{"id":28073,"date":"2018-07-12T01:00:41","date_gmt":"2018-07-11T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=28073"},"modified":"2026-06-19T06:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T20:26:08","slug":"taj-mahal-firsthand-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/taj-mahal-firsthand-account\/","title":{"rendered":"What it’s really like visiting the Taj Mahal (and why it’s worth the hype)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After seeing the Taj Mahal during my Delhi to Kathmandu<\/a> trip, I want to tell you why it’s worth every ounce of praise and something you need to see in your lifetime, if you\u2019re able.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On occasion, I\u2019ve visited a site <\/span>said to be one of ‘the world\u2019s greatest’ and arrived only to be, I dare say, a touch disappointed. It\u2019s not that the site itself wasn\u2019t magnificent, it\u2019s that I\u2019d constructed such an unreal (and perhaps unattainable) image of what the site <\/span>might be.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I mix my overactive imagination with a healthy dose of the oversaturated Instagram images I\u2019ve viewed over the years, sometimes that\u2019s a recipe for an underwhelming moment. I was worried this would be the case with the Taj Mahal in India<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 that its reputation was impossibly large and I\u2019d be that unappreciative tourist who didn\u2019t quite understand why everyone else was gushing. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t everything I hoped it would be, it was beyond what I ever could have imagined.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Locals and tourists flock from near and far to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The story of the Taj Mahal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The history and conception of the Taj Mahal is like something out of a fairytale. It would be a best-selling fictional romance novel if it wasn\u2019t certifiable historical fact. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taj Mahal is essentially a physical manifestation of a Mughal Emperor\u2019s undying love. Shah Jahan, one of the most famous emperors of the Mughal empire, built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In a sense, Shah Jahan accomplished his goal in spades, as it\u2019s safe to say that history will have a hard time ever forgetting about Mumtaz Mahal, and their love.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I appreciated most in learning about the Taj Mahal is that it cost roughly 30 million rupees to complete during its 20 or so years of construction (1632-1653), which would be just under a billion dollars American in today\u2019s world. Just think about that for a second, a ruler spent about<\/span> <\/span><\/i>a billion dollars on one building to house the tomb of a woman whom he loved above all else. That fact, it\u2019s just astonishing to me.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that the emperor employed artisans from across the nation to build this marvelous structure. Numbers vary, but historical records suggest that tens of thousands of individuals worked on this masterpiece, whether they were masons, calligraphers, architects or anything in between. As far as Indo-Islamic architecture is concerned, there\u2019s little that compares to the Taj Mahal.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Intrepid’s local leaders on how to ace a first-time trip<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Exploring the grounds of the Taj Mahal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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How to get the most out of your experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve got to be honest here, just being on the grounds is enough in some regard, but you do probably want to ensure you have a bit of a methodology in terms of how to approach it. Thankfully, this part of your Intrepid trip is quite flexible in providing a few hours to take it all in. <\/span>Also your local leader will be viewing it alongside you and they understand that the Taj Mahal is a highlight<\/span> and thus they provide you a bit of breathing room to ensure you leave feeling you\u2019ve gotten all the photos and memories you want.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our leader, Chime, was an incredible source of knowledge in terms of contextualising the site. So, don\u2019t hesitate to ask questions. I can distinctly recall asking questions leading up the Taj Mahal, during our visit and after. Far from being annoyed, Chime seemed genuinely enthused to answer all my questions (and, as you can imagine, there were no shortage of them)!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n
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\"A<\/a>
Seeing the Taj Mahal with your own eyes is a bucket list moment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Entering as a non-resident<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll likely be entering from the eastern gate, which is where foreign nationals enter. Naturally, if you’re with a company like Intrepid, your admission will be taken care of ahead of time, so you can walk right in. You\u2019ll go through security, then towards the <\/span>forecourt and main gate. This is where things <\/span>you get your first view of the Taj Mahal in all its glory. Take a second here. In this modern era instant gratification, I urge you just to enjoy the <\/span>moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve visited nearly 80 countries at this point and I can\u2019t pinpoint a time where I\u2019ve been more in awe of a structure. It\u2019s not just symmetrical, it\u2019s <\/em><\/span>perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploring the grounds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Walking through the main gate <\/span>past the gardens and waterbeds, with the Taj Mahal in the distance, is something special. I\u2019d strongly recommend putting your phone and camera away for a moment. Sometimes, as tourists, it\u2019s worth thinking <\/span>just being present instead of thinking about <\/span>the photo opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the main gate, directly facing the Taj Mahal is where you\u2019ll get that quintessential photo once you\u2019re ready and your jaw<\/span>‘s back to its normal position. From here, I\u2019d start to slowly walk towards the building. The closer you get, the more entrancing it becomes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are thousands of angles from which to appreciate the Taj Mahal<\/span> and the structure looks like it was meant to be admired from any which way. <\/span>Given that it was so carefully and painstakingly devised, it wouldn\u2019t surprise me if that was the case.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice that the Taj is accompanied by a building on each side \u2013 on the left you\u2019ll find the mosque and on the right you\u2019ll find the mehmaan khana (or drawing room). You\u2019ll be able to enter the mausoleum with the stairs on your left, which is where it\u2019s worth appreciating the Taj Mahal <\/span>is one of history\u2019s great acts of love and commemoration.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: <\/strong>The best places to go in India based on your travel vibe<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Capturing moments at an iconic wonder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What makes the Taj Mahal so special? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While we can\u2019t all identify with having a swift billion dollars to shell out to show our deepest affections, certainly many of us can identify with wanting to show your love for someone or something <\/span>in the way that they can appreciate long after. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing else like the Taj Mahal, and there won\u2019t ever be anything else like it for the rest of time. That\u2019s just a fact. These are the sights that are truly worth visiting<\/a>, the sights that you couldn\u2019t possibly imagine unless you were standing in that very spot and very place.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When travelling to places like the Taj Mahal we create moments which stay with us for a lifetime. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast, but I\u2019ll never forget the pearl white facade of the mausoleum and my stroll through the lavish grounds.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit the Taj Mahal<\/a> on one of Intrepid’s trips to India<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More heritage experiences<\/h2>
Rajasthan Experience<\/a><\/div>
15 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Premium India in Depth<\/a><\/div>
14 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Delhi to Kathmandu<\/a><\/div>
15 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m not a fan of overused clich\u00e9s, but there\u2019s no other way to say this: when I first saw the Taj Mahal, it quite literally took my breath away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16010,"featured_media":44628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455,286],"tags":[180,6,456,470],"class_list":["post-28073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-stories","tag-asia","tag-india","tag-intrepid-trip","tag-taj-mahal","ipf_region-india"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat it's really like visiting the Taj Mahal (and why it's worth the hype) | The Good Times by Intrepid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When I saw the Taj Mahal, it took my breath away. 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