You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. Not without paying extra, at least.
Officials at the Taj Mahal have recently implemented a three-hour time limit for visitors wishing to see the world-renowned site — and those who overstay their welcome had better be ready to fork over some extra cash.
“If tourists exceed their time limit of three hours, they will be charged an extra amount equivalent to the ticket, which will have to be paid at the exit gate,” explained Vasant Swarankar, the superintending archaeologist, to the Times of India.
The new rules were actually set to go into effect back in April 2018, but were stalled following concerns — and even backlash — over the installation of a new gate meant to regulate tourists, as some claimed it blocked the entrance to the 400-year-old Siddheshwar Mahadev temple. One of the gates had even been ripped out and moved during a vandalism incident, the Huffington Post reported in June 2018.
The new regulations finally went into effect on Sunday following a successful test run on Saturday. Visitors are now instructed to enter via one of two sets of seven entry gates (14 in total) and exit via two sets of five gates (10 in total). Those whose tickets were issued more than three hours prior to exiting will be charged the additional fees.
Passes to the world-renowned Unesco Heritage Site currently cost between $16 and $19. Passes are significantly less for citizens of India, costing between 72 cents and around $3.60, per Insider.