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India Tours

Forts, Palaces and Tigers

The Golden Triangle & Beyond - Itinerary

Day 01, Arrive Delhi (Flight)
Arrive Delhi
Check in time is 1200 hrs (Early check in will be subject to availability)
On your arrival you would be met with the assistance and transfer to the hotel.
Check in at Taj Palace.

New Delhi, the capital and the third largest city of India are 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, 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.
Rest of the day free at leisure.

Overnight in Delhi     Taj Palace - Superior Room

Day 02, Delhi
Breakfast at hotel

Morning visit Old Delhi to see Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Red Fort.

Raj Ghat: Along with riverfront, the most prominent memorial among many is the Raj Ghat dedicated to the father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi). The historic name refers to the ghat (stepped embankment) at the edge of the river.

Jama Masjid: This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. The highly decorative mosque has three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble.

Chandni Chowk: Chandni Chowk was built by Shah Jahan's favorite daughter- Jahanara Begum in 1650 as a compliment to the imperial habitat - the Red Fort. Spend some time in Chandni Chowk to savour the ambience of a crowded oriental bazaar.

Red Fort: The red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) rise 33-m above the clamour of Old Delhi as a reminder of the magnificent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors.

Afternoon Sightseeing of New Delhi visiting the Qutab Minar, Humayun Tomb, India Gate, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, various Government building including Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhawan, etc.

Qutab Minar: Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. This 234 feet high tower, gracefully hand-carved for its entire height, has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top.

Humayun Tomb: His senior widow Bega Begum built it in 1565 A.D. nine years after the death of Humayun. Inside the walled enclosure the most notable feature are the garden squares (chaharbagh) with pathways water channels, centrally located well proportional mausoleum topped by double dome.

India Gate: At the centre of New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway, commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the World War I

Overnight in Delhi    Taj Palace - Superior Room

Day 03, Delhi - Mandawa (Surface - 05hrs)
Breakfast at hotel
Check out from hotel and drive by surface to Mandawa.

The Shekhawati region is known for its beautifully painted havelis (houses) in its nearly twenty towns and villages, and Mandawa is one of them. Founded in the early 18th century, Mandawa is dominated by a rugged fort, now a splendid heritage hotel.
Besides the cenotaphs, wells, forts and temples the majority of frescoes are painted on the walls and gateways of the havelis. Shekhawati paintings mainly consist of red, green, yellow, brown, blue and mushroom colours.

Check in at Castle Mandawa.
Afternoon visit Havelis.

Overnight in Mandawa    Castle Mandawa - Deluxe Room

Day 04, Mandawa - Jaipur (Surface - 04hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out from the hotel and drive by surface to Jaipur.

Jaipur is the state capital of Rajasthan and owes its name, planning and foundation to the Maharaja Jai Singh II. In 1727, when he decided to move from his hillside fortress at Amber to the plains, and thus Jaipur was conceived. It is also known as the "Pink City", derived from the pink painted sandstone from which the buildings in the old walled city are constructed. This planned city presents great architectural elegance and beauty, historic and magnificent Palaces, Temples, Gardens, museums, etc.

Check in at Jai Mahal Palace.
Rest of the day free at leisure.

Overnight in Jaipur    Jai Mahal Palace - Luxury Room

Day 05, Jaipur
Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning, Sightseeing of Amber Fort with elephant ride. Seven miles outside the city in the rugged hills that surround Jaipur is the magnificent Amber Fort. An elephant will take you up to the fort through its huge gateways and pillared pavilions. This Rajput Fortress/Palace was constructed from 1592 by Raja Man Singh II, and is a superb example of Rajput architecture. Within the Fort their lies the famous Jai Mandir renowned for its architectural designs using mirrors of varied shapes and sizes peculiarly, known as the Sheesh Mahal, meaning the Palace of the Mirrors.

Afternoon, Jaipur City Sightseeing. A city tour takes you through the bazaars to the Maharaja's City Palace, the former Royal residence, part of it converted into a museum. A small portion is still used by the Royal family of Jaipur. Built in the style of a fortified campus, the palace covers almost one-seventh in area of the city. One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion known as Armory Museum housing an impressive array of weaponry-pistols, blunderbusses, flintlocks, swords, rifles and daggers. One of the palaces is the Hawa Mahal, Palace of the Winds, built in 1799. The five-story building looks out over the main street and were originally for the ladies of the royal household to watch life and processions of the city.

Later visit the Jantar Mantar, which has the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world. Built by Jai Singh, it is still equipped with the ancient instruments including a very accurate 90- foot sundial, in 1728 and the observatory has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working condition.

Overnight in Jaipur    Jai Mahal Palace - Luxury Room

Day 06, Jaipur- Ranthambore (Surface- 4 hrs)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out from the hotel and drive by surface to Ranthambhore.

The Ranthambore National Park encompasses nearly 400 sq km of dry deciduous forest in southwestern Rajasthan. The Park derives its name from the fortress of Ranthambore (built 944 AD), which sits on a rocky outcrop in the forest. The forests around the Ranthambore Fort were once, the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. In 1957 Ranthambore was declared a wildlife sanctuary and in 1974 it came under the protective umbrella of Rajasthan's first project Tiger reserve and in 1981 it became a National Park. Today it protects the finest habitats in the world and also has a remarkable rich and diverse flora and fauna.

Check in at Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge.
Lunch & Dinner at the Lodge.

Afternoon Game drive by Private Gypsy.
Afternoon visit the Ranthambore National Park -The Park’s mammal list contains Tiger, Sambar, Cheetal, Nilgai, Wild boar, Chinkara, Langoor and Leopard, Sloth bear, Hyena and Jackal. There are at least a dozen species of reptiles and amphibians (Python and snakes, fresh water Crocodiles, Monitor Lizard, Tortoises), Walking is prohibited inside the Park.

Overnight in Ranthambore    Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge - Superior Room

Day 07, Ranthambore
Morning & Afternoon Game drives by Private Gypsy.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner at the lodge.

Overnight in Ranthambore    Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge - Superior Room

Day 08, Ranthambore - Bharatpur (Train )
Morning Game drive by private gypsy.
Breakfast at the lodge.

Checkout and transfer to railway station (Sawai Madhopur- nearest railway station) to board the train to Bharatpur.
Sawai Madhopur - Bharatpur Golden Temple Mail Dep: 1235 hrs Arr: 1506 hrs First Air Conditioned Coach.

Upon arrival in Bharatpur you will be met and transferred to hotel The Bagh.

Overnight in Bharatpur     The Bagh - Deluxe Room

Day 09, Bharatpur - Agra (Surface-2 hrs)

Morning bird watching by cycle rickshaw. The sanctuary covers 30 square Kms of low-lying marsh-land and has paths and water channels running through it. The paths are travelled by rickshaw or on foot, and the marsh channels taken by small boat. About 350 species of birds have been sighted here, of which about 150 wing their way to the sanctuary on migration routes from as far away as China and Siberia. Before the monsoons, hundreds of exotic birds roost and nest here, and building activities start on the ‘babool’ and ‘Kadam’ trees of the park Return to hotel for Breakfast.

Check out from the hotel and drive by surface to Agra. Enroute visit of Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri. Located 40 Km from Agra, the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, in honour of the great Saint Sheikh Salim Chisti who blessed Akbar and prophesised the birth of three sons to the heirless Emperor. Akbar used Fatehpur Sikri as his capital and the city was fully occupied for 14 years but slowly became deserted and ruined after Akbar left the city. Scarcity of water was the prime factor for the abandonment of this beautiful city. Visit the remarkably well preserved, graceful buildings within the ‘Ghost City’ including the Jama Masjid, tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal Palace and other palaces that speak of the grandeur and splendor of the Mughal empire at the height of its power.
Upon arrival in Agra. Check in at The Gateway Hotel.

Agra came into limelight during the rule of Afghan King Sikandar Lodhi - who had made it the capital of his empire. Later in 1526 A.D., the Mughal Emperor Babar took upon himself the task for rendering Agra, a unique character and beauty of its own. The visionary that he was and a great patron of the arts, Emperor Babar brought in a change in the culture and life-style among the people of Agra, which then brought forth some of the finest craftsmen, artists, statesmen, warriors and nobility, this part of India had ever witnessed.

The next few hundred years of Agra witnessed the rise of the pomp and pageantry of three great Mughal monarchs - Emperor Akbar, Jehangir and ShahJahan - all of whom lavished on this fabled city, their love and riches immeasurable to transform the land into one of the great centers of art, culture, learning and commerce.
Rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Agra    The Gateway Hotel - Standard Room

Day 10, Agra

Sunrise visit of Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan between 1631 to 1653 in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. This architectural marvel is a perfectly proportioned masterpiece fashioned from white marble that stands testimony to the skill of 20,000 craftsmen brought together from Persia, Turkey, France and Italy, laboured day and night who took 17 years to complete the main structure of this ‘Love Poem in Marble'. (Friday closed).

Return to hotel for breakfast. Later visit Agra Fort Built principally as military establishments by Akbar in 1565, the red sandstone Agra fort was partially converted into a palace during Shah Jahan’s time. Though Akbar built the original structure, his grandsons made many more additions. This powerful fortress encompasses the imperial city of the Mughal rulers within its 2.5-kilometre-long enclosure walls.

Itimad-Ud-Daulah This tomb was built by Empress Nur Jahan, daughter-in-law of Emperor Akbar, in memory of her father Ghias-Ud-Din Beg, grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal, between 1622-28 AD. A graceful building much smaller than the Taj Mahal is also the first example in Mughal architecture of a building faced entirely in marble.

Overnight in Agra    The Gateway Hotel- Standard Room

Day 11, Agra - Delhi (Surface -05 hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out from the hotel and drive to Delhi
Upon arrival check in at Taj Palace.
Rest of the day free at leisure.

Overnight in Delhi    Taj Palace- Superior Room

Day 12, Delhi - Onward Destination(Flight)

You will be met and transferred to International Airport to board your flight for onward destination.

End of our Services

TOUR COST

• Cost per person - based on 02 paying pax.

• Please find below the list of the hotels used in the itinerary

TOUR PRICES INCLUDE

• Room with attached private facilities inclusive of presently applicable taxes. Hotel check-in and checkout time is 12 Noon. Early check in and Late check out is subject to availability
• Meal Plan: Room with Breakfast basis except in Ranthambhore, where the accommodation is on full board basis.
• Airport transfers, as specified by air-conditioned Car inclusive of representative assistance in main cities and porterage at airports
• Services of local English speaking guide/naturalist during sightseeing/park visits inclusive of entry fee to monuments and National Parks
• Train tickets in A/c 1st class from Sawai Madhopur to Bharatpur
• All applicable taxes (Subject to change as per the governments norms)

TOUR PRICES EXCLUDE

• International flight cost
• Travel Insurance
• Visa fee for India
• Accompanying escort (only for groups)
• Expenses of personal nature like laundry, telephones calls, hard & soft drinks & beverage and mineral water etc.
• Still and video camera fee at monuments and game parks
• Airport departure taxes
• Tips anywhere - to drivers, porters, bellboys, guides & waiters etc.
• Any items not mentioned in the itinerary and inclusions.

TRAVEL INSURANCE - Own arrangements

INDIAN VISA - Own arrangements
All foreign Passport holders require visa to India.

BOOKING
In order to finalize these arrangements we will need a deposit of USD 300.00 per person, together with a signed booking form. Once your booking form is received we will start work on confirming your itinerary.

SPECIAL NOTE
- This is a Quotation only and no Reservations have been made at this point.
- We shall process the bookings on the receipt of the signed booking form with the deposit.
- All Confirmations are Subject to Availability of services requested at the time of booking.
- Please provide the Quotation reference provided above, each time when referring to or making a firm booking.