The second half of our time in Agra, India was spent at the other great attraction in Agra; the Agra Fort. The two locations are interconnected in the history of Agra, India. While you’d never mistake the Agra Fort for the main attraction in town, it’s well worth a visit on any trip to Agra. A visit to the Agra Fort will allow for a greater understanding of the local history and the symbolism of India.

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The Walled City of The Agra Fort, Agra, India

“The world’s greatest gesture at love that resulted in one of the world’s most iconic structures”

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After our drive from New Delhi to Agra, on arrival to Agra, we spent the morning enjoying The Taj Mahal. It was well worth the trip and the highlight of our time in Agra. We continued onward to take in the other attarction in the area, the Agra Fort.

About the Agra Fort:

The second half of the day was spent across town at the Agra Fort. The Agra Fort was initially built as a military structure, but later converted into a palace and prison for Shah Jahan when he was imprisoned there by his son Aurangzeb.

Visiting the Agra Fort:

The Amar Singh gate contained a zig zag design designed to foil intruders. It was pretty imposing to say the least.

Once inside, this center of imprisonment was fit for a king. There were opulent gardens

There were opulent detailed interiors fit for a king. The Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace) had many walls inlaid with tiny mirrors. Other halls like this one pictured had detailed tiling. 

Sadly, the Agra Fort had views of the Taj Mahal across the Yamanua River way where Shah Jahan would have had seen the Taj Mahal when he was imprisoned. He likely had a view from this terrace during many of his days. 

The Agra Fort also held several receiving courts where the King could receive his subjects. 

After our visit to the Agra Fort, we returned our guide in town and headed back to The Leela Palace. It was another three hour drive with a touch of traffic jam once back inside New Delhi past Guragon. 

How I felt about visiting the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort:

We traveled around the world to see the Taj Mahal. Overall, I found it was highly worth it. It was a travel sight that I’d wanted to see for quite a while and it was a neat experience having checked that sight off life’s list. It was a bit anti – climatic having seen the Taj Mahal. There are details to the Taj Mahal that are best researched in advance that will allow you to appreciate it more when you do visit. I felt satisfied with the day trip there. Some great worldwide tourist attractions, such as Macchu Picchu, Peru, are better after all the crowds have gone home and you have the place all to yourself. While that may have been the case here, I didn’t feel like I needed and yearned for more time. Seeing the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort in a day trip was perfectly fine by us. I also felt that we didn’t miss much staying in Agra either, although I enjoyed the very brief exposure that we had traveling through Agra. Overall, it’s a worthy travel destination that’s worth seeing, and I’d encourage all you adventuruous travels to make it here at least once in your traveling careers.

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If you’ve travelled to see the Taj Mahal, how did you find your experience?

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