No trip to India is complete without a stop at the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra. While Agra does have some cool sites to see most people want to pop in for a day and see the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort then move on. It’s understandable and I’m here to help you make those plans. When I went from Delhi to Agra on a day trip to the Taj Mahal from Delhi, I took a local bus and happened to have Dengue Fever at the time – so it wasn’t enjoyable. I have been going through emails and seeing what is asked the most and how to get to the Taj Mahal from Delhi is asked at least 10x a week so it’s about time I gave you some options.

Agra is about 4 hours from Delhi and maybe only 3.5 if you go in the middle of the night to reach there by sunrise. It’s a short distance and it is more than possible to go there for a “day trip” if that’s what you prefer.

Read more: 13 tips for the perfect Taj Mahal visit & If you’re headed to India, you can also check out my Guide to India which is a 100,000-word ebook with 6 years of travel knowledge – it will make sure you have the most epic trip. Read more about it here.

How to Make a Day Trip to the Taj Mahal from Delhi

The first option I’m going to talk about is to just add Agra into your itinerary and go there by public transportation from Delhi then move on to the next place from Agra. The problem with this is that going onward from Agra sometimes means going back to Delhi as it’s a big hub to catch long trains and buses. Because of this, passing through Agra isn’t always a great option but you should see if it works for you.

Public transportation is easy and there are many buses that go from Delhi to Agra throughout the day. If you want to get there for sunrise you need to leave by 330 in the morning. Women traveling solo might not be okay with that, so in that case, I recommend not taking a local bus but instead a “tourist bus”. Here’s some information about booking buses in India. Keep in mind during some times of the year, there is too much fog to drive on the highway that early in the morning and tours will not run.

If you’re more interested in taking a “tourist bus” this would mean booking it either online at makemytrip.com or redbus.in if you can get your international card to work. You can also just pop into any tourist agency (you’ll see them everywhere) or ask your hotel to book this for you. Prices for a local bus could be as cheap as 50 rupees while a tourist bus might cost you 400 rupees.

Moving on to more options, you might prefer a private A/C car ride there. These can be arranged through your hotel or an agency once you reach there. They will charge you commissions on this which could be quite high. If you would rather book this ahead of time with a reputable company then I recommend either of these two options:

Get Your Guide $80. This tour started at $17 and has gone up in price as it’s become so popular, which is a little sad but at least you know it’s good. 321 people have given this “tour” a 4.8/5-star rating. They will pick you up from your hotel in Delhi and get you to the Taj Mahal by sunrise, then take you back to Delhi. The tour pass allows you to skip the line at the Taj Mahal and you also get taken to Agra Fort and Mumtaz Mahal. The price does not include entrance tickets but there is a guide who will go with you through the attractions. This translates to about 1000 rupees which is literally a better deal than you can find anywhere. This price will fluctuate as the peak tourist season rises and falls. Book sunrise Taj Mahal tour from Delhi
Viator $80. This is actually a better deal. 96 people have given it a 5-star review. With this option, the entrances to the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal are both included as well as breakfast. I think the entrance to both would cost around $20 so it saves you that money. Lunch isn’t included and they take you to a 5-star hotel buffet – so that’s a little bit up to you if you want to pay for a lunch like that or if it’s just you and your friends on the tour you can say no thank you to stopping at the hotel. Prices also go up if you are just one person. You can book it here.
Viator Shopping Tour $25. This is a kind of weird one but might work for some people. You go to Agra from Delhi and see the Taj Mahal from the outside for sunrise, don’t go in, and then do a unique shopping tour. Like the others, it’s a return trip back to Delhi but you could just stay in Agra and then the next day go to the Taj Mahal and go inside. The price is so cheap that it’s kind of like paying for a ride there and getting a free shopping tour before you explore Agra on your own. You can read more and book it here.

Someone will go to the Taj with you so they can take your picture in front of it and help keep people from swarming you for selfies. It’s so affordable and booking it ahead would just take off the stress of finding your own ride or organizing public transportation, rickshaws to the bus station, and all the rest of it!