MUMBAI-RAJKOT-GONDAL-BHAVNAGAR-PALITANA-AHMEDABAD-
MT ABU-UDAIPUR-JAIPUR-AGRA- ORCHHA-KHAJURAHO-VARANASI-DELHI
Day
01 :
Arrival
Mumbai. Meeting and assistance upon arrival
and transfer from airport to hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
02 : Bombay-Rajkot-Gondal
Morning,
one hour boat ride across Mumbai Harbor brings you
to the lush green Elephanta Island.
Here, visit some of the huge and intricately carved
cave temples that date back to the 8th century,
and which are dedicated to the Hindu Sun God - Shiva
(Closed on monday).
Lunch at
hotel and check-out.
Afternoon,
sightseeing tour of Mumbai. Visit the Prince
of Wales Museum (Monday closed) here you
will see its extensive collection of fascinating
18th & 19th century miniature paintings; elegantly
carved ivory artworks; and a rich collection of
Nepalese and Tibetian art, among other fine works
of art. Also visit the Gateway of India overlooking
the Harbor; and the Dhobi Ghat, the unique and colourful
outdoor 'laundry'. Drive upto the Malabar Hill to
the lovely Hanging Gardens and
the Kamla Nehru Park from where
you will get a wonderful view of Mumbai and the
Arabian Sea, spread out before you. Also visit Mani
Bhavan, a small museum dedicated to the life and
works of Mahatma Gandhi; and the bustling Crawford
Market.
Evening
transfer from hotel to the airport for flight to
Rajkot.
Meeting
and assistance upon arrival and straight drive to
Gondal.
On arrival
check in at hotel.
Cultural
performance followed by dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
03 : Gondal-Bhavnagar
Morning
visit the Vintage car collection of the Maharaja
of Gondal, close to where you will be staying. Also,
visit 500 years old Palace, temple.
Early lunch
at hotel.
Continue
drive to Bhavnagar. On arrival check in at hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
04 : Bhavnagar-Palitana-Ahmedabad
Early
morning drive to Ahmedabad via Palitana.
Palitana
lies at the foot of the Shatrunjaya Hill, with the
Shatrunjaya river flowing to its South. The sacred
hill rises in a crescendo of magnificent temple,
863 in all, that soar in marble splendor of its
top. Only the Gods live on this holy hilltop city
for, after sundown, none may stay here, not even
the priests who wend their way down the hill and
leave the resplendent pinnacle to the gods. The
temples were built over an impressive span of 900
years, with each generation of pilgrims making its
contribution to the shrines of Shatrunjaya.
Lunch at
Vijay Vilas Palace near Palitana.
On arrival
check in at hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
05 : Ahmedabad
Morning
city sightseeing tour of Ahmedabad visit the Jama
Masjid, famous for its picturesque porticoes
resting on 250 columns. Visit Sidi Sayyad's
Mosque which is world renowned for it's
intricate lattice-work of rich and elaborate design.
Also visit Calico Textile Museum.
Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day
06 : Ahmedabad-Mount Abu
Early
morning drive to Mount Abu enroute visiting
Modhera, Patan and the havelis of Sidhpur.
Modhera :
The Sun Temple of Modhera is one of the finest examples
of Indian temple architecture of its period. Built
in 1026 A.D the temple is dedicated to the Sun-God,
Surya and stands high on a plinth overlooking a
deep stone tank. Every inch of the edifice, both
inside and outside is magnificently carved with
Gods and Goddesses, birds, beasts and flowers.
Patan :
Home of the famous patola silk saris , Patan is
a beautiful old town with Jain temples and carved
wooden houses. Rana ki vav (step well) is another
interesting place to visit in Patan.
Sidhpur :
Situated on the banks of river Saraswati, is famous
for two things - havelis of the Vohra community
of Muslims and as a Hindu pilgrim center. A guided
walk to see the havelis along the narrow streets
is rather interesting; wherein marvelous carvings
and glass paintings could be seen. You might be
taken inside a Haveli by some friendly families.
Lunch
at hotel Balaram Palace, Balaram.
On arrival
check in at hotel.
Afternoon,
city sightseeing tour of Mt.Abu. visit Dilwara Temple,
Nakki Lake, Sun-set Point.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
07 : Mount Abu-Udaipur
Morning
drive to Udaipur, via Ranakpur.
Ranakpur
visit the famous Jain Temple, dating back to the
15th century. Its 29 halls are supported by 200
pillars, none of which are alike. The Temple abounds
with intricate friezes and sculptures. Includes
visits to two more Jain temples and the Temple of
the Sun God with its erotic sculptures.
Lunch at
Maharani Bagh, Continue your drive to Udaipur. Upon
arrival check-in at hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
08 : Udaipur
Morning,
sightseeing tour of Udaipur, stopping first at City
Palace. Here you will marvel at rooms with
mirrored walls and ivory doors, colored glass windows
and inlaid marble balconies; and the Peacock Courtyard.
Also visit the lovely Sahelion-ki-Bari Gardens.
Afternoon,
motor launch cruise on the placid waters
of Lake Pichola. From the boat you will
be able to view the city of Udaipur as it rises
majestically above the lake in the middle of the
Rajasthan desert. Also visit the Jag Mandir
Palace - the other island palace in the
middle of the lake.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
09 : Udaipur- Jaipur
Breakfast
at hotel.
Transfer
from hotel to the airport for Udaipur /Jaipur flight.
Meeting and assistance upon arrival and transfer
to hotel.
Morning excursion
to Amber Fort. Make your ascent
to the palace fortress on the gaily caparisoned
elephant back. Tour the chambers and hallways of
the palace which are famous for the excellence of
their design and decoration.
Afternoon
tour of Jaipur, known as "The Pink
City of Rajasthan". Visit the unique
Jantar Mantar Observatory, which
was built in the 1700's, yet even today still looks
futuristic or almost surrealistic; the City
Palace and its Museum, the Hawa
Mahal or the Palace of Winds. Dinner at
hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
10 : Jaipur-Agra
Morning,
drive to Agra enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri
the deserted, red sandstone city that was built
by Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the
16th century. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza
the largest gateway in the world.
Continue
your drive to Agra and upon arrival check-in at
hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
11 : Agra
Full
day sightseeing tour of Agra visiting Taj Mahal,
Agra Fort, Itmad ud Daulah Tomb & Sikandra.
Taj
Mahal - the mausoleum of Empress Mumtaz
Mahal, the beloved spouse of Shah Jahan, who died
in 1630. The Taj complex comprises a forecourt,
a lofty entrance, and a charming formal Mughal garden
with canals and a central tank with a series of
fountains, the tomb proper, and an attached mosque
on the west and its symmetrical counterpart on the
east. The Taj is remarkable for its perfect proportions
and rich pietra dura, with minute details executed
with great skill. The building, often styled "a
dream in marble" is said to have taken at least
22 years (1631-1653) to build.
Agra
Fort - lies on the bend of the River Yamuna,
almost in the heart of the town. It was built by
Akbar as his citadel over the years 1565-73 in the
finest architectural style. It has imposing gates
and walls of red sandstone and a moat.
Itmad
Ud Daula Tomb - His daughter, the empress
Nur Jahan, commissioned the tomb in memory of her
father. Like all other Mughal mausoleums, the tomb
stands in the center of a garden and is the first
Mughal building constructed entirely of marble.
It is lavishly decorated with pietra dura inlay
work. Because of the medium of its construction
and the use of inlay as the chief form of decoration,
it is often called the mini-Taj Mahal, and has been
accurately likened to a jewel box.
Sikandra,
here you will visit the impressive Mausoleum of
Emperor Akbar the Great Moghul, a four storied building,
three stories being red sandstone and the fourth
of white marble.
Evening magic
show at hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
12 : Agra-Jhansi-Orcha-Khajuraho
After
breakfast transfer from hotel to the railway station.
Leave :
Agra at 0815 hrs by Shatabdi Exp.
Air : Jhansi at 1040 hrs
Meeting
and assistance upon arrival and proceed directly
to Orcha.
Orcha, overlooked
by the modern era, this beautiful medieval town,
was once the capital of Bundela Kings. Built along
the banks of the river Betwa, flowing through a
rugged country side, it still retains the captivating
air of a bygone era. Amongst the various imposing
edifices, of particular interest are the Jehangiri
Mahal, built by Raja Bir Singh Deo to commemorate
the visit of Moghul Emperor Jehangir, the Raj
Mahal and the Laxminarayan temple,
both noted for their fine Frescoes and Mural paintings.
After
lunch drive to Khajuraho. On arrival check in at
hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
13 : Khajuraho-Varanasi
Morning,
sightseeing tour of the famous Chandela Dynasty
Temples which are set in a lovely grassy park. The
Temples are quite amazing - rising in many peaks
and spirals, intricately carved and designed with
statues and friezes, some of which are the renowned
erotic carvings.
Early lunch
at hotel and transfer to the airport Khajuraho/Varanasi
flight.
Meeting
and assistance upon arrival and transfer from airport
to : hotel Afternoon sightseeing tour
of the holy city of Varanasi. Visit
some of the many Hindu Temples that line the river
Ganges. Stroll along the narrow lanes and bazaars
full of shops selling, among other things, the world-famous
Banaras Silks.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
14 : Varanasi-Delhi
Early
morning, drive to Daswamedh Ghat
and take a boat ride on the sacred
river Ganges. Continue by boat to see burning
and bathing Ghats.
Thereafter
visit the buried Buddhist city of Sarnath, just
outside Varanasi - it's as holy to the Buddhists
as Varanasi is to the Hindus. Here you will witness
the ruins of a once flourishing Buddhist monastery
and then visit a fine museum which houses an excellent
collection of Buddhist art and sculpture (Sarnath
Museum Closed on Fridays).
Afternoon
transfer from hotel to the airport for Varanasi/Delhi
flight.
Meeting
and assistance upon arrival and transfer from airport
to hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day
15 : Delhi
Morning,
sightseeing tour of Old Delhi visiting the Raj
Ghat, the site where Mahatma Gandhi was
cremated; Jama Masjid - the largest
mosque in India; and the Red Fort
- once the most opulent fort and palace of the Moghul
Empire.
Afternoon
sightseeing tour of New Delhi visiting the Humayun's
Tomb, the Qutub Minar.
Drive along the ceremonial avenue - Rajpath, past
the imposing India Gate, Parliament
House and the President's Residence
and end the tour with a drive through Diplomatic
Enclave.
Late evening
transfer to airport.
Day
16 : Delhi-Abroad
Depart
Delhi.