Five best vantage points to shoot the Taj Mahal for that gorgeous Insta handle

It was the middle of 2018 and I decided to fulfill my childhood dream of travelling to the Taj Mahal!!!!

It was indeed a dream come true and one to cherish for a lifetime. So I thought why not share some of my favorite moments from my visit with you guys in the form of some helpful tips of how to get those perfect snaps of the historic monument and what to keep in mind while clicking those shots.

So without much further ado lets get straight into it.

What are the five best points to shoot from for those gorgeous shots of the Taj Mahal:

1. The Podium in front of the fountains leading upto the Taj : This is perhaps the best vantage point that one can have for an unhindered view of the Taj Mahal. Also this is the place to take your photos from if you want that perfect shot of the Taj with the reflection in the fountain pool ( weather gods permitting !!! ). But as you must have guessed by now, this is perhaps the busiest place to get a shot so you have to be patient to get that shot. Just don’t get exasperated, wait your turn out and you will have your shot and as a wise man once said “A man who is a master of patience is a master of everything else”

2. The Mosque to the west of the Taj Mahal : This is where you see most of those amazing Insta shots that look so dreamy!!! But again as I mentioned before patience is the key and you have to bide your time and respect the fact that others too are there, may be for the only time in their lives, and so everyone deserves to get their piece of the Taj. Also keep in mind this being the Western side you will definitely get great shots in the afternoon but even during sunrise it’s a great spot to shoot if you love playing with lights and shadows especially with the huge gates of the mosque silhouetting the Taj in the background.

An important thing to keep in mind when you are shooting here is that it’s a mosque – a place of worship for our fellow friends - and hence do take care to remove your shoes before entering the premises of the West Mosque.

3. The Courtyard to the east of the Taj Mahal: Once again another great point to shoot with the Taj in the background. A great time to shoot here would be early morning and late afternoons again.

4. River Yamuna: River Yamuna passes by just behind the Taj Mahal ( of course the Taj was built on the banks of the Yamuna and its folklore now) But can’t reiterate the fact that its an amazing place to catch the sunset especially on a boat. Unfortunately we couldn’t do this as we went just after the summer and hence the water in the river was too shallow for a boat ride. So if you are in with a chance of doing this then you must do.

5. Mehtab Bagh: The most peaceful place to shoot the Taj. This park is bang opposite the Taj on the other side of the Yamuna and you can gleefully click some great shots from here. There is a nominal fee to enter the Mehtab Bagh but that shouldn’t be a hindrance at all.

Some additional tips:

i. You have to get to the Taj Mahal early (by 6AM) if you want some of those cool shots. As the day progresses the crowds get substantially bigger and those waiting times can get exponentially longer to get that perfect shot.

ii. I would suggest to get a guide while you are at the Taj Mahal. It helps if you are interested in knowing all the amazing history about the place. But it also helps if you are traveling solo or just a couple in having someone to click those gorgeous shots of yours without having to worry about setting up a tripod and all.

iii. While in Agra you have just got to try the Pethas – a sweet delicacy unique to this place. But just be wary of the prices in the shops close to the Taj Mahal. I would suggest to venture into one of the shops a few blocks away to get the better deals.

iv. You have to stay as close as possible to the Taj Mahal to be able to make it in early in the morning and also to go as many times as you like to the Taj. While there are a host of good options available, you should consider reading up here on why staying at The Taj Gateway Agra should be an obvious choice .

And here is a compilation of some of my favorite moments from my visit to the Taj Mahal. So do check it out in this short video on Youtube.

I hope this post will be useful to all you guys planning a trip to the Taj Mahal and if you like this post and want to connect with me here is a link to my Insta handle : @WAYFARERALIVIA

So see you there and hope you guys have a wonderful trip too!!!

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