The Number You Came For

Taj Mahal ticket price in 2026: ₹50 for Indian citizens, ₹1,100 for foreign tourists, ₹540 for SAARC/BIMSTEC nationals. Children under 15 enter free. Add ₹200 if you want access to the main mausoleum.

That’s the official ASI rate. Here’s what actually matters for your visit.

Official 2026 Price Breakdown

Here’s the full table from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Visitor Category	Entry Fee	Mausoleum Access	Total
Indian Citizens / OCI Cardholders	₹50	+₹200	₹250
Foreign Tourists	₹1,100	+₹200	₹1,300
SAARC / BIMSTEC Nationals	₹540	+₹200	₹740
Children (under 15)	Free	Free	Free

Online booking discount: ₹5 off per Indian ticket, ₹50 off per foreign ticket.

The base ticket gets you into the complex — gardens, reflection pools, viewing platforms, the whole exterior experience. The mausoleum upcharge is where the real action is. Skip it and you’re essentially looking at the building from outside. Pay it and you’re standing where millions have stood, directly beneath the dome that contains Mumtaz Mahal’s cenotaph.

The foreigner-Indian gap is deliberate policy. India’s ticketing structure is designed to subsidize domestic tourism while capturing higher yield from international visitors. It works. The monument saw 6.9 million visitors in FY 2024–25 — 6.26 million domestic and 0.645 million foreign — making it India’s most visited ticketed monument.

What Changed in 2026

The biggest shift in 2026 isn’t the price — it’s how you buy the ticket.

The Archaeological Survey of India integrated its ticketing system onto the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in early 2026. What that means in plain English: you can now book Taj Mahal tickets through multiple platforms, not just the official ASI portal.

Platforms live as of 2026:

• Highway Delite (web, Android, iOS)
• Pelocal (WhatsApp-based — send “Hi” to +91 84228 89057)
• Abhee by Mondee (Android, iOS)

The kicker: ONDC-enabled bookings come with discounts — ₹5 off for Indian visitors, ₹50 off for foreign nationals.

Also new in 2026: A time-slot system to control crowd levels. You don’t just pick a day anymore. You pick a window. Show up outside your slot and you’re gambling.

Timings: The Official Schedule

Opening: 30 minutes before sunrise
Closing: 30 minutes before sunset
Closed: Every Friday (non-negotiable)

Seasonal variation matters:

Season	Months	Opening	Closing
Summer	Apr–Jun	~6:00 AM	~7:00 PM
Monsoon	Jul–Sep	~6:00 AM	~6:30 PM
Winter	Oct–Mar	~6:30 AM	~5:30–6:00 PM

The window that matters: gates open 30 minutes before official sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset. That’s when the marble catches the golden light. That’s when you get the photograph everyone wants. That’s also when the crowds are thinnest.

The last entry cut-off is 45 minutes before closing. Arrive at 6:15 PM for a 6:30 PM closure and you’re out of luck. The gate staff don’t care about your flight. They care about the clock.

Online Booking: Official Channels

Step 1: Go to the official ASI portal — asi.payumoney.com or www.asiagracircle.in

Step 2: Select “Taj Mahal, Agra” from the monument list

Step 3: Choose your visit date and time slot (forenoon or afternoon)

Step 4: Select your visitor category — Indian, Foreign, or SAARC/BIMSTEC

Step 5: Provide ID details (mandatory — you’ll need to show the same ID at the gate)

Step 6: Pay via UPI, credit card, debit card, or net banking

Step 7: Download your e-ticket. Save a screenshot. Print a backup. Do not rely on mobile network at the gate.

⚠️ ASI warning: Tickets should be booked only through ASI’s official websites — asi.paygov.org.in or asi.payumoney.com — or using QR codes available at the entry gates. Fake booking websites are common.

Night Viewing: The Premium Experience

Night viewing is available five nights per lunar month — the full moon night and two nights before and after.

Timings: 8:00 PM to 11:59 PM, in 8 batches of maximum 50 people each. Each batch gets 30 minutes.

Price:

• Indian nationals: ₹510
• Foreign nationals: ₹750
• Children (3–15 years): ₹500

Critical detail: Night viewing tickets cannot be booked online. You must purchase tickets in person from the ASI office at 22 Mall Road, Agra, one day before viewing (from 10 AM onwards).

Closed on Fridays and during Ramadan.

The night viewing experience is genuinely different. The white marble takes on a silver-blue luminescence under moonlight. The silence is extraordinary — a complete departure from the daytime chaos. Is it worth the premium? For photographers, absolutely. For casual visitors, the sunrise experience delivers better value.

The Friday Problem

The Taj Mahal is closed to tourists every Friday. Period. No exceptions.

Local Muslim worshippers are permitted entry for prayers at the mosque within the complex. Tourists are not. This is non-negotiable and applies throughout the year — peak season, off-season, holidays, doesn’t matter.

The mistake I see most often: travelers booking a Same Day Agra Tour from Delhi on a Friday. They arrive at the gate. The gate is closed. The day is wasted.

The workaround: The Taj Mahal is open on all Indian public holidays including Diwali, Holi, Independence Day, and Republic Day. So if your Friday falls on a holiday, you’re in luck. Otherwise, reschedule.

Agra Fort: The Companion Ticket

Agra Fort ticket price 2026: Approximately ₹40–50 for Indians, ₹550–650 for foreign tourists.

If you’re making the trip to Agra, skipping Agra Fort is like going to Paris and skipping the Louvre. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s 400 years old, and it offers the best view of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna. The fort’s red sandstone walls are illuminated after dark, which makes for an entirely different experience.

The combo strategy: Book Taj Mahal for sunrise (6:00 AM slot), spend 2–3 hours there, then walk to Agra Fort for late morning. The fort opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. You can do both in a single morning and still be back in Delhi by lunch.

What Nobody Tells You

1. The 3-hour limit is real. Visitors are limited to approximately 3 hours inside the complex. The ASI enforces this during peak seasons. Your ticket doesn’t guarantee unlimited time.

2. ID is mandatory. You need valid ID matching your booking details. Foreigners need passports. Indians can use Aadhaar, voter ID, or driver’s license. No ID, no entry.

3. Big bags aren’t allowed. Food, tobacco, and large bags are prohibited. Travel light or use the cloakroom.

4. Free entry days exist. According to the ASI, free entry is officially declared on specific cultural, tourism, and heritage occasions. For example, in January 2026, free entry was offered on select days from 2 PM until sunset. Also, World Tourism Day (September 27), World Heritage Day (April 18), and the three-day Urs of Emperor Shah Jahan and International Women’s Day.

5. The foreigner ticket often includes water and shoe covers. Small detail. Matters more than you’d think when you’re walking barefoot on marble in 40°C heat.

Risk Scenarios: What Could Go Wrong

Scenario 1: Friday surprise. You booked transport, hotel, and guided tour. You didn’t check the day of the week. The gates are closed. Your entire trip’s economics collapse.

Scenario 2: Cash-only thinking. Physical ticket counters are being phased out. Show up without a digital booking and you’re at the mercy of QR codes and mobile networks. In Agra’s summer heat, that’s not a place you want to be.

Scenario 3: Night viewing disappointment. You assumed you could book online. You can’t. You arrive in Agra, head to the ASI office, and the tickets are sold out. The premium experience becomes a missed opportunity.

Scenario 4: Time slot violation. You booked a forenoon slot. You arrive at 2 PM. The system flags you. You wait. You lose hours. Your 3-hour window shrinks.

Scenario 5: ID mismatch. Your booking name doesn’t match your ID. The QR code scans. The guard checks. You’re turned away.

Mitigation: Book online. Check the day. Arrive early. Carry ID. Understand the rules before you go.

Featured Snippets

Entity

Monument: Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Managing Authority: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Category: UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1983)
Built: 1631–1648 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Annual Visitors (FY 2024–25): 6.9 million (6.26M domestic, 0.645M foreign)
Key Features: White marble mausoleum, four minarets, Quranic calligraphy, pietra dura inlay work
Related Sites: Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh, Fatehpur Sikri

FAQ

Official Sources & References

• Taj Mahal Official Website: www.tajmahal.gov.in
• ASI Online Ticketing: asi.payumoney.com
• ASI Agra Circle: www.asiagracircle.in
• UNESCO World Heritage Listing: whc.unesco.org
• India Tourism Data Compendium 2025 (Visitor numbers: 6.9 million in FY 2024–25)

Conclusion: The Action Plan

Key takeaways:

1. Book online. The physical counters are being phased out. Online gets you discounts and guarantees your slot. Use only official ASI portals.
2. Avoid Fridays. This is the single most common mistake. Check the day before you book anything.
3. Pay the mausoleum fee. The ₹200 upcharge is worth it. Standing inside the dome is the reason you came.
4. Arrive at sunrise. The golden light, the thinner crowds, the cooler temperatures — this is the optimal experience.
5. Night viewing requires advance in-person booking. Don’t assume you can walk up. You can’t. Tickets are sold one day before at the ASI office.
6. Carry ID. No exceptions. Your booking is useless without it.
7. Visit Agra Fort. The combo ticket economics work — you’re already in Agra, and the fort offers the best view of the Taj.

The bottom line: The Taj Mahal ticket price in 2026 is set by the ASI and clearly published. The strategy around it is not. Plan ahead, book digitally, and respect the Friday closure. Do that, and you’ll have the experience everyone else is chasing.

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