DELHI-UDAIPUR-RANAKPUR-JODHPUR-OSIAN-JAISALMER-BIKANER-GAJNER-JAIPUR
Day
01 : Abroad / Delhi
Arrive
late night at New Delhi International airport. On arrival
the guest will be met by our representative and transferred
to hotel. Upon arrival at hotel the guests will be provided
with the traditional Indian welcome. Consisting of aarti-tikka
and garlands.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
02 : Delhi
Morning
sightseeing tour of Old Delhi. This morning you will be
taken to visit Old Delhi - Former centre of Moghul Power,
Old Delhi offers ancient monuments, narrow streets and
bustling bazaars. Visit the vast Red Fort,
built in 1648, the Jama Masjid, the greatest
mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah Jahan who
also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat,
the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
Afternoon
sightseeing tour of New Delhi.
New
Delhi - drive past the stately government buildings of the
British Era designed by Lutyens, including the India
Gate & the Presidential Palace.
Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns Tomb
of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world famous
Taj Mahal. End the tour at the towering minaret of Qutab
Minar. Overnight at hotel.
Day
03 : Delhi - Mandawa
After
breakfast drive to Mandawa ( 280 kms).
Upon arrival check in at Hotel Castle Mandawa. Late afternoon
visit the Shekhawati region. Walk through the Shekhawati
region, which was the stronghold of Kayamkhani Nawabs till
1730. Besides the cenotaphs, wells, forts and temples the
majority of frescoes are painted on the walls and gateways
of Havelis. The havelis are mansion of a unique residential
architectural style that evolved around courtyards to serve
the purpose of family security, privacy for the women as
also protecting the inhabitants from the long, harsh summers.
The enormous Havelis with fascinating murals built by the
wealthy Rajasthani merchants ("Marwaris") in the
19th century.
Overnight at Castle.
Day
04 : Mandawa - Bikaner - Gajner
After
breakfast drive to Bikaner (240 kms).
Upon arrival in Bikaner lunch at one of the hotels followed
by city tour.
City sightseeing tour of Bikaner, this desert town in the
north of the state was founded in 1488 by Roa Bikaji, a
descendant of the founder of Jodhpur, Jodhaji. Visit the
Junagarh Fort constructed between 1588
and 1593 by Raja Jai Singh, a general in the Moghul Emperor
Akbar's army.
After sightseeing drive to Gajner Palace (28 kms / 40 minutes).
Upon arrival check in at Gajner Palace.
Overnight at Gajner Palace.
Day
05 : Gajner - Jaisalmer
In
the morning enjoy the surrounding of Ganjer Palace.
After
breakfast, drive to Jaisalmer (260 km).
Upon arrival check-in at hotel.
Jaisalmer
- is India's most exotic and unusual town - a medieval looking
place, straight out of the 'Tales of the Arabian Nights'.
This beautiful city is situated inside a huge mud fort and
grew as a result of its strategic position on the trading
route between India and Central Asia bringing great wealth
to the city. Jaisalmer is a tiny jewel in the heart of the
Thar Desert - once the capital of the Bhatti Rajputs. Jaisalmer
started as an important caravan center and remnants of caravan
sarais still exist.
Late in the evening visit the Sam dunes where you will witness
sunset while enjoying the camel ride. Overnight at hotel.
Day
06 : Jaisalmer
After
breakfast, visit this perfect Rajput walled desert city
which is like a golden jewel shimmering above the hard sand.
Visit the palaces, the Jain temples and magnificent Havelis
or merchant's houses, each richly decorated and carved from
golden yellow sandstone - Patwon-ki-haveli
(House of the Brocade Merchants) is the largest and most
elaborate of the famous havelis of Jaisalmer. The Nathmalji-ki-haveli
(The Mansion of Nathmalji), the last of the great havelis
was built in the late 19th century. End the morning with
a visit to Gadisar Lake - the large natural
oasis that attracted Rawal Jaisal to this site.
sAfternoon, visit the Royal Cenotaphs of the Rawals in Barra
bagh where the rural were cremated. This is also the best
place from which to watch the spectacular desert sunset,
and photograph the fort. Overnight at hotel.
Day
07 : Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Luni
After
early breakfast, drive to Luni (310 km) enroute visiting
Jodhpur city.
City
tour of Jodhpur - the largest city in Rajasthan after Jaipur,
Jodhpur stands at the edge of the Thar Desert. It was founded
by Rao Jodha. Chief of the Rajput clan known as Rathores
and the Rathore kingdom was once known as Marwar - the Land
of Death. The tour includes Meherangarh Fort - one of the
most impressive & formidable in the whole of fort-studded
Rajasthan is situated on a high natural rock bluff and from
which you can look down on the wonderful panorama of the
bustling city below, Jaswant Thada - the Royal Cenotaphs.
Continue drive to Luni.
Day
08 : Luni - Udaipur
Early
morning visit the surrounding villages and witness their
daily lifestyle of living and enjoy cup of tea / coffee
with them.
Breakfast at hotel.
Later drive to Udaipur (240 kms).
Upon arrival in Udaipur, check-in at hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
09 : Udaipur
Morning,
city tour of Udaipur - the romantic Lake City in Southern
Rajasthan, famous for the stunning white marble Palace built
on an island in the Lake Pichola. It was the former Palace
of the Maharana and now converted to one of the most glamorous
hotels in India. The tour will cover the magnificent City
Palace, the Jagdish temple, the
pleasure gardens and a drive around the other nearby lakes.
The
magnificent City Palace, which is simply
enormous - an assemblance of not one but four separate palaces
covering some four acres of area and exceeding all other
palaces for colossal grandeur. Here you will marvel at rooms
with mirrored walls and ivory doors, colored glass windows
and inlaid marble balconies; and the Peacock Courtyard.
Late
afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Pichola at
sunset visiting the Jagmandir Island - in the middle
of the Romantic Lake Pichola. It commands a magnificent
view of the City Palace, Lake Palace and Sajjangarh Fort,
on its own island, and it is where Prince Khurram was given
refuge in the 17th century.
Overnight at hotel
Day
10 : Udaipur - Deogarh
After
breakfast drive to Deoagrh enroute visiting Ranakpur Temples.
Ranakpur
temples: A visit to the famous Jain Temple, dating
back to the 15th century. 200 pillars, none of which are
alike, support its 29 halls. The Temple abounds with intricate
friezes and sculptures. The tour also includes visits to
two more Jain temples and the Temple of the Sun God with
its erotic sculptures.
Lunch at Maharani Bagh.
Upon
arrival in Deogarh, check-in at hotel.
Deogarh Mahal - built in 1670 A.D., the
Mahal stands at a height of 2100 ft. above sea level with
its bold battlements, domed turrets and balconies offering
a commanding view of the surrounding Aravalli mountains
and its rugged rock-strewn countryside dotted by a number
of lakes. Overnight at hotel.
Day
11 : Deogarh - Khajrela
After
breakfast drive to Khajrela (184 kms).
Upon arrival check in at hotel.
Khajrela seems to rise out of the Narwar
plains like a sentinel. A sturdy fort, it is quite simple
and uses very little ornamentation to break the almost forbidding
exterior. The interiors too are simple and neat where the
guests can look forward to genuine Rajput hospitality. In
the surrounding area has several interesting temples, cenotaphs
and stepwells and for the more adventurous - camels are
available to explore the countryside and visit Raika and
Bisnoi villages.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
12 : Khajrela - Pushkar
After
breakfast drive to Pushkar (180 kms) enroute visiting the
Dargah at Ajmer
Ajmer,
is the most sacred of all Muslim places of pilgrimage in
India. Ajmer is a green oasis on the shore of Ana Sagar
Lake, hemmed in by barren hills. Historically, Ajmer has
always had great strategic importance. It was founded in
7th century by Ajaipal Chauhan. He named it Ajaimeru the
'invincible hill'. The city's Muslim history began when
Prithviraj Chau-han lost Ajmer to Sultan Muhammad Ghori
in 1193 A.D. The Persian saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
who came with Muhammad Ghori from Persia in 1192 settled
here. Thus the place where he was buried is today known
as the Dargah Sharif. Construction of the shrine was completed
by Humayun and the gates were added by the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Later Shah Jahan constructed a mosque of white marble, it
has 11 arches and a Persian inscription running the full
length of the building.
Later check in at hotel in Pushkar.
Pushkar
is a mellow, serene and bewitching little town which attracts
those in search of some respite from the tumult of India.
Pushkar is right on the edge of the desert and is only 11
kms from Ajmer but separated from it by Nag Pahar, the snake
mountain
This
traveler-friendly town clings to the side of the small Pushkar
Lake with its many bathing ghats and temples. For Hindus,
Puhskar is a very important pilgrimage centre and you'll
see plenty of Sadhus (individuals on a spiritual search).
Pushkar
boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might expect
at such an important pilgrimage site, since many were deserted
by Aurangzeb and subsequently rebuilt. The most famous is
the Brahma Temple, said to be one of the
few temples in the world dedicated to this deity. It's marked
by red spire, and over the entrance gateway is the hans,
or goose symbol, of Brahma, who is said to have personally
chosen Pushkar as its site.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
13 : Pushkar - Jaipur
After
breakfast drive to Jaipur (120 kms / 3 hours).
Afternoon tour of "Pink City" - Surrounded on
three sides by the rugged Aravali hills, Jaipur is the picturesque
capital of Rajasthan. It takes its name from the prince,
soldier and astronomer Jai Singh II who moved his capital
here in 1727. Jaipur is notable for its distinctive pink-orange
coloring. The whole of the old city, including many fine
palaces and buildings, was constructed from solid blocks
of Sandstone or faced with the same stone. But it was only
in 1853 that it gained its famous title, the "Pink
City"- it was painted pink for the first time in honour
of a visit from Prince Albert. You will visit the Hawa Mahal
and the open air Jantar Mantar Observatory enjoy a through
the colorful bazaar before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
14 : Jaipur
After
breakfast tour of Amber Fort.
Tour
of the impressive Amber Fort, situated
on a ridge just outside Jaipur City. At the foot of the
hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the slow
but steady climb up to the main gate, making your entrance
in the time honoured fashion. The Fort, completed in the
early 18th century, took over 100 years to build and now,
although deserted, offers a fascinating insight into the
lifestyle of the Moghul ruling families.
Afternoon,
enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through the bustling bazaars.
Jaipur is renowned for textile block printing, blue pottery,
carpet weaving, semi-precious stones and local crafts which
still thrive from the day of Maharaja Jai Singh's patronage
when he designed special areas in the city for the 'bandhanas',
the 'cheepas' and the 'meenakari' workers.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
15 : Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra
After
breakfast drive to Agra (221 kms) enroute visiting Fatehpur
Sikri
Fatehpur
Sikri - the impressive sandstone fortress was built
in the 16th century and only occupied for a few years before
being abandoned, leaving the buildings in virtually perfect
conditions.
Continue
drive to Agra
Upon
arrival in Agra - check-in at the hotel.
Thereafter,
visit the Taj Mahal, the guests will board
the 'decorated tongas' (horse carriage) which will take
them to Taj Mahal…… Little needs to be said
about this architectural wonder which is always the soul
raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built
by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his
beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal.
This
monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed
and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from it's
stunning design balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is
also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately
carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.
The
guests will remain till late afternoon to witness the pristine
Taj Mahal at sunset, to see this true Wonder of the world
in gentle late afternoon light.
Overnight at hotel
Day 16 : Agra - Delhi
Breakfast
at hotel. Thereafter, visit the Red Fort.
Red
Fort- lies on the bend of the river Yamuna, almost
in the heart of the town. Akbar built it as his citadel
over the years 1563-73 in the finest architectural style.
It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone and a moat.
Afternoon,
drive to Delhi (203 kms/5 hrs).
Upon arrival the guests will be assisted and transferred
to airport for flight back home
Day
17 : Delhi - Abroad
Depart
Delhi. |