Itimad-ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh at a glance
Itimad-ud-Daulah, also written Itimad ud Daulah, is a white marble tomb inside a garden. It stands on the left bank of the Yamuna near Chini ka Rauza. Nur Jahan built it for her father, Mirza Ghiyath Beg, and it was completed in 1628. It is a tomb with a garden, not just a garden.
Mehtab Bagh is a different kind of place. It is a garden on the opposite bank of the river from the Taj Mahal, called the Moonlight Garden. Both sites are open from sunrise to sunset and both are open on Fridays, when the Taj Mahal is closed to tourist day visits.
If you want the sights in a day with a guide, compare current Agra tours before you book.
Itimad-ud-Daulah: the tomb and its garden
The tomb is white marble with minarets at the corners. A path with a water channel leads through the garden to it, and the garden follows a charbagh layout, a four-part plan around the tomb.
Entry is from sunrise to sunset. Plan time for the garden path as well as the tomb itself, because the tomb is seen across the water channel and the lawns.
Our pick: Mehtab Bagh at sunset
A late-afternoon trip with a view toward the Taj Mahal at sunset and a stop at the Baby Taj.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Agra tours with gardens and tombs
Guided days in Agra that combine the fort, the Taj Mahal and the gardens along the Yamuna, with live prices and availability.
Mehtab Bagh: the Moonlight Garden
Mehtab Bagh lies across the river from the Taj Mahal. A long lawn path runs between hedges and trees, and the grass and trees lead your eye to the distant Taj. Mehtab Bagh is open from sunrise to sunset. The name Moonlight does not mean it opens at night.
Mehtab Bagh is not a free way into the Taj grounds. You pay a separate fee, and the Taj Mahal has its own ticket. The Taj Mahal tickets page explains that.
Is there a black Taj Mahal?
Excavations at Mehtab Bagh uncovered the layout of a garden. They do not prove that a black copy of the Taj Mahal was ever built here.
Entry fees 2026
Prices per person in INR. Confirm the price at the counter before you buy.
| Site | Indian citizens | SAARC and BIMSTEC | Other foreign visitors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itimad-ud-Daulah (regular) | INR 30 | INR 30 | INR 310 |
| Itimad-ud-Daulah (Friday or after the Taj) | INR 25 | INR 25 | INR 300 |
| Mehtab Bagh (all days) | INR 25 | INR 25 | INR 300 |
| Sikandra, Akbar's tomb (regular) | INR 30 | INR 30 | INR 310 |
| Sikandra, Akbar's tomb (Friday or after the Taj) | INR 25 | INR 25 | INR 300 |
Children under 15 enter free. "After the Taj" is a reduced rate for visitors who have been to the Taj Mahal. It is not a combined ticket. For most visitors the right plan is Itimad-ud-Daulah for the marble detail and Mehtab Bagh for the Taj view, which together cost about INR 610 for a foreign visitor.
Chini ka Rauza and Sikandra
Chini ka Rauza is the tomb of the scholar and poet Allama Afzal Khan, near Itimad-ud-Daulah. Its glazed tiles are the mark of the building, and it is dated to 1639. Check the opening hours before you go.
Sikandra is Akbar's tomb, completed in 1613 under Jahangir. It is built in red sandstone, and the photo shows its red sandstone gate at the end of a paved avenue. For more places away from the fort and the Taj, see things to do in Agra.
How to combine the gardens with the rest of Agra
Four ways to build the day.
A Friday plan
The Taj Mahal is closed to tourist day visits on Fridays. Itimad-ud-Daulah, Mehtab Bagh and Agra Fort are all open, so Friday suits this route.
Add the fort
Agra Fort opens at sunrise and charges INR 650 to foreign visitors on a regular day in 2026. The fort shows the Taj from its pavilions, and Mehtab Bagh shows it from across the river.
Agra Fort tickets →Keep the Taj for another day
The Taj Mahal has its own ticket and its own rules, and it is closed on Fridays for tourist day visits.
Taj Mahal tickets →Do not leave the garden for last
Both sites close at sunset. Start Mehtab Bagh with daylight to spare, so you can walk the lawn path without rushing.
Itimad-ud-Daulah and Mehtab Bagh: frequently asked questions
What is Itimad-ud-Daulah?
A white marble tomb inside a garden on the left bank of the Yamuna. Nur Jahan built it for her father, Mirza Ghiyath Beg, and it was completed in 1628.
What is Mehtab Bagh?
A garden on the opposite bank of the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal, known as the Moonlight Garden. It is open from sunrise to sunset.
How much is the entry fee?
In 2026, INR 310 for foreign visitors at Itimad-ud-Daulah on a regular day, and INR 300 at Mehtab Bagh. Indian citizens pay INR 30 and INR 25. Children under 15 enter free.
Is Mehtab Bagh open at night?
No. It is open from sunrise to sunset. The name Moonlight Garden does not mean it opens after dark.
Was there a black Taj Mahal?
Excavations found the layout of a garden. There is no proof that a black Taj Mahal was ever built.
Is this the official website of these sites?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not the website of the Archaeological Survey of India, Uttar Pradesh Tourism or the Government of India, and it is not connected to any tour operator or hotel.