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Day 01 Arrive Delhi
Meet and assist by our representative upon
your arrival at the airport. Then drive to your
hotel with your driver and car.
Day 02 Delhi
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After breakfast in your hotel a city tour
introduces you to this imperial British capital of
the 20th century. Visit the Qutub Minar - the
tallest freestanding minaret in stone in the
world; then onto Humayun's tomb - the first Mughal
construction in India from 1565 AD. Also see the
Rashtrapati Bhawan, the India Gate built in the
earlier half of the 20th century. Drive through
the old city past the Red Fort and visit the Jama
Masjid - the biggest of its kind in India. Here
take a rickshaw through the winding streets of the
old city to see the life of the people in this
part of the world. A perfect introduction of your
tour. The rickshaw puller pulls you through the
imperial avenue the Chandni Chowk where you will
find each and every small business under the sky.
Finally, reach Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma
Gandhi, where your chauffeur is waiting for you to
take you to your next stop the Birla Mandir, a
Hindu temple in activity.
Day 03 Delhi - Mandawa
Leave Delhi and reach Mandawa by early
afternoon. After lunch visit the painted township
of Mandawa and admire the colour combinations on
the walls - mural paintings. Also see the 17th
century castle of the erstwhile Thakur king of
Mandawa.
Day 04 Mandawa - Bikaner
In the morning see this beautiful village of
Shekhawati that used to be an important
caravanserai of the yesteryears. See the many
havelis of this quaint little town built by the
rich and the famous merchants of the 18th and 19th
centuries. These havelis have been painted with
activities of daily life and of deities to break
the monotony of the desert life.
Then proceed towards Bikaner en route stop at
Fatehpur to see the splendid havelis of the local
merchants of Shekhawati. Reach Bikaner by lunch
time.
See the Junagarh Fort, a royal museum that
encompasses history of Bikaner from its days of
construction that dates back to the 16th century.
Later visit the camel breeding farm, a unique
experience.
Day 05 Bikaner - Pokaran - Jaisalmer
After breakfast we set towards our journey
across the Thar Desert to reach Pokaran for lunch.
Visit the 15th century fortress where the 3rd
Mughal emperor, Akbar the Great, was born in 1543.
The bazaar in the middle of this village is very
colourful and full of local flavours. After lunch
continue towards Jaisalmer and arrive by evening
to witness the sunset over the desert with the
most imposing edifice of the town behind you.
Day 06 Jaisalmer
Morning an exclusive visit of the Jain temples
inside the Sonar Kila.. The Jains are a community
that respects life and are pure vegetarians by
religion. Visit the citadel's palace that houses a
museum with a huge collection of robes and
artifacts from the royal family of Jaisalmer.
Visit the Patwaon ki haveli with intricately
designed latticed windows used by the ladies to
view the external world. Also see the Gadisar
Lake.
Later, we go to Sam or Khuri village. Here we have
loads of excitement in store for you. Upon arrival
in the village you will be taken to the nearby
sunset point on the dunes to see the sunset by
camel carts. After sunset return to the village
where your dinner has been arranged in desert mud
huts. An experience of a lifetime.
Day 07 Jaisalmer - Jodhpur
Today we reach Jodhpur the blue city by early
afternoon and drive up to the majestic Mehrangarh
fort, the stronghold of the Rathore princes from
1453AD. We see the superb collection of paintings
and arms and ammunitions. The view of the city
from the rampart walls is breath taking.
Post lunch session introduces you to the fabulous
spice market of Jodhpur the 2nd largest city in
Rajasthan. Walk along the market to feel the
odours of the spices filling the air around you
Then go to Mandore gardens the then capital of
Marwar to view some of the fabulous cenotaphs and
the hall of local heroes of the wars. Drive back
to Jodhpur and see the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the
present residence of the king of Jodhpur.
Day 08 Jodhpur - Rohet
After breakfast leave for Rohet. Upon arrival
check into your hotel. In the afternoon we take
you on a safari to discover the hidden beauty of
the jungle life. Here you would be visiting the
Bishnoi villages. Bishnois are a tribe that
respects life in every form - animals trees and
even dead branches. They are vegetarians and even
in the villages they protect the animal life and
don't let anybody practice hunting in the vicinity
of their villages. They live in a joint family
system where the oldest member is generally the
head of the family.
Then we would like you to witness the opium
ceremony with the Patels - a rich tribe. It is a
ceremony prevelant in this part of Rajasthan where
the youth offers opium to drink mixed with water
to the elders of the family when they come back
from work in the fields.
In the evening dinner and dances in the hotel
during dinner.
Day 09 Rohet - Mount Abu
After breakfast at the hotel we drive through
the arid Rajasthan to reach the the lone hill
station in Rajasthan at a height of 1200mt where
we take you for a tour of the temples for a few
hours..
Mount Abu is a true pilgrimage centre for the
Jains as here we see the Delwara Jain temple
complexe with temples dating back to the 11th
century. Later see the Nakki lake and then view
the Sun going down the horizon from the sunset
point.
Day 10 Mount Abu - Ranakpur - Udaipur
Leave Abu and reach Ranakpur another big
pilgrimage centre for the Jains. Just four hours
drive from Mount Abu is the eternal Jain
pilgrimage centre of Ranakpur. Admire the
workmanship from the 16th century. The temples are
built out of marble and the main shrine of Adinath
with 1444 columns is awe inspiring and none of
these are similar. Also see the sun temple and the
other temples in the campus. Proceed towards
Udaipur and on the way stop by the fields to see
the local way of farming and irrigation. Walk into
the villages to mingle with the locals around to
know more about their lifestyle.
Reach Udaipur by late evening and check into your
hotel.
Day 11 Udaipur
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Visit the City Palace the richest palace
museum in the entire Rajasthan. See the peacock
square and the miniature painting school inside
the palace premises. Udaipur has the prestige of
housing the best miniature schools in the country
under the royal patronage of the king of Udaipur.
Later see the temples of Nagda and Eklingji.
The temple at Eklingji is a temple that belongs to
the Maharana of Mewar (royal family) and he is
often there to pray. The temple complexe of Nagda
is a group of temples of which only two remain
intact and those are that of Saas and Bahu. Two
temples of Shiva and of Vishnu both from the 7th
century.
Day 12 Udaipur - Chittorgarh - Bijaipur
After a leisurely start this morning head
towards Chittorgarh the former capital of the
Maharanas of Mewar. See the Kumbha Palace and the
Meera temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. Also see
the tower of Victory built by Rana Kumbha in the
15th century after winning a series of battles.
Later visit Maharani Padmini's palace. Proceed
towards your hotel in Bijaipur about 30km from the
site.
Day 13 Bijaipur - Ajmer - Pushkar
Today cross the entire stretch of Mewar to
reach the most holy cities of Pushkar and Ajmer.
Pushkar happens to be the holiest places according
to the Hindus as it is considered that Lord Brahma
(the Creator) and his wife Saraswati (the godess
of learning and music) performed a ritual in the
lake. Here we visit the only Brahma temple of the
world before intermingling with the local colours
in the local bazaar. Pushkar is the world famous
for its cattle fair held each year in the month of
October/November. Proceed towards Ajmer.
Ajmer is the pious city for the Muslims.
Surprisingly both the cities are at distance of
11km from each other. Visit the Durgah built in
fond remembrance of Khwaja Muin ud Din Chisti
where the Muslim pilgrims from all over India
throng during the festival times. Later visit
Mughal emperor Akbar's Palace where his son
Jehangir received Sir Thomas Roe to grant him the
permission of trade to East India Company with
India, that changed the history of India
completely and slowly and steadily India became
colony of the British Empire.
Day 14 Pushkar - Jaipur
Leave Pushkar in the morning and reach Jaipur
in 2 hrs time. Upon arrival check into your hotel
in Jaipur.
After lunch set off to see the Pink city visiting
the observatory Jantar Mantar built in 1727 by
Sawai Maharaja Jai Singh II who was a
mathematician , an astronomer an astrologer and a
great musician of his era. He built five
observatories throughout India - Jaipur, Ujjain,
Varanasi, Mathura and Delhi but only the one at
Jaipur is functional.
Then visit the City Palace of the Maharaja of
Jaipur with a fabulous collection of robes and
saris in cotton and silk with gold lattice work.
The City Palace houses a collection of paintings
also in the painting gallery and of course a
collection of arms and ammunitions in the
ammunition gallery.
Day 15 Jaipur
In the morning visit the Amber fort in the
morning; included is an elephant ride at the Amber
fort. See the marvelous Shish mahal built in the
17th century in a fusion style of Hindu and
Islamic art. Also see the hall of public audiences
and Maharaja Man Singh's Palace who had twelve
queens. Afternoon is free for independent
activities.
Day 16 Jaipur - Sawai Madhopur
Leave Jaipur after breakfast and reach
Ranthambhor and check into your hotel The
Ranthambhor Regency or similar. Today we take you
out on a jeep safari to spot the tigers in this
region. This fabulous wild cat is seen mainly in
the low grasslands and visits the lake
occasionally to quench its thirst which being
generally early evening time and that is the time
we are there to view this animal in its natural
surroundings. Apart from tigers you also do come
across monkeys, langurs and alligators and a wide
variety of birds.
Day 17 Sawai Madhopur
Full day for Game viewing.
Day 18 Sawai Madhopur - Fatehpur Sikri -
Agra
Leave Ranthambhor Sanctuary after breakfast
and reach Fatehpur Sikri by early afternoon. Visit
this abandoned city built by the Mughal emperor
Akbar in the second half of the 16th century.
Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar after his Hindu
wife bore him the long awaited son who was born
after the renowned sufi saint Salim Chisti blessed
Jodhabai Akbar's hindu wifewith a son. Also visit
Jodhabai's palace the biggest palace in Fatehpur
Sikri even bigger than the emperor's palace
himself as this was the queen who bore him his
heir to the throne.
Continue towards Agra and reach Agra by early
evening. Relax at your hotel or go to the local
bazaar to see the lifestyle of the people.
Day 19 Agra
Taj Mahal is awaiting your arrival today
morning. A must see with the rising sun as the Taj
Mahal is bathed in the golden rays of the morning
sun. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white
marble memorial that houses the tomb of his
beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22
years to be completed and was designed, and
planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from
its stunning design, balance and perfect symmetry,
the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant
domes, intricately carved screens and some of the
best inlay work ever seen anywhere in the world.
Then see the Agra Fort built by Akbar where
Shahjahan was imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb.
Post lunch visit Itmad ud Daulah - it is the first
mughal building built out completely of marble. In
many contexts it is referred to being the
predecessor of the Taj Mahal. Then visit Sikandara
the tomb of the great emperor Akbar.
Day 20 Agra - Gwalior - Orchha
Today at 0800 hrs we go to Gwalior the
erstwhile stronghold of the Scindia rulers. Reach
Gwalior at 1020hrs and check into your hotel.
Later after lunch start your visit. A trip to
Gwalior is incomplete without a visit to the fort,
Scindia Palace and the tombs of Ghaus Mohammed and
Tansen. Also visit the Gurjari Mahal the palace of
the Gurjar queen Mrignayani today housing an
archaeological museum. Also see the teli ka mandir
and the Saas bahu ka mandir inside the fort.
Included is a horse carriage ride in the old city.
Continue after the visit towards Orchha.
Day 21 Orchcha - Khajuraho
Orchcha a medieval village where time has
stopped. You feel the timelessness of this spot.
Orchha is a medieval city founded by Bundela
rulers with palaces and temples of the 16th and
17th century - which have remarkably withstood the
onslaught of time. The river Betwa picturesquely
flanks the city.
Reach Orchha by 1130 hrs and see the beautiful
Palace Complex - Jahangiri Mahal and the Raja
Mahal. Closely study the intricacies of the mural
paintings in the Raja Mahal and visit the
Laxminarayana Temple.
Post lunch continue towards Khajuraho about 182 km
away by road.
Day 22 Khajuraho
Morning sight seeing shows us the temples
built during the 9th to the 11th centuries by the
powerful dynasty of Chandela rajputs. The temples
with their erotic sculptures are a feast to the
eyes. The Chandelas built 85 temples in all but
today only 20 temples stand intact. Visit the
eastern and western group of temples
Day 23 Khajuraho - Varanasi
Transfer to the airport to catch your flight
to Varanasi. Upon arrival transfer to the hotel.
En route to your hotel visit Sarnath - the sacred
Buddhist city where Gautama Buddha preached his
first sermon to his 5 disciples under the bodhi
tree. Visit the site and the temple attached to
it. See the frescoes related to the life of Buddha
inside the temple. Also visit the archaeological
museum that houses artifacts from the 3rd century
BC. Most interesting is the lion capital of Ashoka
Maurya from 272 BC. Adjacent to the museum is the
ancient seat of learning from the 2nd century BC
now completely in ruins. Also see the Dhamek stupa
and the Dharmarajika Stupa where hundreds of
Buddhist pilgrims offer there prayers. Continue to
Varanasi just 11 km away and check in to your
hotel.
Day 24 Varanasi
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Early in the morning (0500hrs) we take you to
banks of the river Ganges where we board a boat to
see the morning ablutions of the Hindus from the
security of our boat. The boat ride starts from
Dasashwamedh Ghat and ends at Manikarnika Ghat
along the sacred Ganges. Don't forget to see the
sun rise along the Ganges. See the Kashi
Vishwanath temple and the Gyanvyapi kund and the
mosque attached to it. Also visit the Benares
Hindu University the largest residential
university in India with more than 3000
residential students. Also worth a visit is the
Bharat Mata Mandir (Mother India temple) where you
see the undivided India - Mahatma Gandhi's Dream.
Return to your hotel for breakfast. Rest of the
time is free for individual activities
Day 25 Varanasi - Delhi -Departure
In time transfer to the airport for your
flight back to Delhi and finally to your home. |
