In this guide
If you are planning your first visit to Agra in 2026, the Taj Mahal ticket structure can feel confusing because there are two separate tickets: a main complex entry fee, and an optional add-on for the inner mausoleum. This guide gives you the verified 2026 prices set by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and explains how to book online from abroad.
Taj Mahal Entry Fee 2026 (Foreign Tourists)
- Main complex entry: ₹1,100 per adult
- Main mausoleum (optional add-on): ₹200 per person
- Combined total: ₹1,300 per adult
- Children below 15 years: Free entry (both Indian and foreign)
For SAARC and BIMSTEC nationals (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Thailand), the fee is ₹540 for the complex and ₹740 with the mausoleum add-on.
What the Base Ticket Covers
Your ₹1,100 ticket gives you access to the Taj Mahal gardens, the reflecting pool, the mosque area on the western side, and the Jawab building on the east. You can view the mausoleum from all angles outside but the inner chamber, which holds the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, requires the additional ₹200 ticket purchased at a counter inside the complex.
Opening Hours and Closed Days
- Open: Sunrise to sunset, every day except Friday
- Friday: Closed for general visitors (open only for prayers at the on-site mosque)
- Ticket counters: Open one hour before sunrise and close 45 minutes before sunset
How to Book Online (Official ASI Portal)
The only official online ticket portal is asi.payumoney.com. Tickets are also issued via tajmahal.gov.in (run by UP Tourism) and asiagracircle.in. International credit and debit cards are accepted. There is a small online discount (₹50 per foreigner ticket compared with the counter price), and you receive a QR code ticket by email.
Avoid third-party resellers claiming "skip the line" or "VIP" tickets. According to ASI, no such ticket category exists for the Taj Mahal. Buying online only saves you the ticket-counter queue, not the security queue.
Documents to Carry
Foreign tourists must carry their passport at the gate. Photocopies and scans are not accepted. Children under 15 entering free should also carry an age-proof document.
Night Viewing
The Taj is open for night viewing on five nights a month: the night of the full moon, two nights before, and two nights after. Night viewing is closed on Fridays and during the entire month of Ramzan. Tickets are sold separately and must be booked at the ASI office in Agra at least 24 hours in advance.
Quick Tips for First-Time Foreign Visitors
- Sunrise (around 6:00 AM in winter, 5:30 AM in summer) is the calmest, coolest time
- Drones, tripods and large bags are prohibited; cloak rooms are at the East and West gates
- The South gate is exit-only
- October to March is peak season: book online ahead of arrival
All prices and rules are verified against the official ASI Taj Mahal page (tajmahal.gov.in) and current 2026 visitor guidance. Always reconfirm on the official portal before travel.
Written by PlanMyOffbeat Team
Independent, verification-first travel guides for offbeat trips.
