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Duration: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Destination: Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Jhansi - Orchha -
Khajuraho - Varanasi - Delhi / Kathmandu
Day 01 : Delhi
On arrival meet and assist at the airport and transfer to your
hotel and overnight stay Delhi : India’s capital & a major
gateway to the country, Delhi also reflects the legacy the
British left behind . The division between New & Old Delhi is
the distinction between the capitals of the British & the
Moghuls respectively. So, wherever the visitor goes, he will
invariably confront the city's past.
Day 02 : Delhi
After breakfast, full Day city tour of Old & New Delhi. Tours to
Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India - Built by Shah Jahan.
Tours to the Red Fort ( Lal Quilla ), Visit Humayun's Tomb :
built in mid 16th century this is an early example of Mughal
architecture also Visit Qutab Minar, witness the India Gate,
President House and the Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir).
Day 03 : Delhi - Jaipur
After breakfast drive to Jaipur . The city owes its names,
foundation and its careful planning to the great warrior (
astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. In 1727) with Mughal power on
the wane, Jai Singh decided to move down from his hillside
fortress at nearby Amber to a new site on the plains. He laid
out the city, with its surrounding walls and six rectangular
blocks, according to the principles of town planning set down in
Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture.
Arrive Jaipur and check in at hotel. After lunch, visit Hawa
Mahal , Birla Temple etc. Rest of the Day free for individual
activities.
Day 04 : Jaipur
After breakfast, excursion to Amber Fort : At a distance of 11
kms from Jaipur, Amber was the ancient capital of Jaipur state.
Construction of the fort began in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, the
Rajput commander of Akbar's army and is a superb example of
Rajput architecture. Elephant ride from the foothills of the
Aravallis to the fort entrance Afternoon, city tour of Jaipur.
Visit the City Palace which has museum having an extensive
collection of art, carpets, enamel ware and weapons; Jantar
Mantar - the observatory built my Maharaja Jai Singh in 1728 and
the façade of Hawa Mahal.
Day 05 : Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra
After breakfast, leave for Agra, enroute visiting the abandoned
Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri which was built by Emperor Akbar
in 1569, was the old capital of the Mughals, 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 drive to Agra. Arrive Agra in the afternoon
and check-in at hotel.
Day 06 : Agra
After breakfast, start the city tour of Agra. Visit 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, Jahangir, near Lahore in
Pakistan. The highlight of the Day - The Taj Mahal, 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. Afternoon, free for individual activities & overnight stay
at hotel.
Day 07 : Agra - Jhansi - Orchha - Khajuraho
After breakfast, proceed your journey to khajuraho , enroute
visiting Orchha which 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 city is
picturesquely flanked by the river Betwa. Visit of the
surrounding fortress & local Ram Raja temple. after lunch,
continue drive to Khajuraho, upon arrival, check in at hotel &
overnight stay.
Day 08 : Khajuraho
After brekfast, visit Khajuraho, built by the warrior Chandela
dynasty that rose to power in Central India between 10th & 11th
centuries, the 25 odd surving temples display different facets
of life, including the sensual. These erotic carvings on some
panels have given rise to much speculation since Khajuraho’s
re-discovery by a British officer in 1838. To preserve it for
posterity, Khajuraho has been declared a World Heritage Site.
Visit the eastern & western group of temples famous for their
erotic scultpures. Evening at leisure and overnight stay.
Day 09 : Khajuraho - Varanasi
Aftter breakfast proceed for your journey to Varanasi approx. 8
hrs. drive. In evening check-in to hotel at Varanasi. Evening at
leisure and overnight stay.
Day 10 : Varanasi
Varanasi was formerly known as Kashi – the city that
illuminates. The religious capital of Hinduism ,Varanasi is the
oldest living city of India & one of the worlds’ most ancient.
The present name is derived from the fact that the city is at
the confluence of the rivers Varuna & Asi. After breakfast,
excursion to Sarnath - the buried Buddhist city where Buddha
preached his first sermon. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh
Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath, and it was here that he
preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion
the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as
in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed.
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 Friday). At the museum is the
Ashok Pillar with its four guardian lions, used as independent
Indias’ national emblem.Evening at leisure & overnight stay.
Day 11 : Varanasi
Early morning, leave for boat ride on the Ganges to see the
bathing Ghats (river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise on the
riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting
sight. Return to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, city tour
of Varanasi - Visit the Bharat Mata temple with a big relief map
of India in Marble, Durga temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Benaras
Hindu University which has an art gallery & the mosque of Moghul
Emperor Aurangzeb. Afternoon, excursion to Ramnagar. Return by
boat in the evening, enroute witness the religious ceremonies
along the banks of river Ganges.Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 12 : Varanasi - Delhi or Kathmandu (Flight)
Morning, free for individual activities. Afternoon, transfer to
the airport to board flight scheduled to depart to Delhi or you
can depart to Kathmandu for your onwards journey according to
your choice.
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