FairFare
Taj Mahal Ticket Guide
The real foreign-vs-domestic price split, and how to book a Delhi day trip.
What to know before you visit
A real, disclosed government dual-pricing policy
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) publishes tiered entry fees openly on its official site: ₹1,100 for foreign tourists, ₹540 for SAARC/BIMSTEC nationals, and ₹50 for Indian citizens/OCI cardholders. This is disclosed, standard government policy, not a hidden markup or a scam.
Source: tajmahal.gov.in/visiting-hours.aspx (fetched directly, 2026-09-15).
One surcharge applies to everyone
A separate ₹200 ticket is required to enter the main mausoleum chamber, on top of base entry — for both Indian and foreign visitors alike. Total cost works out to roughly ₹1,300 (~$15-16) for foreigners and ~₹250 (~$3) for Indians. Children under 15 enter free in both tiers; no official camera fee was found.
Source: tajmahal.gov.in/visiting-hours.aspx
The official online booking channel
E-tickets are sold via ASI's own named official portals, asi.payumoney.com and asiagracircle.in — both explicitly identified as official on tajmahal.gov.in. Booking online gets a small discount (₹50 off foreign tickets, ₹5 off Indian tickets). Carry the passport used at booking, per standard practice widely described by tour operators.
Source: tajmahal.gov.in/ticketing.aspx
Real scams: fake guides and commission-driven taxis
Unofficial "guides" in uniforms and fake ASI-style ID badges approach tourists at the gate demanding inflated fees; genuine ASI-approved guides should only be hired at the official ticket counter. Separately, taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers commonly steer tourists to marble or gem "emporiums" for a commission, using pretexts like a "closed road" or "monument closed for 30 minutes."
Corroborating travel-industry reporting (Tempo.co, Amsah Tours) — not a government source, but a consistent, widely repeated pattern.
How to actually get there from Delhi
Train 12049/12050, the Gatimaan Express, runs Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) to Agra Cantt in about 1 hour 40 minutes (departs ~08:10, arrives ~09:50), making a same-day round trip genuinely practical. Fares run ₹765 for Chair Car and ₹1,485 for Executive Chair Car one-way, including catering — book through IRCTC.
Fare/schedule from a live railenquiry.in lookup for train 12049, 2026-09-15. Rail fares fluctuate — check IRCTC for the live price.
Official Prices & Getting There
Checked against ASI’s official site and Indian Railways. Re-verify the current price before booking.
Foreign Tourist Entry Ticket
₹1,300Taj Mahal (ASI), Agra
₹1,100 base entry + ₹200 mausoleum ticket (~$15-16 total). ₹50 discount when booked online via asiagracircle.in.
Checked: 2026-09-15
Indian National / OCI Entry Ticket
₹250Taj Mahal (ASI), Agra
₹50 base entry + ₹200 mausoleum ticket (~$3 total). SAARC/BIMSTEC nationals pay ₹540 base instead of ₹50.
Checked: 2026-09-15
Gatimaan Express (Train 12049/12050)
₹765–1,485Indian Railways / IRCTC, Nizamuddin → Agra Cantt
One-way, Chair Car / Executive Chair Car, including catering. About 1h40m each way. Fares fluctuate — check IRCTC for the live price.
Checked: 2026-09-15