Ram Bagh to gardens inside the Taj Mahal Complex, but if you ever wants to spend some time away from Tourist sites, markets then visit Moti Lal Nehru Park.
This park is close to Taj Mahal, very clean and well maintained and one of the best parks as per many locals.
Entry tickets fare: Free
Time: 6 am to 10 pm
A few more things about Agra
Below we have shared details on Agra Petha, Bharatpur site, etc.
25. Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur
25th in Places to visit near Agra
As said above for Mathura Vrindavan, and Fatehpur Sikri, the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur Rajasthan is a hidden gem near Agra which you can visit after lunch from Agra.
Its 55 km drive/ around 1 hour, from Agra and here you will find more than 300 species of migratory birds and this national park is also a UNESCO World heritage site.
Entry ticket fare: Rs 50
Time: 6 AM to 5 pm
26. Try Agra Petha
26th in things to do in Agra
The most famous food item in Agra is “Petha” which is a sweet dish made up of pumpkin. In Agra you can try Petha from “Panchi Petha” (and make sure that its the original one) who offers 20 varieties of it like Plain Petha, Kesan Petha, Pan Petha etc.
Their shop address is 855A, Fatehpur Sikri Rd, Naulakha, Sadar Bazar, Agra Cantt, Idgah Colony, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001.
Open from: 9 AM to 10 pm
FAQ about Agra
Know more about Agra tour itinerary & tourist visiting related infrmation:
> Where to stay in Agra
There is no shortage of hotels in Agra. You can stay in a Rs 500 per night guest house to a Rs 20.000 per night luxury room at The Oberoi Amarvilas. Checkout the below list:
- Hotel Taj Resorts
- The Retreat
- Hotel Moti Palace
- Hotel Amar, budget hotels
- Hotel Clarks Shiraz
- Crystal Sarovar Premiere
- Radisson Hotel, Star rated
- Courtyard by Marriott
- ITC Mughal
- The Ooberoi Amarvilas, Luxury Hotels
> How to reach Agra
You can either catch a direct flight or train for Agra, or land at Delhi 1st and then book a cab for Agra, available at Rs 3,000 with our Delhi to Agra taxi service. Or catch a train from Delhi to Agra which can land you in Agra is less than 2 hours, like:
- Vande Bharat Express: 14:40 departure
- Gatimaan Express: 08″10 departure
> Best time to visit Agra?
Agra is a 12 month destinations and travellers from all over the worked visit it. Though months from August to April are considered as high season dates in Agra, and Diwali week, New year & Christmas dates are peak season dates for Agra.
> Best Agra tour itinerary
As per this blog, and by many travel agency in Agra, you can explore all the main sites of the city in one day. Like visit Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Baby Taj & Mehtab Bagh in 6-7 hours. But a proper itinerary for Agra is for 2 days, where we suggest:
- Day 1: Arrive in Agra by morning, direct or from Delhi, and visit Taj Mahal, Mehtab Bagh & Agra Fort till lunch.
- Then after lunch you can either explore local Agra sites like Baby Taj, Sikandra or visit one of below 2 options
- Option 1: Visit Fatehpur Sikri, and reach there by 4, explore the site till 6, come back to Agra, explore local Markets and rest for the day.
- Option 2: Visit Mathura Vrindavan temples, and reach Mathura from 4, visit the 2 main temples & then all the famous temples in Vrindavan till 9-10 pm, and rest for the night in Agra or Mathura.
- Day 2: Visit one of above 2 options which you left on day 1, after exploring Akbar Tomb, & Baby Taj.
- We suggest to visit Mathura & Vrindavan Temples on day 1, and then on day 2 you can sites left in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri till lunch time, and then enjoy a 4 hour tour of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur Rajasthan.
> Packages for Agra from Delhi
You can checkout our:
- Same day Agra tour by car, where we leave for Agra from Delhi by 7 am, reach Taj Mahal Parking by 10 am, and explore Taj Mahal, Mehtab Bagh, Agra Fort, Mathura Vrindavan/ Fatehpur Sikri till 7 pm & be back in Delhi by 11 pm. Fare @ Rs 6,000 for sedan car.
- Delhi Agra tour packages: These are our 10 well planned Delhi Agra tour packages from 2 days visit of Agra & all nearby sites with 5-6 days Delhi Agra tour with Jaipur, Amritsar, Manali etc. Fare @ Rs 4,000 person
- Agra Mathura Vrindavan tour, is one of our most popular Agra Sightseeing tour, where you hire our cab from Agra, to explore top sites in Agra till 4 pm & then visit Mathura Vrindavan till night & come back to Agra. Fare @ Rs 3,000 for sedan car
> Guide problem in Agra
Since Agra has become India’s number 1 tourist city, and so has the problems of tour guides forcing guests. We are not saying that all guides are fake but there still many fare ones. So how to get a good guide in Jaipur? Read below steps.
- Get a guide from your travel agency, they will never send a bad apple to you.
- No guide should force you to buy something or eat at their suggest place. the final choice is always of the guest.
- Always book a guide that has government tour licence. Well this step identification has now become easier as fake guides are now not allowed in ASI protected sites like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort etc.
> What is Taj Mahal Sunrise tour
You can get a special entry ticket from the main ticket counter ot Taj Mahal where you will arrive inside Taj Mahal by 5 pm or before sunrise, and then get the 1st view of Sunrise at Taj Mahal, which as per many travellers. bloggers shots is an amazing view. Know more about it at our Taj Mahal tour page.
> List of all the cities you can visit from Agra
The most near ones are Gwalior 120 km, Jaipur 250 km, Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur 290 km, and Delhi which is 235 km. Many of our guests also plan a tour of Delhi Agra Jaipur for minimum 4 days, & explore Delhi on day 1, Agra on day 2, Jaipur on day 3, and then plan departure from Jaipur or Delhi from Day 4. This is our Golden Triangle taxi tour package.
Plus also checkout hand Baori Stepwell site which is 150 km from Agra towards Jaipur route, and the famous Mehandipur Balaji temple which is close from here. Other notable places to explore near Agra are Deeg Palace, Bhangarh Fort, Khajuraho Temple & Lucknow city which is 335 km nut well connected with Yamuna Expressway.
Checkout our list of Agra tour packages, where you will best itineraries of all the places one can visit from Agra and in how many days, best fare, car only package etc, and feel free to call me & our team in Agra Delhi at: