This tour was an excellent virtual tour hosted by Akash on the AIRBNB platform.
With international tourism suspended due to the pandemic, this was the best way to visit Agra, even if it was a virtual experience.
Akash is a qualified tour guide who, in normal times, gives guided tours or Agra and beyond. As such, he is very well qualified to host a most informative and educational tour of the The Taj Mahal and other sites in Agra.
The tour started with a video which gave one a sense of the layout of The Taj Mahal and the scale of the whole complex. Four different gates lead into the inner area and Akash explained the original role of each gate. Naturally, he took me through the Royal Gate! This is an immensely ornate construction in its own right.
Then, using a series of compelling images with notations, he led me through the inner section through to the actual Taj Mahal. It was fascinating to learn that while the majority of tourists see the tombs, these are not the originals. Again, using quality imagery, Akash took me down the steps to the original tombs, a unique experience which is only open to public visitors for three days annually.
The virtual tour then continued with Akash taking me to the other sites in Agra: The Red Fort etc.
This tour really gave me a great insight into the Moghul Empire, why these architectural wonders were built and the factors that led to the eventual decline of the Moghul Empire.
In conclusion, I highly rate this virtual tour with Akash. He takes time to deal with all the questions and really helps to place the Taj Mahal in the overall context of Indian history and heritage.