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Grand North India Tour
Duration: 17 Nights / 18 Days
Places to Visit: DELHI - MANDAWA - BIKANER - POKARAN
- JAISALMER - JODHPUR - MANDORE - LUNI - MOUNT ABU
- RANAKPUR - UDAIPUR - PUSHKAR - AJMER - JAIPUR - FATEHPUR
SIKRI - AGRA - GWALIOR - ORCHCHA - KHAJURAHO - SARNATH
- VARANASI - DELHI
Day 01 Arrive Delhi
Meet and assist by our representative upon your arrival at the airport. Then
drive to your hotel with your driver and car.
Day 02 Delhi - Mandawa (260km)
In the morning take a city tour covering Laxmi Narayan Temple - The Place of
Gods, India Gate - The memorial of martyrs, Parliament House - The Government
headquarters. In the afternoon take a city tour of Old Delhi covering Jama Masjid
- The largest mosque in Asia, Red Fort - The red stone magic, Gandhi memorial
- The memoir of father of the nation. Also enjoy the sound & light show
in the evening. Overnight at hotel.
After lunch continue on your route to Mandawa.
Day 03 Mandawa - Bikaner (180km)
In the morning see this beautiful village of Shekhawati that used to be an important
caravanserai of the yesteryears. See the many havelis of this quaint little
town built by the rich and the famous merchants of the 18th and 19th centuries.
These havelis have been painted with activities of daily life and of deities
to break the monotony of the desert life.
Then proceed towards Bikaner en route stop at Fatehpur to see the splendid havelis
of the local merchants of Shekhawati. Reach Bikaner by lunch time.
See the Junagarh Fort, a royal museum that encompasses history of Bikaner
from its days of construction that dates back to the 16th century. Later visit
the camel-breeding farm, a unique experience. In the evening stroll in the
busy market area of the city.
Day 04 Bikaner - Pokaran - Jaisalmer (330km)
After breakfast we set towards our journey across the Thar Desert to reach
Pokaran for lunch. Visit the 15th century fortress where the 3rd Mughal emperor,
Akbar the Great, was born in 1543. The bazaar in the middle of this village
is very colourful and full of local flavours. After lunch continue towards
Jaisalmer and arrive by evening to witness the sunset over the desert with
the most imposing edifice of the town behind you.
Day 05 Jaisalmer
Morning an exclusive visit of the Jain temples inside the Sonar Kila.. The
Jains are a community that respects life and are pure vegetarians by religion.
Visit the citadel’s palace that houses a museum with a huge collection
of robes and artifacts from the royal family of Jaisalmer. Visit the Patwaon
ki haveli with intricately designed latticed windows used by the ladies to
view the external world. Also see the Gadisar Lake.
Later, we go to Sam or Khuri village. Here we have loads of excitement in
store for you. Upon arrival in the village you will be taken to the nearby
sunset point on the dunes to see the sunset by camel carts. At sunset return
to the village where your dinner is arranged in mud huts. In the evening listen
to the haunted tunes of the desert by the local artists and musicians.
Day 06 Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Luni (280km)
Today we reach Jodhpur the blue city by early afternoon.
Post lunch session introduces you to the fabulous spice market of Jodhpur the
2nd largest city in Rajasthan. Walk along the market to feel the odours of the
spices filling the air around you
Then go to Mandore gardens the then capital of Marwar to view some of the fabulous
cenotaphs and the hall of local heroes of the wars. Later drive up to the majestic
Mehrangarh fort, the stronghold of the Rathore princes from 1453AD. We see the
superb collection of paintings and arms and ammunitions. The view of the city
from the rampart walls is breath taking.
Later an hours drive brings us to the world of animals - Luni, the palace
amidst the more rustic life of Rajasthan.
After lunch we take you on a safari to discover the hidden beauty of the jungle
life. Here you would be visiting the Bishnoi villages. Bishnois are a tribe
that respects life in every form - animals trees and even dead branches.
They are vegetarians and even in the villages they protect the animal life and
don’t let anybody practice hunting in the vicinity of their villages. They
live in a joint family system where the oldest member is generally the head
of the family.
Then we would like you to witness the opium ceremony with the Patels -
a rich tribe. It is a ceremony prevalent in this part of Rajasthan where the
youth offers opium to drink mixed with water to the elders of the family when
they come back from work in the fields.
Day 07 Luni - Mount Abu (250km)
This morning we drive through the arid Rajasthan to reach the the lone hill
station in Rajasthan at a height of 1200mt where we take you for a tour of
the temples for a few hours.
Mount Abu is a true pilgrimage centre for the Jains as here we see the Delwara
Jain temple complex with temples dating back to the 11th century. Later see
the Nakki lake and then view the Sun going down the horizon from the sunset
point.
Day 08 Mount Abu - Ranakpur - Udaipur (260km)
Leave Abu and reach Ranakpur another big pilgrimage centre for the Jains. Just
four hours drive from Mount Abu is the eternal Jain pilgrimage centre of Ranakpur.
Admire the workmanship from the 16th century. The temples are built out of marble
and the main shrine of Adinath with 1444 columns is awe inspiring and none of
these are similar. Also see the sun temple and the other temples in the campus.
Proceed towards Udaipur and on the way stop by the fields to see the local way
of farming and irrigation. Walk into the villages to mingle with the locals
around to know more about their lifestyle.
Reach Udaipur by late evening and check into your hotel
Day 09 Udaipur
Visit the City Palace the richest palace museum in the entire Rajasthan. See
the peacock square and the miniature painting school inside the palace premises.
Udaipur has the prestige of housing the best miniature schools in the country
under the royal patronage of the king of Udaipur. Later see the temples of Nagda
and Eklingji.
The temple at Eklingji is a temple that belongs to the Maharana of Mewar (royal
family) and he is often there to pray. The temple complexe of Nagda is a group
of temples of which only two remain intact and those are that of Saas and
Bahu - two temples of Shiva and of Vishnu both from the 7th century.
Day 10 Udaipur - Ajmer - Pushkar - Jaipur (360km)
Today cross the entire stretch of Mewar to reach the most holy cities of Pushkar
and Ajmer.
Pushkar happens to be the holiest places according to the Hindus as it is considered
that Lord Brahma (the Creator) and his wife Saraswati (the godess of learning
and music) performed a ritual in the lake. Here we visit the only Brahma temple
of the world before intermingling with the local colours in the local bazaar.
Pushkar is the world famous for its cattle fair held each year in the month
of October/November. Proceed towards Ajmer.
Ajmer is the pious city for the Muslims. Surprisingly both the cities are
at distance of 11km from each other. Visit the Durgah built in fond remembrance
of Khwaja Muin ud Din Chisti where the Muslim pilgrims from all over India
throng during the festival times. Later visit Mughal emperor Akbar’s
Palace where his son Jehangir received Sir Thomas Roe to grant him the permission
of trade to East India Company with India, that changed the history of India
completely and slowly and steadily India became colony of the British Empire.
Continue towards Jaipur and reach by late evening and check into hotel.
Day 11 Jaipur
Visit the Amber fort in the morning; included is an elephant ride at the Amber
fort. See the marvelous Shish mahal built in the 17th century in a fusion style
of Hindu and Islamic art. Also see the hall of public audiences and Maharaja
Man Singh’s Palace who had twelve queens.
After lunch set off to see the Pink city visiting the observatory Jantar Mantar
built in 1727 by Sawai Maharaja Jai Singh II who was a mathematician , an astronomer
an astrologer and a great musician of his era. He built five observatories throughout
India - Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, Mathura and Delhi but only the one at
Jaipur is functional.
Then visit the City Palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur with a fabulous collection
of robes and saris in cotton and silk with gold-latticed work. The City Palace
houses a collection of paintings also in the painting gallery and of course
a collection of arms and ammunitions in the ammunition gallery.
Day 12 Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra (230km)
Leave the Pink City after breakfast and reach Fatehpur Sikri by early afternoon.
Visit this abandoned city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the second half
of the 16th century. Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar after his Hindu wife
bore him the long awaited son who was born after the renowned sufi saint Salim
Chisti blessed Jodhabai Akbar’s Hindu wife with a son. Also visit Jodhabai’s
palace the biggest palace in Fatehpur Sikri even bigger than the emperor’s
palace himself as this was the queen who bore him his heir to the throne.
Continue towards Agra and reach Agra by early evening. Relax at your hotel
or go to the local bazaar to see the lifestyle of the people.
Day 13 Agra
Taj Mahal is awaiting your arrival today morning. A must see with the rising
sun as the Taj Mahal is bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun. Built
by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial that houses the tomb of 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 its 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 anywhere in the world.
Then see the Agra Fort built by Akbar where Shahjahan was imprisoned by his
own son Aurangzeb.
Post lunch visit Itmad ud Daulah - it is the first mughal building built
out completely of marble. In many contexts it is referred to being the predecessor
of the Taj Mahal. Then visit Sikandara the tomb of the great emperor Akbar.
Day 14 Agra - Gwalior - Orchha (219km)
Today we go to Gwalior the erstwhile stronghold of the Scindia rulers. Reach
Gwalior and start your visit. A trip to Gwalior is incomplete without a visit
to the fort, Scindia Palace and the tombs of Ghaus Mohammed and Tansen. Also
visit the Gurjari Mahal the palace of the Gurjar queen Mrignayani today housing
an archaeological museum. Also see the teli ka mandir and the Saas bahu ka
mandir inside the fort. Then proceed towards Orchha.
Day 15 Orchcha - Khajuraho (272km)
Today we board our car to proceed towards Khajuraho via Datia and visit the
palace of the Bundela kings.
Datia and Orchha are two twin cities from the medieval times. In these villages
time has stopped. And you feel the timelessness of this spot. Orchha is a medieval
city founded by Bundela rulers with palaces and temples of the 16th and 17th
century - which have remarkably withstood the onslaught of time. The river
Betwa picturesquely flanks the city.
Reach Orchha by 1130 hrs and see the beautiful Palace Complex - Jahangiri
Mahal and the Raja Mahal. Closely study the intricacies of the mural paintings
in the Raja Mahal and visit the Laxminarayana Temple.
Post lunch continue towards Khajuraho about 182 km away by road.
Day 16 Khajuraho - Varanasi By flight
Morning sight seeing shows us the temples built during the 9th to the 11th
centuries by the powerful dynasty of Chandela rajputs. The temples with their
erotic sculptures are a feast to the eyes. The Chandelas built 85 temples
in all but today only 20 temples stand intact. Visit the eastern and western
group of temples before being transferred to the airport to catch your flight
to Varanasi. (1525hrs)
Upon your arrival (1605hrs) in Varanasi transfer to your hotel. Rest of the
day is free.
Day 17 Varanasi - Delhi (by flight)
Early in the morning (0500hrs) we take you to banks of the river Ganges where
we board a boat to see the morning ablutions of the Hindus from the security
of our boat. The boat ride starts from Dasashwamedh Ghat and ends at Manikarnika
Ghat along the sacred Ganges. See the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Gyanvyapi
kund and the mosque attached to it. Also visit the Benares Hindu University
the largest residential university in India with more than 3000 residential
students.
Return to your hotel for breakfast. Later visit Sarnath the sacred city for
the Buddhist all over the world. It was here that Lord Buddha preached his first
sermon to his first five disciples. Also worth visiting is the museum with artifacts
dating back to 3rd century BC. Visit the nearby ruins of the ancient seat of
learning in Sarnath.
In time transfer to the airport for your flight back to Delhi.
In time transfer to the international airport for your onward flight.
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