Day
1: U.K – Delhi
On Arrival in Delhi you will be met and transferred to your
hotel.
Delhi, where an empire rose and fell before the dawn of history;
where citadels of emperors appeared and disappeared; a city
of mysterious eternity whose old ruins proclaim a majestic and
imperial past. There have been at least eight cities built in
and around modern Delhi, and the old saying that whoever founds
a new city at Delhi will lose it has come true every time, most
recently for the British who built New Delhi in 1911.
Take an afternoon tour of New Delhi. In 1911, the British asked
Lutyens to design a new city, the result was New Delhi, the
architectural designs, and sophistication of the buildings and
the wide tree lines avenues are reminiscent of many European
cities.
Visit Connaught Place the hub of the city laid out as a traffic
circle of architecturally uniform buildings, mainly devoted
to shops, banks and restaurants. Then on to Rajpath flanked
by Ornamental ponds and lawns, with India Gate at one end and
the Presidents house at the other Rajpath most clearly reflects
Lutyens European influence.
Drive past the impressive president’s house and the Parliament
House - Sansad Bhawan, the supreme law making body in the country.
Finally visit Qutub Minar. Built In 1199 either as a victory
tower or as a minaret to the adjacent mosque, at a height of
72.5 meters. It is still the highest, and one of the finest
stone towers in India.
Enjoy a morning tour of Old Delhi. Visit the old city
of Shahjananbad where you will the see imposing Red Fort one
of the most magnificent palaces in the world. Jama Masjid the
largest mosque in India and a stunning example of Mughal architecture.
Also visit the famous main street in Old Delhi, Chandni chowk,
full of all kinds of shops it overflows with all kinds of traffic,
people, sounds and smells.Finally visit the Samadhi of Mahatma
Gandhi (memorial of Mahatma Gandhi) at Raj Ghat. Situated on
the bank of the legendary Yamuna River, which flows past New
Delhi, Raj Ghat is the last resting place of the father of the
nation
Drive from Delhi to Jaipur by AC car; Approximately
270 KMs - 4 Hours
After breakfast, depart by road to Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of, and the largest city in Rajasthan,
built by Maharaja Swai Jai Singh in 1727 A.D. who had the vision
to create a meticulously planned city as his capital. Popularly
known, as the Pink City after the whole city was painted pink
in 1876 during the visit of the Prince of Wales, later king
Edward VII. Today the houses in the old city including the famous
Hawa Mahal are still painted pink.
After breakfast enjoy a half-day visit to the Amber
Fort a classic, Rajasthani Fort Palace with huge ramparts and
watchtowers. A decorated elephant will take you up to the fort.
Amber was the capital before Jaipur was built. Visit the Marble
Palace, temple of victory, hall of mirrors, which are excellent
examples of ancient Rajput architecture.
In the afternoon enjoy a Half Day tour of the city including
a visit to the City Palace the former Royal residence, part
of which is now converted into a museum, Hawa Mahal (The Palace
of the Winds), a five storey building with semi octagonal and
delicately honey combed sandstone windows. Built to allow the
queens and the palace maids to watch the royal processions passing
through the roads without being seen, and Jantar Mantar, an
18th century astronomical Observatory which is the largest stone
and marble crafted observatory in the world. Situated near the
gate of the city palace, the observatory has 17 large instruments
including an accurate 90 feet Sundial.
Drive from Jaipur to Agra by AC car; Approximately
250 KMs - 6 Hours
After breakfast depart for Agra En route visiting Fatehpur Sikri
- built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, which was the old capital
of the Mughals and was abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity
of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid,
Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other palaces, which are
still preserved in their original glory, credit of which goes
to Lord Curzon.
Agra is a land with a glorious past created by skilled architects
as the seat for the Mughal Empire. Situated on the banks of
the Yamuna River, with its crowded alleys and its predatory
rickshaw riders, Agra is much like any other north Indian city.
Also referred to as Agarbana (Paradise) in the epic of Mahabharta,
the city houses the finest monuments of the period, which bear
testimony to the aura of grandeur.
Sightseeing
tour of the world famous Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan in 1560
in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains.
This architectural marvel is a perfectly proportioned masterpiece
fashioned from white marble that stands testimony to the skill
of 20,000 craftsmen brought together from Persia, Turkey, France
and Italy and who took 17 year to complete this ' Love Poem
in Marble'. (Friday closed).
Afternoon visit to the Agra fort, on the banks of river Yamuna,
is the crescent-like Agra Fort. Designed and built by Akbar
in 1565 A.D., the fort is surrounded by a 70 foot high wall.It
houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including
the Jahangiri Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i- Am,
Machihi Bhawan and Moti Masjid. The fort has four gates and
is enclosed by a double tlemented wall of red sand stone.
After an early breakfast transfer to the Agra railway
station, in time to board express train to Jhansi (Departs Agra
0810 Arrives Jhansi 1040 hours)
On arrival in Jhansi meet and assistance and transfer to Orcha
by car (45 minutes).
Orcha is a medieval city founded by Bundela rulers with palaces
& temples of the 16th & 17th century – which have
remarkably withstood the onslaught of time. The river Betwa
picturesquely flanks the city.
Enjoy an afternoon visit of the surrounding fortress and local
Ram Raja temple.
Drive
from Orcha to Khajuraho by AC car; Approximately 180 KMs - 4
Hours
After Breakfast travel by road to Khajuraho.
In the temple architecture of India, the Khajuraho complex remains
unique. One thousand years ago, under the generous and artistic
patronage of the Chandela Rajput kings of Central India, 85
temples, magnificent in form and richly carved, came up on one
site, near the village of Khajuraho.
The amazingly short span of 100 years, from 950 AD - 1050 AD,
saw the completion of all the temples, in an inspired burst
of creativity. Today, of the original 85, only 22 have survived
the ravages of time; these remain as a collective paean to life,
to joy and to creativity; to the ultimate fusion of man with
his creator.
In the afternoon take a half-day tour to the Eastern and Western
Groups of Temples The Western group is certainly the best known,
because it is to this group that the largest and most typical
Khajuraho temple belongs: The Kandariya Mahadev. Perfectly symmetrical,
it soars 31 km high.
The Eastern group has the three Hindu temples Brahma, Vamana
and Javari Temples. A double row of, apsaras, celestial nymphs,
adorn the outer walls of the Vamana temple. A variety of sensuous
attitudes: languid, provocative, mischievously inviting, give
credibility to the theory that Khajurahos erotica were meant
to test the devotees who came to worship their gods at the temples.
Enjoy the morning at leisure.
Later transfer to the airport, in time to board afternoon flight
to Varanasi.
Varanasi: formerly known as Kashi, the city that illuminates.
The religious capital of Hinduism, Varanasi is one of the worlds’
most ancient cities and the oldest living city in India. The
present name is derived from the fact that the city is at the
confluence of the rivers Varuna & Asi.
On arrival proceed straight to the excursion of Sarnath, the
buried Buddhist city, from where Buddha preached his first sermon
after attaining Enlightenment at Bodhgaya. 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.
Take and early morning excursion by boat to the holy
river Ganges where you can see the bathing Ghats (river bank)
and cremation site. Sunrise on the riverfront can be a spiritually
uplifting sight.
The life on the Ghats bound in an endless string of rituals;
ever-changing aspects of the river and the landscape have fascinated
visitors from all over the world.
Return to the hotel for breakfast.
Later take a sightseeing tour of the city visiting the Bharat
Mata temple with a big relief map of India in Marble, Durga
temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Benaras Hindu University that has
an art gallery & the mosque of Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb
In the afternoon transfer to the airport for your flight to
Delhi, on arrival meet and assistance and transfer to the Hotel.
Day
1: U.K – Delhi 
Day
2: Delhi 
Day
4: Jaipur
Sightseeing
tour of the world famous Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan in 1560
in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains.
This architectural marvel is a perfectly proportioned masterpiece
fashioned from white marble that stands testimony to the skill
of 20,000 craftsmen brought together from Persia, Turkey, France
and Italy and who took 17 year to complete this ' Love Poem
in Marble'. (Friday closed).
Drive
from Orcha to Khajuraho by AC car; Approximately 180 KMs - 4
Hours
Day
10: Khajuraho - Varanasi (Flight)
Day
11: Varanasi - Delhi (Flight)
