Duration: 14 Nights / 15 Days
Destinations covered: Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Varanasi Day 1 - Delhi / Jaipur (260 kms / 6 hrs)  Arrival at Delhi
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport in Delhi late in the night or midnight. Transfer to your hotel. Relax.
DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.
After breakfast travel to Jaipur by road. Upon arrival you will be met a representative of Group Tours to India and escorted to the hotel. Later embark on a city tour.
Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan and is always at its exuberant best in terms of color, dance, and song with the traditional arts and crafts. A well planned city, with straight wide avenues following a grid system of roads, streets and lanes. Founded by the great astronomer king Maharaja Jai Singh II in the 18th century, this pink city is a dream tourist destination for those who wish to enjoy the colors of life.
See the Hawa Mahal or "Palace of Winds," one of the most photographed monuments in the world. Overlooking the main street of the old city, the monument is a fine example of Rajput architecture and was built to enable the royal ladies to watch the processions and every day life of the city. The City Palace, located in the canter of the old city, is a large compound of courtyards, buildings, and gardens, and also houses an interesting museum. Adjacent to the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, the observatory built by Raja Jai Singh, whose penchant for astronomy was even more famous than his military prowess.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 - Jaipur  Proceed for a morning excursion to Amber Fort after breakfast. Elephant ride ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate expression. At the foot of the hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the slow but steady climb up to the main gate, making your entrance in the time honoured fashion. The Fort, completed in the early 18th century, took over 100 years to build and now, although deserted, offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the Moghul ruling families.
Continue sightseeing.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. It is a five-storey structure of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women.
This afternoon is free for you to relax, shop or explore independently. Shopping is superb in Jaipur, particularly for gold and silver jewellery, pottery, tie-dye materials, silk, saris, wooden handicrafts and carpets.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Jaipur. Day 3 - Jaipur / Agra (230kms / 6 hours drive)  Breakfast at Hotel, drive to Agra en-route visiting “Abhaneri” & “Fatehpur Sikri”
Abhaneri: hardly any people knows ( including most of the travel agent from India too ) a place call " Abhaneri" situated between Agra & Jaipur. Is famuse for 8th Centuary temple & a special 8th Centuary Monument called " Chand Baouri" is about 100 feet deep open well with flights of steps on three side , no body has been able to count the steps. One can see the royal toilets with carved windows and Jhrokhas, which was used by the king & queen Fatehpur Sikri : abandoned Mughal city of 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. After lunch visit the one of the most beautiful wonder in the world.
The Taj Mahal ( Please note that Taj Mahal is closed on Friday), 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. later on proceed for remaining sight seeing of Agra , which include, 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.
On arrival at Agra, Check in at hotel. Overnight stay at Agra. Day 4 - Agra  This morning embark upon a full-day city tour of Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Itimad-Ud-Daulah\'s tomb. Proceed to the Agra Fort (also called Red Fort), noted for its fine views of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna River. Then move on to the Taj, the single most important sight a visitor to India can see. The most extravagant monument ever built for love, Taj was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved consort Mumtaz Mahal.
Itamad-Ud-Daulah\'s tomb was built by Empress Noor Jahan, consort of Jehangir, in memory of her father, Ghiyas Beg, also the Chief Minister in the Court of Mughal Emperor Jehangir. The monument is beautifully conceived in white marble, mosaic, and lattice.
Overnight at the hotel. Day 5 - Agra / Delhi / Varanasi (203 kms / 4 hrs 30min) / (flight to Varanasi)  After an early breakfast drive to Delhi. Upon arrival in Delhi transfer to the airport to board the schedule morning flight to Varanasi. Assistance on arrival and transfer to the hotel. Later take an excursion to Sarnath, located at 10 Kms from Varanasi where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon to the five holy men; visit Dharmarajika Stupa The 110 ft tall Dhamekh Stupa marks the place where Buddha preached first sermon., also visit to Archaeological museum, the collection of ancient Buddhist relics and antiques comprising numerous Buddha and Bodhisatva images, also see the Ashok Pillar with 4 lions, built in 3rd Centaury BC., symbolize both Ashoks\'s imperial rule and the kingship of the Buddha.
The four-lion capital was adopted as the emblem of the modern Indian republic. After visit return to Varanasi, early evening take half day sightseeing of the city visiting. Golden Temple dedicated to lord Shiva, the Durga temple dedicated to goddess Durga. Interestingly the Durga Temple is also known as the Monkey Temple due to the large number of monkeys found in the Temple premises, In the evening you can take a walk through the narrow lane to explore and colourful market of the ancient city. Rest of the evening free for leisure and individual activities
Overnight at the hotel. Day 6 - Varanasi  After breakfast visit the banks of the river Ganges and also take a boat ride over this sacred river. Here you will witness the Sadhus taking dip in the Ganges with their daily practices of Surya Namaskar (Preying of Lord Sun while taking dip in the Ganges) and different rituals of Hindu religion performed on the banks of Ganges. After breakfast move out for the city sight seeing tour which includes Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Durga Temple, and Tulsi Manas Temple. In the evening enjoy the Riksha ride while exploring this old city in the evening.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Varanasi. Day 7 - End of Tour After a relaxed breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to home. Duration: 14 Nights / 15 Days
Destinations covered: Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Varanasi Delhi Introduction  Sprawling on the banks of the river Yamuna, Delhi, the capital of India, typifies the soul of the country. In time the city conceals within its bosom annals of civilisations that flourished for more than three thousand years. Today, the city is a curious blend of the modern and traditional, skyscrapers, beautiful gardens and wide tree-lined avenues perpetuate the Mughal passion of landscaping and architectural excellence.
Delhi is the capital of India. The city is actually consisting of two parts. Old Delhi was capital of the Muslim India in between 17th and 19th centuries. Many monuments, forts, Mosques etc. can be seen in old Delhi. British lately created the other part of the City New Delhi as the capital of India... Jaipur Introduction  The Rose Pink City founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), is the capital of Rajasthan. It is a major attraction for the first-time visitor. Jaipur is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts & enclosed by embattled walls. Houses with latticed windows line the streets with their rose pink colour, lending enchantment to the scene which is almost magical at sunset.
The Old City (Known as the Pink City) is a great place to wander around. The whole city was painted in Pink colour by Maharaja Man Singh II when Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876 Agra Introduction  Agra is famous as being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal.
The architectural splendour of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal empire, of which Agra was the capital in the 16th and early 17th centuries. While its significance as a political center ended with the transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1634 by Shah Jahan, its architectural wealth has secured its place on the international map. A pleasant town with a comparatively slow pace, Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soapstone by craftsmen who are descendants of those who worked under the Mughals. The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather shoes... |
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