Plan your trip · Agra
Best time to visit Agra
October to March is the season for Agra, but it is not one even season. The clearest weeks are at either end, and the middle can be foggy enough to hide the Taj at sunrise.
❄️ Winter
RecommendedOct – Mar
Warm in October and March, cool and mostly dry from November to February — the comfortable peak season, with crisp mornings and evenings.
Pack: light layers with a jacket or shawl for early mornings and after dark.
Plan a winter day →☀️ Summer
Apr – Jun
Very hot and dry, often 40 °C+ by midday — the off-season on the plains. Best explored at dawn and dusk, resting through the afternoon.
Pack: loose light cottons, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and plenty of water.
Plan a summer day →🌧️ Monsoon
Jul – Sep
Warm and humid with on-and-off showers that cool the air and green the gardens — rain rarely lasts all day.
Pack: a compact umbrella or light rain shell, quick-dry clothes and grippy footwear.
Shines now: Mehtab Bagh
Plan a monsoon day →October and November: clear and busy
The monsoon has gone, the air is usually clean, and days are warm but comfortable. Diwali falls in this window, and hotels fill up. Book the Taj for sunrise and expect other people with the same idea.
December and January: cold, with fog
Nights near the Yamuna can drop to a few degrees, and dense fog often lingers until late morning. Some days the Taj is invisible at dawn and clears around 10 or 11 am. Fog also delays trains and flights across the northern plains. If you visit now, give yourself two mornings for the Taj, and keep the first afternoon free for the fort or Itimad-ud-Daulah.
February and March: the best balance
Clear skies return, mornings are crisp rather than cold, and the gardens bloom. Taj Mahotsav, the city's craft and culture fair, runs in late February at Shilpgram near the Taj's east gate. Holi arrives in March, and the Braj celebrations in Mathura and Vrindavan start a week or more earlier. By late March it is getting hot.
April to June: extreme heat
This is the off-season for good reason. Afternoons often pass 45 °C, and the hot loo wind blows across the plains. Agra's record, 48.6 °C, was set in May 2024. Visit at dawn, rest from noon to about four, and go back out for the evening. Hotels are cheaper and the Taj is quieter.
July to September: monsoon
The rains usually start in the first week of July and ease in mid-September. Showers cool the air and turn the gardens green, and crowds are thinner. But humidity is high, and in heavy years the Yamuna floods. Mehtab Bagh sits on the floodplain and can be partly under water. Check local news before planning a riverside sunset.
Days that change the plan
The Taj is closed every Friday. It opens at night on five nights around each full moon, but not on Fridays or during Ramzan. During Shah Jahan's Urs, three days in the Islamic month of Rajab, entry is free and the crowds are huge.
See what's on for festival dates and what to wear for each season.
Questions
Agra — FAQ
Which month is best for the Taj Mahal at sunrise?
November and February usually give the best chance of a clear sunrise. December and January often have fog that can hide the Taj until late morning.
Is it worth visiting Agra in summer?
Yes, if you can handle the heat and plan around it. See the monuments at dawn and dusk, and rest indoors from about noon to four. Crowds are smaller and hotels are cheaper.
Does it rain a lot in Agra during the monsoon?
Less than much of India, but July and August bring regular heavy showers. Rain rarely stops sightseeing, but the Yamuna can flood the riverside gardens.
When is the Taj Mahal open at night?
On the full-moon night and the two nights before and after it, in small timed groups. There is no night viewing on Fridays or during Ramzan. Tickets must be booked in advance.