Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival At Delhi
Arrive Delhi Namaste! We are welcomed the traditional Indian way with hands
clapped together. Arrival at Delhi Airport, and you are in India. After
immigration and custom formalities, we are assisted and driven through the
city to our hotel. Overnight: Hotel Taj Mahal, Delhi (2 nights)
Day 2 : Delhi
Raj Ghat Delhi The capital of India is a true reflection of the old and new
of India. We start our morning tour with New Delhi and visit first the
famous India Gate followed by the Houses of Parliament, Connaught Place and
the Qutb Minar - a perfect minaret towering 102 meters/112 yards into the
sky. New Delhi is a blend of Moghul India, Hindu India, British India and,
certainly, modern independent India. Our afternoon concentrates on Old
Delhi, starting with the famous Red Fort. Built by Shah Jehan, this was once
the most opulent fort of the Moghul Empire. Next we visit another Moghul
majesty, the Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque, followed by the Raj Ghat,
the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. We end our tour with a bazaar
experience at Chandni Chawlk, the street of silver and goldsmiths.
Day 3 : Tour to Varanasi
Delhi/Varanasi (Flight) A short flight conveys us to Varanasi, a city holy
to the three major religions in India, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Upon
arrival in this serene city, we tour Sarnath, the site of Lord Buddha’s
first sermon after attaining enlightenment. At Sarnath we meet many Buddhist
monks and followers before visiting local homes to see in-home silk weaving
and soak up some local customs, culture and hospitality. Varanasi is famous
for its Banarsi silk sarees. Evening is free for us to wander the city and
the bazaars. Overnight: Taj Varanasi, Varanasi (1 night)
Day 4 : Visit to Agra
Varanasi/Agra (Flight) Early morning a serene experience begins as we take
a sunrise cruise on the River Ganges. One of the cardinal principles of
Hinduism is the belief of the holiness of the Ganges and every morning
scores of pilgrim and priests fill the riverbanks performing the holy dip
and other rituals. This is a site that has to be seen and experienced so
different from anything else you may have seen anywhere in the world. From
here we visit the nearby temples before taking a short flight to another
Indian highlight, Agra – the city that houses the most famous monument,
the Taj Mahal. Overnight: Taj View, Agra (2 nights)
Day 5 : Agra
Agra Morning we start our tour with the Taj Mahal, a world Heritage Site.
Built by Shah Jehan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the
Taj is built of white marble, beautifully carved and inlaid with
semi-precious stones. Next we visit Agra Fort, also a World Heritage Site,
where Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his son in the later years of his life to
prevent him from spending the family fortunes on a black echo of the Taj
Mahal. Afternoon is free to shop for the Taj replicas; wood works and
leather goods that the descendants of the builders of the Taj are still
famous for.
Day 6 : Jaipur
Agra/Jaipur (Drive 235kms / 145miles) A short drive gets us to the World
Heritage Site of Fatehpur Sikri, the beautiful capital built in 1640 by the
Moghul king, Akbar the Great and was later abandoned for lack of water. A
superb example of Moghul architecture, it stands perfectly preserved in the
desert. We also visit the artistically designed mausoleum of Salim Chisty
who is reputed to have prayed for a son for Akbar leading to the birth of
Salim Jehangir. From here we continue on a scenic countryside drive to
Jaipur, the rose pink capital of Rajasthan. Overnight: Jai Mahal Palace ,
Jaipur (2 nights)
Day 7 : Jaipur
Jaipur A royal experience awaits us as we take an elephant ride uphill to
the intriguing Amber Palace, a distinguished example of 17th Century Rajput
architecture. After enjoying the panoramic view, we return to Jaipur to
visit the old astronomical observatory built by Jai Singh who founded the
city. We also visit the majestic Palace, which houses a rare collection of
Indian art, and the colourful bazaar. Jaipur is noted for its craftsmen,
skilled in brass inlay, lacquer work and stone setting. Most of the
buildings in the old city are made of pink sandstone. One of the most
beautiful is Hawa Mahal, Palace of Winds, where the ladies of the royal
harem used to watch the city from behind the intricately carved facade.
Evening is free to enjoy both shopping and a cultural experience in the
bazaars of Jaipur.
Day 8 : Udaipur
Jaipur/Udaipur (Flight) Today we take a short flight to Udaipur. If Jaipur
is a study in pink, Udaipur is a vision in white. The City of Dawn,
surrounded by the ancient Aravali Mountains and set on the edge of three
lakes, is a brilliant kaleidoscope of narrow lanes flanked by bright stalls,
gardens, lakes, palaces and temples. Eight marble porticos mark the spot
where the Mewar sovereigns were weighed in gold, the equivalent value of
which was then distributed to the poor. Within the City Palace are several
architectural and artistic highlights such as the Mor Chowk, known for its
stunning peacock mosaics and the Bhim Vilas Palace with its series of lovely
wall paintings. The most memorable parts of Udaipur are its lake palaces,
shimmering like jewels on Lake Pichola. Jag Mandir, the other island palace
with a marble dome, is a marvel in red sandstone. It was a refuge for the
Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan when he was in exile following a quarrel with his
father, Emperor Jahangir. We enjoy a nice cruise with sightseeing on the Bby
Lake before we are transferred to the railways station to board our home for
the next four days. On board the Royal Orient we are pampered like royalty,
as we make our way to Gujarat, the birth province of Mahatma Gandhi.
Overnight: Royal Orient Train (4 nights)
Day 9 : Ahmedabad
AhmedabadUdaipur/Ahmedabad (Royal Orient Train) Our train takes us to
Mahesana, where we visit the early 11th Century Sun Temple at Modhera. The
exterior of the sanctum has many carved images of the Sun God and
exemplifies a distinct Persian influence. Here we also visit the Rani Ka Vav
and Patola Weaving Centre at Patan for a chance to see the local economy at
work. Continuing to Ahmedabad, we tour Gandhi’s Ashram, the Adalaj
Stepwell, Textile Museum, and Sidi Sayyed’s Mosque
Day 10 : In Ahmedabad
Sasan Gir/ Veraval (Royal Orient Train) Today we depart for Sasan Gir
where, if we are lucky, we may get to see the Asiatic Lions at the Sanctuary
before continuing on to Delwada, Ahmedpur-Mandvi Beach and Veraval. We visit
the artistically designed Portuguese Fort and St. Paul’s Church before
we embark on our rail journey to Palitana.
Day 11 : Palitana/Sarkhej/Udaipur
Palitana/Sarkhej/Udaipur (Royal Orient Train) We arrive in Palitana and
after breakfast visit the 863 Jain Temples at the summit of Shartunjaya
Hills (3572 steps to be climbed or use sedan chairs, which can be rented
locally). We also visit the traditional Vishala village before we return for
our last Overnight: train journey to Udaipur
Day 12: Udaipur/Bombay (Mumbai)
Udaipur/Bombay (Mumbai) (Flight) We have some time for shopping in Udaipur
before we are transferred to the airport for short flight to Bombay where we
are welcomed and transferred to our hotel. Overnight: Hotel Taj Mahal,
Bombay (1 night)
Day 13 : Bombay
BombayBombay Bombay, now Mumbai, is one of the most populated cities in the
world. Our tour of Bombay starts with the most picturesque Gateway of India
- the landmark archway followed by an intriguing site of the world’s
largest open-air laundry, the artistically designed Jain Temple, the
beautiful Marine Drive, Hanging Gardens and the Prince of Wales Museum.
Evening is free to enjoy the many cultural performances that this large
metropolitan city offers. Overnight: Transit
Day 14 : Depart Bombay
Depart Bombay After our Northern Raj Tour, we are transferred to the
airport for our flight back home or for the continuation of your tour of the
Southern Raj, follow its itinerary where Day 1 represents Day 14 of the
combined tour.
