Itinerary
Day 1 Delhi You are met at the airport 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.
Day 2 Agra Today we travel to the
Mughal splendor of Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. The Taj
Mahal 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.
Days 3 & 4 Jaipur A journey by
deluxe coach takes us to princely Jaipur. On the way we visit Fathepur
Sikri the ghost city built in honor of Saint Salim Chisti, who foretold
the birth of 3 sons to Emperor Akbar. Jaipur known as the '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
the 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 Mughals and Rajput weapons. We also visit the
Jantar Mantar observatory and the Hawa Mahal.
Day 5 PushkarWe continue our journey
by deluxe coach to Pushkar. On the way we stop at Kishangarh, a charming
little town famous for having the finest school of miniature painting in
18th century India. The old city of Kishangarh fringes an
enormous lake. The ambience is decidedly medieval, and in many havelis,
painters of miniatures are still at work. From Kishangarh it is a short
journey to our stopping point at Pushkar, a small town built around a lake
considered sacred to the Hindus. Hindus believe it is necessary to make a
pilgrimage to bath in this lake at least once in a lifetime. The lake is
bounded by 52 ghats built over the centuries by kings and nobles. The town
is a maze of temples and hermitages, and is filled with ascetics and
devotees.
Days 6 & 7 Jodphur We begin our day
with a visit to Ajmer which is one of the most important centers of
pilgrimage for India’s Muslims. The great Sufi saint Muin-ud-din Chishti
is buried at the Dargah Sharif in Ajmer — his followers now extend beyond
Islam and it is said that a visit to his shrine will fulfill a devotees
wish. There is a steady flow of pilgrims throughout the year giving the
Dargah and its surroundings a bustling character quite different from the
rest of Ajmer. We also visit the mosques, pavilions and gateways now
surrounding the mausoleum. In particular we see the Adhai din ka Jhonpra,
built in 1155, and restructured into a mosque in 1198. It is one of the
finest monuments of medieval India, especially noted for the ornate
calligraphic inscriptions. After visiting Ajmer we continue our journey to
Jodhpur. Surrounded by the great Thar Desert, Jodhpur is fortressed by an
immense wall six miles in circumference. This former capital of the Marwar
State, still retains much of its medieval character. Our sightseeing in
Jodphur includes the Meharangarh fort, Jawant Thada and the old city.
Meherangarh, or the Majestic Fort, is a structure so massive it seems to
grow out of the cliff above Jodhpur city. As with other great Rajput
forts, its general inspiration came from Man Sing’s fort at Gwalior, but
for elegance of detail this palace is unsurpassed. On the way down from
the palace is Jaswant Thada, the cenotaph built in 1899. We also visit the
old city with its winding laneways and overflowing bazaars.
Days 8 & 9 Jaisalmer Today we
journey by deluxe coach across the desert to Jaisalmer. The endless oceans
of sand broken by dunes, scrub, and shattered scarps of the Aravalli range
give a true desert ambience. Jaisalmer is a real desert citadel. The
entire living area of the city is within a curtain wall, the main bastion
and royal palaces further protected by huge ramparts and gates. Jaisalmer
is a charming and unique maze of elaborately carved havelis. Built with
the famous Jurassic sandstone, the town casts a lovely golden glow. We
visit the fantastic Sonar Kila, the Fort dominating Gadisar Lake. We also
explore some of the town’s beautiful havelis and simply wander around the
market. One of the highlights of our stay includes a journey out into the
desert sand dunes by camel for a view of the magnificent sunset over the
Thar Desert.
Day 10 Khimsar Morning takes us to
Khimsar where we stay at the royal Fort. It is a beautiful and remote
moated castle in the heart of rural India. The afternoon is spent
exploring the surroundings.
Day 11 Kumbalgarh Our journey
continues today to Kumbalgarh. On the way we visit Ranakpur, site of the
famous Jain temples. The Chaumukha temple is one of the most complex in
India, with 29 halls containing 1444 pillars, each covered with intricate
carvings. The temple complex is set in a deep secluded valley filled with
peacocks, monkeys, and other wildlife. From Ranakpur it is a short journey
on to Kumbalgarh, set amidst the Aravelli hills.
Days 12 & 13 Udaipur Before we set
off for Udaipur we first visit Kumbalgarh’s impressive fort, actually a
fortified city on top of a rocky peak. Enclosed within its great walls are
palaces, temples, fields, and forests — everything needed to withstand a
long siege! After the visit we continue on to Udaipur . Built by Maharana
Udai Singh in the year 1559 on the banks of the lake Pichola, Udaipur is
famed for its picturesque lakes. The old city is filled with narrow
medieval roads and lanes, with a small temple at each turn, making the
city one of the most charming in all Rajasthan. In Udaipur we visit the
City Palace, which actually consists of a number of palaces forming a
single beautiful facade over the Pichola Lake. We also stop at Jagdish
Mandir, a Hindu temple complex built in 1651. One of the highlights of the
tour is a dinner at the famous Lake Palace — now converted into a luxury
hotel. The Palace floats like a snowflake in the middle of Lake Pichola
and is considered one of the most romantic getaways in the world. During
our stay in Udaipur there is also plenty of time for you to explore the
streets and shops of the city’s bazaar.
Days 14 & 15 Delhi We travel back to
Delhi by air. Here we visit Old Delhi, the ancient city built by Emperor
Shah Jahan the builder of the famous Taj Mahal. 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 16 Delhi Our tour finishes with
breakfast and transfer to airport for international departure.
Items not included in the price:
 | international flight to and from the Indian Subcontinent |
| visa and passport charges |
| airport departure taxes |
| personal travel or medical insurance |
| excess baggage charges |
| emergency evacuation costs |
| items of a personal nature (laundry, postage, etc). |
How tough are the
treks?
We’ve used the following grading system to help you decide which trek
is for you:
| Gentle treks will have you walking for up to six hours a day but
generally would not exceed 3000m in altitude |
| Moderate treks have longer days with walks of up to seven hours a
day, and they may exceed 4000m in altitude. |
| Difficult treks may include some days with up to ten hours of
walking and they may reach up to 5000m in altitude. |
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