Taj Mahal Timings & Ticket Prices (2026): A Complete Guide

I was born in Delhi and I have taken travelers to the Taj for 11 years with Experience My India, so I know exactly where people get caught out, on the Friday closure, the extra tomb fee and the night viewing that almost nobody plans for. Here is the complete, current picture of Taj Mahal timings and ticket prices, followed by how to book and what to carry.

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Taj Mahal timings

Day viewing hours

The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes before sunset, which works out to roughly 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM depending on the season. Your ticket is valid for three hours from entry and the ticket counters at the gates open about an hour before sunrise and close 45 minutes before sunset. First light is the finest time to be there, both for the soft colour on the marble and for the thinner crowds.

Night viewing

The Taj also opens for night viewing on just five nights each month, the full moon night plus the two nights before and the two after, except Fridays and during the month of Ramzan. Viewing runs from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM in eight batches of up to 50 people, half an hour each, entered from the Eastern Gate only after a security check at the Shilpgram complex nearby. It is a quieter, magical way to see the monument and worth planning a night in Agra around.

Closed on Fridays

The Taj Mahal is closed to tourists every Friday, when it opens only for afternoon prayers at the mosque inside the complex. This is the single most common mistake I see, people arrive in Agra on a Friday and cannot go in. Never plan your Taj day or your night viewing, on a Friday.

Taj Mahal ticket prices in 2026

There are two things people miss: entering the main mausoleum, the inner tomb chamber, costs an extra ₹200 on top of your entry and children under 15 go free for all nationalities. Here are the day viewing prices.

The main mausoleum add-on

The ₹200 mausoleum ticket is optional but worth it, since it lets you step inside the central chamber that holds the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, the heart of the whole building. If you have come this far, pay the extra ₹200. Note that foreign and SAARC tickets also include small perks at the gate, a bottle of water and shoe covers.

Night viewing tickets

Night viewing is priced separately from day entry, as follows.

How to book and which gate to use

Booking day tickets online

Book on the official Archaeological Survey of India portal rather than at the counter. Online tickets carry a small discount, ₹5 off for Indians and ₹50 off for foreign tourists and, more importantly, they let you skip the counter queue, which can run to an hour in peak season. Foreign visitors must carry the passport or ID that matches the ticket.

Which gate to use

There are two entry gates with ticket counters, the Western Gate near Saheli Burj and the Eastern Gate, with separate queues for Indian and foreign visitors. The Southern Gate is exit only. The Eastern Gate is usually the calmer of the two and is the one used for night viewing.

Booking night viewing tickets

Night viewing tickets must be bought 24 hours in advance, either online through the ASI portal or in person at the ASI office in Agra and only around 400 are issued per night, so they go quickly on popular dates. You report at Shilpgram, near the Eastern Gate, half an hour before your slot and no video cameras are allowed inside at night. Because it needs an overnight stay, it pairs naturally with an Agra overnight tour and Experience My India can secure the slot and paperwork for you.

What you can and cannot carry

Security is thorough, so travel light. Phones and still cameras are fine, but drones, tripods, large bags, food and big electronics are not allowed and tobacco and lighters will be taken. There are free cloakrooms at the gates for anything you cannot carry in. The less you bring, the faster you clear security and the more of your three hours you actually spend with the monument.

Best time to visit

Go at the opening, right at sunrise. The light is at its softest, the marble glows and you beat both the heat and the coach crowds that build after 9:00 AM. October to March is the most comfortable season; April to June is punishingly hot. And if a full moon falls during your trip on a night that is not a Friday, consider the night viewing for a completely different, quieter experience.

Want your Taj tickets, gate and timing all handled so you just turn up and enjoy it? Message me on WhatsApp with your travel dates and I will sort it.

Let us handle the visit

If you would rather not juggle counters, queues and the Friday trap, let the team do it. There is a sunrise Taj Mahal tour from Delhi with entry and a guide included and if Jaipur is also on your route, the Golden Triangle tour links all three cities. You can also browse our full range of Agra tours to find the pace that suits you.

 Experience My India. He 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.