Sikandar Lodi's new capital, Akbar's red sandstone fortress, Shah Jahan's marble elegy — Agra keeps the whole Mughal arc inside a few kilometers of the Yamuna.
1504
Lodi capital
Sikandar Lodi moves his court to Agra.
1573
Akbar's fort
Red sandstone walls rise on the Yamuna.
1653
The Taj
Shah Jahan completes the marble tomb.
1803
Company rule
The British take the Mughal seat.
Starting at the Jama Masjid built in 1648 by Shah Jahan's daughter Jahanara, then into the market lanes behind it, still sorted by craft much as Akbar's chroniclers described them.
Go mid-morning on foot or by cycle-rickshaw.
2 hrs
This route through Taj Ganj, the settlement built alongside the Taj Mahal in the 1630s and 40s to house its workers, reveals forgotten shrines and viewpoints.
Guided walks run in the morning and late afternoon.
2 hrs
The 'moonlight garden' the Mughals planted on the far bank, aligned exactly with the Taj's axis.
Come at sunset; open daily, including Fridays when the Taj is closed.
60 min
A community-run walk through the village beside Mehtab Bagh, past Humayun's mosque of 1530 and Mughal water channels, with views of the Taj.
Book ahead; fees support local projects.
90 min