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Day 01 : Delhi
On arrival meet and assist at the
airport and transfer to your prebooked
hotel. Delhi : India's capital & a major
gateway to the country, contemporary
Delhi is a bustling metropolis which
successfully combines in its fold the
ancient & the modern. Its strategic
location was one of the prime reasons
why successive dynasties chose it as
their seat of power. New Delhi also
reflects the legacy the British left
behind . The division between New & Old
Delhi is the distinction between the
capitals of the British & the Moghuls
respectively. So, wherever the visitor
goes, he will invariably confront the
city's past.
Day 02 : Delhi
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After breakfast, full Day city tour
of Old & New Delhi. Tours to Jama Masjid,
the largest mosque in India - Built by
Shah Jahan. Tours to the Red Fort, Visit
Humayun's Tomb : built in mid 16th
century this is an early example of
Mughal architecture ; Visit Qutab Minar,
witness the India Gate, President
House.. The city tour ends with a visit
to Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir).
Day 03 : Delhi - Jaipur
Afternoon, drive to Jaipur : The
city owes its names, foundation and its
careful planning to the great warrior -
astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. In
1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai
Singh decided to move down from his
hillside fortress at nearby Amber to a
new site on the plains. He laid out the
city, with its surrounding walls and six
rectangular blocks, according to the
principles of town planning set down in
Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu
treatise on architecture. Arrive Jaipur
and check in at prebooked hotel. Rest of
the Day free for individual activities.
Day 04 : Jaipur
After breakfast, excursion to Amber
Fort : At a distance of 11 kms from
Jaipur, Amber was the ancient capital of
Jaipur state. Construction of the fort
began in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, the
Rajput commander of Akbar's army and is
a superb example of Rajput architecture.
Elephant ride from the foothills of the
Aravallis to the fort entrance
Afternoon, city tour of Jaipur. Visit
the City Palace which has museum having
an extensive collection of art, carpets,
enamel ware and weapons; Jantar Mantar -
the observatory built my Maharaja Jai
Singh in 1728 and the façade of Hawa
Mahal.
Day 05 : Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri -
Agra
After breakfast, leave for Agra,
enroute visit the abandoned Mughal city
of Fatehpur Sikri : built by Emperor
Akbar in 1569, was the old capital of
the Moghuls, which was abandoned after
15 years due to scarcity of water. See
the graceful buildings including the
Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch
Mahal & other Palaces which are still
preserved in its original glory.
Continue drive to Agra. Arrive Agra in
the afternoon and check-in at prebooked
hotel.
Day 06 : Agra
After breakfast, city tour of Agra.
Visit Red fort, which was built by
Emperor Akbar in 1565, and additions
were made up until the time of his
grandson, Shah Jahan. It contains the
hall of public and private audiences
amongst many other beautiful structues;
Itmad-ud-daulah, which was contructed by
Nur Jahan between 1622 and 1628 and is
very similar to the tomb she constructed
for her husband, Jehangir, near Lahore
in Pakistan; the highlight of the Day -
The Taj Mahal, which was constructed by
Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz
Mahal. Contruction of the Taj began in
1631 and was not completed until 1653.
Afternoon, free for individual
activities.
Day 07 : Agra - Jhansi - Orchha -
Khajuraho
After breakfast, proceed your
journey to khajuraho , enroute visit
Orchha : A medieval city founded by
Bundela rulers with palaces & temples of
the 16th & 17th century - which have
remarkably withstood the onslaught of
time. The city is picturesquely flanked
by the river Betwa. Visit of the
surrounding fortress & local Ram Raja
temple. Continue drive to Khajuraho,
upon arrival, check in at prebooked
hotel.
Day 08 : Khajuraho
After brekfast, visit Khajuraho :
Built by the warrior Chandela dynasty
that rose to power in Central India
between 10th & 11th centuries, the 25
odd surving temples display different
facets of life, including the sensual.
These erotic carvings on some panels
have given rise to much speculation
since Khajuraho's re-discovery by a
British officer in 1838. To preserve it
for posterity, Khajuraho has been
declared a World Heritage Site. Visit
the eastern & western group of temples
famous for their erotic scultpures.
Evening at leisure and overnight stay.
Day 09 : Khajuraho - Varanasi
Aftter breakfast proceed for your
journey to Varanasi approx. 8 hrs.
drive. In evening check-in to your
pre-booked hotel at Varanasi. Evening at
leisure and overnight stay.
Day 10 : Varanasi (Kashi)
Varanasi : formerly known as Kashi -
the city that illuminates. The religious
capital of Hinduism , Varanasi is the
oldest living city of India & one of the
worlds' most ancient. The present name
is derived from the fact that the city
is at the confluence of the rivers
Varuna & Asi. After breakfast, excursion
to Sarnath - the buried Buddhist city
where Buddha preached his first sermon.
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh
Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it
was here that he preached his first
discourse in the deer park to set in
motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is
one of the most holy sites as in this
place the stream of the Buddha's
teaching first flowed. Sarnath was a
renowned school of learning from 16th
century BC to 12th century AD. Visit the
ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temple &
the museum (closed on FriDays). At the
museum is the Ashok Pillar with its four
guardian lions, used as independent
Indias' national emblem.
Day 11 : Varanasi
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Early morning, leave for boat ride
on the Ganges to see the bathing Ghats
(river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise
on the riverfront, as seen from a boat,
can be a spiritually uplifting sight.
The life on the Ghats bound in an
endless string of rituals, ever-changing
aspects of the river & the wide
landscape across have fascinated
visitors from all over the world. Return
to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast,
city tour of Varanasi - Visit the Bharat
Mata temple with a big relief map of
India in Marble, Durga temple, Tulsi
Manas Mandir, Benaras Hindu University
which has an art gallery & the mosque of
Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb. Afternoon,
excursion to Ramnagar. Return by boat in
the evening, enroute witness the
religious ceremonies along the banks of
river Ganges.
Day 12 : Varanasi - Delhi or
Kathmandu (Flight)
Morning, free for individual
activities. Afternoon, transfer to the
airport to board flight scheduled to
depart to Delhi or you can depart to
Kathmandu for your onwards journey
according to your choice.
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