Don’t travel to India; you experience it….
Day 01. Arrive in Delhi - one of our team members will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Once you've settled in, our associate will hand over the travel documents to you. The day is kept free. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 02. After breakfast today you will be visiting Delhi's most popular sights. New Delhi. Nestled on the banks of the Yamuna River, New Delhi is a city where ancient and modern seamlessly blend.
Visit the India Gate - a 42-meter high archway, built in remembrance of the 82,000 soldiers who participated in the undivided Indian Army.
New Delhi is India's political hub as well, and you will be driving past many government buildings such as the President's Palace and the Parliament of India. You will also pass Humayun's Tomb, the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as the Bangla Sahab Gurudwara Sikh Temple. Hop onto a metro train with the locals at Connaught Place Station - as you make your way to Old Delhi. Here, you will explore one of its oldest and busiest markets - the Chandni Chowk, before exploring the Chawri Bazar, famous for its brass, copper and paper creations.
You will also be introduced to Old Delhi's unique street foods and delicacies, giving you the first taste of authentic Indian cuisine. Once your taste buds are sufficiently satisfied, Along with your guide take a rickshaw ride to the Jama Masjid Mosque, one of the largest in India.
Finally, in the evening today head to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper train to Udaipur. You'll see a lot of busy Delhi life through the windows as the train makes its way out of the city.
Day 03. Arrive in Udaipur this morning, a city often dubbed as the 'Venice of the East, as it's set around a series of artificial lakes and, is known for its lavish royal residences. It was founded in 1553 by Maharana Udai Singh of the Sisodia clan of Rajput when he shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur.
Check into your hotel and after breakfast drive around 20 km north of Udaipur to the early Mewar capital, Nagda, famous for an unusual temple that dates back to the 10th century. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and it's made in two structures, one by a mother-in-law and another, by a daughter-in-law. You will also visit the nearby temple complex of Eklingji, which is home to over 100 temples and very popular with Hindu pilgrims, though few tourists visit here. One of the most famous temples in Rajasthan, the main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and holds a striking four-faced idol of Eklingji (Lord Shiva) made in black marble. The Shivling (phallic form of Lord Shiva) is here garlanded by a silver snake and is also given great attention.
After visiting the temples return to Udaipur and have lunch at Udaipur in a city centre, where we can try all sorts of unique Indian / Rajasthan treats, and much more. Check into our hotel and the rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax or start exploring Udaipur yourselves.
Day 04. Breakfast at the hotel and your day start with a visit to the City Palace, which was built over 400 years and is one of Rajasthan's architectural marvels. Located on the edge of Lake Pichola the palace comprises an assortment of pavilions, terraces, courtyards, terraces, and hanging gardens, encircled by granite and marble fortifications. Later visit the Saheliyon Ki Bari Gardens, famous for its lush green lawns, marble art, and fountains, before you head to Lake Pichola and board a boat ride to Jagmandir Island, which houses a palace built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620. At its entrance, you'll be met by massive stone elephants and the island has an ornate 17th-century tower, the Gol Mahal, carved from bluestone.
Evening visit Jagdish Temple, located just outside the Royal Palace, before taking a walk through the Old City. Later you will be visiting Bagore Ki Haveli, an ancient palace that has been converted into a museum on the waterfront of Lake Pichola, where we'll enjoy watching a traditional dancing and puppet show. Return to your hotel for Dinner. Stay in Udaipur.
Day 05. Today post early breakfast leave for Jodhpur en-route visiting Ranakpur. Drive to Jodhpur today, the second-largest city in Rajasthan, with a stop on the way to visit the spectacular white marble Chaturmukha Jain Temple there, the largest and most important temple in the Jain religion built in the 15th century to commemorate the first Tirthankara of Jainism - Lord Adinath. You can have an audio tour here and also look out for the large population of monkeys that make the temple their home. Continue to Jodhpur. Lunch at Rohetgarh is personally recommended. Rohet Garh is a very beautiful heritage hotel in Rohat is located on the banks of a lake and set amid rural surroundings. Drive to Jodhpur. Day free. Stay in a heritage hotel.
Day 06. Early breakfast and later visit the Mehrangarh Fort - one of the largest forts in India, standing on a perpendicular cliff, 410 meters above the city of Jodhpur. Later visit Jaswant Thada, a milky-white marble cenotaph built by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur State in 1899 in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II.
Walkthrough the city, stopping to view the impressive Lord Krishna Temple - a marvel of rich architectural skill and craftsmanship, meeting with the priest and his family, before visiting Ram Rasoda, a community kitchen that has been in use for centuries.
You will also visit the ancient temple of Jetha Bera, the deep stepwell of Toor Ji ka Jhalra, said to be as old as the sixth century. It's an ancient well that often takes the shape of an inverted pyramid. For decades, the well sat filled with stagnant water, until the pool was recently purified and the steps were sandblasted. The walk takes you through narrow winding streets, between the city's famous blue-painted buildings to the grain, produce, silver, crafts, and spice markets the streets around the clock tower. While you are walking, you can sample sweets such as Gulab Jamun - a milk-based sweet and Mawa Kachori - which is a fried puffed pastry stuffed with sweetened and flavoured khoya. Don’t forget to buy Jodhpuri handcrafted Mojdi {Footwear}. Return to your hotel. Overnight in Jodhpur.
Day 07. After breakfast drive to Pushkar, {Ajmer} located on the edge of the Thar Desert. Pushkar is one of India's oldest cities and also one of the Hindu religion pilgrimage sites. It is set around Pushkar Lake, whose waters are considered holy and are surrounded by 52 stone staircases that pilgrims use to bathe.
You will arrive just in time for lunch, and once you've checked into your accommodation, Explore Pushkar Lake and its temples - including a 14th-century Jagat Pita Brahma Mandir, dedicated to the god of creation and its surroundings. If time permits, there's also the option to take a sunset walk up to the Savitri Temple nestled in the Ratnagiri Hills which offers sweeping lake and valley views. There's also a cable car available to reach the temple.
Pushkar is also famous for its huge camel fair which takes place in October or November every year and one of our departure dates is timed to ensure we visit during the peak of the fair.
Return to your hotel for Dinner and overnight in Pushkar.
Day 08. Today after breakfast you have the option this morning to walk up to the Savitri Temple for sunrise and to watch how dawn breaks over the town. Say our goodbyes to Pushkar, as you drive to the pink city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Stop to visit Amber Fort, the jewel in Jaipur's crown - an ancient fortress built on a hilltop in the 16th century dedicated to the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber. It's a massive monument, with some saying it resembles the Great Wall of China. Check into your hotel pre-booked – Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 09. Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the unique Jantar Mantar Monument, an astronomical observatory built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II between 1724 and 1730. You'll also visit the architecturally brilliant City Palace, built between 1729-1732 AD, which was once the seat of the King of Jaipur and the leader of the renowned Kachwaha Rajput clan.
After lunch, before exploring Jaipur's famous craft markets, where you can see craftsmen such as jewellers, silversmiths, textile workshops, and bangle makers conjuring up some of the most unique creations. While you're here, you can also stop at the fruit, vegetable, and spice markets. Late evenings are free for you to wander with our guide in Jaipur. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
Day 10. Breakfast at the hotel and drive to Bharatpur en-route visiting Chand Baori is a stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan. It is one of the largest step wells in the world and also one of the most beautiful ones. The Chand Baori is not an easy landmark to find, thus it is one of the hidden secrets of India!
Stepwells, also called Bawdi or Baori, are unique to this nation. The wells have steps built into the sides that lead down to the water. Chand Baori was built during the 8th and 9th centuries and has 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry, which descend 20m to the bottom of the well. Centuries ago, the stepwells were built in the arid zones of Rajasthan to provide water all year through.
Today, the construction is not used as a well anymore but its exquisite geometry attracts local and international visitors alike. About 64 feet deep, it is India's largest and deepest stepwells with 13 floors and was built in the 9th century for water harvesting. Chand Baori's inside view was so named as it was built by King Chand Raja from the Gujara Pratihara clan, who claims to be the descendant of Lord Ram's younger brother Laxman.
Continue to Bharatpur – Check into your hotel pre-booked. Post lunch enjoys a guided cycle rickshaw ride through Keoladeo, which was once a duck hunting reserve but is now a sanctuary for over 360 species of birds and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Keoladeo is a strategic location on the Central Asian migratory flyway, making it a vitally important location for wintering waterbirds, most notably the endangered Siberian crane and its huge heronry which in good years can host more than 20,000 nesting birds of various species. Apart from its diverse birdlife, the park is also home to wild boar, blackbuck, sambar, chital, mongoose, porcupine, several different wild cats, and some huge pythons. Return to your hotel for Dinner.
Day 11. After being mesmerized by the unique wildlife of the Keoladeo National Park, Drive to Fatehpur Sikri - This magnificent fortified ancient city, 40km west of Agra, was the short-lived capital of the Mughal Empire between 1572 and 1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Earlier, Akbar had visited the village of Sikri to consult the Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chishti, who predicted the birth of an heir to the Mughal throne. When the prophecy came true, Akbar built his new capital here, including a stunning mosque, still in use today, and three palaces, one for each of his favourite wives – one a Hindu, one a Muslim and one a Christian (though Hindu villagers in Sikri dispute these claims).
The city was an Indo-Islamic masterpiece but was erected in an area that supposedly suffered from water shortages and so was abandoned shortly after Akbar’s death. The red-sandstone palace walls are at their most atmospheric and photogenic near sunset
A visit to Fatehpur Sikri and are like going down the Mughal culture and History. All the monuments here are a blend of Mughal and Persian architecture.
Continue to the city of Agra, famous for being the home of India's Taj Mahal. Check-in at the hotel pre-booked. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 12. Today witness the Sunrise at the Taj Mahal - "The embodiment of all things pure”, said Rudyard Kipling on Taj Mahal’s beauty and that is no wordplay as the Taj is undoubtedly a pure epitome of beauty. It is an immortal poem in white marble and is the finest expression of the love of an emperor for his queen. Located on a bank of River The Yamuna, it was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife and Queen Mumtaz Mahal between 1631 to 1648 A.D., who died while giving birth to her 14th child and whose last wish to her husband was “to build such a tomb in her memory which the world has never seen before.” It is believed that it took over 17 years, 22000 workers and 1000 elephants to build the wonderful mausoleum. The Taj Mahal is one of the three World Heritage Sites in Agra. Set in a serene Mughal Garden the monument stands on a raised marble platform, with its back towards Yamuna River.
Later visit Agra Fort a towering complex that once served as the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An optional visit to Sikandra – {Akbar's tomb} is possible.
You had a glimpse of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, now it's time to witness its majesty at sunset. Watch how the colours of the Taj Mahal change as the light of the day gradually gets brighter.
If interested you can enjoy your evening appreciating the live love saga of the Taj Mahal in Kalakriti Cultural Center. Mesmerizing dances, melodious music, and the heart-touching story of Queen Mumtaz and Emperor Shahjahan will make you speechless. The show performed live by the professional artist is as exciting as visiting the Taj Mahal.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 13. After breakfast today drive to Delhi to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham a Hindu Temple and a spiritual-cultural campus, home to millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture and architecture to witness the mesmerizing Sahaj Anand water show in the evening - which makes use of multicoloured lasers, under-water flames, video projection, water jets combine to provide a captivating experience which tells the story of Kena Upanishad - a Vedic Sanskrit text.
Day 14. Today after breakfast you have some free time to buy any gifts for your loved ones back home before we transfer you to the airport to catch your flight back home.
Some half-day tour options are available this morning if you have a late flight departure, and extensions to the tour are also available.
Time to say goodbye!