The Coral Tree Homestay

When the sun starts to rise on a clear day, you can see the mausoleum turn from gold yellow to orange to a sparkling mountain white. You can roam the splendid gardens decorated with fountains and inspect the ornamental craftwork without the crowds. As the sun slowly bathes the walls, the stunning pietra dura inlay lights up the whole façade. This only occurs during the hours of dawn and makes the early start well worth it.

At Agra Fort, you will go through several gates to a palace called Jahangiri Mahal where inside you can discover all the different architectural influences, not just Islamic, but also Jain and Hindu. Next, head to the Octagonal Tower from where you can see all the way to the Taj Mahal. Next you will head to the Taj Mahal stopping at the Mehtab Bagh gardens which enjoy magnificent panoramas of the glorious ivory-white structure. As you get closer, the Taj Mahal’s landscaped gardens will come into full view, lined with abundant trees, fountains, symmetrical paths and canals. You will then be in front of one of the most beautiful buildings ever made. The façade has been designed to impress from every angle with perfectly aligned arches and beautiful stonework decorated with flowers and inscriptions of verses from the Koran. The interior contains more architectural marvels such as the huge marble domed tomb. You will have some free time to explore at your own pace and there will be plenty of photo opportunities.

The guidebooks usually skip the history until the 3rd Mughal Emperor, Akbar, lived there and whose father, Humayun, was crowned at Agra Fort. The 5th ruler, Shah Jahan, was responsible for the exquisite use of marble seen throughout the architecture. An interesting anecdote about Shah Jahan says that every morning at sunrise he was obligated to show himself from his bedroom windows to his people as evidence that he was alive and well. On this excursion, your guide will go into detail as to its history, how it became one of the world’s most beautiful prisons, a fort and a residence.