India GODelhi or Agra: the capital of eight cities and the city of the Taj
Delhi vs Agra is rarely a real choice: Agra is 230 km from Delhi, the fast trains take about 1 h 40 min, and the Taj Mahal is the reason many people come to North India at all. The real question is how long to give each. Delhi rewards two or three days of monuments and old lanes. Agra can be done as a day trip, but the guide's Golden Triangle route recommends one night, because sunrise at the Taj belongs to those who wake up there.
Delhi
Eight capitals stacked on one plain, and you can walk between them: a 12th-century victory tower, the Mughal tomb that taught the Taj its shape, colonial New Delhi's avenues, and the spice lanes of Chandni Chowk. Most trips to North India start here. Give it two days and it stops being just an airport.
📅 Best time: Oct & Feb–Mar
Agra
Marble and red sandstone on one bend of the Yamuna: the Taj Mahal at dawn, the fort where Shah Jahan spent his last years looking at it, and the 'Baby Taj' whose inlay work the Taj borrowed. Most visitors leave by sunset; the old city's bazaars and petha shops reward those who stay.
📅 Best time: Oct–Mar
When to go
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Delhi | 🟢 20° | 🟩 24° | 🟩 30° | 🟢 36° | 🟧 40° | 🟧 39° | 🟢 36° | 🟢 34° | 🟢 34° | 🟩 33° | 🟢 28° | 🟢 23° |
| Agra | 🟢 22° | 🟩 26° | 🟩 32° | 🟢 38° | 🟧 42° | 🟧 41° | 🟢 36° | 🟢 33° | 🟢 34° | 🟩 35° | 🟩 29° | 🟢 24° |
🟩 Best time · 🟢 Good time · 🟧 Better avoid. Figures are IMD daytime highs.
What the guide covers
| Delhi | Agra | |
| Palaces & museums | 25 | 10 |
| Temples & shrines | 12 | 7 |
| Nature | 10 | 7 |
| Markets & shopping | 16 | 7 |
| Areas & streets | 5 | 0 |
| Other | 109 | 27 |
| Hotels | 14 | 14 |
Full guides, the map and festivals in India GO.
Open in India GOWhat each city gives you
Delhi needs days rather than hours: the guide's Golden Triangle route gives it two to three nights. It has three UNESCO sites in the guide, the Red Fort and the lanes of the old city, and colonial New Delhi's avenues. For Agra it is also the departure point: the fast trains leave from Hazrat Nizamuddin. See the Delhi page.
Agra is marble and red sandstone on one bend of the Yamuna: the Taj Mahal at dawn, the fort where Shah Jahan spent his last years looking at it, and the 'Baby Taj', whose inlay the Taj borrowed. It is a smaller city (about 2.4 million in the metro area against Delhi's 33.8 million) that most visitors leave by sunset; the old-city bazaars and petha shops reward those who stay.
Getting between Delhi and Agra
About 230 km. Approximate fares, checked in August 2026. More on the Agra to Delhi route page.
Gatimaan Express or Vande Bharat
From Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt in about 1 h 40 min, from ~₹100 in a seat to ~₹860 in chair car. Tickets open 60 days ahead and sell out in season; IRCTC lists them first and without a markup.
Car with a driver
3–3.5 hours on the Yamuna Expressway, sedan ~₹2,000–2,600, toll about ₹440 each way. Door to door, which suits families.
Bus
UPSRTC and private coaches, AC and electric, from ~₹224, 3.5–5 hours from Sarai Kale Khan; traffic leaving Delhi can add an hour.
Not on a Friday
The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays and the Gatimaan does not run. For a day trip from Delhi any other day works; this one does not.
Seasons
The two cities lie on the same plain and share most of the calendar. Delhi's best months are October, February and March. From November to January smog can push its AQI past 450 and fog delays trains and flights, which matters if the day trip depends on a morning train. May and June bring heatwaves above 45°C.
Agra's best months are February, March, October and November; May and June are the ones to avoid, with daytime highs of 41–42°C. In December and January dawn fog can hide the Taj at sunrise.
Both in one trip: February, March and October are best for both cities.
In Agra
The Taj opens at sunrise and the crowds arrive by nine, so book a tuk-tuk the night before rather than hunting for one in the dark. Petrol vehicles stop 500 m from the Taj; the electric shuttle from the car park is free with a foreign-national ticket. A metro line opened in 2024 links the Taj and Agra Fort for ~₹10–20 (approximate, August 2026).
❓ FAQ
Is Agra in Delhi?
No. Agra is a separate city in Uttar Pradesh, about 230 km from Delhi.
Is a day trip to Agra enough?
It works on any day except Friday. The Golden Triangle route gives Agra one to two nights, because sunrise at the Taj is only for those who wake up there.
What is the fastest way from Delhi to Agra?
The Gatimaan Express or Vande Bharat from Hazrat Nizamuddin, about 1 h 40 min.
What is the difference between Delhi and New Delhi?
New Delhi is the colonial-era part of the city with its broad avenues; Delhi as a whole also includes the old city of Chandni Chowk and earlier capitals.