Upon arrival, after completing immigration, customs formalities and luggage collection, please proceed to the exit gate where the group will be met by a representative waiting for you to welcome you and for transfer to the hotel (check in time 12:00 noon).
Delhi is India’s bustling capital city. You will be greeted with a traditional Indian welcome and escorted to your hotel. New Delhi reflects the legacy the British left behind. The division between New and Old Delhi is the segregation between the capitals of the British and the Mughals respectively. This day will be spent at leisure to get acclimated to the time difference. (No meal included)
Overnight at the hotel in Delhi
After breakfast, proceed for a tour of Old Delhi which commences with a drive past Red Fort – a marvel in red sandstone, built on the banks of River Yamuna by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, Continue to the Jama Masjid, largest mosque built from 1644-1658, during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan. You will end your morning tour on a cycle rickshaw through the famous Chandni Chowk Bazaars, once the shopping arcade of Mughal royalty. Later visit Mahatma Gandhi’s Memorial at Raj Ghat, where the Father of the Nation was cremated.
Note: Red Fort closed on Mondays
This afternoon’s tour of New Delhi starts at the the Humayun Tomb mausoleum of emperor Humanyun – a forerunner of the Mughal style of architecture. Later visit Qutab Minar, whose construction began in 1200 AD by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, but finally completed by his successors, Iltutmush and Firoz Shah, is believed to be erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India.
You will drive past the India Gate, dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti, was added much later, after India’s independence and ending the day’s tour with a drive past the Houses of Parliament and Presidential Palace, both grandiose masterpieces of the British Raj.
Overnight at the hotel in Delhi
After breakfast, drive to Agra (approx. 205 km). Upon arrival in Agra, check in at the hotel.
In the afternoon, visit the world famous Taj Mahal, built by Shahjahan in 1648 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 years to complete this ‘Love poem in Marble’.
Note: The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.
Also, visit the Agra Fort containing the halls private and public audiences. Visit the marble cutting center and the local bazaar.
Overnight at the hotel in Agra
Morning after breakfast drive to Jaipur (approx. 240 km). En route, visit Fatehpur Sikri, which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after 15 years due to the scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, the Tomb of Salim Chisti, the Panch Mahal and other palaces.
The attractions in Fatehpur Sikri are Jama Masjid – a beautiful building containing elements of persian and Hindu design. The main entrance is through the 54 meter high Buland Darwaja, the Gate of Victory, constructed to commemorate Akbar’s victory in Gujarat.
After the visit of Fatehpur Sikri, continue your drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival in Jaipur, check in at the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel in Jaipur
After an early breakfast, take an excursion to Amber Fort, starting at around 07:30 hrs.
Amber Fort 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 four walls and ceiling completely embedded with glittering mirror pieces, which were specially imported from the Belgium during that period.
Enroute to Amber Fort you will have a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal – the Palace of Winds.
The afternoon city tour 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 the 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.
Overnight at the hotel in Jaipur
After breakfast, drive to Udaipur (approx. 395 km). Upon arrival at Udaipur, check in at the hotel.
The rest of the day is free at your leisure.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Udaipur
After breakfast, proceed for a tour of Udaipur city.
Among the places visited are the City Palace – a majestic architectural marvel towering over the lake. A conglomeration of courtyards, pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms and hanging gardens. The main entrance is through the Triple arched gate “Tripolia” with eight marble porticos; the Jagdish temple – built in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh, this Indo–Aryan temple is the largest and the most beautiful temple of Udaipur with note worthy sculpted images; the Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, which houses an interesting collection of folk dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical instruments, paintings, etc; the Saheliyon ki Bari with its many fountains.
In the afternoon, a highlight of your trip to Udaipur will be a sunset boat cruise on the beautiful placid Lake Pichola.
Overnight at the hotel in Udaipur
After breakfast, transfer from the hotel to the airport to board your flight to Udaipur (08:50 / 10:50 hrs). Meet the guide upon arrival and transfer to the hotel for check in.
Afternoon, proceed for city tour of Mumbai – the great port city, with its Victorian Gothic buildings from the British Raj Era mingling with the modern. The tour includes the ‘Gateway of India’ overlooking the Harbour, the ‘Towers of Silence’, ‘Marine Drive’, the ‘Colaba Causeway’ – the commercial heart of Bombay and the Dhobi Ghat, the unique and colorful outdoor ‘laundry’. Drive up to the Malabar Hill to the lovely ‘Hanging Gardens’ and the Kamla Nehru Park from where you will get a wonderful view of Mumbai and the Arabian Sea, spread out before you.
Also visit Mani Bhawan, a small museum dedicated to the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi, and the bustling Crawford Market.
Overnight at the hotel in Mumbai
Early Morning transfer to the airport for your departure flight to onwards destination.
