Sleep, Eat, Do: Agra

Agra is a city in Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It’s about 5hrs drive from the country’s capital, New Delhi and the city’s major attraction is the iconic mausoleum, Taj Mahal. I spent only a day here as part of my tour of the Golden Triangle and was able to visit some other tourist attractions within and just outside the city.

If you find yourself in Agra, here are some recommendations (based solely on my experience) on where to sleep, what to eat and what to do.

Sleep

2 exterior of the radisson blu agra taj east gate desktop1

I stayed at Radison Blu, Agra Taj East Gate for one night and I could have easily stayed there for longer. This hotel is pure class. And the best part, it was only $60 a night! – don’t convert this with today’s exchange rate, please,☺. If you think about the amount of money you’d pay to stay in this sort of hotel in Lagos, for example, you’d understand why this was such a big deal.

I loved everything about my stay here. From the ambience to the friendliness of the staff to the food and everything else. I almost skipped my afternoon tour just because I wanted to spend more time in my room! The hotel is also quite centralized, so you can get to the Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh and the Taj Mahal in good time.

room 8
photos via Radisson blu

Eat

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I stayed in Agra for a day only and didn’t really have any time to explore the local variety. I don’t know if it’s safe to assume that you can find the same foods in Agra as you would in Pune, where I did most of my street-food eating (I wrote about that here)

If you’re not really interested in trying local foods, you’ll find that most hotels would offer an intercontinental menu, so you’ll have lots of option to choose from.

Do

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Visit the Taj Mahal – obviously. You can’t travel to Agra without seeing it, even if it is just to say that you have been there. The architectural details of this place is amazing, especially if you consider the era in which it was built. And of course, there is a beautiful, albeit sad, love story behind the tomb.

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Visit the Agra Fort – The Taj’s lesser known sister attraction, also a UNESCO world heritage site, echoes the story of the Mughal Empire and is definitely worth visiting. PS: I found this place more intriguing than the Taj Mahal.

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Visit Mehtab Bagh – The Moonlight Garden was an extension of the Taj Mahal Garden – on the other side of the river. Legend has it that Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal, intended to build a similar tomb in this garden, made entirely out of black marble and connected the Taj through a bridge.

He was overthrown by his son before he could complete it and forced to live in a tower in the Agra Fort with a view of the Taj Mahal.

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Shop for souvenirs – or don’t! I’ve read a lot about tour guides steering tourists to shops where overpriced souvenirs are sold as they get a commission or something. In Jaipur, I was taken to one of such shops despite my insistence on skipping it. A lot of the items in that shop were so expensive that I didn’t even have the luxury of being a compulsive buyer.

In Agra though, I did go shopping for simple souvenirs and I quite liked the experience. The shop owner was delightful and she made sure to pump me with a lot of free chai (tea) samples.

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Visit Fatehpur Sikri – This city, located just outside the city of Agra was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar and is considered to be his architectural legacy. The perfectly preserved city was abandoned shortly after its completion due to a shortage of water.

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Fun Fact: Did you know that the sultan’s palace in the Disney animated feature film, Aladdin was inspired by the Taj Mahal? I’m guessing the name ‘Agrabah’ was also inspired by this city. Agra is also known for it’s population of monkeys and tigers; Aladdin’s pet, Abu is a monkey and Jasmine’s pet, Rajah is a tiger.
Have you ever been to Agra? What are your recommendations on what to sleep, eat and do? 
 If you haven’t been, is this somewhere you’d consider exploring?

I love to hear from you, Leave a comment here!

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Guess where! 👀
20 hours ago
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Let me be honest, that tripod was never going to see the light of day! 🤭
Let me be honest, that tripod was never going to see the light of day! 🤭
2 days ago
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What a beautiful city! 😍

#kamoriver #kyoto #japan
What a beautiful city! 😍 #kamoriver #kyoto #japan
3 days ago
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Clear views of Mount Fuji, a beautiful lake and swans... what more could I possibly ask for? 🥰
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If you visit the area, here are some places you'll find the swans + a perfect view of Mount Fuji 🏔🦢

📌 Hirano Beach 白鳥浜: There's an elderly gentleman who comes to feed the swans from around 8:30am to 4pm, so you're likely to see flocks of swans here
📌 In front of Koyu Club Hotel (コーユー倶楽部山中湖畔サロン)
📌 A little further down the road from the last location is a dock where you can also rent swan boats.

For clear views of Mount Fuji, winter, spring and autumn have the most days with clear visibility. You can always look up the weather forecast to see what the day's going to be like before you visit. 

Early mornings and evenings give you the best chance of seeing the gorgeous mountain without any cloud coverings 🤍 On this particular day, Mount Fuji was clearly visible throughout the day!

#lakeyamanaka #fujifivelakes #swanlake #japan
Clear views of Mount Fuji, a beautiful lake and swans... what more could I possibly ask for? 🥰 _____________________ If you visit the area, here are some places you'll find the swans + a perfect view of Mount Fuji 🏔🦢 📌 Hirano Beach 白鳥浜: There's an elderly gentleman who comes to feed the swans from around 8:30am to 4pm, so you're likely to see flocks of swans here 📌 In front of Koyu Club Hotel (コーユー倶楽部山中湖畔サロン) 📌 A little further down the road from the last location is a dock where you can also rent swan boats. For clear views of Mount Fuji, winter, spring and autumn have the most days with clear visibility. You can always look up the weather forecast to see what the day's going to be like before you visit. Early mornings and evenings give you the best chance of seeing the gorgeous mountain without any cloud coverings 🤍 On this particular day, Mount Fuji was clearly visible throughout the day! #lakeyamanaka #fujifivelakes #swanlake #japan
4 days ago
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This town was a beautiful surprise in Japan 😍

To get here, we travelled from Kyoto to Nagoya and from there to Nakatsugawa. From Nakatsugawa Station, we had to take another bus to Magome-Juku but the commute was so worth it!

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Magome forms part of the Nakasendo Trail, a historic route that once connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period in Japan. It traverses the mountainous heart of Japan, offering breathtaking views of forests, rivers, and traditional villages.

The trail is known for its 69 post towns where people would rest along the way. Today, parts of the Nakasendo are well-preserved, allowing hikers to experience a mix of nature and history as they walk through charming old towns like Magome and Tsumago, where time seems to stand still amidst the preserved traditional architecture.

#travelinspiration #japantrip #magome #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
This town was a beautiful surprise in Japan 😍 To get here, we travelled from Kyoto to Nagoya and from there to Nakatsugawa. From Nakatsugawa Station, we had to take another bus to Magome-Juku but the commute was so worth it! -------‐‐‐--‐ Magome forms part of the Nakasendo Trail, a historic route that once connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period in Japan. It traverses the mountainous heart of Japan, offering breathtaking views of forests, rivers, and traditional villages. The trail is known for its 69 post towns where people would rest along the way. Today, parts of the Nakasendo are well-preserved, allowing hikers to experience a mix of nature and history as they walk through charming old towns like Magome and Tsumago, where time seems to stand still amidst the preserved traditional architecture. #travelinspiration #japantrip #magome #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
6 days ago
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Black Crow Castle, standing strong since the 1500s — a true Japanese gem!
Black Crow Castle, standing strong since the 1500s — a true Japanese gem!
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Travel Amarachi is VERY different from Home Amarachi! Am I living a fake life?😭😂

Because,my ideal day will start at 10 or 11am and end at 2am. I'm a night owl 🦉, not an early bird 🐦 - a complete opposite of who I become when I travel!

Tea or Coffee? No, thanks! I'll take a glass of orange juice please! 🍹 But "Travel-Amarachi" will take that matcha 🍵, with the beautiful cafe to matcha! See what I did there? 😉 #thefunniestgirlinNigeria #MFGN👑

I only hike for love ❤️ and my Love can faint if he goes on a trip that doesn't include any bit of hiking. So here we are!

+1: I am also a big home buddy. If you catch me outside, I must really love you! But Travel-Amarachi can't stay put in the hotel!
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Over to you! What are some ways travel-you differs from home-you? Let me know in the comment section below!

#travelinspiration #japantrip #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
Travel Amarachi is VERY different from Home Amarachi! Am I living a fake life?😭😂 Because,my ideal day will start at 10 or 11am and end at 2am. I'm a night owl 🦉, not an early bird 🐦 - a complete opposite of who I become when I travel! Tea or Coffee? No, thanks! I'll take a glass of orange juice please! 🍹 But "Travel-Amarachi" will take that matcha 🍵, with the beautiful cafe to matcha! See what I did there? 😉 #thefunniestgirlinNigeria #MFGN👑 I only hike for love ❤️ and my Love can faint if he goes on a trip that doesn't include any bit of hiking. So here we are! +1: I am also a big home buddy. If you catch me outside, I must really love you! But Travel-Amarachi can't stay put in the hotel! _____________________________ Over to you! What are some ways travel-you differs from home-you? Let me know in the comment section below! #travelinspiration #japantrip #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
1 week ago
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An absolutely wonderful time in the most stunning country! 😍😍

#japantrip2025🇯🇵🌸⛩️
An absolutely wonderful time in the most stunning country! 😍😍 #japantrip2025🇯🇵🌸⛩️
1 week ago
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8/9
Public holidays should be your best friend if you work full time and love to travel. Eid and Easter fall between the months of March and June.

If you plan out your vacation time properly, you can:

🌸: get 24 vacation days ✈️ by taking only 12 days off! 🤯. Perfect for your Asian odyssey or West African road trip from Nigeria to Cote D'Ivoire 🚌

You can also split this time, taking shorter breaks in addition to the public holidays.

Take 12 days off from March 31 to April 21 to get 24 vacation days (including weekend and public holidays)! 😀 

Mar 31 - Apr 01: Likely Eid Al Fitr
Apr 18 - Apr 21: Easter

Send this post to your manager immediately! 🚀
Public holidays should be your best friend if you work full time and love to travel. Eid and Easter fall between the months of March and June. If you plan out your vacation time properly, you can: 🌸: get 24 vacation days ✈️ by taking only 12 days off! 🤯. Perfect for your Asian odyssey or West African road trip from Nigeria to Cote D'Ivoire 🚌 You can also split this time, taking shorter breaks in addition to the public holidays. Take 12 days off from March 31 to April 21 to get 24 vacation days (including weekend and public holidays)! 😀 Mar 31 - Apr 01: Likely Eid Al Fitr Apr 18 - Apr 21: Easter Send this post to your manager immediately! 🚀
1 month ago
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