After our incredible time trekking and enjoying the magic of Leh, Ladakh, we headed back to Delhi to make way for our next stop: Agra. This was a part of the trip that I was incredibly excited for, as I have been dreaming of visiting the Taj Mahal my entire life. I’m not sure what it is about it that has made it such a “must-see” place on my list, but my travel group and I were all really looking forward to visiting together.

After our 10+ day overlap with Zoe in Leh, we were set to meet up with Zoe’s mom, Heather, for a final couple days of travel before going our separate ways. We were eager to experience Agra as a group (and all that visiting a new place in India entails). George and I were also excited to get a glimpse of how a higher-budget trip to India could look for tourists wanting a bit more comfort and security than what George and I had been experiencing on our travels so far.

Day 39: Leh to Agra

After leaving Leh and landing in Delhi, the driver that Heather had hired for her portion of the trip kindly picked us up and took us to Heather’s hotel for lunch. For George and me, who had been travelling India on a budget, being in a nicer hotel was a tourism experience in itself. We were amazed by the incredible architecture and general beauty of the palatial-like hotel and really enjoyed our lunch with the peace of mind that we could order whatever we wanted from the menu without worrying about getting sick. We had been in India for enough time at this point that the novelty of this experience did not wear off for us.

After lunch, we began the drive through Delhi to Agra, which took about four hours with traffic. Our driver was incredible, and it was definitely the most enjoyable (and relaxing, if you can call it that) drive of our entire time in India. It’s amazing how luxurious normalities in Canadian cars, such as seat belts and air conditioning, can feel when you’ve gone without them for the better part of a month.

After arriving at the hotel where Zoe and Heather were staying, George and I set out for our accommodation—a hostel about a 20-minute walk away. Interestingly, the most direct path was not accessible by car and instead wound through several alleyways surrounding the Taj Mahal. We really enjoyed walking through this neighbourhood, which was filled with people and children preparing for an Islamic festival (which we think was Ashura, though a few days early). The children were especially excited to see us, and everyone greeted us warmly as we navigated the winding streets with our backpacks.

Our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal actually came much sooner than we expected. After checking in and putting our bags in our room, we headed up to the rooftop terrace of our hostel. We arrived just as the sun was starting to set, seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time in all its glory.

We kept it pretty relaxed that evening since we had a very early wake-up for our sunrise tour of the Taj in the morning.

Day 40: The Taj Mahal and Other Sights

We woke up around 4:30 AM and checked out of our hostel at 5:00 AM to meet Zoe, Heather, and our guide at 5:30. We were delighted to discover that our hostel was only a three-minute walk from the entrance to the Taj Mahal, making for an easy commute.

While waiting for Zoe’s group, we took in our surroundings. Of note were the many signs warning about monkeys, advising tourists to avoid interactions at all costs, as well as the countless outposts selling anything and everything with the Taj Mahal’s image on it.

Once we met up with Zoe, Heather, and our guide, we got our tickets and headed through security into the main pavilion. Our first glimpses of the Taj Mahal from the inside were framed by a beautiful red archway, and from there, we made our way into the grounds. I couldn’t believe how many people were already there at 5:30 AM, but we were told this was actually quite tame compared to later in the day when buses and trains from New Delhi arrived, bringing thousands of tourists to the site each day.

Even before 6 AM, the heat was building. As our guide led us to various photo spots and shared his vast knowledge of the Taj Mahal’s history and significance, we tried to keep the sweat off our faces and clothes to still look presentable in our “once in a lifetime” photos.

We eventually made it up to the mausoleum, where we had to put special cloth protectors on our shoes to preserve the marble flooring. The interior of the mausoleum was actually one of the most interesting parts of the tour, as I hadn’t considered what the inside of such a famous building would look like. A highlight was a demonstration by one of the guards, showing how light shining through the semi-precious gems embedded in the marble created a glowing effect.

After seeing the inside, George and I headed back to our hostel to grab our bags before meeting Zoe and Heather at their car for breakfast at their hotel. The breakfast at the hotel was one of the most luxurious meals we had in India, and we enjoyed the break from the chaos in the air-conditioned restaurant.

Our next stop after breakfast was the Red Fort, but before that, our driver and guide took us to a “bonus location”—a stonemason’s studio. We were told the descendants of the original Taj Mahal marble workers still created decorative pieces in the same style. We weren’t allowed to take photos in the showroom, but we saw a demonstration of how they carved the marble and inlaid semi-precious stones. The showroom tour was extensive, and we ended up purchasing two marble coasters for our apartment. In hindsight, we probably overpaid and it was definitely a tourist trap, but it was a fun experience, and we now have a tangible memory of the day.

After the stonemason’s, we headed to the Red Fort. We enjoyed exploring while learning about its history and significance from our guide. The intricate architecture made for fantastic photo opportunities.

Our final sightseeing stop was Itmad-ud-Daulah, also known as the “Baby Taj”—a smaller mausoleum built with similar marble and inlay techniques. While much smaller than the Taj Mahal, it was a calm and beautiful place to end our sightseeing in Agra. We especially appreciated being able to walk around the site at a leisurely pace without the crowds.

Before parting ways, we had lunch with Zoe and Heather at a restaurant. We were happy to take a break from the heat and relax before George and I headed to the train station in Agra for our next destination. We were booked in for an early evening train to Rajasthan, where we would visit the final stops on our India tour.

Despite Agra’s busyness and tourist crowds, it is definitely a must-visit city in India. Seeing such incredible historical sites in one place was a truly special experience, and visiting the Taj Mahal felt like a dream come true.

My next blog post will be my last in this India series, where I’ll share about our final stops in Rajasthan. I can’t wait to take you along for the rest of the journey.

As always, thanks for reading!