Day 1 DELHI Arrival at New Delhi by International Flight
DELHI: New Delhi, the capital and the third largest city of India is a fusion of the ancient and the modern. Standing along the West End of Gangetic Plain, the capital city, Delhi, unwinds a picture rich with culture, architecture and human diversity. It’s deep in history, monuments, museums, galleries, gardens and exotic shows. Comprising of two contrasting yet harmonious parts, the Old Delhi and New Delhi, the city is a travel hub of Northern India.
Narrating the city's Mughal past, Old Delhi, takes you through the labyrinthine streets passing through formidable mosques, monuments and forts. You will also discover lively and colorful bazaars that boast to cater all sorts of good and items at mind-blowing prices amidst a barely controlled chaotic ambiance. The imperial city of New Delhi displays the finely curved architecture of British Raj. It generates a mesmerizing charm reflecting well-composed and spacious streets under the shade of beautifully lined avenues of trees and tall and imposing government buildings.
Meet our representative who will transfer you to your hotel.
Upon arrival, welcome with garlands .
Overnight at the hotel
Breakfast at the hotel
Late morning, leave for Mandawa by Car
Mandawa: A lovely, subdued little market town. Mandawa is an excellent base for exploring the region. It was settled in the 18th century, and fortified by the dominant merchant families.
Upon arrival, check-in at the Hotel.
In the afternoon, enjoy a guided city tour of Mandawa, the open air Art Gallery and visit the Havelis.
Havelis: The popular design was a building, which from the outside was relatively unremarkable, the focus being the one or more internal courtyards. This served the purposes of security and privacy for the women, as well as offering some relief from the fierce heat, which grips the area in summer. The plain exteriors also made the houses easily defendable. The main entrance is usually a large wooden gate leading into a small courtyard, which in turn leads into another larger courtyard. The largest mansions had as many as four courtyards and were up to six storey’s high. Originally the colours used in the murals were all ochre-based, but in the 1860’s artificial pigments were introduced from Germany. The predominant colors are blue and maroon, but other colors such as yellow, green and indigo are also featured.
Overnight at the hotel
Breakfast at the hotel
Leave for Jaipur by Car
Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel
Jaipur: The capital city of the state of Rajasthan is popularly known as the “Pink City” because of the pink paint applied to the buildings in the old walled city. (In Rajput culture, pink was traditionally a colour associated with hospitality) The city owes its name, its foundation and its careful planning to the great warrior, astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II (1699-1744). In 1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai Singh decided the time was ripe to move down from his somewhat cramped hillside fortress at nearby Amber to the new site. He laid out the city, with its surrounding walls and six rectangular blocks, according to principles of town planning set down in the Shilpa-Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture
Late afternoon, Enjoy a Cycle rickshaw ride through the busy bazaars of the city area - Explore this part of Jaipur... that sells dreams and desires. Unravel this horizon that will not only fascinate you but also enthrall you with its dynamic colors aura.
Overnight at the Hotel
Breakfast at the hotel
Morning visit to Amber Fort
11 kms from Jaipur – Marvelous example of Rajput architecture with its terraces and ramparts reflected in the Moat Lake below. The fort interior has various royal halls decorated with intricate ivory work, exquisite wall paintings and tiny mirror chips, which create a tantalizing reflection effect. Enroute, photo stop at the Hawa Mahal ( Palace of the Winds)
Afternoon visit the famous City Palace and the Observatory
City palace museum – an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal Art. The museum is resplendent with its collection of robes of Royal Princes, carpets, an armory of old weapons, miniature paintings portraying court scenes, battle scenes and processions,
Jantar Mantar (observatory) – which is the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world. Situated near the gate of the City Palace, the observatory has 17 curiously shaped instruments, many of them still in working condition.
Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to Agra by Car
En-route visit Fatehpur Sikri - the deserted red sandstone city that was built by Emperor Akbar as his capital. It was a veritable fairytale city and its ‘ruins are still in a pristine condition. It is not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its grandeur.
Continue your Drive to Agra
Agra: Became the capital of Sikander Lodi in 1501, but was soon passed on to the Mughals, both Babur and Humayun made some early Mughal constructions here. It was under Akbar that Agra first aspired to its heights of magnificence from 1570-85 he ruled from nearby Fatehpur Sikri , when he abandoned that city he moved to Lahore ( now in Pakistan ) but returned to Agra in 1599 , all later Mughal rulers ruled from Agra till 1761 it fell to the Jats who did much damage to the city.
Check-in at the Hotel
Overnight at the Hotel
Breakfast at the hotel
Morning visit the Taj Mahal( Taj Mahal is Closed on Friday)
Taj Mahal (1631-1653), a poem in white marble, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal. Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the cheek of time". Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well-preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones."
Afternoon visit the Red Fort built alongside the Yamuna River stretching almost 2.5 km. The fort’s colossal double walls rise 20 m in height and measure 2.5 km in circumference. The fort is surrounded by a moat.
Overnight at the hotel
Breakfast at the hotel
Leave for Delhi by Car
Upon arrival, visit Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) - the 300-year-old walled city, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648 as his capital. The focus of the city is the magnificent Red Fort and Jama Mosque built of red sandstone. Drive past the Red Fort from where the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on India’s Independence Day. Visit Jama Masjid, the most elegant mosque in India that stands high on a hillock. In between and around these two focal points of the 17th century city is a thriving modern city in medieval setting. This area once had a tree-lined central avenue, with a canal dividing the thoroughfare.
Later, drive past the India Gate & Government Buildings and visit the Qutab Minar - at 72.5 meters the world's tallest brick minaret. Construction commenced in 1193 under the orders of India's first Muslim ruler Qutab-ud-din Aibak, and the topmost storey of the minaret was completed in 1386 by Firuz Shah Tughluq. The Qutab Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Overnight at the hotel
DEPARTURE
Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to the International Airport for Onward Flight