HIGHLIGHTS:

• Rickshaw ride in the crowded lanes of Chandni Chowk.

• Visit the largest mosque of India - Jama Masjid.

• Visit the mesmerising Taj Mahal.

• Excursion to Amber Fort on Jeep.

• Safari in Ranthambore National Park to see the majestic tiger and other wildlife.

• Visit the erotic temples of Khajuraho.

• Wildlife Safari in Panna and Bandhavgarh Park.

• Boat ride in the Ganges.

• In the morning, visit the Ghats in Varanasi.

• Excursion to Sarnath.

• Possibility of extension to Nepal, Bhutan or both!

The mystic land of India holds many surprises and wonders for those who want to unravel it. On the tour, we take you between the desert and the Holy River of Ganges - we live various cultures and experience the vast diversity that one can see throughout the country.

We begin the tour with the classic Golden Triangle and reach Sawai Madhopur. We do Park Safaris in Ranthambore National park to see the elusive tigers and other wildlife. We then move to Orchha and Khajuraho and visit some of the important temples and monuments. We do more park safaris in Panna and Bandhavgarh. We sail in the Holy River Ganges and reach the important Hindu Pilgrimage site - Varanasi. After getting immersed in the deep culture and beliefs, we fly to Delhi from where we bid farewell to this marvellous land and embark on our journey back home.

However, for those who are not yet done with the holiday in India, we have an extension tour to give you more insight into various cultures of Asia. If you desire, you can extend your tour from Varanasi to Nepal, Bhutan or both Nepal & Bhutan combined together.

ITINERARY:

• Day 1: Departure
  Depart from your home country.
• Day 2 - Delhi
  Arrival at the International Airport, where you will be warmly welcomed by our representative and transferred to hotel. Later, we do an amusing rickshaw ride in the narrow lanes of the medieval styled shopping haven of Chandni Chowk. The ride is a very interesting one. We also visit the largest mosque of India - Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque). The mosque can accommodate about 25,000 people at once. On our way back to New Delhi, we drive by India Gate, Parliament House and President's Estate.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 3 - Delhi / Agra
  We take the early morning Shatabdi train to Agra - the land of the Taj Mahal. We visit the mesmerizing white beauty the Taj Mahal today. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is an eternal symbol of love. This majestic white structure still continues to awestruck many. Later, we also do the sightseeing of Agra Fort - a majestic sandstone structure. The Fort was earlier the residence of the Mughal dynasty and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the sightseeing of these historical monuments, we return to hotel for overnight.
• Day 4 - Agra / Jaipur
  Drive 40 km/1 hr to Fatehpur Sikri, the sandstone capital city of Emperor Akbar which is one of his architectural achievements and we visit the Fort there. Thereafter, drive 200 kms/5 hr further to Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City because of the pink paint applied to the buildings in its old walled city as the mark of hospitality of Rajput traditions. Jaipur is also considered as gateway to Rajasthan.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 5 - Jaipur
  Today, we do sightseeing of the Pink City, which is covered with fascinating architecture and history. In the morning, we do an excursion to the breathtaking Amber Fort on Jeep. Former capital of the Jaipur state, the Fort is an ethereal example of Rajput architecture. the magnificent fort was built in the 16th century and shows a mesmerizing blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Later, we visit other wonders of Jaipur such as the honeycombed Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace), the Royal Observatory - Jantar Mantar and the beautiful City Palace.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 6 - Jaipur / Sawai Madhopur
  In the morning, we drive 160 km / 5 hrs to Sawai Madhopur. Afternoon free to relax.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 7 - Sawai Madhopur
  In the morning, we take a Park Safari in the Ranthambore National Park. We have a chance of spotting the elusive tiger due to scanty vegetation. We also see other wildlife around, along with numerous species of birds. We go back to the hotel before taking another Safari later. In the afternoon, we do the Safari again. In case, we missed the tiger by a few seconds in the morning, we have another chance here.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 8 - Sawai Madhopur / Karauli
  After breakfast, we drive 180 km/ 5 hrs. to Karauli, a quaint township founded in 1348 by Yaduvanshi Dynasty who claim to be descendants of Lord Krishna . You can experience a serene rural environment here. We visit the City Palace in the afternoon and also visit local Bazars of Karauli which is a very interesting local craft market selling local products and making them simultaneously like bangles, different types of sweets etc.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 9 - Karauli / Orchha
  Drive 265 km/7 hrs. to Orchha. Orchha's grandeur has been captured in stones and frozen in time, a rich legacy of the ages. In this medieval city, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces and temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries retain much of their pristine perfection. Afternoon we make a sightseeing of some important temples and monuments of Orchha.
• Day 10 - Orchha / Khajuraho / Panna
  Drive 170 km/4 hrs. to Khajuraho. Khajuraho, home to what are now perhaps, the most famous of India‘s temples on account of their remarkable erotic sculptures lies in a rich, well watered plain. Afternoon we visit the world famous Khajuraho temples built between 950 AD and 1050 AD by Chandela Rajputs. We then drive 25 km ahead to Panna National Park for Overnight. The Ken River flows across the park. Spread over 542 sq km the park is rich in biodiversity, covers dense forest, open meadows, plateaus and gorge with water falls. The main wildlife in the park is Chinkara, Sambar, Nilgai and the big cats like Tiger and Leopard.
• Day 11 - Panna / Bandhavgarh
  Early morning Park ride of Panna National Park and then drive 194 km/ 5 hrs. to Bandhavgarh National Park set in extremely rugged terrain with many hills. The park was famous for White Tigers, which exists no longer there but to Bengal Tiger one has a very good chance in this Park. The Park also has a wide flora and fauna.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 12 - Bandhavgarh National Park
  Game viewing in the Bandhavgarh National Park, one in the morning and another in the late afternoon.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 13 - Bandhavgarh / Allahabad
  Drive 310 km/8 hrs to Allahabad, situated near the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Mythical river Saraswati is also said to be joining here underground. Hence, it makes the holiest Confluence. Allahabad is also one of the four Holy Places where famous Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years. Afternoon, we visit Allahabad Museum which contains a wide range of stone sculptures. Later on we visit Anand Bhawan, the House of Nehru family from the times of Motilal Nehru, where lot of freedom movement decisions were taken between Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and other great leaders of freedom movements. Now this house is a Museum called Anand Bhawan depicting Nehru/Gandhi life.
  Overnight in hotel.
• Day 14 - Allahabad / Mirzapur / Bindhyachal
  Drive 90 km / 3 hrs. to Mirzapur. Mirzapur is known for its carpet weavers. We visit some handlooms where craftsmen bring out intricate designs of carpets. We also visit vegetable market which is quite interesting and Bidi (local cigarette) wrapping centre. Later on, we drive to Bindhyachal, a temple dedicated to Parvati, and walk around temple market which is colourfully decorated with offerings to be made to the temple. We camp on the bank of Ganga river for overnight.
• Day 15 - Bindhyachal / Chunnar
  After breakfast, we start sailing downstream on the Holy River Ganga which holds mystical charm for millions of Indians. We also visit visit one local temple enroute and continue boating while enjoying the beautiful view on both sides of Ganga, till we meet another village after about one hr of boating. Get down from the boat and visit the village. Like wise, time permitting, we can do sightseeing of some more villages and temples. Total boating about 7 hours. Lunch on the boat. Overnight tent.
• Day 16 - Chunnar / Varanasi
  After breakfast, we visit Chunnar Fort which is more than 500 years old. Then continue sailing to Varanasi, our last point of boating. En route we visit Sitla Mata Temple in Sultanpur which is held in high reverence by the locals there. Further down sailing we visit Museum in Ram Nagar Fort which houses dress and weaponry from Maharajas time. Incidentally, just outside the Fort there is one famous Lassi Maker (Yoghurt drink) who is so famous that even people from Benares come to drink Lassi there.
  Overnight in Hotel.
• Day 17 - Varanasi
  Varanasi is one of the holiest places in India. The city of Varanasi is known as the city of learning and burning. City of learning because from the ancient times Sages and Saints have meditated and acquired enlightenment in Varanasi. City of burning because according to Hindu, if the body is burnt on the banks of Ganga in Benares, you achieve Moksha. We visit Ghats early morning for the Sunrise. Later on, we make walk from one end to another covering 365 ghats of Varanasi. This walk should take more than one hour and is very interesting to learn about Hinduism and its culture. In the afternoon, we make excursion to Sarnath, where Gautam Buddha preached his first sermon after gaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya which is about 5 hr drive to the east from Varanasi.
• Day 18 - Varanasi / Delhi / Departure
  Transfer to the airport for afternoon flight to Delhi. Wash and change rooms in Delhi. Rest of the time free. Transfer to the international Airport later on.
  View extension to Nepal, Bhutan or Nepal & Bhutran