Offbeat Agra: Looking Up Places That Are Not The Taj Mahal

Headed to Agra but have little on your itinerary yet? We help you plan your vacation:

Just a casual mention of Agra brings to mind instantly the majestic Taj Mahal. While it certainly is the biggest attraction in this city in Uttar Pradesh, there are many more that can be counted as some of the best places to visit in Agra.

Do visit the Taj Mahal but stay back once you’re done to check out some of the best places to visit in Agra.

Here’s a quick glance at some such Agra tourist places you must visit when paying this beautiful city a visit:

  1. Agra Fort:

A regal structure, also popular as the Red Fort, the Agra Fort is one of the best places to visit in Agra. Made of red sandstone and marble, it houses some of the most popular Mughal structures. Some of them include Shish Mahal, Diwan-e-aam and Diwan-e-khaas. Once used as a military structure by Akbar, Shah Jahan later turned the Agra Fort into a palace. Entry to the fort (via the Amar Singh Gate) was originally built to counter aggression by confusing attackers with the dogleg design.

Truly one of the more spectacular Agra tourist places, the Agra Fort is but just a short distance away from the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal

  1. MehtabBagh:

Literally translates to ‘Moonlight Garden’, this complex is another example of popular Agra tourist places you cannot miss visiting.

Built by Babar, this garden complex is located on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River North of the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. After being almost ruined by floods and extraction of building materials, MehtabBagh has now been restored back to its original grandiose state making it one of the best places to visit in Agra.

  1. Wildlife SOS:

If you’re a wildlife enthusiast, the Wildlife SOS in Agra should thrill you. It is one of the Agra tourist places known worldwide for rescuing, rehabilitating and preserving wildlife. The conservation non-profit is particularly famous for its efforts to rescue dancing bears off Indian streets.

  1. Kinari Bazar:

The Kinari Bazar is just the place to be at if you wish to get a taste of the traditions and culture Agra is known for. Tiny colourful shops dot the Kinari Bazar, which is an excellent place to shop for local jewellery, clothes, shoes and the famous Agra marble-work. It is indeed one of the best places to visit in Agra where you are bound to have a delightful time as you shop for local souvenirs.

  1. Fatehpur Sikri:

An Agra visit is incomplete if you miss out on Fatehpur Sikri. A town in the Agra district, it gets its name from a village known as Sikri that once was located here. After Akbar’s victorious campaign in Gujarat, the town began to be known as Fatehpur Sikri or the City of Victory. The Jama Masjid, the HiranMinar and the Panch Mahal are some of the popular spots to be visited here making it one of the best places to visit in Agra.