Same day Taj Mahal tour by train

I am going to be staying in Delhi for a few days, and during my stay day, I am very busy, apart from the last day there. On my last day, I am hoping I can go to see the Taj Mahal and be back in Delhi the same day.

I would travel by train so need some suggestions if I plan the same day Taj Mahal tour by train?

Some help which I require is what train I should take?

How I should plan my day for the trip?

 

Hi, welcome to the forum!

(Images from Yann, Superfast, India Rail Info and India Rail Info)​

Overview

The distance between Delhi and Agra is about 235 kilometres, which can take around 3 hours and 30 minutes of driving time. There are also trains running through this route, leaving from different stations in Delhi and arriving at the Agra Cantonment Railway Station. There are some early morning trains that you can choose from, with journey durations of around three hours. Some trains are a bit faster, specifically the few Shatabdi ones, which have running times of less than two hours. With such trains, you can easily plan your Same Day Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi. Below, we would highlight your best train options from Delhi to Agra and from Agra to Delhi, for a same day tour of the Taj Mahal.

Trains from Delhi to Agra (Early Morning Trains)

In order to enjoy a tour of the Taj Mahal, or even the surrounding attractions, you need to leave early from Delhi. Fortunately, there are many early morning trains from Delhi to Agra, giving you a lot of time to explore the latter city, at least for a whole day.

➟ Trains with Shortest Journey Duration from Delhi to Agra (Early Morning)

Train Name and Number	Departure Station - Time	Arrival Station - Time	Schedule	Journey Duration
Atari Jabalpur SF Express Train No. 01708	New Delhi - 2:00	Agra Cantt - 5:20	Mondays and Tuesdays	3 Hours and 20 Minutes
New Delhi Bhopal Habibganj Shatabdi Express Train No. 12002	New Delhi - 6:00	Agra Cantt - 7:57	Daily	1 Hour and 57 Minutes
Andhra Pradesh AC SF Express Train No. 22416	New Delhi - 6:25	Agra Cantt - 9:10	Daily	2 Hours and 45 Minutes
Gatimaan Express Train No. 12050	Hazrat Nizamuddin - 8:10	Agra Cantt - 9:50	Daily Except Fridays	1 Hour and 40 Minutes
Samata SF Express Train No. 12808	Hazrat Nizamuddin - 8:35	Agra Cantt - 11:10	Daily Except Sundays and Wednesdays	2 Hours and 35 Minutes

These are your best train options from Delhi to Agra. All of these trains depart from Delhi early in the morning. The Atari Jabalpur SF Express Train No. 01708 is a good option, if you want to catch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal. It departs from New Delhi at around 2:00 in the morning and arrives in Agra at 5:20. If you are okay with missing the sunrise at the Taj Mahal, the two Shatabdi trains, namely, New Delhi Bhopal Habibganj Shatabdi Express Train No. 12002 and Gatimaan Express Train No. 12050, are good options. They reach Agra in under 3 hours but they are the priciest options. You can choose any of the remaining trains if you want to save a bit of money and you're okay with some delays.

➟ Fare Rates for Trains from Delhi to Agra (Early Morning)

Train Name and Number	II	SL	CC	EX	3A	2A	1A
Atari Jabalpur SF Express Train No. 01708	Rs. 90	Rs. 375	-	-	-	Rs. 1,410	-
New Delhi Bhopal Habibganj Shatabdi Express Train No. 12002	-	-	Rs. 515	Rs. 1,010	-	-	-
Andhra Pradesh AC SF Express Train No. 22416	-	-	-	-	Rs. 540	Rs. 720	Rs. 1,175
Gatimaan Express Train No. 12050	-	-	Rs. 755	Rs. 1,505	-	-	-
Samata SF Express Train No. 12808	Rs. 100	Rs. 170	-	-	Rs. 540	Rs. 740	-

These are the fare rates for the trains given above. As you can see, for the two Shatabdi trains, they only have two types of seats, which are the AC Chair class and Executive class. The AC Chair (CC) costs around Rs. 515 to Rs. 755 while the Executive (EX) costs around Rs. 1,010 to Rs. 1,505. For the Atari Jabalpur SF Express Train No. 01708, it has II (Rs. 90), SL (Rs. 375) and 2A (Rs. 1,410). For the Andhra Pradesh AC SF Express Train No. 22416, it has 3A (Rs. 540), 2A (Rs. 720) and 1A (Rs. 1,175) and for the Samata SF Express Train No. 12808, it has II (Rs. 100), SL (Rs. 170), 3A (Rs. 540) and 2A (Rs. 740).

From the Agra Cantonment Railway Station, the Taj Mahal is about 10 kilometres away. Since you won't want to waste time, it's best to hire a taxi or an auto rickshaw to take you from the railway station to one of the entry gates of the Taj Mahal. The rate for an auto rickshaw ride from the railway station to the Taj Mahal is at Rs. 80 to Rs. 120. The rate for a taxi ride from the railway station to the Taj Mahal is at Rs. 150 to Rs. 200. There are also shared autos from the railway station to Bijli Ghar, which cost merely Rs. 5 per person and from Bijli Ghar, you can walk to reach the Agra Fort. From the Agra Fort, there are shared autos to reach the Taj Mahal, which cost around Rs. 10 per person.

Planning Your Same Day Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi

An important aspect of visiting the Taj Mahal is knowing its schedules. You must first know which days of the week the Taj Mahal is open for visitors. Also vital is knowing how early or how late it closes during the day. Plus, there are also some days in the month that the Taj Mahal remains open during night time. You can effectively plan your Taj Mahal visit with these information on hand.

➟ Opening and Closing Times of Taj Mahal

Opening Time	Closing Time	Schedule	Inaccessible
Sunrise (6:00 AM)	Sunset (18:30 PM)	Saturdays to Thursdays	Fridays (Except for Muslims on Afternoons)

The Taj Mahal is open everyday from Saturdays until Thursdays. It remains restricted to visitors during Fridays, when only Muslims can enter the premises, and even then, just for attending prayers. During the days that the monument is open, it does so from sunrise to sunset. The timings vary depending on the time the sun rises, usually at 6:00 in the morning, or the sun sets, usually at 18:30 in the afternoon, for that day.

Also, the monument opens for night time visits, five times per month, on the day of full moon and two days prior and after the said event. Again, entry to the monument is restricted during Fridays even if it is a full moon. Further, if it is Ramadan season, the monument also remains closed. You also need to book your ticket at least a day before if you plan to visit during one of these night time viewings of the Taj Mahal.

How to Book Your Ticket for the Taj Mahal

There are two ways of booking your ticket for the Taj Mahal, either in person or online. If you are okay with a bit of queuing, you can just book your ticket in person, through one of the three counters for the Taj Mahal in Agra. These counters are located in the three gates of the Taj Mahal and their opening times also differ. To understand which gate is the best entry for you, you must first know when these gates open and close during the day.

➟ Taj Mahal Gates Opening and Closing Times

Gate	Opening Time	Closing Time	Distance from Taj Mahal
Western Gate	6:00 AM (Sunrise)	6:30 PM (Sunset)	13 Metres
Eastern Gate	6:00 AM (Sunrise)	6:30 PM (Sunset)	1 Kilometre
Southern Gate	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	13 Metres

These are the entry gates for the Taj Mahal. Both the Western Gate and the Eastern Gate open at sunrise and close at sunrise everyday. Out of these two gates, the Western Gate is more utilised because it is located close to the Taj Mahal proper. But if you want to avoid the queues, the Eastern Gate is a good option, you can just ride one of the battery-operated vehicles, or even rickshaws, that run from the gate to the entry proper for the Taj Mahal. The last gate, the Southern Gate, opens at 8:00 in the morning and closes at 5:00 in the afternoon daily. This is a good option if you reach the Taj Mahal later in the day, since the Western Gate sees the most number of tourists.

On the other hand, you can also book your ticket via the website of ASI. Simply choose what is your nationality, your visiting date and click on the right arrow. On the next page, input your other details, like your name, age, gender, identification proof type and number, then click on Save. It will then take you to the another page, showing your details plus the amount you have to pay. Click on the right arrow again and tick on the box confirming that you have read the Terms and Conditions. Click on the right arrow, input your email address and then pay the required fees. You would then receive a confirmation page in your email which you can print and showcase on the day of your visit to the Taj Mahal, along with the specific identification proof you mentioned.

➟ Taj Mahal Entry Rates

Guest Type	Adult (15 Years Old and Above)	Child (15 Years Old and Below)
Indian	Rs. 40	Free
Citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC Countries	Rs. 530	Free
Citizens of Other Countries	Rs. 1,000	Free

These are the entry rates for the Taj Mahal, whether you book online or in person. For Indian citizens, the entry fee is at Rs. 40 for adults, aged 15 years old and above. For citizens of countries that are members of SAARC and BIMSTEC, the entry fee is at Rs. 530 for adults, aged 15 years old and above. And finally, for citizens of the remaining countries, the entry fee is at Rs. 1,000 for adults, aged 15 years old and above. Children aged 15 years and below are free of charge.

Going Home - Trains from Agra to Delhi

The time required to visit the Taj Mahal is around two to three hours. After this time, you can then head on home, unless you want to visit other sights of Agra. The nearby Agra Fort requires at least two to three hours as well. Two more attractions, the Tomb of Itimad-Ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh can both be explored within two hours. For a whole day tour, the Fatehpur Sikri needs to be skipped, unless you hire a private vehicle or taxi to take you to the further attraction, which is about an hour away from the city and needs at least three hours to be fully explored. Now, you would need some train options for reaching Delhi from Agra.

➟ Trains with Shortest Journey Duration from Agra to Delhi (Late Afternoon)

Train Name and Number	Departure Station - Time	Arrival Station - Time	Schedule	Journey Duration
Andhra Pradesh AC SF Express Train No. 22415	Agra Cantt - 15:45	New Delhi - 19:05	Daily	3 Hours and 20 Minutes
Gatimaan Express Train No. 12049	Agra Cantt - 17:50	Hazrat Nizamuddin - 19:30	Daily Except Fridays	1 Hour and 40 Minutes
Taj Express Train No. 12279	Agra Cantt - 18:55	Hazrat Nizamuddin - 22:05	Daily	3 Hours and 10 Minutes
Bhopal Habibganj New Delhi Shatabdi Express Train No. 12001	Agra Cantt - 21:15	New Delhi - 23:30	Daily	2 Hours and 15 Minutes

These are the best trains for your journey back home from Agra to Delhi. Though there are other trains, they have long delays which make them unsuitable, making you reach Delhi further from the specified arrival time. These trains showcased above are chosen based on the estimated times you might leave Agra. For example, the Andhra Pradesh AC SF Express Train No. 22415 departs from Agra at 15:45, which is around 3:45 in the afternoon. The Gatimaan Express Train No. 12049 departs from Agra at 17:50, which is around 5:50 in the afternoon. The other trains have later departure times, in case you decide to do some sightseeing around Agra, apart from the Taj Mahal. With these trains, the journey durations are less than four hours, even with the delays they might encounter along the way.

➟ Fare Rates from Agra to Delhi (Late Afternoon)

Train Name and Number	CC	EX	II	2s	3A	2A	1A
Andhra Pradesh AC SF Express Train No. 22415	-	-	-	-	Rs. 540	Rs. 740	Rs. 1,235
Gatimaan Express Train No. 12049	Rs. 755	Rs. 1,505	-	-	-	-	-
Taj Express Train No. 12279	Rs. 370	-	Rs. 100	Rs. 100	-	-	-
Bhopal Habibganj New Delhi Shatabdi Express Train No. 12001	Rs. 555	Rs. 1,050	-	-	-	-	-

These are the fare rates for the trains mentioned above. For the AC Chair (CC) class, the rates are around Rs. 350 to Rs. 755 per passenger. For the Executive (EX) class, the rates are around Rs. 1,050 to Rs. 1,505 per passenger. For the General and Second Seating classes, the rate is at Rs. 100 per passenger. There are other classes too, 3A at Rs. 540, 2A at Rs. 740 and 1A at Rs. 1,235.

Conclusion

Planning your Same Day Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi to Agra and back? Don't worry, you can do so by following the guide above. There are many trains reaching Agra from Delhi in the morning time. That gives you plenty of time to explore the Taj Mahal. You can even explore the nearby attractions of Agra Fort, Tomb of Itimad-Ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh. You can book your ticket in advance for the Taj Mahal by following the instructions above too. By late afternoon, you can board another train to reach Delhi from Agra, referring to the trains given above, which have the shortest journey durations and delays.

I hope this helps you!