Hiking and Trekking Tours in India

Wild and Golden Triangle
8 days from Delhi - with HiddenTrails

This tour covers the classic destinations plus a little more! We explore Delhi’s ancient remains as well as its more recent colonial past. We also sample Rajasthan, touring Jaipur’s princely palaces and forts. Agra provides the incomparable Taj Mahal. Together they form the so called "golden triangle" of India. But we’ve added a little something special to the tour —Rathambore National Park — one of the most picturesque game reserves in the world. Although famous for its tigers, the park also has a large population of panthers, crocodiles, deer and varied bird-life. Altogether providing a wonderful introduction to travel in India

ITINERARY

Day 1 Delhi You are met at the airport in Delhi and transferred to your hotel. The day includes a sightseeing tour of Sir Edward Lutyens’ New Delhi, the garden city built in 1911 by the British. We also visit the Birla Mandir (Lakshminarayan Temple), the President’s House, Humayun's Tomb (the forerunner of the Taj Mahal), and the India Gate.

Days 2 & 3 Jaipur A journey by road takes us to princely Jaipur. Jaipur known as 'Pink City' was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743) and is the capital of Rajasthan. It is a city of contrasts where camels and elephants wait at traffic lights along with cars and scooters. The whole city was painted Pink when the Prince of Wales, Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876. Today, every home in the city is obliged by law to maintain this façade. While in Jaipur we visit the Amber Fort, the former capital of the royal family of Jaipur, taking an elephant ride to the top. Another highlight is the City Palace, the former royal residence built in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal styles. The palace houses a museum with a superb collection of Rajasthani costumes and Mughal and Rajput weapons. We also visit the Jantar Mantar observatory and the Hawa Mahal.

Days 3 & 4 Rathambhor Today we continue on to Rathambhor by deluxe coach. Rathambhor is a wonderful game reserve, dominated by the ruined battlements of Ranthambhor Fort. This is one of the most dramatic and mysterious forts in Rajasthan — it is one of the finest examples of the Hindu concept of a "vana-durg" or a fort protected by a jungle. The Fort was built in AD 944. The interiors of the fort now lie in splendid ruin. As well as visiting the fort we of course visit the Game Park. The park has a core area of 158 square miles and is part of the project Tiger conservation project. We go in the early morning and evening for game viewing by jeep safari. The Rathambhor tigers are famous — they are not merely nocturnal but rather often stalk their prey in full view of visitors. This has made Ranthambhor a favorite place for wildlife fans and photographers.

Day 5 & 6 Agra Today we travel by deluxe coach to the Mughal splendor of Agra to visit Taj Mahal and Red Fort. The Taj Mahel is one of the wonders of the world. It was built in 1652 by Emperor Shah Jahan. It took 22 years and 20,000 skilled artisans to complete. The Agra Fort lies across the river Jamuna. It was here that Aurangzeb, the third son of Shah Jahan, kept his father under house arrest. One can get a fantastic view of the Taj from the little octagonal tower in the Fort.

Day 7 Delhi We return to Delhi by road. Back in Delhi we visit the old city built by Emperor Shah Jahan. We visit the Red Fort, and then take a bicycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes to the Jama Masjid – the largest mosque in India.

Day 8 Delhi Today our tour finishes with breakfast and transfer to the airport for your international departure.

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