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the grandeur of Rajasthan
Duration
14 Nights / 15 Days
Destinations
Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore -Jaipur – Deogarh – Jodhpur – Udaipur
Tour Overview
India is a magical country full of spirituality, history, culture, diversity, traditions, etc. In order to make your visit to India memorable, you must start exploring it by taking up the Rajasthan tour This tour of 15 days takes you to four famous destinations which are not only rich in culture but also in history.
Iteneary
Day 1
Arrive Delhi
Arrive Delhi. Meet and assist on arrival and transfer to hotel. (Hotel check-in 1400 hrs ). Overnight
Day 2
Delhi
Following breakfast at hotel, proceed for sightseeing tour of Old and New Delhi including a rickshaw ride (pedi cab) in Chandni Chowk [Red Fort is closed on Mondays]
Old Delhi – Situated in a strategic position on the west bank of the Yamuna River, between the Himalayas and the Aravalli Hills, Delhi is the gateway to the rich alluvial soils of the Ganges plain and has, according to Indian folklore, been occupied since 2500 BC. The original city, Indraprastha was the first of nine. Shahjahanabad or Old Delhi, the 7th city, was built when the Mughal Emperor moved his capital back to Delhi from Agra in 1638. Planned out in blocks with wide roads, residential areas and bazaars, Chandi Chowk, now thought to be Asia’s busiest street, was the main artery. Literally translated as ‘Silver Street’ this bustling market area of Old Delhi is good for hunting down new and antique gold and silver jewellery from craftsmen whose forefathers served the emperor. At the 1911 Delhi Durbar, King George V announced that the capital of India was to move from Calcutta to Delhi.
Chandi Chowk, Delhi
Inaugurated in 1931, the ambitious work of British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, New Delhi is an audacious statement of Imperial British control over India. Today the difference between bustling Old Delhi and the calmer, tree lined avenues of New Delhi is striking.
New Delhi – Was planned and built by the British in the 1920’s and is characterized by Sir Edwin Lutyens’ monumental architecture. Driving through the city, with its wide tree lined avenues discover India Gate and the Diplomatic Enclave, the Central Secretariat and the President’s House. Visit Humayun’s Tomb, aptly called the predecessor of the Taj Mahal because of its ornate Mughal style of architecture, later perfected in the Taj Mahal. Finally, see the 12th century Qutab Minar, considered one of the most perfect towers in the world, measuring 72m high. Continue to Connaught Place, New Delhi’s main shopping area and central hub. Rest of the day at leisure Overnight stay at hotel in Delhi [B].
Day 3
Delhi - Agra [Surface: 200 kms / 3 hours]
Breakfast at hotel and drive to Agra. Arrive and check-in at hotel.
Afternoon visit Taj Mahal & Agra Fort .[Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays]
Taj Mahal – Built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631, the Taj Mahal is described by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore as ‘a tear drop on the face of eternity’. Heartbroken by her death, legend has it that Shah Jahan’s hair turned grey overnight and that he turned his back on running the empire, concentrating instead on the construction of this monument to love. Construction took 22 years and the Taj was completed in 1653 at a speculated cost of 3 million rupees, equivalent to around 70 million US Dollars today. Overnight stay at hotel in Agra [B].
Taj Mahal, Agra
Day 4
Agra – Fatehpur sikri - Ranthambore (280 Kms/6 Hrs appx)
Breakfast at Hotel and drive to Ranthambore – one of many famous destinations in the western state of India, Rajasthan.
Ranthambore – Surrounded by the Vindhya and Aravali hill ranges and located very near the outer fringes of the Thar desert, Ranthambore offers the best of the desert as well as the plains area near the hills. Due to its proximity to the Thar desert, the vegetation here is that of a deciduous forest. Ranthambore used to be the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Later, in 1955, it was declared a game sanctuary.
In 1980, it was declared a National Park and listed among the reserves protected under Project Tiger. Ranthambore is considered the best place in the world to photograph the tiger in its natural habitat.
Fatehpur sikri – named as the abandoned city. Despite having many wives, 26-year old Akbar had no living heir as all his children had died in infancy. Sheikh Salim Chishti, a Sufi saint living in the village of Sikri predicted Akbar would have three sons, and with the birth of Salim, (named after the saint and later known as Jahangir) and in recognition of the saint’s prophecy, Akbar built a new capital at Sikri in his honor. 37km southwest of Agra, this remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site served as the Mughal capital from 1571. Due to an ever-increasing population and erratic water supply, the red sandstone city was abandoned in 1585.
Fatehpur Sikri, the town of victory, was the Mughals first planned city to feature designs that amalgamated Hindu, Persian and Islamic design. Today, the complex of buildings, including the Diwan-i-Am and the Diwan-i-Khas, the Panch Mahal and Jodha Bai’s Palace are perfectly preserved.
Fatehpur Sikri, Agra
Inside the Jama Masjid Mosque, completed in 1571 is the stunningly carved white marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti. Today childless couples hoping for a son visit the tomb and in seeking the saints blessing tie a woolen thread to the outer Jali screens Later continue your drive to Ranthambore and check-in at Hotel. Overnight.
Day 5
Ranthambore
Morning and Evening Park visit at Ranthambore. Overnight
Day 6
Ranthambore - Jaipur (180 Kms / 4 Hrs)
Morning breakfast at the hotel and drive to Jaipur - the Gateway to Rajasthan. Also know as Pink city, as all buildings have a pink tint to them. It is an unselfconsciously medieval city, with stately palaces, colorful bazaars (market) and a fort brooding over the city. Graceful women in swirling skirts and viels of red, yellow, orange and magenta, laden with silver jewellery, straight tall men in Turbans and luching carts drawn by camels, do nothing to dispel the illusion. Arrive and check-in at Hotel. Overnight
Day 7
Jaipur
Following breakfast at hotel, excursion to Amber to visit Amber Fort with Elephant ride uphill and jeep ride downhill
Amber – Originally the ancient capital of the Kachawahas clan from 1037 the ancient town of Amber, 12km from Jaipur, is dotted with ancient temples, Havelis, and step wells. High above the town and surrounded with defensive fortification walls sits the impressive Amber Palace. Built by Raja Man Singh in the early 17th century it houses mighty gates, temples, huge ornate halls, palaces, pavilions and gardens. Amber Palace is a perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture and once at the top the Palace affords excellent views of the surrounding countryside and town below. The 10-minute walk though a series of five defensive gates will bring you to the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate), the main entry to the Palace. As an alternative it is possible to arrive at the Palace on the back of an elephant or drive up by jeep.
Having visited the fort it is also possible to take a guided heritage walk of the often over-looked Amber village. This walk takes in seldom-visited temples, havelis, step wells and a fascinating museum of textiles.
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Afternoon proceed for sightseeing tour of Jaipur visiting City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Observatory
Pink City – Popularly known as the Pink City, Jaipur (City of Victory) is the state capital and largest city of Rajasthan. It was founded by Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727 and was planned according to Indian ‘Vastu Shastra’ principles. The city was divided into 9 blocks representing the ancient Hindu map of the universe; 2 blocks housed the state buildings and palaces, the other 7 allotted to various public buildings. A fortification wall was built around the city with 7 gates for entry. Originally, the buildings were painted in a variety of colours but in 1853 when Prince Albert visited, the old city was painted pink, a traditional colour of welcome. It has remained pink ever since.
The City Palace in the centre of Jaipur took 4 years to complete. Tour the Palace by passing through the main entrance and begin by visiting the Mubarak Mahal, built in 1890 it houses the Textile and Costume Museum. Visit the Armoury then proceed through the Rajendra Pol gate into the main complex. Here the Diwan-i-Khas is home to 2 giant silver urns used by Sawai Madho Singh to carry Ganges water to England when he attended Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. After visiting the Chandra Mahal and the museums proceed to the Jantar Mantar Observatory. Built between 1728 and 1734 on a grand scale, the 17 astronomical instruments were built in stone and marble. The collection, built by Jai Singh includes the large Samrat, a 27.4m high sundial accurate to 2 seconds. Overnight stay at hotel in Jaipur.
Day 8
Jaipur - Pushkar - Deogarh (300 Kms/6 Hrs)
Breakfast at hotel and drive to Deogarhen route visiting Pushkar - This small township and the sacred lakeof Pushkar is 11 kms.
away from Ajmer. The road to Pushkar winds through the Nag Pahar (SnakeMountain), leading to the ancient lake. On arrival explore
this small town and visit Sacred lake, Brahma Temple. Later drive to Deogarh and check-in at Devshree - a beautiful boutique hotel.
Overnight.
Day 9
Deogarh
Morning proceed for rural train ride through Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan.
rural train ride – You hardly realize how high this part of Rajasthan is, and one way of finding out, is to take a little known train ride to a dusty, quaint station called Phulad. You could catch the train from Deogarh, but if you want that charming, in-the-middle-of-nowhere kind of feeling, try Khamli Ghat a few kilometres away. The metre gauge line runs from Udaipur to Marwar junction, a distance of a little under 200 kilometres.
The train doesn’t have a name. The train a number is 222. It’s a little passenger train and takes you through some pretty rugged terrain, some stunning and indeed very cinematic landscape. The section between Khamli Ghat and Phulad is the prettiest and takes a couple of hours, at a leisurely pace. This is also the highest track on the Western Railways. The train trip will be one big, beautiful surprise! Late afternoon proceed for a Village safari with Tea/Coffee somewhere in between. Overnight stay at hotel in Deogarh .
Day 10
Deogarh – Jodhpur (145 Kms/3-4 Hrs)
Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Jodhpur and check-in at Hotel. Afternoon free. Evening enjoy a Tuk-Tuk ride and visit Old town/Market. Overnight.
Day 11
Jodhpur
Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Jodhpur and check-in at Hotel. Afternoon free. Evening enjoy a Tuk-Tuk ride and visit Old town/Market. Overnight.
Jodhpur – The second largest city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur stands at the edge of the Thar desert. The city of Jodhpur was founded by Rao Jodhaji in 1459. Right in the middle of the Thar desert rises a fort 120 meters high overlooking the imperial city of Jodhpur. In Jodhpur, the genius of ancient craftsmen comes to life in the exquisite palaces, forts, temples and havelis, or homes, which stand
testimony to the imperial grandeur of the erstwhile rulers of the state. The most alluring part of Jodhpur is the traditional lifestyle and festivity, and the smiling people of this former princely state.
Breakfast at Hotel and proceed for the city tour and visit Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada and Museum at Ummaid Bhawan Palace. Afternoon visit Bishnoi Village to witness the Rural lifestyle of India. Enjoy lunch with the locals. Overnight.
Jodhpur , Rajasthan
Day 12
Jodhpur - Ranakpur -Udaipur (259 kms / 6-7 hrs)
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Udaipur. En route visit Ranakpur - Renowned for some marvelously carved Jain temples in amber stone, Ranakpur is one of the five holy places of the Jain community. On arrival at Udaipur check-in at hotel.Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 13
Udaipur
City of Lakes, the most romantic city of Rajasthan, founded in 1568 by Maharana Udai Singh II following the final sacking of Chittorgarh by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar
Breakfast at hotel followed by half day city tour visiting visit City Palace – the largest Palace complex in Rajasthan, built by MaharanUdai Singh II, the city’s founder. Also visit Sahelion ki Bari – the Garden of the Maids of Honor and Jagdish temple. Afternoon free. Evening enjoy boat ride at Lake Pichhola. (Subject to water level in Lake)Overnight stay
Udaipur , Rajasthan
Day 14
Udaipur -Delhi (Fly)
Morning free. Afternoon transfer to airport in time to connect flight for Delhi. Met on arrival and transfer to Hotel. Overnight
Day 15
Delhi Dep
In time transfer to airport to connect flight back home
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