Agra Red Fort: Timings, Location, Entry Ticket, Nearby Places

Agra Red Fort timings, entry ticket, location and nearby places

Agra Red Fort on your mind? We have an excellent Agra trip for you and your friends which combines Red Fort Agra and other interesting destinations in the city. 

Traveling from Delhi to Agra is fun and the journey takes not more than four hours. What'smore, the road to Agra Red Fort is smooth and dotted with several cool restaurants, you won't get tired.

If you have made up your mind to explore the Agra Red Fort, please keep reading this travel guide. 

Agra Red Fort - Tourist Attraction

The Red Fort began its life in the 10th century as a simple mud and brick fortress along the banks of the Yamuna river. Under Akbar (1564-1570s) of the Mughal dynasty it was rebuilt along the lines of its predecessor, which accounts for its irregular outer walls. Originally intended as a fortress, the site was partially converted into a palace during the reign of Shah Jahan, who lived in the fortress and died there - a prisoner of his own son.

The residential and defensive portions of the fortress can be described separately. The outer walls, built during Akbar's time, are penetrated by two gates, called the Amar Singh and the Delhi gate respectively. The Delhi gate, to the west, was originally the main entrance although the southern gate, the Amar Singh, is used today. Both gates are sheathed in red sandstone and consist of an enormous facade flanked by twin towers. Entry is on the diagonal, and to foil invaders, visitors were originally forced to negotiate several right-angled turns before reaching the gate.

The interior of the fortress is largely empty but for a row of residential dwellings facing the river. Built during Shah Jahan's time and after, these luxurious structures drew the resources of an entire empire and were worked on by craftsman of many different nationalities. The earliest of these dwellings, the Jahangiri Mahal, was built by Akbar as a women's quarters. It is predominantly Hindu in character and was probably inspired by the Gwalior Man Mandir, a palace built earlier in the century.

Entrance Fees and Timings

• Entry Fee : 20 per person for Indians and 300 per person for foreign tourists
• Timings : All days of the week 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

 Agra Red Fort history 

The Agra Red Fort has a long history and according to many historians, this red building was earlier known as Badalgarh and was the palace of the Lodis. 

After defeating Ibrahim Lodi in 1526, Babar came to Agra and crowned himself as the Mughal Emperor in this fort. 

Agra Red Fort passes on to others 

Babar's successor couldn't retain Badalgarh after losing to Sher Shah Suri and thus this fort passed on to the Suris.

When Akbar won the Battle of Panipat in 1556, he occupied Badalgarh and reconstructed this fort and covered it with red sandstone. Since then, Badalgarh is known as Agra Red Fort. 

Akbar's successors lived in Agra Red Fort and made several additions to this building. After the Mughals, Agra Red Fort passed on to the Marathas,then to the British and currently, it is owned by Government of India. 

Location of Agra Red Fort

• Driving time from Delhi is 4 hours 
• Distance from Red Fort Agra Station is  less than 1 minute
• Distance from Taj Mahal is nearly 20 minutes

The Agra Red Fort  is  alongside the right bank of Yamuna and its total perimeter is 2.5 km.  

Agra Red Fort buildings

Built of bricks and red sandstone, the Agra Red Fort  has many buildings which are still strong. Some of these are:

• Diwan-e-Aam; Here, Mughal emperors sat and met ordinary people and heard their complaints. 
• Shish Mahal:  Since this palace is madeof glass, its name is Shish (glass) Mahal. 
• Musamman Burj:  This is the famous spot from where Shahjahan looked lovingly at Taj Mahal during the last years of his life. 
• Khas Mahal:  Khas Mahal was the residence of Roshanara and Jahanara who were the daughters of Shahjahan.
• Amar Singh Gate: Agra Red Fort has two main gales one of which is called Amar Singh Gate.Amar Singh was a Rajput soldier who killed a Mugha courtier right before the eyesof Shahjahan. 
• Machhi Bhawan - this is a two storey complex in Agra Red Fort which earlier surrounded a tank filled with fishes. The Mughal emperor used to sit on a pavilion in Macchi Bhawan and entertained himself by seeing the fishes. 

Agra Red Fort other attractions

• Jahangir's bath tub
• Jahangir's Palace
• Gate from Ghazni 
• Nagina Masjid 

Agra Red Fort ticket fee 

• Indian citizens - INR 50
• Foreigners – INR 650

Please check the official website of Archaeological Survey of India for current Agra Red Fort  ticket prices.

You can book your tickets online as well as offline. 

Agra Red Fort timings 

• 6 am - 6 pm 
• Open on all days of the week

Agra Red Fort nearby places 

• Taj Mahal  is just 2.5 km from Red Fort and you can reach this place by taking a rickshaw. 
• Sikandra is the tomb of Akbar and is located in the outskirts of Agra. 
• Kinari Bazaar - You can buy jewelry and other souvenirs from Kinari Bazaar which is just a few steps from Agra Red Fort.
• Jama Masjid - This 17th-century mosque was built by one of the Mughal princesses and is next to Red Fort Agra. 

Best time to visit Agra Red Fort 

• October - March 

Since it gets warmer from April onwards, avoid visiting Agra Red Fort during summers. 

Agra Red Fort highlights 

• Minimum time required to explore Agra Red Fort is one hour
• Drive time from Delhi to Agra Red Fort is approximately 4 hours
• Agra Red Fort is open on all days of the week but can be closedon certain public holidays. 
• Camera charges: Still cameras -No charge. 
• Timings: From 6 am to 6 pm 
• Best time to visit Agra Red Fort is from October to March 

Agra Red fort key details