Taj Mahal Opening Hours and Friday Closure
By IWIS Global · Published 29 October 2026
The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes before sunset, so the clock time changes with the season. It is closed every Friday for general viewing; on every other day it is open. Source: ASI’s official visiting-hours page, checked 29 October 2026.
Friday closure
ASI’s page says the Taj Mahal “is closed on Fridays for general viewing. Other days it is always open.” That means a same-day trip from Delhi cannot include the Taj Mahal on a Friday: plan Agra for another day. Agra Fort, Itimad-ud-Daulah and Fatehpur Sikri are open every day (see our Agra attraction pages), but the Taj Mahal is the reason most people come.
Opening times by month
The opening time below is the sunrise time minus 30 minutes, using the 2026 sunrise times from timeanddate.com for the 15th of each month (Indian Standard Time). Closing is 30 minutes before sunset, which also moves through the year; check the sunset time for your date.
| Month | Sunrise (15th) | Opens (about) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 07:08 | 06:38 |
| February | 06:54 | 06:24 |
| March | 06:27 | 05:57 |
| April | 05:54 | 05:24 |
| May | 05:29 | 04:59 |
| June | 05:23 | 04:53 |
| July | 05:33 | 05:03 |
| August | 05:49 | 05:19 |
| September | 06:03 | 05:33 |
| October | 06:17 | 05:47 |
| November | 06:37 | 06:07 |
| December | 06:59 | 06:29 |
Ticket counters and gates
- Ticket counters run from 1 hour before sunrise to 45 minutes before sunset.
- Tickets are sold at the West Gate (near Saheli Burj) and the East Gate. The South Gate is exit-only at present.
- Foreign and domestic visitors use separate queues, with signs.
- Buying online is ₹50 cheaper per foreign ticket; see the ticket price guide for the full cost (₹1,300 for a foreign adult, complex plus mausoleum).
What this means for your plan
For a sunrise visit, count back from the opening time: the pickup for our Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour depends on the month, and winter sunrises are almost two hours later than summer ones. For the best months overall, see the best time to visit the Taj Mahal. A private same-day tour from Delhi fits any day except Friday.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Hours, Friday closure, counters and gates: tajmahal.gov.in/visiting-hours.aspx (Archaeological Survey of India). Sunrise times: timeanddate.com (2026). ASI can change hours; check before a specific trip date.
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