A relaxed day in Agra built around what the city makes and eats rather than its monuments. You visit a marble inlay workshop, sit down to a Mughlai lunch, taste petha and chaat, and walk the old bazaars with a licensed guide and a private car close by.
Highlights
What stays with you
Marble inlay workshop where pietra dura craft is shown, with no obligation to buy
Mughlai lunch in a restaurant chosen for its kitchen
Petha, Agra's translucent sweet, and street chaat tasted with your guide
Old-city bazaar walk through lanes near Kinari Bazaar
Works on a Friday, because the Taj is not part of the day
Day by day
How the days go
Day1
Breakfast and the inlay workshop
Your driver and guide meet you at your hotel around nine, after or over a late breakfast.
The first stop is a marble workshop, where craftsmen cut tiny pieces of coloured stone and set them into white marble, the same method behind the Taj.
You watch the work at close range and can ask anything.
There is no obligation to buy, and your guide will say so plainly.
Allow roughly an hour.
Day2
Lunch and the sweets
Lunch is Mughlai: slow-cooked kebabs, rich curries and fresh bread, in a restaurant with a clean kitchen.
Tell your guide about any dietary needs beforehand and we will choose accordingly.
Afterwards comes a stop for petha, the soft pumpkin sweet Agra is known for, in flavours you taste before choosing.
Day3
The old city on foot
In the late afternoon the car leaves you at the edge of the old city, and the guide leads a slow walk through the bazaars near Kinari Bazaar, past spice sellers, bangle stalls and small workshops.
A chaat stop here is optional: wise choices are food cooked in front of you, hot and busy stalls and bottled water.
Stomachs differ, so we advise caution and never push you to try.
The car meets you when you finish.
Note. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so the order of days may shift. December and January fog can flatten a sunrise.
Practical
Good to know
Meals and tastings are paid by guests directly. Tell us your dietary needs when we plan.
Street food is optional. Eat where food is cooked fresh and hot, drink bottled water, and carry hand sanitiser.
The workshop visit carries no obligation to purchase anything.
Bazaar lanes are crowded and uneven, so wear comfortable closed shoes.
The details
Included, and not
Included
Private air-conditioned car and driver throughout
Licensed local guide in each city
Airport or hotel pickup and drop
Bottled water in the car
WhatsApp support from our Agra team
Not included
International and domestic flights
Monument entry tickets (we arrange them at cost)
Lunches and dinners
Tips for guides and driver
Travel insurance and visas
Questions
Good to know
Is this a day without the Taj Mahal?
Yes, the focus is food and craft. The Taj can be added at sunrise on another day, and this plan works well on a Friday, when the Taj is closed.
Do I have to buy anything at the workshop?
No. The visit is for seeing the craft, and your guide will not press you. If you do like a piece, we can help you ask about shipping.
Is street food safe to eat?
Many guests enjoy it, but stomachs differ. We suggest hot, freshly cooked food from busy stalls, and you can always skip it and keep to the restaurant meal.
Can you cater for vegetarians or other diets?
Yes. Agra has many vegetarian dishes, and your guide chooses restaurants and sweets with your needs in mind. Please tell us before the day.
