World famous Taj Mahal, capital Lucknow, Gorakhpur- the gateway to Nepal, Ayodhya, Varanasi are the best places to visit in Uttar Pradesh
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is the most well known monument from India. Probably many know India only because of Taj Mahal. This marble wonder is a symbol of love built by Shah Jehan for his wife Mumtaz Begum in the 16th century. You can see Mughal architecture coming to life in the grandest way possible
Agra is 3.5 hours, 230 km away from Delhi by road. Most people hire a car for day trip to Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikhri. which is an hour away from Agra
Fatehpur Sikhri, is a red sandstone wonder relatively less known compared to Taj Mahal. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site
Around Agra, you can see many monuments in Sikandra like tombs of Akbar and his wife Mariam
How to visit Taj Mahal
I took a train from Delhi to Agra. It was during peak fog days in February, so had a lot of delay in reaching Agra. I left at 7 AM, was supposed to reach at 10 AM, but reached around 1:30 PM. I hired a taxi from Agra to cover nearby places
I had to skip Fatehpur Sikri due to this delay, but managed to cover Sikandra. We went to Fatehpur Sikiri separately later on after a few years
Vande Bharat train has started now departing at 6 AM from Delhi and taking only 2 hours to reach Agra. You can take the 9 PM train back to Delhi
There is an airport at Agra which has flights from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Lucknow in case you want to fly in directly
Places to visit in Uttar Pradesh-Agra
The Taj Mahal first of course! Once you get in, you can admire the beautiful, colorful carvings on marble. The overall complex had a serene feeling adorned with white, despite the crowds
Latest ticket prices are available here
Foreigners have a separate line, so it is much faster to complete your visit. On full moon days, go to Taj Mahal at night to see the wonder in night light
Agra fort: Another red stone wonder like the Red fort in Delhi
Sikandra is 10 kms from Taj Mahal, housing tomb of Akbar, Miriam and the Jama Masjid. The carvings here are also as ornate, with a red colored touch
Lucknow
The capital city famous for Galouti kebabs. You can see gigantic statues of elephants all around the city, which was built by an ex-Chief Minister with elephant as party symbol
Gorakhpur
Goraknath temple
The temple where UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was the chief. The complex is quite large, with many smaller temples dedicated to different gods, all in white color
There is a hall with statues of famous personalities, all mixed up which was a bit weird
There are many prasad shops around the entry gates where you can try local sweets, some resembling Chiroti of Karnataka
We had dinner at Baati Chokha near Taramandal- a decent option, where we got Baati filled with sattu, chokha and dal. The place had some mosquitoes, otherwise all good including taste
Ramgarh Tal
A nice, large lake to chill out. You can find many varieties of waterbirds here
What food to try during your visit in Uttar Pradesh
Agra is famous for its sweet-dish Peta, made from ash gourd and sugar. You can buy marble souvenirs like jewelry box, ornaments here
Lucknow has Galouti kebabs and you can get a vegetarian version too
Gorakhpur is famous for Baati-Chokha, grilled flour balls served with lentil dal. Do not miss trying out this tasty dish during your visit in Uttar Pradesh