Agra is a wonderful city to show a child and a demanding one to show them in. The monuments are huge, the walking is on hard stone, security takes time and the heat can be serious. None of that is a reason to leave the children at home. It is a reason to plan the day around them.
In this article
Plan Around the Heat
The single most important decision is when you go. October to March is comfortable; April to June is hot enough to be genuinely risky for small children in the middle of the day. Our guide to the seasons goes into detail.
Whatever the month, the rule is the same: sightseeing early and late, and a long rest indoors in the middle of the day. Hats, sunscreen and a lot of water; the marble platform at the Taj Mahal gets hot, and visitors walk it in socks or shoe covers.
The Taj Mahal With Children
Go at opening time, when it is coolest and the crowds are thinnest, and remember it is closed on Fridays. Buy tickets online in advance so there is no queue at the counter. Children below a certain age enter free under the Archaeological Survey of India's rules; check the current policy on the official site.
Pack light: security is strict, food is not allowed in, and bags beyond a small one may be turned away. Our Taj Mahal visiting guide has the full list. Once inside, the gardens and the long water channels give children room to move, and the optical trick of the great gateway — the Taj seeming to grow as you walk towards it — tends to delight them.
Monuments That Hold a Child's Attention
Agra Fort is often more of a hit with children than the Taj: it is a real fort, with massive walls, gateways, ramps and a moat, and a story about an emperor imprisoned by his own son. Read our Agra Fort guide before you go.
Mehtab Bagh, across the river, is a garden with open space and a view of the Taj without the crowd, and it makes a gentle late-afternoon stop. Akbar's tomb at Sikandra has large grounds where deer and monkeys roam.
If you are considering Fatehpur Sikri, it is a long day for young children; a half day with a good rest afterwards works better. See our Fatehpur Sikri guide.
Animals, Not Only Monuments
For a break from Mughal architecture, the conservation charity Wildlife SOS runs a rescue centre for sloth bears near Agra, and an elephant conservation centre towards Mathura. Both have taken visitors on arranged visits; check their own website for the current arrangements before you plan around them.
Keeping the Day Short
Two monuments a day is plenty with young children, and one is often better. A realistic family day is the Taj Mahal at dawn, back to the hotel for rest, a long lunch, and a short second stop in the late afternoon. If you have two days, split things up; our two-day itinerary is a good skeleton to cut down.
Eating With Children
Children who find Mughlai gravies too much usually find plenty elsewhere on an Indian menu. At Tajnuma the favourites tend to be the obvious ones: naan, paneer tikka, Mumbai pav bhaji, aloo tikki, and something from the drinks list — mango lassi, a smoothie, or one of the milkshakes. The kitchen is entirely vegetarian, and you can ask for the heat to be turned down when you order.
We are on Fatehabad Road in Tajganj and open from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am every day. Call +91 90688 89658 to book, and mention if you need space at the table for a pram or a high chair so we can plan for it.
