Day 1: Arrive Delhi
Arrive Delhi, one of the oldest cities in the world that has an excellent atmosphere of an old city in Old Delhi, and modern in New Delhi. The perfect combination of old and new worlds makes it an extremely fascinating city to explore.
Check in and rest at your accommodation.
Day 2: Delhi
Head to New Delhi in the morning. This day will be consumed by alluring monuments and quality sightseeing. Continue on the route to visit the Qutub Minar, a gigantic tower of 72m, built by the first Muslim ruler of India, Qutub-ud-din Aibak. Next in this tour, continue to the tomb of Humayun, the mausoleum of the second Emperor Mughal Humayun. The tomb, perfectly located in a Persian garden, has an ingenious combination of red sandstone and white marble on the exterior aspect of the building.
Drive by the government buildings, the presidential Bhawan (residence of the President of India), the Parliament and India Gate, an (Arc de Triomphe) built in commemoration of more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I. Further, witness an architectural beauty and a unique service of free food in the Gurudwara, the temple of the Sikh religion.
Pass by the Red Fort, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and enjoy a rickshaw ride (bike cart, pulled by a man) in Chandni Chowk, one of the oldest and largest bazaars in India. Then, proceed to the Jama Mosque. This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It ended up being the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. Proceed to your hotel and relax.
Day 3: Delhi – Agra
Prepare for your departure to Agra, the old city as mentioned in the great epic ‘Mahabharata’ was the center of attention during the reign of the Mughals. It is famous for being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. It is a monument of such incredible elegance that it is considered synonymous with beauty itself.
Arrive in Agra and transfer to your accommodation.
Continue Agra sightseeing with a visit to the fort of Agra, an imposing fortress on the banks of the river Yamuna, built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, in 1565 DC. Retire for the day & relax.
Day 4: Agra- Ranthambore
Rise early in the morning to visit the Taj mahal.
You may also choose to visit the marble carving and inlay workshop in Agra on this day. Proceed towards Ranthambore after the brief sight seeing in Agra.
Enroute, stop by the Chand Baori – the amazing step wells of 9th century. Arrive in Ranthambore
&check in. Enjoy dinner at the accommodation and rest.
Day 5: Ranthambore
Rise early this morning to embark upon your jungle safari at the Ranthambhore National Park. The park’s splendid fauna includes the majestic Tigers, leopards, peacocks, numerous species of deer, crocodiles and much more.
Return to the accommodation for breakfast and enjoy your time at leisure until lunch. Post lunch, head for a second jungle safari and to spot some more beautiful residents of the wilderness.
After a long detour of the Ranthambore National Park, return for a scrumptious meal to your hotel and retire for the day.
Day 6: Ranthambore – Talabgaon
Depart for Talabgaon via road in the morning. Check-in to the hotel and relax.
The best time to begin the village sight seeing is 4:30 in the noon. Leave for a village walk to see the activities and life of the people in Talabgaon. Interact with, locals, visit their homes, enjoy chai (Indian tea) and get a henna tattoos done on your palm by some of the talented village girls.
Enjoy dinner by the pool in the company of extraordinary musicians from nearby villages. Retire for the day. Overnight in Talabgaon.
Day 7: Talabgaon – Jaipur
The culture & heritage, stunning forts, palaces, city planning, exotic cuisines, exquisite handicrafts, colourful markets, festivals & pristine lakes, make Jaipur, also known as the pink city of Rajasthan (the capital city), a perfect destination for travellers.
The city was painted pink to welcome Prince Albert of Wales (who later became King Edward VII, Emperor of India), in 1876. A large section of the old city still remains tera cotta pink to this day, giving Jaipur a distinctive appearance.
Check out and drive to Jaipur. Enroute, visit the handmade paper factory, cotton recycled and the beautiful Patrika
Gate, one of the most photographed spots in Rajasthan.
Visit the City Palace Museum and the
Astronomical Observatory. In the evening, enjoy walking in the Pink City Bazaar (the market area). See the handmade, block
printed textiles, blue pottery etc.
Day 8: Jaipur
Begin your day with a visit to the Amber Fort, one of the best-engineered forts in the world! Enroute, visit Hawa Mahal (The Wind Palace) one of the most photographed buildings in the world!
The Panna Meena Kund (step wells)is a breathtaking site. Continue by road to these step wells from the 8th & 9th centuries with a gliding view of the Aravalis. The main attraction is the combination of the octagonal pieces of concrete used in the core of the step wells as well as the two-floored terrace. The geometrical pattern is fascinating and truly charming. Monsoon is a great time to visit these step wells.
Stop by the water palace, Jal Mahal for a brief visit and some pleasant pictures. Bring an end to the day with a visit to the handicrafts shops that exhibit stone cutting, faceting and jewelry making. Proceed for dinner and rest for the day.
Day 9: Jaipur – Jodhpur
Checkout and drive to Jodhpur. Enjoy the drive by the countryside. The journey is picturesque, a great opportunity to collect memorable pictures!
Day 10: Jodhpur
Visit to the Mehrangarh Fort in the morning.The imposing structure built with burnished sand stone stands four hundred feet above the skyline of Jodhpur city. It proves to be one of the most impressive structures of Rajasthan. Continue towards Jaswant Thada, a mausoleum made with of cenotaphs and domes carved intricately in marble. After a lunch break, enjoy a tuk-tuk ride to the blue city, walk around the old city. Dinner & retire for the day.
Day 11: Jodhpur – Udaipur
Depart for Udaipur via road. Enroute, see the Bishnoi village (observe activities such as cotton dari weaving, clay pot making etc). The village is filled with energy and purpose. Relish stories and a brief introduction to the background of the locals. A very intriguing segment of this visit is learning about the consumption of opium in the area). Continue towards the famous Jain temples in Ranakpur.
Arrive in Udaipur, check in and rest.
Day 12: Udaipur
In the morning, visit the city Palace, which was built in a Rajasthani architectural style on the top of a hillock. It offers panoramic views of Lake Pichola and the Monsoon Palace. The 300-year-old complex is composed of 11 palaces built by its successive Maharanas, making it the largest complex among the palaces of Rajasthan.
Continue the sight seeing with a visit to the Crystal Gallery & lunch at Jag Mandir via a boat ride in the serene lake. Resume the tour at Hathi Pole and walk through the narrow bazaar streets in Jagdish Chowk. See the temple.
Have dinner and retire for the day.
Day 13: Udaipur -Amritsar
Check in the hotel in Amritsar.
Amritsar is the capital of the Sikh religion since the 16th century. The highlight of the city is the stunning Golden Temple. A shining monument in marble, bronze, gold leaves is a living celebration of Sikhism’s devotion (a faith that actively preaches unity and equality among all religions), the Golden Temple is both fascinating and spiritually stimulating, combining pure physical beauty with a truly sacred environment.
In the afternoon visit the Durgiana Temple (temple of the Hindu goddess Durga) and Jallianwala Bagh.
On 13 April 1919, British Brigadier-General Dyer fired a group of people attending a peaceful freedom of movement meeting here, which cost the lives of about 400 people and injured over a 1200 innocent men, women and children. To this day, it remains the most poignant monument of independent India.
In the evening visit the Golden Temple (to see the prayer ceremonies), also known as Harmandir or Darbar Sahib.
The temple is a majestic white and gold building, the foundation of which was put by the Muslim saint, Mian Mir, an admirer and friend of Guru Arjun Dev Ji. The temple is built in a square of 67 feet of marble and is a stratified structure.
The structure of the upper part of the temple is covered with pure gold leaves, hence the popular name, the Golden Temple. Inside the temple lies the sacred Book of the Sikhs, the Granth Sahib. Next to the Golden Temple, Akal Takht, the supreme seat of the Sikh religious authority houses the ancient weapons used by the Sikhs warriors.
Return to your accommodation, retire for the day.
Day 14: Amritsar
Enjoy a free morning & time at leisure.
The next activity in line is one of the much-anticipated ones. The Wagha-Attari retreat ceremony between India and Pakistan. It was started in 1959. The purpose of the flag down ceremony at either borders is to formally close the border for the night and take-off the National Flag of both the nations. It has been practiced daily ever since.
Enjoy dinner on your way back to the accommodation & retire for the day.
Day 15: Fly to Delhi
Arrive in Delhi. Transfer to the international airport to catch the flight back home.
