A modern hotel in Mughal clothes
The brief: a large modern hotel near the Taj Mahal that would not compete with it. The answer was to build low.
The design: ARCOP shaped the hotel as a series of low brick and sandstone wings around courtyards and gardens.
- Opened
- 1976
- First name
- The Mughal Sheraton
- Designed by
- ARCOP, an Indian design group
- Today
- ITC Hotels, in Marriott's Luxury Collection
- The Mughal idea: courts, water, shade and long views between buildings, in the spirit of the Mughal palaces rather than a copy of them.
- Recognition: the hotel won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the award's first cycle, which closed in 1980. It is an unusual honour for a hotel.
- The name: it opened as the Mughal Sheraton and is now ITC Mughal, run by ITC Hotels in Marriott's Luxury Collection.
- Why it matters to you: you stay in a building that architects still study, set in the most generous grounds of any hotel near the Taj.
What staying at ITC Mughal is like
The grounds: lawns, walkways, courtyards and pools spread over many acres, rare in a crowded city.
The buildings: low wings of brick and sandstone, so the gardens, not the buildings, dominate.
- The pools: outdoor pools for the hot afternoons, a blessing after the monuments.
- The spa: Kaya Kalp, a large spa with treatments drawn from Ayurvedic and Mughal traditions.
- The rooms: comfortable and spacious, in several wings. We choose the wing and the outlook for you.
- The atmosphere: families, groups and longer-staying guests, with a relaxed resort feel.
- What it isn't: a hotel with a view of the Taj. For that, stay at The Oberoi Amarvilas.
Choosing your room
For calm: a room facing the gardens, away from the main entrance and function areas.
For families: connecting or nearby rooms, requested when we book.
- Our usual ask
- A room facing the gardens
- For families
- Connecting or nearby rooms
- Watch for
- Long walks between wings
- Book ahead for
- October to March
- For ease: if long walks are hard, we ask for a room near the lobby and restaurants.
- For a celebration: a suite, booked well ahead.
- For the wedding season: we check what events are planned on your dates.
- Our honest view: if the Taj from your bed matters most, choose Amarvilas. If space matters, stay here.
Peshawri and the ITC table
Peshawri: tandoor cooking from the North-West Frontier, served on copper and eaten with your hands, in a rustic room.
What to order: the black dal, simmered for many hours, the kebabs and the giant breads.
- Taj Bano: the hotel's other main restaurant, serving Mughlai and Indian food.
- Breakfast in the gardens: a slow start before Agra Fort.
- Agra's sweets: ask for petha, the candied ash-gourd Agra is known for.
- Outside the hotel: our Agra food guide covers the city's food and sweet shops.
- Book ahead: Peshawri fills with non-residents, especially at weekends.
Kaya Kalp and slow afternoons
Kaya Kalp: the hotel's spa, with treatments drawn from Ayurvedic and Mughal traditions.
When to book: the afternoon after your sunrise visit to the Taj.
- The pools: for families, the afternoon swim is the best part of the day.
- The gardens: a walk in the shade, or a book on a bench by the water.
- The midday rule: see the monuments early and late, and keep the hottest hours for the hotel.
- More on spas: our spa and Ayurveda page covers the best spas on our journeys.
Agra, the Mughal capital
Akbar: rebuilt Agra Fort in red sandstone and later founded Fatehpur Sikri, his short-lived city to the west.
Jahangir and Nur Jahan: the empress built the tomb of her father, Itimad-ud-Daulah, the first great Mughal tomb faced in marble inlay.
- Agra Fort rebuilt
- 1565 to 1573, by Akbar
- Fatehpur Sikri
- Akbar's city, about an hour away
- Taj Mahal
- From 1632, finished about 1653
- Capital moved
- To Delhi, under Shah Jahan, in 1648
- Shah Jahan: built the Taj Mahal for Mumtaz Mahal, then moved his capital to his new city in Delhi in 1648.
- The river: the Mughal city faced the Yamuna, with gardens and tombs along both banks. Mehtab Bagh is the survivor on the far side.
- Rajput links: Rajput princesses married into the Mughal house, and Shah Jahan had a Rajput mother. Our journal on Mughal and Rajput history tells the story.
Seeing the Taj from ITC Mughal
Sunrise: we drive you to the gate before opening, with your guide and tickets ready.
The first view: through the great red sandstone gateway, the tomb floats at the end of the garden.
- Built
- From 1632, complex finished about 1653
- Closed
- Every Friday
- Best hours
- Opening time, and the last hour of light
- From the hotel
- A short drive
- The inlay: climb the platform before the crowds and look closely at the marble flowers.
- Sunset from across the river: Mehtab Bagh, on the Taj's axis on the far bank, is open on Fridays too.
- Remember Fridays: the Taj is closed every Friday. We plan your days around it.
- Go deeper: our Taj Mahal guide and the Taj at sunrise cover every step.
Before you walk into the Taj
Carry very little: security is strict, and food, many electronics and large bags are not allowed. We brief you on the current rules the night before.
Wear soft shoes: you walk a long way on stone and marble.
- Book a good guide: the inlay, calligraphy and garden plan only come alive when someone explains them.
- Respect the mosque: the red sandstone mosque on the west side is a place of prayer, which is why the Taj closes on Fridays.
- Read the Friday rule: our piece on the Friday closure explains how we plan around it.
Agra beyond the Taj
Agra Fort
- What it is: Akbar's red fort of 1565 to 1573, with marble pavilions added by Shah Jahan.
- When: the late afternoon, when the stone glows. Open on Fridays.
Itimad-ud-Daulah
- What it is: Nur Jahan's marble tomb for her father, the Baby Taj.
- Why go: superb inlay and very few visitors.
Chini ka Rauza
- What it is: a small Mughal tomb on the river, once covered in glazed tiles.
- Why go: a quiet, faded beauty most visitors miss.
Akbar's tomb at Sikandra
- What it is: the great emperor's tomb in a vast garden on the edge of the city.
- When: a morning, before the heat.
Mehtab Bagh
- What it is: a Mughal garden opposite the Taj on the far bank of the Yamuna.
- When: the last hour before sunset.
Fatehpur Sikri
- What it is: Akbar's red sandstone city, about an hour away.
- How: a morning from Agra, or on the road to Jaipur.
Two nights at ITC Mughal
- More plans: our Agra itinerary has one, two and three-day versions.
Day one, arrival and the river
Afternoon: check in, a swim, then Itimad-ud-Daulah.
- Sunset: Mehtab Bagh across the river.
- Dinner: Peshawri, booked ahead.
Day two, the Taj and the fort
Dawn: the Taj at opening.
- Midday: breakfast, the spa and the pool.
- Late afternoon: Agra Fort as the light softens.
Day three, onward
- Morning: Fatehpur Sikri on the way west.
- Then: on to Jaipur, or the birds at Bharatpur.
Why families love ITC Mughal
Space to run: lawns and walkways between the monuments, which children need after a morning of queues.
Pools: the afternoon swim is the highlight for most children.
- Peshawri: eating with your hands is permitted, even encouraged. Children love it.
- Short monument visits: we keep each visit to an hour or two, with the hotel as the reward.
- Grandparents: a calm garden and a spa while the children swim.
- Our family journeys: explain how we pace the Golden Triangle for all ages.
Reading the building
Brick: a warm material laid in long horizontal bands, echoing the red stone of Agra Fort.
Low height: nothing rises far above the trees, so the hotel never competes with the monuments.
- Courts: rooms gather around open courts and gardens, as in a Mughal palace.
- Water: channels and pools run through the grounds, cooling the air.
- Shade: deep verandas and passages keep the walkways shaded.
- The comparison: after a visit to Agra Fort or Fatehpur Sikri, you will see where the ideas came from. Our architecture guide explains the vocabulary.
Agra's crafts, bought well
Parchin kari: marble inlaid with semi-precious stones in flowers and vines, the technique of the Taj.
How to judge it: fine work has tight joints, stones cut to follow each petal's curve, and colour that glows under a torch.
- Carpets and dhurries: woven in and around Agra, from fine silk to flat cotton weaves.
- Petha: Agra's candied ash-gourd sweet, sold in many flavours.
- Our rule: we take you to makers we know, never commission showrooms, and we never let a driver choose the shop.
Groups and celebrations
Family reunions: many wings and gardens let a large family spread out without feeling crowded.
- Birthdays and anniversaries: a private dinner in the gardens, or a long table at Peshawri.
- Weddings: the hotel is a well-known venue. We check the calendar so a big event doesn't surprise you.
- Our destination weddings page: explains how we plan celebrations across our journeys.
What most visitors miss
The gardens at dawn: birdsong, gardeners and dew on the lawns before the day begins.
The architecture: walk the courts slowly. The building rewards attention.
- The marble workshops: families in Agra still practise parchin kari, the inlay of the Taj. We take you to makers we know, never commission showrooms.
- Chini ka Rauza: a faded tiled tomb few people visit.
- A second Taj visit: midday light shows the carving in a completely different way.
When to stay at ITC Mughal
October and November: warm days and clear light.
December and January: cool, often misty mornings. A second sunrise is good insurance.
- Best months
- October to March
- Misty mornings
- December and January
- Hottest
- April to June
- Monsoon
- July to September
- Busiest
- Christmas, New Year and long weekends
- February and March: spring, with Taj Mahotsav, Agra's crafts festival, usually in February. We confirm the dates each year.
- April to June: very hot. Sunrise visits only, and long afternoons at the pools and the spa.
- The monsoon: green gardens and dramatic skies over the Taj.
- Month by month: our best time to visit Agra guide has more.
Who will love ITC Mughal, and who won't
Families: gardens, pools and a relaxed atmosphere.
Longer stays: two or three nights feel easy here.
- Groups: many wings and generous public spaces.
- Food lovers: Peshawri alone is reason to come.
- Spa lovers: Kaya Kalp is a large, calm spa for the afternoons.
- Architecture lovers: a landmark of modern Indian design.
- You may not love it if: the Taj from your room is the dream. Choose The Oberoi Amarvilas. Our Agra hotels guide compares the options.
How ITC Mughal fits our journeys
The classic Golden Triangle: our six-night route gives Agra one or two nights.
Golden Triangle with Ranthambore: our eight-night journey adds tigers after the Taj.
- Family journeys: on our family Rajasthan routes, the gardens make Agra easy.
- On to Jaipur: our journal piece on Agra to Jaipur via Abhaneri shows the road.
- Our role: we meet you on arrival, book your guide and plan the Taj around the light and the Friday closure.
Getting to ITC Mughal
From Delhi by train: the fast morning trains take under two hours. We meet you on the platform at Agra.
- From Delhi
- Three to four hours by road, under two by fast train
- From Jaipur
- About four hours by road
- To the Taj
- A short drive
- To Fatehpur Sikri
- About an hour
- From Delhi by road: three to four hours on the expressway.
- From Jaipur: about four hours, with Abhaneri or Fatehpur Sikri on the way.
- To the monuments: your chauffeur drives you to the Taj, the fort and the tombs.
What we tell friends before they stay
Book Peshawri when you book the room: it is the restaurant everyone wants.
Book the spa for the afternoon after sunrise: you will need it.
Avoid Fridays for the Taj: it is closed to visitors.
- Pack light for the Taj: security is strict, and we brief you on the current rules the night before.
- Bring a warm layer: winter sunrises are cold.
- Buy marble inlay only from makers: never through a driver's recommendation.
- Take two mornings in winter: fog can hide the first sunrise, so a second night is good insurance.
- Tell us about walking: the grounds are large, and we ask for a room close to the lobby if needed.
- Try the bazaar sweets: ask your guide for fresh petha from a long-established shop, not a roadside stall.