Top Things to do in Agra District
Top Hotels in Agra District
- 1. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Agra
- 2. Crystal Sarovar Premiere
- 3. ITC Mughal, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Agra
- 4. Trident, Agra
- 5. Holiday Inn Agra Mg Road, an IHG Hotel
- 6. The Grand Imperial
- 7. Jaypee Palace Hotel & Convention Centre
- 8. Courtyard by Marriott Agra
- 9. Radisson Hotel Agra
- 10. Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, Agra
10 Historic Sites in Agra District That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Agra District, India including Shah Burj, Maryamuzzamani Palace, Hathi Pol, Fatehpur Sikri, Lower Haramsara, Buland Darwaza, Tomb of Mariam Zamani, Chini Ka Rauza Mausoleum, Gyarah Sidi, Agra.
Restaurants in Agra District
1. Shah Burj
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 152 reviews
Reviewed By Brun066 - Florence, Italy
As is known, Agra Fort was the undisputed political center of the Mughal Empire since its construction by the emperor Akbar the Great (construction begun in 1565) and until the transfer of the capital from Agra to Delhi (1638); with some important intervals, such as the 1569-1584 one, when the capital was Fatehpur Sikri, and the 1584-1598 one, when the capital was Lahore. In any case, in all these years, the Fort has been affected by many, substantial building additions, carried out even at the price of the demolition of pre-existing parts. The result is a very varied collection of building types, which makes the fort an almost unique "emporium" of the Mughal architecture (especially after the demolitions carried out during the period of British domination within the Red Fort in Delhi); perhaps only the "abandoned capital", Fatehpur Sikri, can be compared to Agra Fort. But in this "emporium", in my opinion the excellence belongs to the Musamman Burj (ie, octgonal tower) or Shah Burj. Actually the term doesn't refer only to the octagonal tower in the strict sense (which features a gilded copper roof), but to the whole building complex that is dominated by the tower; for which really the "architecture from One Thousand and One Nights" term isn't excessive. It's rather well known that these apartments were built by Shah Jahan (the same builder of the Taj Mahal) for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, and that they were then used by Shah Jahan's son, Aurangzeb, to close insiede them his father until his death, after dethroning it. In any case, they are princely apartments among the most splendid that exist. The rooms are paved with light marble up to the top of the ceiling (but once the ceiling was also gilded); in addition, an open pavilion shows a gorgeous shallow lotus-shaped tank on the floor, featuring a water jet in the center. Floors, walls and ceiling are covered with delicate carvings. Other loggias allow views towards the Yamuna River and Taj Mahal. The whole is a splendor difficult to describe. In conclusion, the visitor can decide to skip one or the other of the buildings present in the Agra Fort. But if he skips this, he will skip an extraordinary experience.
2. Maryamuzzamani Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By One_of_the_BOFs - Cheltenham, United Kingdom
This palace was the home of Mariam-uz-Zamani, the chief wife (a Christian) of the Mogul emperor Akbar and is adjacent to the Shabistan-I-Iqbal (aka Jodhbai's Palace) which is the larger palace area of the harem.
3. Hathi Pol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By ansari4me - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hathi Pol Elephant Gate has two great stone elephants, mutilated by Aurangzeb, standing on either side of the outer archway. On the left of the gateway are two buildings, the so-called Pigeon’s House, probably intended for a magazine; and the Sangin Burj, a great bastion supposed to be part of the fortifications begun by Akbar and left unfinished, owing to the objections of Shaikh Salîm Chishti. Little beyond this, on the right, are the remains of the waterworks which supplied the whole city.
4. Fatehpur Sikri
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 246 reviews
Reviewed By wendk2018
Founded in 1571, this former capital of Mughal Empire, is an an amazing conglomeration of red sandstone buildings, including separate summer and winter palaces and an outdoor stage for entertainment. It was abandoned in 1610. Definitely worth visiting - a great example of both Hindu and Muslim architecture.
5. Lower Haramsara
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By ansari4me - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Elephant and Horse Stable Haramsara was the place where the royal horses were kept and there are hooks made of stone where the horses used to be ted with ropes. Some believe this large colonnaded structure to be a camel, elephant and horse stable and some believe that this place was probably intended for housing the service maids of the royal harem. There are stone rings, some say they were O fetter for elephants and horses and some say they were used for partitioning the space by fixing curtains.
6. Buland Darwaza
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 471 reviews
Buland Darwaza or the "Gate of Magnificence", was built in 1601 A.D. by Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. It is the main entrance to the palace at Fatehpur Sikri, a town which is 43 km from Agra, India. Buland Darwaza is the highest gateway in the world and is an example of Mughal architecture. It displays ...
Reviewed By ansari4me - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Buland Darwaza Gate of victory was built in 1601 by Emperor Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. It is the main entrance to the Jama Masjid. It is the highest gateway in the world and is an example of Mughal architecture. On the main gateway an Islamic inscription written in Persian reads "Isa (Jesus), son of Mary said: 'The world is a Bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it. He who hopes for a day may hope for eternity, but the World endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen". Verses from the Quran have been carved in the Naskh (script) along the top. These were drawn by Khwaja Hussain Chishti, a disciple of Sheikh Salim Chishti
7. Tomb of Mariam Zamani
8. Chini Ka Rauza Mausoleum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 87 reviews
Reviewed By AgraTourGuide - Agra, India
Agra is basically famous for taj mahal and agra fort but there are lots of small but beautiful buildings to visit. Chini ka rauza is also a beautiful building .The tomb was builtin 1639 by mulla shukrullah shirazi who was the prime minister of shah jahan. the government must maintain this building to attract the visitors.
9. Gyarah Sidi
10. Agra
Reviewed By captaincoolest - New Delhi, India
Taj Mahal has always fascinated people of all generations through centuries.Every visit to Taj is filled with lots of memories and each visit is like a first time visit to this beautiful monument.It was my third visit to Taj and every time it makes you feel special and it leaves you mesmerized by its astonishing beauty in pristine white marble.We stayed at Trident during our last visit which is quite close to Taj Mahal.The Cars are not allowed within a certain radius of taj and needs to be parked in dedicated Parking Area.There are Battery run Golf Carts which ferry passengers to and fro from Taj Mahal.The Tickets for entry can be bought Online from ASI website,otherwise it can be bought at Ticket counter near main entrance of Taj.There are certain items which are not allowed to be taken inside and to my surprise Camera Tripod is one of the items which cant be taken along with your camera.There is a Cloak Room next to the ticket counter where you can deposit such items at nominal charges and you can also buy Shoe Covers from outside.There are Guides available who can accompany you and give details about Taj Mahal's architecture and some unknown facts which are not commonly known to people.It is advisable to have a tour guide along with you as he can give details about history behind Taj Mahal. There is a security check at the entrance which leads you to the main entrance of Taj Mahal.The Taj Mahal is always full of tourists and sometimes you really have to wait to click pictures of your choice and angle.The Parks,Gardens and water bodies are well maintained within the complex.The forecourt at Taj is about a floor high which could be accessed through staircases built within the monument.The entire marble work is superb and everything is just carved to perfection.The central hall of Taj is a no photography zone and visitors are queued up in a line to move inside premises.The stay is short and leads to opposite gate facing Yamuna river.The Taj is built on banks of River Yamuna and provides a breathtaking view of the place. We clicked lot many pictures in this entire courtyard and finally moved to garden area.The Taj trip finally came to an end with lots of memories and a promise to return back soon.
