You can take a small bag into the Taj Mahal with a bottle of water, your phone (switched to silent) and a still camera. The official visitor rules ban food of any kind, tobacco and lighters, tripods, drones, phone chargers and other electric goods except cameras, headphones, knives, weapons and big bags. Photography is not allowed inside the main mausoleum. Night viewing adds phones, video cameras and spare batteries to the banned list.
Security at the gates follows these rules closely, and there is nowhere convenient to leave a banned item once you are in the queue. Here is the detail, so you can pack once.
What is allowed
The official Taj Mahal dos and don'ts page lists only a few things as explicitly allowed. They are the ones most people need:
- Bottled water. Foreign, SAARC and BIMSTEC ticket holders get a free half-liter bottle.
- A mobile phone, switched off or on silent, during day visits.
- A still camera, after a security check, including at night viewing.
- Shoe covers, free with foreign, SAARC and BIMSTEC tickets.
A small handbag, a camera bag or a slim daypack with these things usually passes without trouble. Sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, a scarf for shade, medication and a small amount of cash are routine.
What is banned
The official list is broad. Grouped the way security checks for them, it covers:
| Group | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Food and drink other than water | Snacks, sweets, chewing gum, even toffees |
| Smoking and fire | Cigarettes, tobacco, gutka, lighters, matches |
| Alcohol | Any liquor |
| Weapons and tools | Arms, ammunition, knives, wire |
| Electronics other than cameras | Phone chargers, power banks, headphones, electric goods |
| Camera support | Tripods |
| Aircraft | Drones, inside and around the Taj |
| Large items | Big bags, books |
Books and big bags are on the list mainly because they slow down the security check. A guidebook on your phone avoids the question.
Power banks are the item that catches most visitors. Charge your phone fully before you go, and leave the power bank at the hotel.
Drones
Drones are banned both inside the complex and around the Taj Mahal. The area is a security zone, and flying a drone there can lead to the drone being confiscated and to police action. This includes small consumer drones and flying from hotel rooftops nearby.
Tripods, selfie sticks and gimbals
Tripods are explicitly banned. Selfie sticks and gimbals are not named, but they fall under "electric goods" or are treated like tripods, and they are commonly turned away. Photographers who need stability can brace a camera on a bag or a wall. Our photography guide has more on working without one.
Inside the mausoleum
Photography is not allowed inside the main mausoleum. Staff watch for it and will ask you to put your phone or camera away. You are also asked to keep quiet inside, and not to touch or scratch the walls, which are inlaid marble.
Shoes and shoe covers
You cannot wear outdoor shoes on the white marble platform around the tomb. Either put on shoe covers, which are free for foreign, SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors and inexpensive to buy, or take your shoes off and leave them at the shoe stand at the foot of the platform.
In summer the marble gets very hot by late morning, so shoe covers or socks are a good idea even if you would rather go barefoot.
Medicine, mobility aids and baby gear
Personal medication is routine and rarely questioned, but keep it in its original packaging, and carry a note from your doctor for anything unusual, such as injectable medicine. Walking sticks are common. Wheelchairs are available at the ASI office, according to the official rules, and the battery buses and golf carts from the parking areas save a long walk to the gates.
The tomb sits on a raised marble platform reached by stairs, and the garden is large, so a baby carrier is easier than a stroller. Diapers and wipes in a small bag are normal. Baby food is a gray area, as covered in the questions below.
Night viewing rules
Night visits have extra restrictions. The official rules say that everything on the day list is banned at night, plus mobile phones, video cameras and extra batteries. A still camera is allowed after a security check.
The phone ban is the one to plan around. Write your hotel's address and your driver's number on paper, and leave the phone with a companion or at your hotel. See the night viewing guide for the rest.
How security works
Each gate has a security check, usually with separate lines for men and women. Bags go through a scanner or are searched by hand, and you pass through a metal detector or a frisk. On a busy morning, the security queue moves faster than the ticket queue, but it still takes time if many bags need hand checks.
If something in your bag is banned, you will be asked to get rid of it. Some items are binned on the spot. For anything valuable, the only real option is to walk back out and leave it somewhere, which can cost you your place in the morning light.
Dress
There is no formal dress code for visitors, but the Taj Mahal complex includes a working mosque and a tomb, and most visitors dress modestly. Covered shoulders and knees are common and sensible, and a light scarf helps with both sun and modesty.
A packing list that works
For a typical day visit:
- Phone, fully charged, on silent
- Camera with a spare memory card (spare batteries are fine by day, not at night)
- Ticket on your phone, plus the passport or ID you booked with
- Water
- Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Small amount of cash
- Socks or shoe covers for the marble
And leave at the hotel: food, power banks, chargers, tripods, drones, headphones, knives, lighters and anything bulky.
Questions
Can I bring my phone into the Taj Mahal?
Yes, during the day. The official rules ask you to switch it off or set it to silent, and phone photos are allowed outside the mausoleum. Phones are not allowed at night viewing.
Can I bring a selfie stick or a gimbal?
The official list bans tripods and electric goods other than cameras. In practice, selfie sticks and motorized gimbals are often refused at security, so plan to leave them behind.
Can I take food in for a child?
The official list bans eatables and names even toffees. If you are carrying baby food, ask at security, but plan as if it will be refused. Feed children before you go in and bring water, which is allowed.