| Day 1 - Arrival Delhi |
Arrive Delhi. Meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi. .
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Day 2 - Delhi
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After breakfast proceed for sightseeing tour of Old & New Delhi:
OLD DELHI - A sight-seeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting the
Raj Ghat - the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama
Masjid - the largest mosque in India .
NEW DELHI - An extensive sight-seeing tour of New Delhi would include a
visit to the Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar, a drive along the
ceremonial avenue - Rajpath, past the imposing India Gate, Parliament
House, the President's Residence and would end with a drive through the
Diplomatic Enclave. Night stay in Delhi.
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| Day 3 - Delhi - Agra ( By road ) |
Morning
drive to Agra, on arrival transfer to hotel. Later proceed for city
sight seeing tour visiting the world famous Taj Mahal, built by the
Mughal Emperor Shahjehan in 1630 for his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine
her mortal remains. Also visit Agra Fort, containing the Pearl Mosque -
the rusty and majestic red- sandstone fort of Agra stands on the banks
of the river Yamuna and the construction was started by Emperor Akbar
in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) where marble
pavilions with floral inlays lend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat
on his gem-studded peacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and
rulers of friendly kingdoms. Also visit Itmad-up-Dau’s tomb, built by
Noorjehan in memory of her father. Night stay in Agra.
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| Day 4 - Agra – Ranthambhore ( By road ) |
Morning
drive to Ranthambhore-famous for the wildlife sanctuary which is said
to have the India’s friendliest Tigers and also considered to be the
best place in the world to photograph the tiger in its natural habitat,
also a wonderful place for bird watching enroute visiting Fatehpur
Sikri-a perfectly preserved red sandstone “ghost town” which was the
estranged capital of mughal emperor Akbar, built in 1569 and deserted
when its water supply failed. Arrive Ranthambhore & transfer to
hotel. Night stay in Ranthambhore.
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| Day 5 - Ranthambhore |
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Early
morning 3 hrs Jungle safari in a Canter (a vehicle which is open on the
top) enjoy the game viewing in the national park and back to the hotel.
After lunch second visit to jungle and enjoy the game viewing. Night
stay in Ranthambhore.
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| Day 6 - Ranthambhore - Jaipur ( By road ) |
Early
morning visit the jungle in search of tiger. Later after breakfast
drive to Jaipur.On arrival transfer to hotel. Evening free to explore
the city. Night stay in Jaipur.
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| Day 7 - Jaipur |
Morning excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant ride ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort
palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and
completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies
an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles
finds it's ultimate expression. Continue sight-seeing.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani
architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in
the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple
and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five
observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country.
This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is
still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a
prominent landmark in Jaipur. Their five-storey structures of sandstone
plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies.
The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh,
the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women. Night stay in
Jaipur.
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| Day 8 - Jaipur - Pushkar ( By road ) |
After
breakfast drive to Pushkar, 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. Night stay in Pushkar.
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| Day 9 - Pushkar - Udaipur ( By Road ) |
Morning
drive to Udaipur- an oasis in the desert state of Rajasthan. Arrive
Udaipur and transfer to hotel. Night stay in Udaipur.
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| Day 10 - Udaipur |
Morning
city sight seeing tour of Udaipur. The city is built in 1559 A.D. by
Maharaja Udai Singh and has been described as the most romantic spot on
the continent of India by Col. James Todd. Visit the City Palace
museum. The City Palace, one of the largest palaces in the world, can
be approached through the Bari Pol or the Great Gate (1600) with the
royal drums and then onto the Tripolia Gate (1725). The Tripolia is a
triple gate made of marble arches. Between these two gates are eight
carved toranas or archways under which the maharanas were weighed
against gold and silver which was later distributed to the poor
subjects. Popular entertainment like elephant fights took place in the
court beyond the Tripolia Gate. Also visit Jagdish temple. Maharana
Jagat Singh built this temple between 1628-1653 at a whopping cost of
Rs 1.5 million. The temple, dedicated to Lord Jagannath, is at a great
height and can be approached by a long flight of stairs. The interior
of the temple has exquisite carvings and is supplemented with prominent
friezes. The temple has several smaller shrines in four corners of it
that are dedicated to Lord Ganesh, Shiva, the Sun God and Goddess
Shakti. A Sanskrit inscription in the porch written by Krishna Bhatt in
the year 1651gives a detailed history of the reign of Maharana Jagat
Singh.
Later visit Saheliyon ki Bari- the Garden of Royal Ladies
.Saheliyon ki Bari lies just beneath the Fateh Sagar Lake. Maharana
Sangram Singh II designed this garden in the early 18th century purely
as a pleasure garden and a summer palace for the 48 young maids that
formed a part of the prince’s dowry. It is also said that the garden
was presented as a peace offering from the Emperor of Delhi. Inside the
garden is a reservoir surrounded by four black marbled cenotaphs in its
four corners and one white marbled one in the centre. The terraces of
these cenotaphs have water fountains shaped like birds from whose beaks
water gushes out in thin sprays like the singing rain – producing a
wonderful sight. The Maharanas entertained themselves around the four
ornamental pools and the five fountains. These fountains were imported
from England in 1889. Maharana Bhopal Singh specially was very fond of
this place and built a rain fountain, so that it looked like rain
dancing on the dancing maids. Also visit Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandir (
Folk art museum) and the Pratap Memorial. Rest of the day at leisure.
Night stay in Udaipur.
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| Day 11 - Udaipur - Mount Abu ( By road ) |
After
breakfast drive to Mt. Abu enroute visiting the Jain temples at
Ranakpur, superbly preserved in a near-perfect condition for over 500
years. The most attractive features are the 29 halls of the temple,
which have 1444 pillars of which no two are like. On arrival transfer
to hotel. Night stay in Mount Abu.
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| Day 12 - Mount Abu |
Morning visit world famous Dilwara Jain Temple, Nikki Lake, Brahmin Kumari Ashram etc.
Dilwara Temple: These remarkable Jain temples are Mount Abu's main
attraction and among the finest examples includes two temples in which
the art of carving marble reached unsurpassed heights. The older of the
temples is the ' Vimal Vasahi ', built in 1031 and dedicated to the
first tirthankar, Adinath. In the front of the temple stands the
' House of Elephants ', with figures of elephants marching in
procession to the temple entrance. The later ' Tejpal temple ' is
dedicated to Neminath, the 22nd tirthankar, and was built in 1230 by
the brothers Tejpal and Vastupal. The carving is so fine that, in
places, the marble becomes almost transparent.
Nakki Lake: Nakki Lake is virtually in the heart of Mount Abu and is a
big attraction with tourists. The lake takes its name from the legend
that it was scooped out by a god, using only his nails, or nakh. It's a
pleasant stroll around the lake - look for the strange rock formations.
On the lake there is a dilapidated concrete boat-shaped snack bar.
Night stay in Mount Abu.
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| Day 13 - Mount Abu – Jodhpur ( By Road ) |
After breakfast drive to Jodhpur. On arrival transfer to hotel. Night stay in Jodhpur.
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| Day 14 - Jodhpur |
After
a relaxed breakfast proceed for city sight seeing tour of Jodhpur.
Jodhpur - the stronghold of the fierce Rathore clan, was founded in
1459 by Prince Jodha. Visit the Mehrangarh Fort, situated on a low
sandstone hill. Within the fort, visit Moti Mahal and Phool Mahal. Also
visit Jaswant Thada, an imposing marble cenotaph, built in memory of
Maharaja Jaswant singh II around 1899 and Umaid Public gardens. Night
stay in Jodhpur.
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| Day 15 - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer ( By road ) |
Morning drive to Jaisalmer, on arrival transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night stay in Jaisalmer.
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| Day 16 - Jaisalmer |
Morning
city sightseeing tour of Jaisalmer. Throbbing in the heart of the Thar,
the burnished sandstone, is an intricately molded wonderland in place
of a barren land, today stands a city of gilded magic. The origins of
Jaisalmer go back to the 12th century, when Rawal Jaisal abandoned his
old fort at Ludarwa and laid the foundation of a new city. Visit the
magnificient fort, the Patwon Ki Haveli ( Mansion) and Salim singh Ki
Haveli, with their carved balconies and brackets which are supreme
examples of the art. Evening camel ride to visit Sam Dunes. Night stay
in Jaisalmer.
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| Day 17 - Jaisalmer - Bikaner ( By road ) |
Morning
drive to Bikaner. On arrival transfer to the hotel. Later city sight
seeing tour. Bikaner is named after its founder Rao Bikaji in 1488. But
long before this, the city was trade center on the caravan routes from
Africa and West Asia. Bikaner’s dominant features are rippling sands
and abundant sunshine. The city stands on an elevation, enclosed by a 7
Kms wall, which can be entered from 5 gate. Bikaner City is bolstered
by imposing walls and has a 16th century fort housing old palaces,
temples and mosque. Founded by Raja Rai Singh the fort is distinguished
by its long range of 37 pavilions, a line of balconies and aerial
windows of varying designs. Also visit Lallgarh Palace, the museum,
Bhanda Sagar Jain and Deshnoke Rat temple. Night stay in Bikaner.
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| Day 18 - Bikaner - Mandawa ( By road ) |
Morning
drive to Mandawa, on arrival transfer to the hotel. Later visit
Mandawa, founded 1755 by Thakur Nawal Singh and still the home of his
descendants, has beautiful frescoes, havelis and mansions. Mandawa
castle one of the finest castles of Rajasthan, is now a hotel and house
of collection of armories, costumes of ancestors, canons from 1820
ancient coins, numismatic collection and many other interesting items,
preserved in a museum. Night stay in Mandawa.
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