Timings · Agra Monuments
Taj Mahal Opening Times and Closed Days
The single most expensive planning mistake in Agra is arriving on a Friday. Here is the full timetable.
Short answer: The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes before sunset, and it is closed to tourists every Friday. Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri are open all seven days, so a Friday in Agra is not wasted — it is simply not the day to plan the Taj Mahal.
Agra Monument Timings
| Monument | Hours | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Taj Mahal | Sunrise −30 min to sunset −30 min | Every Friday |
| Agra Fort | Sunrise to sunset | Open all week |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Sunrise to sunset | Open all week |
| Mehtab Bagh (sunset viewpoint) | Sunrise to sunset | Open all week |
| Taj Mahal night viewing | 8:00pm–midnight | Fridays and Ramadan |
Because opening tracks the sun rather than the clock, the gate opens around 6:00am in December and closer to 5:30am in June. Nobody can give you an exact time months ahead — check sunrise for your date and subtract half an hour.
Tickets are valid for three hours from entry, and there is no re-entry. Most visitors need two to three hours, so the limit rarely bites.
The Friday Closure
The Taj Mahal closes to tourists every Friday so that the mosque within the complex can be used for Friday prayers. There are no exceptions, no tickets sold, and no way around it.
This catches out more travellers than every other rule combined, usually because trains, hotels and onward transport were booked before anyone checked the day. If your Agra night falls on a Thursday, your Taj morning is Friday, and the trip has to be rearranged.
If you are already in Agra on a Friday, the day is far from lost. Agra Fort is open, badly under-visited, and genuinely excellent. Mehtab Bagh across the river gives an unobstructed view of the rear façade at sunset. Fatehpur Sikri, an hour away, is a full half-day.
Before booking anything else around Agra, check which day of the week your Taj Mahal morning falls on. It is a ten-second check that saves rebuilding an itinerary.
When to Arrive
- 1
Arrive at the gate 45 minutes before opening if you want the empty reflecting pool photograph. Arriving at sunrise itself means arriving with the crowd.
- 2
The first 40 minutes after opening are the quietest of the entire day, by a wide margin.
- 3
By 9:00am the tour groups from Delhi arrive and the character of the visit changes completely.
- 4
Late afternoon thins out again as day-trippers leave for Delhi, but the light is harder and the marble is still hot.
- 5
Allow 15 extra minutes for the final approach — private vehicles cannot enter the 500-metre eco-zone, so you walk or take an electric rickshaw.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which day is the Taj Mahal closed?
Every Friday, so the mosque inside the complex can be used for Friday prayers. There are no exceptions and no tickets are sold. Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri remain open on Fridays.
What time does the Taj Mahal open and close?
It opens 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes before sunset, so the exact time shifts through the year — roughly 6:00am in winter and 5:30am in summer. Check sunrise for your date and subtract half an hour.
Is Agra Fort closed on any day?
No. Agra Fort is open all seven days from sunrise to sunset, including Fridays when the Taj Mahal is closed. That makes it the natural choice for a Friday in Agra.
Is Fatehpur Sikri open on Friday?
Yes. Fatehpur Sikri is open every day from sunrise to sunset. It sits about an hour from Agra and works well as a Friday alternative or as a stop on the drive to Jaipur.
How early should I arrive at the Taj Mahal for sunrise?
Reach the gate about 45 minutes before opening to be near the front of the queue. The first 40 minutes after the gate opens are by far the quietest part of the day — arriving at sunrise itself means arriving with everyone else.
Anwar Khan
Private India Specialist · Agra
Anwar Khan
·Private India SpecialistAgra native. 15 years full-time guiding. Lives in Tajganj, 500 metres from the Taj Mahal. Every guide on this site is written from direct experience — the exact routes he runs, the timings he recommends, and the mistakes he has watched tourists make.
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