Viewing Taj Mahal at Night – Complete Guide(2023)

“Taj Mahal” – No words can describe the beauty of this monument of eternal love. Being born in Agra, the first time I saw the Taj Mahal was when I was 14 years old. Since then I have visited it almost every other year. Just a day before the lockdown in 2020 as well I had visited  the Taj Mahal. I have been mesmerized by its beauty every time I visit it.

The best time to see the Taj Mahal would be either during sunrise or sunset, but if one has to see a completely different Taj Mahal it has to be at night. Yes, at night, and this happens only 5 days a month. The Taj Mahal is open on the full moon day and two days before and after it.

You might wonder how one can book tickets for the night view.

Where to book the Taj Mahal Night view tickets

The tickets are available one day before the night view and should be physically booked by going to the ASI office in Agra. between 10 am and 6 pm. Now there’s a catch to this because only 400 tickets are sold for a day and the timings start from 8:30 pm until 12:30 am. A tourist is only allowed in batches of 50 people and only for 30 mins. 

But the bigger catch is how one gets a ticket a day before because some people only get to know about it once they reach Agra or people usually visit Agra on a single-day trip from Delhi or other nearby places. The tickets can also be obtained only after one has provided a xerox copy of the ID proofs. 

So then how does one get the tickets if they are not in Agra? Well, what you can do is either ask a friend or family which might not be possible in the case of a majority of people. What you can do is ask a tour agent to get the tickets on your behalf. He might charge a little more but you are sure of getting the ticket.

ASI Office Address: Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.) 22, Mall Road, Agra

Is the ticketing process at the ASI fair?

The first time I got the tickets were with the help of a tour agent but recently(Aug’ 22) when I planned to visit the Taj Mahal I thought of getting the tickets myself. I and another friend I had made at the hostel decided to go and get the tickets by ourselves. We were at the ASI office sharp at 10:10 am and there were close to 10 people ahead of us in the queue since I had not got the copy of the ID proof. I asked my friend to stand in the queue, meanwhile, I went to get the copy of my ID.

I was back in 20-25 mins and to my surprise, only 2 tourists were done submitting the documents. Now the first hiccup in the process is the tickets are printed manually so typing down all the tourist names does take time and the process is really slow.

The second issue was that both the people who had submitted the documents were tour agents. Now the issue is they had submitted documents for almost 60-70 people. Now when we saw this all the people ahead of us were tour agents and one of them was even looking for 50 tickets which is absurd.

If the tour agents get all the tickets then it is unfair to all the tourists who are taking the effort of going and getting the tickets by themselves. Meanwhile, our number had come and it took close to 2 hrs for that to happen. Now the tourists who were behind us started raising their voices against the tour agents and how they can take so many tickets. There was a lot of chaos and the ASI superintendent was also present there and tried to resolve the issue. 

The tour agents are also right if they don’t come and buy the tickets the night view tour would barely have any tourists going for it. But I feel they should regulate the number of tickets a tour agent can buy or prioritize the tourist who comes and stands in the queue. This is for the ASI to see how they can make things better!

Taj Mahal Night View Ticket Price

The Ticket price for the night view is a lot different than the normal day price. And here are the prices for the night view of the Taj Mahal for different nationalities

Adult – Indian	Rs 510
Adult – Foreigner	Rs 750
Child(3-15 years) – Indian/Foreigner	Rs 500

Taj Mahal Night view dates(2022-23)

Now let’s discuss the dates for which one can view the Taj Mahal at night. Let me inform you another thing that Taj Mahal is closed on Friday for the whole day and night. The night view of the Taj Mahal is also closed during the month of Ramzan. The below table shows the date for the full moon in the upcoming months:

Full Moon Day	Dates the night view will be open
8th Dec’ 22(Thursday)	6,7,8,10
7th Jan’ 23(Thursday) –	5,6,7,9
5th Feb’ 23(Sunday)	4,5,6,7
7th Mar’ 23(Tuesday)	5,6,7,8,9
6th Apr’ 23(Thursday)	Closed because of Ramzan
5th May’ 23(Friday) –  Will be open 2 days before and after and not on 5th May	3,4,6,7
4th June’ 23(Sunday)	3,4,5,6
3rd July’ 23(Monday)	1,2,3,4,5
2nd Aug’ 23(Wednesday)	31,1,2,3
31st Aug’ 23(Thursday)	29,30,31, 2
29th Sep‘ 23(Friday) – Will be open 2 days before and after and not on 29th Sep	27,28,30,1
29th Oct’ 23(Sunday)	28,29,30,31
27th Nov’ 23(Monday)	25,26,27,28,29
27th Dec ‘ 23(Wednesday)	25,26,27,28

Everything you need to know before visiting the Taj Mahal

Listed below is some of the most important information you need to know before visiting the Taj Mahal at night.

• One has to report at Shilpgram at the East Gate of the Taj Mahal 30 mins before the scheduled time on the ticket – Direction(Shilpgram).
  Note: Please do not go on any other gates because the security checks are done on this gate only for night tour.
• The Shilpgram has a parking lot and police officials will guide you to the Taj Mahal in battery-operated vehicles.

• Please report 30-40 mins before the time on the ticket.
• You are only allowed to go until the big gate at the Taj Mahal and nowhere closer to the Mausoleum.
• The biggest shock is you are not allowed to carry your mobile during the night tour.
• Sharing with you a list of all the items that are not allowed,
  – Mobile Phones
  – Drone Camera
  – Any type of eatables
  – Video Cameras
  – Tripods
  – Batteries

 Don’t worry they do provide the lockers so all your belongings are safe.

• Coming to what type of cameras are allowed, one can take a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. Even a GoPro is allowed. But yes they will remove the tripod in the GoPro stick. I also saw someone use a monopod but not sure if one is allowed to take it.
• You will not see the Taj Mahal and the full moon in the same frame, the moon is always above us and the light illuminates the Taj Mahal.
• Keep a check on timings sometimes the police officials do end up sending everyone back even before the 30 mins are completed.

Here’s another blog which highlights the best spots to see the Taj Mahal from in Agra.

You can also view the Taj Mahal from the Taj View Point ADA but since the Moon is directly opposite to you a completely dark Taj Mahal is seen. Keep this as your last resort if you are unable to get the tickets

This was your complete guide on how to see the Taj Mahal at night. Requesting everyone to take their DSLR cameras because this is once in a lifetime opportunity. If you have any other questions feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or drop a comment.

If you are looking for a tour agent to help you with the tickets you can contact Vishal.

Contact no: 9910084810

They also organise other tours around Agra so do check them on Taj Luxury Tours

FAQs about viewing the Taj Mahal at night

Can I visit the Taj Mahal at night?

• Yes and as said above in the guide it is open on full moon day and 2 days before and after it. It is closed on Fridays and during the month of Ramzan

Which camera to take during the night view of the Taj Mahal?

• You can take a DSLR, Mirrorless or a GoPro. Mobiles are strictly prohibited

How much is the Taj Mahal night view ticket price

• It’s 510 for Indian adults, 750 for Foreigners and 500 for Kids between the age of 3-15(Foreigner/ Indian)