Air:
Neither Mathura nor Vrindavan has an airport. Airport: Kheria in Agra (58 km) is the nearest airport. Palam airport in Delhi (145 km) is another option. IA operates a daily hopping flight on the Delhi-Agra-Varanasi-Khajuraho sector.

Rail:
Mathura sits on the main lines of the Central and Western Railways. It has trains coming in from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta and Agra, to name a few. Additionally, all nearby places are connected by rail to Mathura

Road:
Mathura on NH 2 is easily accessible from almost all cities in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The six-lane highway is very smooth and excellent to drive on. Bus stand: There are two bus terminuses, the Old Bus Stand and the New Bus Stand. UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has buses plying between Mathura and other nearby cities.

Government Museum
Founded by F S Growse in 1874, the Mathura Museum was intended to be no more than a storehouse. Today, however, it is a Pandora s Box for those interested in Indian art and iconography. The ancient building itself is beautiful, and architecturally it makes for an interesting study. The newer octagonal structure in pink sandstone though aesthetically planned, lacks the character of the older 19th century building.

Noteworthy among the many exhibits are the huge statues of Emperor Kanishka and King Vima Kadphises of the Kushan dynasty that adorn the entrance and the bust of the Naga Queen of the Serpents from the 2nd century. Other must-sees are the coin collection, sculptures (particularly the panel depicting a Buddhist stupa) in stone, terracotta and bronze, clay seals and pottery. Keep half a day free as an afternoon spent browsing through the displays and piecing together the history of Mathura is simply perfect. In its glory days, people identified Mathura first with the museum and secondly with Krishna.

Ghats
The ghats or tirthas as they are commonly known, are a total of 25 in number, with the main one being the Visrama Ghat. Stretching alongside the Yamuna, 12 ghats south and 12 ghats north add up to 25 tirthas. A regular pilgrimage starts with a tour of the ghats and is followed by visiting the temples. Visrama Ghat, which was established in 1814, is where Krishna and Balram rested after defeating Kansa. Plan to be at the ghats at sunset to enjoy the evening aarti.

Gita Mandir
This temple on the Mathura-Vrindavan road is one of the main shrines to watch out for. The inner sanctum has an elegant image of Krishna, above which the ceilings are ornamented with paintings (slightly garish) framing scenes from his life. An unusual art form manifests itself in the intricate inscription of the complete Bhagawad Gita on the walls. The entire place is a catalogue of Hindu mythology and religious literature and adds to the aura of Mathura.

Dwarkadheesh Temple
Dates back to 1814, when Seth Gokuldas of Gwalior designed and built this shrine with the deity as Krishna. Thronged by pilgrims all year round, the temple is especially popular on Holi, Janmashtami and Diwali, when it is festooned with twinkling lights and fresh flowers. Another reason for it being visited is its central location in the heart of the city. The temple has intricate carvings and colourful paintings, typical of the Mathura temple-architecture.

Govardhan Hill
Literally translated, Govardhan means held by Krishna . The hill has its place in history as being lifted by Krishna to shield the inhabitants of Braj from the lashing rain inflicted by Indra. Shaped like a giant crouching peacock, the hill has Radha Kund and Shyama Kund as the eyes, Dan Ghati as the neck, Mukharavinda as the mouth and Punchari as the feathered tail. Once it stood to a lofty height of 16 miles (5,000 years ago); however, the curse of Pulastya Muni caused the hill to shrink the height of a mustard seed everyday. Today, the hill stands at a diminished height of 80 ft and is apparently sinking every day!

Vrindavan (10 km)
Famed as being the stage for the historical courtship of Radha and Krishna. The name vrinda is in reference to the tulsi plant that grows profusely in this city, and vana are the vast forests. Reputed to be the holiest city in India, Vrindavan has an amazing 5,000 temples dedicated to Krishna and is a prominent place of pilgrimage.

The city abounds in lush forests, gradual hills, frothy waterfalls and acres of flower-covered pastures. A major landmark is the ISKCON Temple which attracts devotees and tourists from all parts of the world. The chant Hare Rama Hare Krishna which is the essence of Vrindavana, was coined here by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and continues to be the sublime way of reaching out to God. Though the focus tends to be the ISKCON Temple, you should take time out to visit the Krishna-Balram Temple, the Madan-Mohan Temple, the Tekari Rani Temple and the Jagannath Temple.

Mathura and Vrindavan are considered two halves of a whole and are mostly visited together.

Gokul (16 km)
Where Krishna spent his childhood and flourished under the loving care of Yashodha. Picturised as a mythically quaint town with pastures and large herds of cows, Gokul abounds in significant sites each the scene of some childhood incident in the life of Krishna. When in Gokul, the interestingly narrated folklore helps pass many an evening. Gokul is worth visiting during the Janmashtami festival. Some of the interesting temples in this town are the Gokulnath Temple, Raja Thakur Temple, Gopal Lalji Temple and the Morwala Temple.

Mansarovar
Named the Lake of Tears, formed by the tears of Radha as she wept at the loss of her beloved, Mansarovar is situated a few miles from Vrindavan (10 km from Mathura). A sheltered, watery glade flocked by thousands of birds - completely natural and untouched. Though it is a popular excursion from Mathura, surprisingly hotels and tourists have not yet begun to plague the place. The regular visitors, other than the regal Sarus Crane, are pilgrims and devotees.

The city bazaars are full of shops with what we call Krishna-ware ! Mathura is also famous for sculptures, hand-embroidered cloth, silver ornaments, textiles and handicrafts, so pick up some sarees or jewellery when visiting. Additionally, the city has tons of Krishna-related material like pictures, rings, necklaces and pendants.

The Radha Dhiraj Bazaar, adjacent to the Dwarkadheesh Temple, is the place to buy some silver jewellery. Holi Gate Darwaza is the main shopping area selling everything from eatables and clothes to stationery and handicrafts. Krishna Janmabhoomi is popular for its bangles. Shankar Halwai and BMB are famous for the Mathura pedha and anyone can point them out to you.