Agra

Shah Jahan's marble mausoleum is best appreciated slowly: through the gateway reveal, garden axis, changing stone detail and Yamuna setting. Carry minimal belongings and verify the weekly closure and ticket rules.

A vast red-sandstone imperial complex with palaces, audience halls and framed views toward the Taj Mahal. Allow two hours rather than treating it as an add-on.

This refined garden tomb is often called the Baby Taj, but its delicate marble inlay and intimate scale deserve independent attention.

A riverside Mughal garden aligned with the Taj Mahal, popular for late-afternoon views from across the Yamuna.

The emperor's monumental tomb stands in a large enclosed garden northwest of central Agra and shows a different phase of Mughal design.

Akbar's former imperial capital contains palaces, courts and the Jama Masjid about 40 kilometres from Agra. Plan it as a half-day excursion.

A quieter riverside tomb notable for surviving glazed-tile decoration. Its condition and surroundings are less polished than headline monuments.

One of India's earliest surviving Mughal gardens, offering a calmer look at the river landscape and garden tradition.