Agra

Agra’s historical role as one of the kingpins of the Mughal Empire has gifted it the pride of place that it now enjoys on the typical tourist trail through India. Much visited and heavily photographed, none could be forgiven for choosing to forgo the enchanting Taj Mahal or wealth of other architectural relics that now stand here as a testimony to the previous grandeur of the Indian subcontinent. Designated by UNESCO way back in 1983, the pearly-white mausoleum of the Taj Mahal is now unsurprisingly the touted site by any Agra tour guide, while the Red Fort, also a UNESCO site just to the northwest is another veritable gem of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Both of these occupy spots on the banks of the Yamuna River, the iconic natural vena cava of the city as a whole, where the emperor Shahjahan had ambitiously proposed another Taj Mahal, this time in black. This project remained sadly unfulfilled. If you’re lucky enough to be able to stay in Agra for a few days, then consider branching out to some of the other nearby points of interest. Spots like the 16th century ruined metropolis of Fatehpur Sikri, and the boisterously colourful Glass and Bangles Bazaar at Ferozabad are well within the reach of a single-day excursion.