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What can you say about the Taj Mahal which hasn’t been said a thousand times before...? It’s a World must see building and monument to one mans love and loss for his wife. Shah Jahan lost his wife while away fighting, his wife was with him at the time of her death, so had to be transferred home and buried in a temporary tomb, whilst her main tomb was excavated and the base of the Taj Mahal built on top of her, she’s actually interned beneath the building, and from the front, a good guide will point out the private steps the Shah used to visit her everyday. The building obviously is built from white marble, not a combination of sandstone and marble like many places in India, inlaid with semi precious stones for detail. It’s absolutely symmetrical in detail, all the lines are perfectly straight, right from the entrance to the centre of the building. It’s a huge building, much bigger than you think, but can get ridiculously busy at times, we chose to go about 15.00, most of the tourist coaches have been and gone by then, so it’s much quieter, and sunset is a beautiful time to watch the building change colour, it’s without doubt a magical place to visit, and you see tears in many people’s eyes as they gaze at the Taj, each with their own stories. One important tip here, for the full story of this place and it’s story, use a good local guide.

The Taj Mahal is one of those places that you read about in books and imagine what it must be like to visit. It was more than I could ever imagine. The size and shape of the white marble structure is amazing to witness, allowing you to pause and sit and just take in the beauty. The entire complex is impressive with large sprawling gardens that are well maintained, outer structures that provide symmetry to the overall view and fountains that add an element of peacefulness to the area. The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. Loved walking around and exploring the Taj Mahal. Felt like I saw India.

This is the most magnificent experience! Take your time while touring it. We had an exemplary tour guide who could bring us right back into the worlds of Shah Jahan and his beloved Mumtaz. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the tour I would advise to take as much time here as possible, don't let a guide hurry you!! It's a once in a lifetime experience!

This morning at 6:30am we arrived at the Taj Mahal. Security is tight so travel light, I just took my phone. There are separate lines for the men and women as everyone is patted down after you go through a security arch which beeps at everyone which all security seem to ignore?! LADIES if you really must take your handbag then be aware that you will be ages getting through as your bag will be searched!! The walk to the Taj is lovely through formally laid out gardens and alongside the pretty water feature. There are photo opportunities galore of the outside but not inside, it's not allowed. Shoe covers must be worn in the mausoleum. We did wonder if this was a way of polishing the floor without having to pay someone to do it? Makes sense to me. Once inside you have a view of the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz. The whole structure and architecture is breathtaking both outside and inside. This is a once in a lifetime visit that I have no reservation in wholeheartedly recommending. To make the most of it get there as early as you can and enjoy the experience.

I had wanted to see the Taj Mahal for many years, but it wasn't until the November of 2015 that I was finally fortunate enough to see and experience it...It was well worth the wait. My guide in Agra took me to experience sunrise at the Taj Mahal and it was just unbelievable. Glancing upon the Taj Mahal at sunrise for the first time from a distance from the arched gate, you see its true beauty. It was incredibly breath-taking and left me speechless. In front of me was one of the most beautiful and amazing wonders which I have ever seen. It was way better than how I ever imagined it and it truly surpassed my expectations. Truly a sight to behold. The Taj Mahal looked like a scene and story from an Arabian Nights Tale, such was its splendour. The sunrise gave the Taj Mahal a lovely light pink hue. And it was like a beautiful and mesmerising dream, an absolute marvel. The colours of the Taj Mahal change throughout the different times of the day. After taking its beauty in and after some excellent photo opportunities to capture its beauty, we walked closer to it, with a view to go inside. As you get closer, it becomes even more magnificent. The Taj Mahal, which means Crown Palace, is not a Palace, which is very hard to believe when you see the incredible craftsmanship and architecture. But it is actually a Mausoleum which was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan, Emperor of the Mughal Empire, for his most beloved and favoured wife Mumtaz. The Taj Mahal was built as testament of his promise of love for her. As you get closer, you begin to see the amazing detail, craftsmanship and passion that went into creating this timeless masterpiece. You see absolutely gorgeous calligraphy with verses from the Koran carved on all four entrances and other Indo Islamic influenced artistic work decorated and carved into the white marble with different coloured and inlaid precious stones. I was truly captivated by its beauty from each angle. And when we went inside the Taj Mahal and saw its amazingly decorated interior and the final resting place for Mumtaz and Shah Jahan, it was an experience. The Taj Mahal was created to such perfection that it is perfectly symmetrical in each way. It was in fact the position of the Tomb of Shah Jahan that stopped the interior of being perfectly symmetrical, as Mumtaz's Mausoleum is in the middle and Shah Jahan's Mausoleum was placed next to hers at a much later time, thus breaking the symmetry. Visiting the Taj Mahal was an absolutely amazing and a once in a lifetime experience and I could see why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The photos will never do it justice and it must be seen to be believed. I am very fortunate and grateful to have been able to experience this wonder.