Plan your visit to Mehtab Bagh

Why Should You Visit Mehtab Bagh?

Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) is the place where the most iconic photographs of the Taj Mahal are taken. Situated directly across the Yamuna River, this Mughal-era garden provides an unobstructed view of the Taj Mahal’s northern facade reflected in the river waters. While the Taj Mahal complex itself can feel crowded during peak season, Mehtab Bagh offers a serene, open-air alternative.

Originally built by Emperor Babur around 1530 as one of 11 pleasure gardens along the Yamuna’s east bank, the garden was later incorporated into the larger Taj Mahal architectural scheme by Shah Jahan. The ASI undertook restoration work in the early 2000s, revealing the original Mughal-era garden layout (source: ASI Conservation Reports).

What Will You Experience at Mehtab Bagh?

The garden covers approximately 25 acres and is laid out in the classic Charbagh (four-quadrant) style. Walking paths line the symmetrical garden beds, and a large central pool once reflected the Taj Mahal — fragments of this reflecting pool are still visible today.

Archaeological excavations in the 1990s also revealed the foundations of a large structure in black marble that may have been an unrealized garden pavilion, fueling the popular legend that Shah Jahan planned a “Black Taj” on this site, though most historians consider this unlikely (source: Koch, “The Complete Taj Mahal”).

How Should You Plan Your Visit?

We recommend combining Mehtab Bagh with your Taj Mahal visit. Our guides typically schedule it for late afternoon, after visits to Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal earlier in the day. Arriving about 90 minutes before sunset gives you time to explore the garden, set up for photography, and watch the light transform the Taj Mahal from white to gold to pink.

Mehtab Bagh is included in our overnight Agra tour from Delhi, giving you the luxury of time that day-trippers often miss.