Visiting Taj Mahal to be costlier soon, entry fee for domestic and foreign tourists to increase from April

Agra: Visiting the iconic Taj Mahal - the world-famous eternal monument of love -  in the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh will soon be a costlier affair as the authorities have decided to hike the entry ticket fee for both domestic and foreign tourists.

According to reports, the Indian tourists, who are currently paying Rs. 50 to enter the monument, will now have to pay Rs. 80, while foreign tourists will have to shell out Rs. 1200, instead of Rs.1100 to enter the historic Taj Mahal.

Apart from that, the Agra Development Authority (ADA) will also charge Rs. 200 from tourists who wish to enter the main dome, which is separate from the Rs. 200 already being charged by the ASI. 

"Agra Development Authority (ADA) has proposed to charge Rs 200 to enter the main dome, separate to Rs 200 already charged by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)," Agra Divisional Commissioner Amit Gupta was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The revised entry fees for the iconic Taj Mahal are likely to be applicable from April.

With the new charges in place, domestic tourists wishing to enter the main dome will have to pay Rs. 480, while foreign tourists will be charged Rs. 1600.

Responding to the new proposal of hiking entry tickets to the Taj, a tourist Saurabh Mishra said, "If prices surge, it would cause inconvenience to Indian tourists to see their own heritage. We used to pay Rs 50 to visit the main dome. If it increases again, footfall of Indian tourists will decrease." 

Taj Mahal and other important monuments located in Agra opened for visitors in January this year after a prolonged lockdown due to coronavirus. Taj Mahal tickets can be purchased at the site or on the official website and mobile app of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).