Tour 3 TAJ in a Day - Taj Mahal, Baby Taj, Red Taj

Start your day with an early morning 6am pickup from your Agra hotel or other desired location in Agra. Head to the breathtaking TAJ MAHAL to see the sunrise over the World Heritage Site. Introduce yourselves to what the Victorian Viceroy Lord Curzon called the “gem of man’s handiwork…the most perfect structure in the world. Built in the 1600s by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the tribute to the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Just immerse yourself in its amazing architecture, history, and beauty. The magical allure of the Taj Mahal shall definitely be the highlight of your tour. After visiting the Taj Mahal return to your hotel for breakfast and soon after breakfast visit a marble inlay studio (after seeing the exquisite Taj inlays, you must want to know how this marble magic works).

You will drive across the Yamuna River to visit the BABY TAJ, also known as Itmad-ud-Daula Tomb. The exquisite tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg should not be missed. It doesn’t have the same awesome beauty as the Taj, but it’s arguably more delicate in appearance thanks to its particularly finely carved marble jalis (lattice screens). This was the first Mughal structure built completely from marble, the first to make extensive use of pietra dura and the first tomb to be built on the banks of the Yamuna, which until then had been a sequence of beautiful pleasure gardens.

After visiting Baby Taj enjoy your buffet lunch at a 5-star Hotel Courtyard by Marriott in a welcoming atmosphere.

Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, but do you know there’s another Taj Mahal in Agra, which was also built out of love. One such unexplored and well-kept secret of Agra is the RED TAJ, also known as John Hessing Tomb built entirely in red sandstone. But unlike Taj Mahal, the Red Taj was built by a wife in memory of her beloved ‘man’ and this man was called John Hessing a Dutch soldier who died fighting the British. The only things missing in this tomb of Col John William Hessing are the four minarets like the Taj Mahal. It is said that his wife ran out of money, and hence they had to be removed from the original plan.

Evening proceed to a Photo Tour of Taj Mahal from MEHTAB BAGH — the moonlit garden — believed to have been designed by Shah Jahan to view the Taj on moonlit nights, far away from the maddening crowd, The garden complex is situated on the left bank of Yamuna opposite to TajMahal. It is a huge square measuring approximately 300x300 m and in straight alignment with the Taj Mahal. The forestry plantations and agricultural fields provide a green forecourt to TajMahal and its reflection in the Yamuna. Here you can witness the sunset over the Taj Mahal. At the end of the day, your guide returns you to your hotel, Agra train station or other desired location in Agra.