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| Your Itinerary |
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| Day 01 • Arrive Delhi |
| Upon arrival at Delhi in the evening, you are met, greeted and escorted to the Hotel. You are welcomed in the hotel in a Traditional Indian style on arrival and check into the hotel for overnight. (Check in 1200 Noon) |
| Day 02 • Delhi |
| After breakfast in the hotel, we leave for city sightseeing tour of Old Delhi & New Delhi. Old Delhi came into prominence when Shah Jahan moved his capital from Agra to Delhi. You visit 300 year old Chandni Chowk market. A maze of lanes crowded with shops selling an extraordinary variety of items and food, the noise and crowds are a quintessential part of any Indian market. From here you continue to the Jama Masjid or Friday Mosque. This is India’s largest mosque designed by Shah Jahan, and was his last architectural legacy. Originally it was called Masjid-I-Jahanuma, which means “mosque commanding a view of the world”. In complete contrast to the noise and crowds of Old Delhi, is Raj Ghat, a simple and stunning memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the main architect of India’s independence. You pass through the Red Fort that dominates this area is the landmark. Built in the mid 17th century by Shah Jahan, it was plundered by the marauding armies of Nadir Shah and later by British soldiers. Afternoon, we take our tour of New Delhi, visit Qutab Minar, the tapering monument begun in 1199 was built to symbolize the supremacy of Islam. This structure was eventually the prototype of all minars or towers in India. Our next stop is Humayun’s tomb, built by his senior wife and mother of emperor Akbar. This is the earliest example of Mughal architecture in India. It is believed that it was this mausoleum, which inspired Shah Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. We drive pass the India Gate, Presidential Palace and Parliament House. Overnight at hotel |
| Day 03 •Delhi/Jaipur via Samode (270kms / 05hrs) |
| Check out from the hotel after breakfast and drive to Jaipur, en route visit Samode. Nestled among Aravali ranges, about 42Kms north-west of Jaipur, Samode Palace comes into view like a mirage rising above cobbled streets and stone houses of the Samode Village. We take a stroll in the village. Visit the extravagant florid hand painted Durbar Hall and the overlooking gallery which forms the breathtaking Sheesh Mahal or the hall of mirrors built in the middle 19th century is worth visiting. Samode Palace today is one of the finest palace hotels in Rajasthan. Continue drive to Jaipur. Check in at the hotel upon arrival. The evening is at leisure for independent activities. Overnight is at hotel. |
| Day 04 • Jaipur |
| After breakfast we leave for excursion to Amber Fort. A major attraction at Amber is the Elephant Ride (subject to availability) all the way up to the Fort entrance. This journey on caparisoned elephants is bound to enrich your memories with the Royal lifestyle of the Maharajas and leave you with a truly unforgettable experience. Amber is a classic, romantic Rajasthani Fort Palace. The rugged, time-ravaged walls of the Fort may not look beautiful from the outside, but the interior is a virtual paradise. Miniatures painted on the walls depict hunting and war scenes, apart from festivals. Precious stones and mirrors are embedded into the plaster. Inside the Fort visit the Jag Mandir or the Hall of Victory. En route to Amber Fort from your hotel, you will have a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal - the Palace of Winds. In the afternoon, we tour the city of Jaipur. We first visit the Maharaja’s city Palace, the former Royal residence part of it converted into a museum. A small portion is still used by the Royal family of Jaipur. Built in the style of a forti- fied campus, the palace covers almost one-seventh in area of the city. The main entrance leads to the courtyard at the center, which is the Mubarak Mahal. One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion known as Armoury Museum housing an impressive array of weaponry-pistols, blunderbusses, flintlocks, swords, rifles and daggers. The royal families of Jaipur once used most of these weapons. On the first floor is the Textile and Costume Museum, which is the fine example of fabrics and costumes from all over India. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, which is the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world built by Jai Singh from 1728 to 1734. Situated near the gate of the city palace, the observatory has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working condition. We finish our city tour with a walk through the busy lanes of the city. Overnight is at hotel. |
| Day 05 • Jaipur • Agra via Fatehpur Sikri |
| After breakfast drive to Jaipur en route visit Fatehpur Sikri, located 40 Km from Agra, the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, in honour of the great Saint Sheikh Salim Chisti who blessed Akbar and prophesized the birth of three sons to the heirless Emperor. The emperor used Fatehpur Sikri as his capital and the city was fully occupied for 14 years but slowly became deserted and ruined after Akbar left the city. Scarcity of water was the prime factor for the abandonment of this beautiful city. Visit the remarkably well-preserved, graceful buildings within the ‘Ghost City’ including the Jama Masjid, tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal Palace and other palaces that speak of the grandeur and splendour of the Mughal empire at the height of its power. Continue drive to Agra. Check in at the hotel upon arrival. Overnight is at hotel. |
| Day 01 • Agra |
| At sunrise, we take our Tonga (Horse Carriage) to the visit the world famous Taj Mahal (Closed on Friday) built by Shah Jahan in 1630 for 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 sill of 20,000 craftsmen brought together from Persia, Turkey, France and Italy and who took 17 year to complete this ‘Love Poem in Marble’. We return to our hotel for breakfast. Rest of the morning is free for independent activities. Afternoon we tour Agra Fort and Itmad –ud – daulah. Agra fort, built by Emperor Akbar between 1565 & 1573, which reveals the Mughal talent for combining defensive architecture with beauty and design. This fort palace was begun by Akbar as a purely defensive citadel and was subsequently completed by two successive generations that added the delicate mosaic and magnificent marble palaces. The fort is the history of Mughal life in Agra and offers a magical view of the Taj Mahal. Itmad-ud daulah, one of the most beautiful of Mughal tombs, stands across the river Yamuna from the Taj Mahal, nearly one and a half kilometers up-stream. Belonging to the age of Jahangir, it contains cenotaphs of the parents of the powerful Mughal Empress Nurjahan, queen of Jahangir, an exceptional beauty and an astute administrator. In the evening at sunset we return to the Taj Mahal to see it fired by a different palette, drive you back to your hotel. Overnight is at hotel. |
| Day 07 • Agra/Mathura/Delhi (203 Kms / 04 Hrs) |
| Check out from the hotel after the breakfast and drive to Delhi enroute visit Mathura, an ancient city dating back to 1500 B.C. and is sanctified as the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Visit the Dwarkadheesh Temple, the Vishram Ghat. Also visit the Museum which has a collection of sculptures, terracotta, coins, bronze objects dating back from the 5th Century B.C. The 5th century A.D. statue of the standing Buddha can also be seen in the Museum. Continue drive to Delhi & in time you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight. (NO ROOM IN DELHI) |
| Included: |
| • 06 night’s hotel accommodation on twin sharing room with daily Breakfast. • All transfers, sightseeing and excursion as per programme using 01 A/C Toyota car for 02 pax 03 pax for AC Toyota Innova and for 04-06 pax using 01 Air-conditioned Macro mini van (A/C Tempo Traveller). • English speaking local guide for all sightseeing & excursions as per the program. • Elephant / Jeep ride at Amber Fort, Jaipur • Tonga ride from bus stop till the entrance gate of Taj Mahal, Agra. • Rickshaw ride in Jaipur. • Assistance on arrival / departure at the airports by our office representatives. • All applicable taxes with Govt. Service tax 2.575 % |
| Not Included: |
| • Any airfare, airport taxes, visa fee. • Any High season Supplement during Pushkar Period (25 Oct – 07 Nov’09), X.Mas & New Year Supplement (22 December’09 – 03 January’10) & (01 February’10 – 28 February’10) • Any X.Mas & New Year eve Gala dinner. • Expenses of personal nature like telephone bills, laundry table drinks, tips etc |
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