Bansi Homestay

Top choice in Agra


A retired director of Uttar Pradesh Tourism is your host at this wonderful upscale homestay tucked away in a quiet residential neighbourhood near Fatahabad Rd. The five large rooms boast huge bathrooms with rain-style showers and flank pleasant common areas decorated with Krishna paintings. It feels more like a boutique hotel than a homestay. To find it, follow the alley past the Hotel Atithi.

The immensely pleasurable 2nd-floor garden is a fabulous retreat for watching the world go by, and the food – notably the homemade pickles and aloo paratha (potato-stuffed flatbread) – excels, along with the hospitality in general. Bansi is Krishna's flute, a symbol of peace and tranquillity, which is just what you'll find here.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Agra attractions

1. Taj Museum

0.94 MILES

Within the Taj complex, on the western side of the gardens, is the small but excellent Taj Museum, housing a number of original Mughal miniature paintings…

2. Mosque

1.06 MILES

The Taj Mahal's red-sandstone mosque to the west of the main monument is an important gathering place for Agra's Muslims.

3. Taj Mahal

1.09 MILES

Poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as 'a teardrop on the cheek of eternity'; Rudyard Kipling as 'the embodiment of all things pure'; while its creator,…

4. Jawab

1.13 MILES

The jawab, to the east of the Taj Mahal itself, was built for symmetry purposes, matching up identically with the red-sandstone mosque to the west.

5. Amar Singh Gate

1.37 MILES

The sole entry point to Agra Fort, and where you buy your entrance ticket.

6. Mehtab Bagh

1.4 MILES

This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank (long before the Taj was conceived), fell into…

7. Jehangir's Palace

1.42 MILES

This huge red-sandstone palace inside Agra Fort, a combination of Indian and Central Asian architectural styles, was most likely built by the Mughal ruler…

8. Khas Mahal

1.44 MILES

This beautiful marble pavillion and pool formed the living quarters of Shah Jahan, while the large attached courtyard housed the court harem.