Day 01: Delhi
Arrive at Delhi where you would be met and escorted
to the hotel. In the afternoon you will be taken to National Museum where you
will see the finest collection of Indian antiquities and artifacts. Tonight you
will be hosted a welcome dinner when you will also be familiarized with the tour.
Day 02: Delhi Delhi with its Old and New parts - each with
its specific charm and glory - makes a very interesting city for its sustenance
to medieval and modern cultures at the same time and space. Today, you will explore
the capital of India in a full-day tour - including buildings of early Turkish
structure to Mughal buildings to Lutyen's Delhi.
Day 03: Khajuraho
This morning you will take a flight to Khajuraho.
Overnight will
be at Khajuraho.
Day 04: Agra
Your day starts in the morning
when you will be driven to Jhansi railway station for your train to Agra. En route
to Khajuraho you will visit sleepy medieval town of Orchha which is littered with
medieval Bundelkhand buildings bearing fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture.
You will arrive in Agra in the evening and retire for the day.
Day
05: Agra Today you will do sight-seeing tour of Agra. In the first half
of the day you will visit Sikandara and the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah or the 'Baby
Taj'. In the afternoon you will visit Agra Fort and will end the tour with a visit
to the Taj Mahal at sunset. Agra buildings are some of the first examples of extensive
marble usage in Indian building style.
Day 06: Jaipur After
a leisurely morning you drive to Jaipur - en route visit Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly
preserved Mughal city built at the height of the empire's splendor. You will arrive
in Jaipur in the noon and will be at leisure for the rest of the day.
Day
07: Jaipur In the morning, you visit the Amber Fort - one of the most
fascinating of Indian forts. You will reach the fort majestically atop an elephant;
once inside the fort, you visit the Palace of Mirrors, Hall of Public Audience
and the beautifully manicured gardens.
Day 08: Jodhpur
Proceed
to Jodhpur.
Overnight will be at Jodhpur.
Day 09: Jodhpur
This morning you explore the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort-Museum, one of the largest
in India, unsurpassed in beauty and grandeur - and a perfect example of desert
variant of Rajput architecture. The tour of the fort will be followed by a visit
to the old town where you walk through the market getting a feel of the town.
Day 10: Udaipur
Today, you drive to Udaipur.
You will
arrive in Udaipur late in the afternoon. The rest of the day will be at leisure.
Day 11: Udaipur The day begins with a visit to the City Palace,
which is largest in Rajasthan. You will also see lovely medieval Jagdish Temple
and Sahelion-Ki-Bari or the "Gardens of the Maids of Honour". The tour
of Udaipur will end with a lunch at the beautiful Gallery Restaurant at Fateh
Prakash Palace.
Day 12: Aurangabad Today, you will be escorted
to the airport for your flight to Bombay where you will arrive to connect to your
flight for Aurangabad (Depending on the flight timings you will be given a brief
tour of the commercial capital of India). You will arrive Aurangabad late in the
evening and check into the hotel to retire for the day.
Day 13: Aurangabad
Today you will explore the caves of Ajanta which offer a rich tapestry of images
that speak of palaces, royalty, cultures and tales of everyday life of ancient
India. Long buried in the debris of time, these 30 caves were built to offer seclusion
to the Buddhist monks, who lived, taught and performed rituals.
Day
14: Mumbai This morning you will be taken to explore Ellora caves. Carved
between fourth and fifth century, the rock temples and monasteries of Ellora represent
the three major faiths of India - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Like Ajanta,
Ellora caves too are a fine example of cave temples with almost 34 caves with
intricate interiors and ornamental facades.
Day 15: Madurai
Continuing your tour to South India you will fly in the morning to Madurai where
you arrive before noon. All activity in Madurai is centered round Sri Meenakshi
Temple in the heart of the told town. A riotously baroque example of Dravidian
architecture, you visit the temple in the afternoon.
Day 16: Chettinad
After a leisurely start today you drive to Chettinad which is known for its artistic
houses.
Spend the afternoon exploring the palace and around for its unique
architecture. Overnight will be at Madurai.
Day 17: Tanjore / Trichy
This morning you will drive to Tanjore. Also called a city of temples,
Tanjore is dotted with no fewer than 74 temples - the most famous of which is
the Brihadeshwara temple. You visit this fascinating temple and the Thanjavur
Palace before continuing your drive to Trichy.
In the evening you explore
the city including spectacular Rock Fort Temple.
Day 18: Madras
This morning you take a train ride to Madras - your last destination of the tour.
Madras is a fascinating city with its ancient temples and unique culture, golden
sandy beaches and a marvelous tradition of music and dance. You explore this lovely
city in the afternoon, immediately after arriving at the station. After the short
city tour you will check into your hotel which is a beach hotel outside Madras
city.
Day 19: Madras Today will be spent in visiting two of
the finest examples of ancient South Indian architecture - Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram.
Day 20: Madras The day will be spent in leisure. In the evening
you will be hosted a farewell dinner before being escorted to the domestic terminal
for flight to Delhi for return.