Northern
part of india is the most beautiful, magnificent and amazing part of India.
The Great ranges of Himalaya, the snow clad peaks, dense forest, lashing
gardens, lakes and springs, high mountains are really amazing. Due to
Himalaya it is the paradise for the adventurous lovers People can do rock
climbing, mountaineering, para gliding, hang gliding and many other
activities. It has rich architectural structures, monuments, buildings and
in short there is everything to see that a tourist wants.
Duration:
13 Nights / 14 Day
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
Day 2 : Delhi 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: hotel.
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: hotel.
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: hotel.
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 Udaipur/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
Day
13 : Bombay Bombay 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 .
