Secret Rooftop views, Sunset at the Taj Mahal - Joeys Hostel and the Hippie Cafe.
Agra - home of the legendary Taj Mahal. The ancient streets have plenty of places to stay and lots of restaurants to choose from. But, if you want the best sunset views of the Taj Mahal, then you need to read our guide to the fantastic backpacker hostel and rooftop restaurant - Joeys Hostel Agra.
After a full day of exploring around Agra, there’s no better way to spend an evening than having the sun set across a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal. Watching this Wonder of the World be painted different colours by the setting sun, is a magic way to start any evening. The Hippie Cafe on the roof of Joeys Hostel in Agra, provides the perfect platform for just this.
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The Hippie Cafe - Rooftop restaurant with sunset views of the Taj Mahal
Attached to the rooftop of Joey’s Hostel Agra, the Hippie Cafe boasts unbeatable views over the rooftops all the way across to the Taj Mahal itself. Photos really don’t do it justice (although we will try) as the Taj looks much closer in real life than it did through any viewfinder. The best part of the Hippie Cafe is the sunset views over the Taj Mahal. The vantage point from the cafe is amazing, it is the perfect place to watch the sun sink down behind the marble marvel of the Taj Mahal.
There are many places in Agra you can get a view of the Taj from but we really cannot imagine you can do much better than Joey’s Hostel and the Hippie Cafe. Between you and a wonder of the world is just flat roofs all teaming with local life. From the afternoon, through early evening and into the night, the flat rooftops came alive with people, action and animals.
In the evening children by the dozen congregated on the roofs to fly their kites whilst all around them monkeys dashed about, cats lounged and colourful washing was hung out to dry. This, with the background of the Taj Mahal and the sky fire of the fading sun made it one of our favourite scenic spots on our adventures so far.
To add to the magnificent views, the food at Hippie Cafe is great too, especially the potato curries and the mushroom matter. The menu offers reasonably priced (and delicious) Indian fare with a few Western sandwiches and Chinese noodle dishes available as well. We ordered several times from here and were never disappointed. For a starter, we highly recommend their fried masala crispy corn!
Prices are reasonable for a rooftop restaurant with views of the Taj Mahal: a meal for two setting us back around 700 to 800 rupees.
The Hippie Cafe is open to everyone, but sits on the rooftop of Joey’s Hostel. Speaking of which:
Joey’s Hostel - the perfect backpacker accommodation choice in Agra
We stayed at Joey’s Hostel for several nights in a private room which was cheap, basic and spacious. The hostel staff were brilliant, organising sunset walks as well as a great breakfast for an extra cost of 250 rupees per person (£2.42 or $3.04). In the evenings, the Hippie Cafe swells in popularity as the backpackers return from their days exploring and all congregate on the roof to sip cups of chai with mellow tunes and twinkling fairy lights.
On one night, the hostel organised a great curry buffet and a moonlight viewing party for the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal under a full moon was wonderful enough, but the Taj Mahal under a full moon with a lightly spiced, perfectly sweet warm (and complimentary) rice pudding was even better!
When staying in Agra the accommodation is all over the place, spread over both sides of the river and for miles around.
For those on a backpacking budget, Joey’s Hostel Agra really was unbeatable. Set only a five minute walk from the East Gate of the Taj Mahal, and ten minutes walk from the West Gate. Joey’s rooftop is only a couple of hundred metres away from the ancient dividing wall of the Taj Mahal - you really can’t beat the location. As we’ve mentioned the rooms are very basic, but our bed was comfy, the shower was hot and the AC was powerful.
To book your stay at Joey’s Hostel Agra, click here!
Another bonus point for staying at Joey’s, and possibly our favourite unexpected feature of the hostel was the entrance. Each morning, you’d exit from a small alleyway lined with very friendly goats. They were very eager to have a nibble on any item of clothing that stayed near them for too long but are also very receptive to head pats!
Careful where you park your bike, there’s some hungry goats about!
The area around Joey’s is a busy warren full of ancient winding streets, restaurants, tailors and constant mopeds. Being so close to the Taj Mahal it is incredibly busy, but is a really interesting mix of local life coexisting with the mass tourism the Taj Mahal brings.
Within 20 metres you can go from vendors flogging mini crystal Taj Mahal’s and fridge magnets to sari shops and knife sharpeners that have been there for generations.
If you’re staying further out from the Taj Mahal, bear in mind the added cost of getting around. Many of the other hotels and hostels are set a good distance away from the Taj Mahal and other Agra attractions. We would recommend setting up Uber or Ola on your phone to avoid the headache of constant tuk tuk negotiation (for other useful Indian apps check out our article here). Agra is one of the largest tourist attractions in the world and regrettably, and like anywhere similar, this does come with a price in terms of touts, scammers and suspiciously friendly taxi drivers! Just like any monument keep your wits and bag about you and maintain a healthy cynicism for any offers that seem too good to be true.
For more information on staying safe, avoiding scams and just some basic, good advice for visiting India and Delhi make sure you have read our India Backpacking Basics article.
Joey’s Hostel and the Hippie Cafe were a godsend in Agra. The city is frenetic, full-on and occasionally overwhelming The comfy beds of Joey’s Hostel and wonderful rooftop Hippie Cafe provided a perfect oasis from the storm outside The good food, people and vibes made our stay unforgettable and, with the Taj Mahal constantly in the background, we were always reminded of why we came to this ancient city!
Here are just some of our photographs we took from the rooftop of the Hippie Cafe:
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie
#adventuresofjellie
For tips and tricks to get the best out of your visit to the Taj Mahal check our article here or, if you have already explored the Taj and are looking for something different to do in Agra, check out the Taj Nature Walk!
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