Day 01 – Arrival Delhi
Arrive Delhi. Meet & greet on arrival by our representative and transfer to hotel.
DELHI: one of India’s fastest growing cities has spread far beyond the “seven cities” created between the 13th and the 17th centuries. It has sprawled over the west bank of the Yamuna and now straddles the river. Remnants of the past survive cheek -by-jowl with skyscrapers, residential colonies and bustling commercial complexes. Delhi has some of the finest museums in the country. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts from all over the country. It has specialty restaurants to please the gourmet, open parks and gardens ablaze with flowers, and in the winter months particularly, a variety of cultural events. Its many-layered existence is tantalizing and can entice the curious traveler into a fascinating journey of discovery.
Overnight at hotel The Oberoi, Delhi
www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_delhi/index.asp
Day 02 – In Delhi
Morning: sightseeing of Old Delhi takes you to Jama Masjid, – The largest mosque in India. Visit the magnificent Red Fort, – a marvel in red sandstone, built on the banks of River Yamuna by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Drive past Chandni Chowk, once an imperial avenue of Mughal Royalty which today is the busiest commercial area of the city. Visit Raj Ghat (memorial to Mahatma Gandhi). (RED FORT IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS).
Drive past the India Gate (war memorial dedicated to the lives of laid down by the Indian Soldiers),the president’s residence – formerly the Viceroy’s Palace, parliament House and the Secretariat buildings, – an interesting blend of the Victorian and 20th century architecture.
Afternoon: sightseeing of New Delhi. Visit the 12th century Qutab Minar, gracefully hand-carved for its entire height of 234ft, and the iron pillar, which has withstood the ravages of time and not rusted even after 1500 years. Visit the mausoleum of emperor Humayun – a forerunner of the Mughal style of architecture and the imposing modern Lakshminarayan temple. Drive past the India Gate (war memorial dedicated to the lives of laid down by the Indian soldiers), the president’s residence – formerly the Viceroy’s Palace, parliament House and the Secretariat buildings, – an interesting blend of the Victorian and 20th century architecture.
Overnight at hotel The Oberoi, Delhi
www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_delhi/index.asp
Day 03 – Delhi – Udaipur (Flight)
Morning transfer to Airport to connect flight for Udaipur.
UDAIPUR: Founded in 1568, by Maharaja Udai Singh, Udaipur rivals any of the world famous creations of the Mughals. As the capital of the old Mewar state, it was the only Rajput stronghold to uphold its Hindu allegiance in the face of Muslim invasion. From the late 16th century, peace brought about an era of renaissance in the arts and encouraged the building of beautiful Palaces around the Lake, which culminated in the City Palace, one of the largest Palace complexes in the world. The Lake itself is a romantic setting surrounding the gleaming white |Lake Palace and the Jag Mandir – a refuge of the rebel Mughal Prince, Shah Jehan, who soon became the creator of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
On arrival at Udaipur, check-in at the Hotel. Rest of the day free.
Overnight at hotel Oberoi Udaivilas
http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_udaivilas/index.asp
Day 04 – In Udaipur
Morning: Half day city tour of Udaipur, a splash of colour in Rajasthan that is brighter when tinged with the tones of local lore and legends. Visit the City Palace, built in 1725, which houses the Dilkhush Mahal, Sheesh Mahal – studded with glittering Belgium Mirrors, Moti Mahal and the Palace of Lord Krishna all of which are ornately decorated. Later visit the Jagdish Temple. This temple built in 1651 is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu Trinity of Gods. Also visit the Sahelion Ki Bari gardens and fountains. Later drive around the Fatehsagar Lake.
Late Afternoon: Boat Cruise on Pichola Lake, 4-Km long and 3-Km broad, surrounded by splendid hills, palaces, temples, bathing ghats and embankments. Visit the island palace Jag Niwas which is beautifully set in the lake.
Overnight at hotel Oberoi Udaivilas
http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_udaivilas/index.asp
Day 05 – Udaipur – Jaipur (Flight)
Early morning transfer to Airport to connect flight for Jaipur.
JAIPUR: Jaipur, the vibrant capital of Rajasthan, is popularly known as the ‘ Pink City ‘ because of the pink-coloured buildings in its old city. It sits on a dry lake bed in a somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by barren hills surmounted by forts and crenellated walls. This buzzing metropolis is certainly a place of wild contrasts and a feast for the eyes. The city of Jaipur is the prime example of the culture and traditions of this region. In this land, towering forts were built as much for ostentation as for intimidating the enemy and desperate battles were fought by rulers who were reat patrons of the arts. The royal city of Jaipur owes its name to the founder of the city. It was Great Warrior King Sawai Jai Singh II (1693-1743) who laid the foundation of the city in 1627. Being capital to the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, the city is mirror to every thing that Rajasthan signifies, be its culture, tradition, society, and most importantly people.
On arrival at Jaipur, check-in at the Hotel.
Rest of the day free.
Overnight at hotel Oberoi Rajvilas.
http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_rajvilas/index.asp
Day 06 – In Jaipur
Morning: visit of Amber Fort with elephant ride. 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. A major attraction at Amber is the Elephant Ride 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. Inside the Fort visit the Jag Mandir or the Hall of Victory. Inside the Jag Mandir is the famed Sheesh Mahal – a room with all the four walls and ceiling completely embedded with glittering mirror pieces, which were specially imported from Belgium during that period. En-route to Amber Fort, you will have a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal – the Palace of Winds.
Afternoon: – city tour of Jaipur which begins with a visit to 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 fortified campus, the palace covers almost one-seventh in area of the city. 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. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, 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, many of them still in working condition.
Enjoy the visit of local market with Rickshaw Ride.
Overnight at hotel Oberoi Rajvilas.
http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_rajvilas/index.asp
Day 07 – Jaipur – Agra (235 Kms – 05 ½ Hrs approx)
Morning: proceed to Agra by surface en-route visiting “FATEHPUR SIKRI” Situated around 40 km from Agra built by Emperior Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity of water. This was the capital of the Mughal emperor Akbar between 1570 to 1586. Fatehpur Sikri’s sprawling structure is made of red sandstone and combines both Hindu and Muslim architecture. The main entrance to this walled city is through the 175 feet Buland Darwaza. The finest monuments within this area are the Diwan-I-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Jama Masjid and Panch Mahal.
Continue drive towards AGRA
Agra: is best known as the city of Taj Mahal, the world’s most famous monument of love. It is situated along the banks of the River Yamuna and attracts thousands of tourists every day from all over the world. Agra, with its laid – back lifestyle and its immense wealth of architecture, handicrafts and jewellery, is amongst the most remarkable city of the world. In terms of ambience it is still associated with its Mughal period led by Babur, who arrived in 1526. Agra grew in prominence as almost all of India came under the rule of Mughal empire but Agra reached its zenith under the rule of Akbar, Shah Jehan and Jehangir. It was under the rule of Akbar that agra become a leading centre of art, science, commerce and culture.
On arrival in Agra, check-in at the Hotel.
Afternoon: visit Taj Mahal which is the seventh wonder of world, built by Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife Mumtaz Mahal by the banks of river Yamuna. After her untimely death, Shahajahan had her mortal remains buried in this mausoleum. And after his own demise he was placed to rest next to his beloved queen in the same mausoleum The Taj has been called the most extravagant monument ever built for the sake of love. The great monument took almost 22 years to build and was completed in 1653. Around 20,000 workers from all over the country and central Asia were recruited to translate this dream into a reality. (TAJ MAHAL IS CLOSED ON FRIDAYS).
Overnight at the hotel Oberoi Amarvilas.
http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_amarvilas/index.asp
Day 08 – Agra – Delhi (205 Kms – 4 ½ Hrs approx)
Morning: visit the Agra Fort. The foundation was laid by Emperor Akbar in 1565 and continued till the time of Shahjahan. The high red stone monument stretches for around 2.5 kms, dominating a bend in the river Yamuna northwest of the Taj Mahal. The palace is a notable for its smooth blending of Hindu and central Asian architectural styles. The Diwan-i-Am (the hall of public audiences), the Diwan-i-Khas (the Hall of Private Audience), the Khas Palace (the private palace was used by emperor as a sleeping chamber), the Sheesh Mahal (palace of Mirrors), the Shah Jahani Mahal (Shahjahan’s Palace), Jahangiri Mahal (Jahangir’s Palace) and the Akbari Mahal (Akbar’s palace) are the fascinating palaces inside the fort. From the rear of Diwan-i-Khas a door leads to Mussaman Burj, a two storey pavilion, where Shahjahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in his old age. From here he caught the last glimpses of Taj Mahal before he died.
Afternoon: leave for Delhi by surface.
On arrival in Delhi, transfer to the hotel for wash-n-change room with farewell dinner.
Later proceed to International Airport to connect flight for onwards destination.
Day 09 – Departure Delhi
Departure of international flight.
