NORTH INDIA TOUR

 

 

Itinerary :

 

Day 01 –  Arrive Delhi
Meeting and greetings on arrival at Delhi’s international airport and transfer to the booked hotel for overnight stay

 

Day 02 - At  Delhi

Morning after buffet breakfast at the hotel met your licenced local Guide and driver at hotel lobby nad proceed for a combined tour of Old and New Delhi. 

 

Old Delhi visiting Red Fort - The red sand stone walls of Lal Quila, the Red Fort extend for 2 km and vary in height from 18m on the river side to 33m on the city side. Shah Jahan started construction of the massive fort in 1638 and it was completed in 1648. The Red Fort dates from the peak of Mughal power. The Mughal reign from Delhi was a short one. Aurangzeb was the first and the last emperor to rule from here. Jama Masjid- the Great Mosque of Old Delhi was both the largest and the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan. Begun in 1644, the mosque was not completed until 1658. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40m (133ft) high constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The courtyard of the mosque can hold 25,000 people. Take a rickshaw ride to Chandni Chowk - the main street of Old Delhi - the colourful shopping bazaar just opposite the Red Fort and visit Raj Ghat - the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi after his assassination in 1948.

 

New Delhi visiting Qutab Minar – 234 feet high tower. The Qutab Minar itself is a soaring tower of victory that was started in 1193, immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. It is nearly 73m(243ft) high and tapers from a 15m(50ft) diameter base to just 2.5m(9ft) at the top. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone, the fourth and the fifth of marble & sandstone. Also visit the Tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun. Built in the mid-16th century by Haji Begum, the Persian-born senior wife of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, this is a wonderful early example of Mughal architecture. The elements in its design – a squat building, high arched entrances that let in light, topped by a bulbous dome and surrounded by formal gardens – were to be refined over the years to the magnificence of the Taj Mahal in Agra. Drive past India Gate (War Memorial), President’s House, which was once the Viceroy’s Palace, Parliament House and Secretariat buildings.

 

Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 03 –  Delhi to Udaipur – Fly – 1235 / 1450 hrs

(overnight train option is available from Delhi to Udaipur if liked)

Morning after relaxed breakfast at the hotel transfer to Airport to board flight for Udaiur. Meeting on arrival at Udaipur airport and transfer to HOTEL

 

Rest of the afternoon is left free for your independent activities or to explore this city of lakes on your own.  Evening boat ride at Lake Pichola.  Overnight at the hotel .
 

Day 04 – At Udaipur

Morning after breakfast at the hotel proceed for half day tour of Udaipur.  The tour will cover the magnificent City Palace, Museum, the Jagdish temple and the pleasure gardens and a drive around the other nearby lakes.

 

Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 05 – Udaipur to Pushkar – drive – 5 hrs

Morning after buffet breakfast at the hotel drive to Pushkar and check into hotel on arrival.

 

Pushkar : the holy lake of Pushkar is believed to have been created by Lord Brahma
himself. It is as important as Benaras or Puri. Devout Hindus believe that it is essential to visit Pushkar at least once in their lifetime. No pilgrimage is considered complete without a dip in the holy Pushkar lake. Pushkar has as many as 400 temples and 52 ghats and the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Brahama is to be found here. While Pushkar is a heaven for the religiously inclined, it is also the venue of one of the country's most colorful cattle fairs - the Pushkar Fair and you are traveling during Pushkar fair time.

Afternoon tour to visit Brahma Temple (only temple being worshiped), Holy Pushkar Lake and the town.o:p>

Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 06 – Pushkar to Jaipur – 3 hours
Morning after breakfast at the camp drive to Jaipur and check into the hotel.. 

 

Afternoon City sightseeing tour includes Maharaja’s City Palace - which occupies a large area divided into a series of courtyards, gardens and buildings. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh, but other additions are much more recent, some dating from the start of this century. Today, the palace is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The palace now houses a museum containing rare manuscripts, fine specimens of Rajput and Mughal paintings and weapons. Also visit Jantar Mantar- an observatory, next to the entrance of the City Palace, begun by Jai Singh in 1728. Jai Singh’s passion for astronomy was even more notable than his prowess as warrior and before commencing construction, he sent scholars abroad to study foreign observatories. Jantar Mantar appears to be just a curious collection of sculptures but in fact each construction has a specific purpose, such as measuring the positions of stars, altitudes and azimuths and calculating eclipses.

Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 07 - At Jaipur

Morning excursion to Amber Fort where you will enjoy an Elephant ride. 

 

Morning after breakfast at the hotel visit Amber Fort - the ancient capital of the state until 1728. The fort is a superb example of Rajput architecture, stunningly situated on a hillside and overlooking a lake, which reflects its terraces and ramparts. Visit the Jagmandir the Hall of Victory glittering with mirrors, Jal Mahal and the Temple of Kali. You ride up to the ramp of this 11th Century Bastion atop a gaily decorated elephant (Subject to operation).

 

Afternoon free for independent activities and self exploration.  Car will remain at your disposal.

 

Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 08 – Jaipur to Agra – drive 5 hours
Morning after breakfast at the hotel drive to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri.  Check in at the HOTEL.  Afternoon visit Agra city including Taj Mahal.

 

Fatehpur Sikri 15 kms before Bharatpur - a cultural and imperial capital conceived and built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and later abandoned due to scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings within the city including Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti and Panch Mahal.

 

Afternoon visit Agra Fort, constructed by Emperor Akbar in 1695 on the banks of the Yamuna River. Initially the fort was a military structure, but during Shah Jahan’s reign it had partially become a palace.

Evening visit the world famous Taj Mahal (stay inside till Sunset) built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, whose death in childbirth in 1631 left the Emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned gray overnight. Construction of the Taj, begun in the same year, was not completed until 1653. In total 20,000 people from India and Central Asia worked on the building. The Taj Mahal is like a silent rhapsody that you will carry in your heart.

 

Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 09  - Agra / Jhansi / Orchha – Train
Morning after breakfast at the hotel transfer to Agra Railway Station to board Shatabdi Express train for Jhansi at 8.15  AM.  Meeting on arrival at Jhansi Railway and proceed Medieval town of Orchha and visit - Orchha which has hardly been touched by the hands of Time. Orchha is famous for its palaces and temples built in the 17th and 18th century. The four main and important temples worth a visit are The Chaturbhuj, Janaki, Laxmi and The Raja Ram temples.

Overnight at the hotel at Orchha.

 

Day 10 – Orchha to Khajuraho – Drive – 4 hourso

Morning after breakfast at the hotel drive to Khajuraho (4 hours) and check into the hotel on arrival.  Afternoon tour of Khajuraho Temples. The small village of Khajuraho is in the Chattarpur district that housed the Chandella dynasty in the 11th Century. Khajuraho is famous for the temples here which have some of the most exotic and breathtaking carving ever to be done by a Human hand. The temples classified as Indo-Aryan architect are in three groups covering an area of about 08 square miles. The western Group is the largest and most important. The whole afternoon is spent visiting these temples.

 Day 11 -  Khajuraho / Varanasi  - fly – 1235 / 1335 hrs Morning after relaxed breakfast and some free time at the hotel transfer to airport to board flight to Varanasi. Meeting on arrival Varanasi airport and transfer to the hotel.  Rest of the afternoon is left free to relax. 

 

Evening you opt to visit the holy Ganges for boat ride at Sunset and witness Ganga Arati live.  Overnight at the hotel

 

Day 12 -  At Varanasi  Early morning boat ride on the river Ganges, where you can see hundreds of devotees offering prayers to the sun god, and rinsing them selves of all their sins in this holy river. After breakfast, the morning is spent in looking around the city. Varanasi or Kashi as it was called in the 7th century B.C has been the religious capital of the Hindu faith since recorded time and is one of the oldest cities in the world and a hub of firmly rooted traditions. The old city of Varanasi is a maze of small streets and alleyways, hiding in disorderly array no less than 2000 temples and shrines. Domes, minarets, pinnacles and towers, and derelict 18th century palaces dominate the sacred left bank of the river Ganges. o:p>

 

Afternoon excursion to Sarnath - after attaining enlightenment, Lord Buddha came and delivered his first sermon, or in religious language, set in motion the Wheel of Law, Maha Dharmachakra Pravartan. The virtuous emperor Ashoka who later in his life became a strong follower of Buddhism, spreading the message of love and compassion everywhere, visited Sarnath around 234 BC, and erected a Stupa here. After this, several Buddhist structures were raised from the period 3rd century BC to 11th century AD. Sarnath today stands witness to some of the great Buddhist monuments, an important landmark in the history of Buddhist religion. 

The column 15.24 m in height pillar erected by King Ashoka has great symbolism even in today's world. The four lion capital pillar was adopted as the National Emblem of the modern Indian Republic. The Dhameka Stupa, a beautifully carved monument in Sarnath, is considered to be most sacred as this was the place where the voice of Buddha was first heard and is a much-visited sight by Buddhists all over the world.  br />
Apart from these historic monuments, there are also several modern temples to see in Sarnath; the Burmese, Chinese, Korean and Thai temples, three Tibetan temples and a Japanese temple. The new Vidyadhara Tibetan Institute behind the Deer Park is another attraction of the place.
o:p>

 

Overnight on board.

 

Day 13 – Varanasi to Delhi – fly – 1140 / 1315 hrs 

Morning after breakfast at the hotel transfer to Airport to board flight for Delhi.  Meeting on arrival at Delhi Airport and transfer to the hotel.  Rest of the afternoon free for independent activities.  Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 14 – Depart Delhi

Transfer to Airport intime to board homebound flight.