Taj Mahal—Agra, India

When his wife died in 1631, Emperor Shah Jahan was so bereaved that he spent 22 years—and most of his empire’s riches—on this elaborate tomb, a tribute to love and mild insanity. His subjects locked him up for profligacy, but these days the Shah is most remembered as a romantic for the ages. Travelers who behold this soothingly symmetrical architectural ode report a sense of accomplishment, for there are few world monuments to match it for exotica and beauty. And—surprise!—if you’ve got the nerve to forge through chaotic Indian crowds, the Taj is reachable on a simple plane/train combo.

Getting there: Flying out of New York, San Francisco, or Toronto yields the best chance at a markdown. Hari World Travel, operating in five North American cities, can arrange flights to New Delhi, the nearest gateway, for under $900 (212/997-3300). Don’t forget to bring a visa ($30, http://www.indianembassy.org/). Once you land, take one of several competing airport shuttle buses (about $1.30) to New Delhi’s main train station, and from there grab one of the many daily trains on Indian Railways (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/), the world’s largest employer, southeast to Agra. The express ride is two-and-a-half hours (slow trains take up to twice as long); prices float illogically between $6 and $12. Spring for first-class seats with air-conditioning, especially when the heat spikes, from April to October. A rickshaw from Agra station to the Taj should cost just a buck or two (always settle on a price before boarding). The package alternative: Djoser’s guided 20-day India and Nepal tour hits Agra on days eight and nine. It costs $2,095, including airfare, leaving Los Angeles from February to May (877/356-7376, http://www.djoserusa.com/). For another option, see 40 Best Bargain Vacations, p.63.

You made it: Indian citizens pay 55¢ to enter the grounds (and they stay there all day, picnicking and hanging out), but you must pony up $20. Respectfully cover your legs with breathable pants—it’s a Muslim burial site, which also means it’s closed Fridays—and if you want to mount the plinth and pad around the polished inner sanctum that’s inlaid with semiprecious stones (you do), you’ll have to leave your shoes with an attendant. Tons of basic lodgings, of the type patronized by the Indian middle class and Western shoestringers, are in the adjoining Taj Ganj neighborhood and cost but $4.40 a night. After seeing the Taj, lots of tourists spin around and return to Delhi—you shouldn’t. About a mile west, Shah Jahan’s home, the Red Fort, still dazzles with its regal austerity, and 23 miles west of Agra, don’t miss the fabulous palatial city of Fatehpur Sikri, built from scratch by the Mughals in the late 1500s and abruptly abandoned 14 years later.

Who knew?: Although every photograph you’ve ever seen of the Taj—including this one—makes it look tranquil and wistful, in fact the whole joint is usually jumping with sightseers. Plan to enter the grounds when they open at first light, as sunrise bathes the monument in an eerie peachy hue, and again in the evening, when moonlight seems to light the building from within. Quick-footed salesmen will offer to snap digital photos of you in the gardens and print them while you wander. They’re actually pretty talented, and you don’t have to pay unless you want a copy.

By Reid Bramblett, Jason Cochran, Brad Tuttle and Matthew Link