Agra Fort Ticket and Timings: A Complete Guide

The Agra Fort, the great red-sandstone Mughal fortress on the banks of the Yamuna river, is one of Agra's most magnificent sights and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, standing just a short distance upstream from the Taj Mahal. Once the main residence of the mighty Mughal emperors, it is a vast and splendid complex of palaces, halls and towers and a highlight of any Agra visit. Planning a visit is easy once you know the ticket prices, the timings and how to book. This guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages sets out the full Agra Fort ticket and timings, the entry fees by nationality, the entry gate and online booking and what to see inside, ideal alongside a wider Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years guiding the Golden Triangle for Experience My India I have taken countless travellers to the Agra Fort. Here is the clear, practical guide. Please note that entry fees and timings are set by the authorities and can change, so always reconfirm the current rates before you travel.

Agra Fort tickets and timings at a glance

Agra Fort timings

The Agra Fort is open every single day of the week, from 6 AM to 6 PM, from sunrise to sunset, with no weekly closing day. Importantly and very useful for planning, unlike the Taj Mahal, which is closed to general visitors on Fridays, the Agra Fort stays open on Fridays too, which makes it a wonderful and convenient thing to see on a Friday, when the Taj is closed and many travellers are looking for something to do.

• Opening hours: The Agra Fort is open daily from 6 AM to 6 PM, every single day of the week, including Fridays, following sunrise to sunset through the year.

• Last entry: the last entry is at 5 PM, one hour before the fort closes at 6 PM, so be sure to plan to arrive well before then to have time to see it all.

• Best time to visit: the early morning, right after opening, is lovely and quiet, before the main crowds arrive. The golden hour of the late afternoon, between about 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM, is also especially beautiful, when the low sun lights up the massive red-sandstone walls in a warm glow and you get wonderful, far-reaching views across the river to the Taj Mahal.

Because the fort is open on Fridays when the Taj is not, many travellers plan their Agra Fort visit for the Friday of their trip and see the Taj Mahal on another day, which makes good use of the week.

Agra Fort entry fees

The Agra Fort entry fee depends on your nationality, as at most of India's great monuments, with a small discount for booking online rather than at the counter. Helpfully, there is a single entry ticket for the fort, which covers the whole open area of the monument, so unlike at some sites there is no separate charge for the main palaces, halls and towers inside; one ticket lets you see everything that is open.

At the time of writing, Indian adults pay ₹50 at the counter or ₹35 if they book online, with a special rate of ₹40 on Fridays. Foreign tourists pay ₹650 at the counter or ₹600 online. SAARC and BIMSTEC nationals pay ₹90. Children under 15 of all nationalities enter free. So booking online saves a little on the fee, as well as time at the gate.

Agra Fort ticket price, in short

Here is the Agra Fort entry fee, at the time of writing, for each type of visitor:

• Indian adults: ₹50 at the counter or ₹35 booked online (₹40 at the counter on Fridays).

• SAARC and BIMSTEC nationals: ₹90.

• Foreign tourists: ₹650 at the counter or ₹600 booked online.

• Children under 15: free entry, for all nationalities.

There is no separate ticket needed for the different palaces, halls and towers within the fort, so a single entry ticket lets you explore the whole of the open area at your own pace. Do remember that these rates are set by the authorities and can change from time to time, so it is always worth reconfirming the current fees on the official portal before you travel.

How to book Agra Fort tickets online

You can buy your Agra Fort tickets at the ticket counter at the gate or book them online in advance to skip the physical queues. Online booking is quick and gives a small discount on the fee.

• The official ASI portal: book through the official Archaeological Survey of India online ticketing portal, the official site for Agra's monuments, Agra Fort Ticket Booking.

• The Agra Development Authority e-tickets: tickets can also be booked through the Agra Development Authority e-ticket site.

• At the gate: you can also simply buy your ticket in person at the counter by the Amar Singh Gate, though the queues there can be longer, especially in the busy winter season and on weekends and holidays.

When you book online, keep the QR-code e-ticket saved on your phone, as a screenshot or PDF and carry the original government ID used in the booking, as both the ticket and the ID may be checked at the gate before you enter.

Entry gate and what you need

A few practical points make entry smooth:

• Entry gate: entry to the Agra Fort is exclusively through the Amar Singh Gate, the southern gate of the fort, so make your way there, as the other gates are not used for visitor entry.

• ID requirement: carry a valid original government photo ID, an Aadhaar card or voter ID for Indians and a passport for foreign tourists, as it may be checked at the gate.

• Security: as with all major monuments, there are security checks, so travel light and avoid carrying prohibited items such as large bags, food and drones.

Knowing to head straight for the Amar Singh Gate, with your ID and e-ticket ready, makes getting in quick and easy.

What to see inside the Agra Fort

The Agra Fort is far more than a single building: it is a vast, magnificent walled city of red sandstone and white marble, built and extended over generations by the great Mughal emperors, especially Akbar, who made it his capital and his grandson Shah Jahan, who added the beautiful marble palaces. For a long time the Agra Fort was the main residence of the Mughal emperors and the very centre of their vast empire, before the capital shifted to Delhi. Today, a good part of the fort is open to visitors and there is a great deal to explore within its mighty walls:

• Jahangir Palace: the grand and imposing red-sandstone palace built by Akbar, one of the largest and most striking buildings in the fort, blending Hindu and Central Asian styles.

• Diwan-i-Am: the elegant Hall of Public Audience, a pillared hall where the emperor would sit to hear the petitions and grievances of his ordinary subjects.

• Diwan-i-Khas: the Hall of Private Audience, a beautiful marble pavilion where the emperor would receive nobles, ambassadors and special guests in private.

• Khas Mahal and the Sheesh Mahal: the elegant white-marble private royal palaces beside the river and the Sheesh Mahal or Palace of Mirrors, the mirrored royal bath chambers that once glittered by candlelight.

• Musamman Burj: the beautiful octagonal marble tower where, by tradition, the emperor Shah Jahan was held in his final years by his son Aurangzeb, gazing out across the Yamuna to the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his beloved queen, that he had built.

The view of the Taj Mahal from the Musamman Burj and the fort's riverside walls is one of the most memorable and moving sights in all of Agra, a distant white vision of the great tomb across the river, so do not miss it. Allow yourself plenty of time to wander the courtyards, gardens and palaces, as there is far more to the Agra Fort than first appears from outside its mighty walls.

Tips for visiting the Agra Fort

• Visit on a Friday if you like: the Agra Fort is open on Fridays, when the Taj Mahal is closed, so it is a great choice for that day.

• Arrive early or late: come at opening for a quiet visit or in the golden hour of the late afternoon for beautiful light and Taj views.

• Head for the Amar Singh Gate: this is the only entry gate for visitors.

• Carry your ID: bring the original government ID used in your booking.

• Book online: booking in advance saves time and a little on the fee.

• Allow enough time: the fort is large, so allow a good hour or two to explore it properly.

Our things to do in Agra guide covers the rest of the city, so you can round out your visit.

Combining the Agra Fort with the Taj Mahal

The Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal are the two great sights of Agra and lie only a short distance apart along the same stretch of the Yamuna river, so almost all visitors see them together on the same trip. A common and excellent plan is to visit the Taj Mahal first thing at sunrise, when it is at its most beautiful and the crowds are smallest and then move on to the Agra Fort afterwards in the morning or later in the day, as our Taj Mahal ticket price and timings guide covers the Taj in full, with its own fees, timings and Friday closure.

Remember, though, that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, while the Agra Fort is open, so if you are in Agra on a Friday, the fort is the perfect sight for that day and you can see the Taj on another. For the best time of year and day for both, see our best time to visit the Taj Mahal guide.

Planning your Agra visit

An Agra visit is easiest and most rewarding when the tickets, the timing and the transport are all handled for you, especially as part of a wider trip. That is what we do, your Taj and fort tickets and the best timing sorted, a knowledgeable guide to bring the history to life and the whole of Agra covered, so you simply enjoy these great Mughal wonders.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. See the Taj at its most beautiful on our Sunrise Taj Mahal tour or, for an overnight in the city, our Agra overnight tour from Delhi. We can build it all within our wider Delhi Agra Tour Packages.

Plan your trip with us

Want the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, with the tickets, timings and a guide all sorted, as part of a wider Golden Triangle trip? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you, honestly priced and expertly timed.

Start with the classic circuit on our Golden Triangle tours, which includes the Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal and much more.

Related guides

• New Delhi tour: the capital's imperial landmarks.

• Old Delhi tour: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.

• Delhi day tour: the best of the capital in a day.

Experience My India has personally hosted 50,000+ travelers and the service he leads is rated 4.9 from 2,600+ reviews, operating since 2015. Delhi Agra Tour Packages is a unit of Experience My India.