Most problems at the Taj Mahal are small. People lose 30 or 40 minutes to a banned item or a wrong queue, and those are usually the first and best minutes of the morning. These five come up again and again.
1. Planning a Friday visit
The Taj Mahal is closed to visitors every Friday. It sounds obvious, but itineraries built around a fixed flight or a tour schedule regularly land someone in Agra on a Friday. Check the day of the week before you book anything. If a Friday is unavoidable, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Mehtab Bagh are all open.
2. Bringing a power bank
Power banks, chargers and other electric goods apart from cameras are on the official banned list. So are food, tobacco, lighters, tripods and headphones. Security checks bags properly, and the only way to deal with a banned item is to throw it away or walk back out. Charge everything the night before and leave the extras in your room. Our what to bring guide has the full list.
3. Queuing for tickets at the gate
The ticket windows can have a longer line than security on a busy morning. Buy your ticket on the official ASI portal the day before, with the ₹200 mausoleum add-on if you want it, and walk straight to the security line. Be careful of copycat sites selling tickets at a markup, and never buy printed tickets from people outside the gates.
4. Saying yes to the first person who approaches you
Near the gates you will be offered guides, tickets, shortcuts, photographers and rides. The official rules say that guides and photographers working inside must be approved and carry ID cards. Ask to see the card, agree a price before you start, and say no firmly to anyone offering a way to skip the line, since no such shortcut exists.
5. Leaving the classic view for later
Once inside the great gateway, many people head straight for the tomb, planning to come back for the famous view down the water channel. By the time they return, the paths are full of people. Take that picture first, in the first ten minutes, and then go wherever you like.
One more, for the night visit
At night viewing, phones are banned. People forget that they need their phone for the ride back. Write the hotel address and a driver's number on paper before you go.