How To Reach Agra
Planning A Trip To Agra? Here are some guidelines on how to reach Agra
Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, forms one point of India’s famous Golden Triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi and Jaipur. Agra is located 200 km south of Delhi, on the banks of the river Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh. Agra is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites - the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, and is counted as one of the foremost tourist attractions of India. As such it is very well connected via rail and road with other nearby cities and tourist destinations. Here we have compiled a list of travel options to help you decide on how to reach Agra.
By Bus
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Agra is extremely well connected by bus to cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior, Lucknow and Kanpur. There are daily bus services between these cities. There are two major interstate bus terminals - Idgah Bus Stand (located right at the heart of the city) and ISBT (located about 12 km from the Taj Mahal).
By Train
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Agra has a great locational advantage because it is situated on the main railway line of the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai routes, thereby providing great connectivity to these metros. Some east-bound trains from Delhi also travel via Agra, which provides direct connections to Kolkata. There are also regular trains to Agra from Jaipur, Gwalior and Jhansi. Most trains leave from the Agra Cantonment station which is the main station. Prepaid taxis, auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws are readily available to get to the Taj and the Agra Fort, both of which are a short ride away. The Bhopal Shatabdi Express and the Taj Express are the best options for a day trip from Delhi to Agra. The journey time is 2-3 hours. Both these trains depart from Delhi at early morning, and return at night. Check out the Indian Railway website for schedule. Such an extensive railway network provides an easy solution to the question of how to reach Agra.
By Air
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Agra Airport also known as the Kheria Air Force Station is a military airbase and public airport, located about 13 km from Agra city. The Agra airport is primarily served by Air India flights which offer smooth connectivity from Delhi and Mumbai, benefiting international tourists too. From the airport you can hire a prepaid taxi to get to the city.
By Road
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How to reach Agra by road? Here is our list of the most convenient road routes.
From Delhi: Agra is connected to Delhi by the 200 km long NH2. Now we have the swanky six-lane Yamuna Expressway, also known as the Taj Expressway connecting greater Noida to Agra. The drive time is typically 4-5 hours depending on traffic and time of the day.
From Jaipur: The NH11 connects Jaipur to Agra via the bird sanctuary town of Bharatpur. It takes roughly 4 hours to cover the 255 km distance.
From Gwalior: The NH3 (Agra-Mumbai Highway) connects Agra to Gwalior. The 120 km distance can be covered in about 1.5 hours.
From Lucknow and Kanpur: The NH2 connects Agra to Kanpur which is roughly 285 km and a 5-hour drive away. From Kanpur, one can head to Lucknow via the NH25, a 90km/2-hour journey.
It should be kept in mind though that cars are not allowed near the Taj Complex.
Getting Around In Agra
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There are various ways of getting around in Agra. Tongas, electric buses and electric tempos are readily available; in fact they are the best options to visit the Taj where no cars are allowed. There are prepaid auto-rickshaw booths and prepaid taxi booths just outside the Agra Cantt station which provide another transport option for local sightseeing. Also from the Agra Cantt station one can also avail of the UP state tourism conducted city tours on AC luxury coaches.
