Asi Monument Taj Mahal Ticket: what you need in 2026

You need a ticket to enter the monument grounds. The fee depends on your category.

• Indian visitors pay the domestic rate.
• Visitors from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries pay a middle rate.
• Foreign visitors and NRIs pay the foreign rate.
• Children below 15 years enter free, as stated on the official Taj Mahal site. You should still confirm the current age rule on the official site before you travel.

At the Taj Mahal there is a separate extra charge if you want to enter the main mausoleum (the central domed chamber). The base ticket lets you enter the grounds. Buy the extra part if you want to go inside the mausoleum.

Agra Fort has its own ticket, separate from the Taj Mahal ticket. One ticket does not cover both.

• A working email address and a mobile number for the booking confirmation.
• Your visitor category (Indian, SAARC or BIMSTEC, or foreign).
• The number of adults and children.
• A photo identity document to carry on the day. Foreign visitors should carry a passport. Indian visitors should carry a government photo identity.
• An online payment method (card, net banking, or UPI).

• Open the official Taj Mahal site www.tajmahal.gov.in, or the official ASI Agra Circle site www.asiagracircle.in.
• Click the "Book online" or "Online ticket booking" link. This takes you to ASI's e-ticketing portal.
• Choose the monument. For Agra, this is Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, or Fatehpur Sikri. You can find other ASI monuments across India in the same system.
• Choose your visit date.
• Choose your visitor category and enter the number of tickets.
• For the Taj Mahal, add the extra mausoleum entry if you want to go inside the main chamber.
• Fill in the lead visitor details and pay online.
• Save the ticket. You get a QR code. Show it at the entry gate. You do not need to print it.

You can also buy a ticket at the counter near the monument, but the online ticket is faster and usually cheaper. ASI gives a small discount on online tickets.

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri each charge by category: an Indian rate, a SAARC and BIMSTEC rate, and a foreign and NRI rate. The Taj Mahal has a separate extra fee for the main mausoleum. Online tickets get a small discount over counter tickets. Children below 15 years enter free.

Ticket prices change from time to time. Do not rely on a number from a blog. Confirm the current fee for your category on the official site (last checked September 2026).

The Taj Mahal stays closed every Friday. Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri stay open on Fridays.

On open days the Taj Mahal admits visitors in daylight hours. The official site describes entry as starting about half an hour before sunrise and ending about half an hour before sunset, with ticket windows opening earlier. Sunrise and sunset shift through the year, so the exact clock time changes. Confirm the current timing on the official site (last checked September 2026).

Night viewing of the Taj Mahal is special. The official site states that night viewing runs on five nights each month: the full moon night, the two nights before it, and the two nights after it. The night slots run in the late evening in several small batches, with a limited number of people in each batch and a short time inside for each batch. Because these dates depend on the moon, they move each month. You book night viewing through the same ASI online system, and you should book early because the batches are small. Confirm the exact night viewing dates, slots, and rules on the official site (last checked September 2026).

• Book online before you reach Agra. This lets you skip the ticket counter line.
• Enter early in the morning. The light is soft and the crowd is thinner.
• Avoid weekends and public holidays if you can. Weekdays are calmer.
• Remember the Friday closure at the Taj Mahal. Plan Agra Fort or Fatehpur Sikri for a Friday instead.
• For night viewing, plan your Agra trip around the full moon and book the slot as soon as booking opens.

Agra sits in Uttar Pradesh. You can reach it by train from Delhi, Jaipur, and many other cities. Agra has its own railway stations and an airport with limited flights. Fast trains from Delhi reach Agra in a few hours. Many visitors do a day trip from Delhi or Jaipur, but staying a night lets you see sunrise at the Taj Mahal.

You find hotels in every budget near the Taj Mahal, in the Taj Ganj area, and in the wider city. Rooms with a Taj view cost more. Agra Fort sits a short drive from the Taj Mahal, and Fatehpur Sikri lies about an hour away by road.

• Carry your booked ticket (the QR code) and a photo identity document.
• Security is strict. You pass through a metal detector and a bag check.
• Large bags, food, tripods, and drones are not allowed inside the Taj Mahal. Only a still camera and small essentials are usually allowed.
• Do not carry sharp items, big power banks, or anything that looks like a weapon.
• You may need to remove shoes or use shoe covers near the main platform. Shoe covers come with many tickets.
• Follow the no smoking and no eating rules inside the grounds.
• Confirm the current list of prohibited items on the official site, because the list changes.

• Agra Fort, a World Heritage monument a short drive from the Taj Mahal.
• Fatehpur Sikri, a walled Mughal city about an hour away by road.
• Mehtab Bagh, a garden across the river with a wide Taj Mahal view at sunset.
• Itimad ud Daulah, often called the "Baby Taj."
• Sikandra, the tomb of Akbar.