Tour itinerary
Day 1 - Delhi:
Upon arrival we are met at the airport and transferred to our hotel. Our airport representative will be waiting for us outside the arrival hall, located after passing out of the customs area and beyond the travel desks and currency exchange counters. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 45 minutes. Our hotel is situated in New Delhi in the busy market area of Karol Bagh, with lots of shops and restaurants just a short stroll away. Outside our hotel, there are always taxis and rickshaws handy, so it is easy to go and visit places during any free time here.
In the afternoon we embark on a city tour. Delhi is the capital of India, divided into a historic and a modern part. Old Delhi was the capital of Mughal India from 12th-19th centuries. Here we find here many mosques, monuments and forts relating to this period of India's history. The medieval atmosphere of the bazaars of Old Delhi contrasts sharply with the open, spacious streets of New Delhi - the imperial city created as the capital of India by the British Raj. Here you will find most of the airline offices, banks and the various state tourist offices. On our tour we see some of the main sights of New Delhi including India Gate (a war memorial arch), the impressive Parliament Building and the Rashtrapati Bhavan, once the imperial palace of the British viceroy and now the official residence of the President of India. We also visit the extravagant Birla Temple and a Sikh temple before ending our tour at Raj Ghat - the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
PLEASE NOTE: It is important that you arrive in Delhi by this morning, as the Delhi city tour takes place in the afternoon of Day 1 of this tour.
Day 2 - Shekhavati - Mandawa:
(Driving time: approx 7 hours)
We drive to the desert region of Shekhavati - an important stop on the famous Silk Route, where merchants became rich from the trade with the caravans. Their wealth is reflected in their fine havelis (courtyard homes), covered with flamboyant frescoes. This remote part of Rajasthan, only recently known to tourists, is famous for its painted havelis and colourful frescoes. These havelis belong to the rich Marwari business community. Many of the Marwari merchants have now migrated to other parts of the country and taking their trades with them, but they still return at festival times to their old havelis and visit their families. The frescoes reflect the well-travelled nature of this community as they depict scenes from many different places, including many scenes of everyday life as well as the more familiar religious paintings. We stay at Mandawa Haveli, located in the heart of this region, and our comfortable and atmospheric accommodation in this beautifully-restored heritage hotel adds to the attraction of visiting this unique area. This was a small haveli that was converted into a heritage hotel. Built in 1890 by a Marwara jeweller, this haveli is a lovely building with beautiful frescoes and a majestic entrance that leads to an inner courtyard. There are eight spacious guest rooms with modern bathrooms. The haveli also has a cosy restaurant and sit-outs on the first floor.
Day 3 - Shekhavati - The Desert Resort:
We enjoy a walking tour around one of Shekhavati’s small towns, followed by a camel ride. We ride our camels for approximately two hours in the late afternoon, going through the villages around Mandawa. En route we stop at a village house for a cup of chai and a chance to interact with the local people - giving us a special insight into life in this region. We stay overnight in the Desert Resort, in beautiful and luxurious mud-built huts. This charming village is located one kilometre south of town. The walls are painted with auspicious lime paste or rice flour patterns, which are redone daily by women from the village. The mud huts are comfortably furnished and use a lot of local furnishing and crafts for decor. Outside is an azure blue swimming pool that overlooks the rolling sand dunes of Mandawa.
Day 4 - Jaipur:
(Driving time: approx 4 hours)
We drive to Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan. With its faded pink buildings, many palaces and vibrant bazaars, Jaipur is one of the most exotic cities in India. Unlike most cities in India, which have developed in a haphazard way, this city was is a planned one. Though it is rapidly expanding and has long ago outgrown the confines of its ancient walls, the Old City of Jaipur is still a fascinating and unique place. Known as the 'Pink City' because of the colour of these city walls, the street life has to be seen to be believed. With a chaotic mix of pedestrians, bicycles, cars, buses, trucks, camels and everything else besides, it is best experienced by taking a ride on a cycle rickshaw. We take an afternoon excursion to the splendid Amber Fort, located 11 kilometres north of Jaipur. Here we walk up the steep path which leads to a magnificent complex of palaces, halls, pavilions, gardens and temples built over a period of 125 years by successive rulers.
Day 5 - Jaipur:
We start our morning city tour by visiting the City Palace. This principal residence of the former royal family also houses a museum for textiles, costumes, miniatures, carpets, manuscripts, arms and armour. Nearby is the Jantar Mantar - a stone observatory created by an astronomer king in the 18th century to measure everything from altitude to time and also map the movement of the planets and the stars. The Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal) is the pink sandstone facade of a palace with a profusion of windows and stone screens. The windows enabled cool air (hawa) to circulate and the women of the royal zenana would sit concealed behind these screens to see life in the city beyond the walls of the city palace.
Day 6 - Ranthambore National Park:
(Driving time: approx 4 hours)
Drive to Ranthambore National Park, where we enjoy an afternoon game drive. Even in a country which has several fabulous national parks, Ranthambore stands out. Within its vast area, there are vine-covered ruined forts, grass-fringed lakes and stark ravines. Famous for its tiger sightings, Ranthambore also has a great amount of other wildlife including hanuman langur, nilgai, sambar deer and chinkara (Indian gazelle). Ranthambore National Park is generally considered one of the best places in India in which to see a tiger in the wild, although of course wildlife sightings are always a matter of luck. There are around 30 tigers present in the park, but more often seen are the grazing animals and abundant bird life. The varied landscapes within the park are attractive and our wildlife safari by jeep or open van is an enjoyable experience even if the wildlife proves elusive.
Day 7 - Karauli:
(Driving time: approx 5 hours)
We get to explore the huge 1000-year-old Ranthambore Fort, which is the centrepiece of the park, before driving to Karauli, a remote town where we experience the 'real India'. Here we stay in Bhanwar Vilas Palace - a low pleasant building in Art Deco style with wide cool verandahs, a drawing room with authentic period furniture and great ambience. This maharaja’s palace is still run by the descendants of the original owners, who help us to feel that we are staying as honoured guests in their home rather than simply at a hotel. The dining room has a long family dining table where His Highness, Krishna Chandra Pal, often joins the guests when he is in residence. Gardens are all around and there are many mature trees and flowering bushes that attract a variety of bird life.
Day 8 - Karauli:
Karauli is a fascinating town. We walk through a traditional market to the magnificent City Palace. Built in 1635, this old palace is the private property of the royal family. Complete with painted durbar hall, myriad of terraces, balconies, pavilions and grand rooms, the City Palace is an absolute treasure trove of architecture, stone carvings, gorgeous 'jali' (stone screens) work and classic paintings. The spellbinding beauty of the hall is an experience in itself. Other attractions in the area include the famous Kaila Devi Temple and Kaila Devi Sanctuary. We stroll back to our hotel through the local bazaar, a charming market of exclusive items of handicraft, stone carvings and colourful bangles and as yet unspoilt by outside influences. The traditional craftsmen here actually make the bangles and wooden toys and they make for great souvenirs as you often buy them from the artisans themselves.
Day 9 - Bharatpur - Agra:
(Driving time: approx 5 hours)
On our drive from Jaipur to Agra, we stop en route at Bharatpur to visit Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Even non-ornithologists will enjoy this beautiful and peaceful park, which is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world. October to February is the best time to visit this sanctuary as there are many migratory birds to be seen, with some coming from as far away as Siberia or China. There is also a large population of resident waterbirds, as well as deer and snakes. The park is closed to motorised vehicles and is best explored on foot, by bicycle or cycle rickshaw, or by boat, depending on the season. We then make another stop before arriving in Agra. 35 kilometres to the southwest of Agra is the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri - a complex of forts, palaces and mosques built in sandstone. It served as Akbar's capital for only a short period of 12 years before the capital was abandoned, apparently due to a lack of water supply. Today Fatehpur Sikri is a ghost city, its architecture is in a perfect state of preservation and, wandering through the palaces, it is easy to imagine that this was once a royal residence and a dynamic cultural centre. The white marble Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti, Akbar's spiritual adviser, is now observed as a Muslim pilgrimage spot. Our final destination for the day is Agra - home of the Taj Mahal.
Day 10 - Agra - overnight train:
(Train journey: approx 13 hours)
The Taj Mahal is one of the most fascinating and beautiful monuments of the world. Built in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb and memorial for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it is a spellbinding sight that never disappoints. No picture or description of this magnificent white marble mausoleum can ever do it justice, and it is worth spending many hours in the gardens that surround the building, to see it from different angles and in different lights. About 20,000 workers were employed in its construction and it was completed after some 20 years. So perfect are the proportions of the Taj and so exquisite its workmanship that this is really one of the world's most marvellous buildings. Later there is free time during which you can visit the impressive Red Fort. Located alongside the Yamuna River, there are fantastic views of the Taj Mahal from here. The Red Fort was the capital of the Mughal Empire and thus of India during the 16th and 17th centuries. In the evening we take the overnight sleeper train to Varanasi.
Day 11 - Varanasi:
We arrive in Varanasi early in the morning and transfer to our hotel, a smart little establishment in the leafy Cantonment area just north of Varanasi's railway station. Also known as Benares, Varanasi is an unforgettable place and possibly the oldest city in the world, occupying an especially holy place on the banks of the Ganges Rive. All Hindus should come here at least once in their lifetime to bathe in the river. Watching the religious rituals (best at sunrise and sunset) and everyday life of this chaotic, crowded, but most fascinating of Indian cities, is a unique and profound experience. This afternoon we make an excursion to Sarnath, where Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon, 2,500 years ago, As such Buddhist pilgrims also flock to Varanasi to visit one of Buddhism’s most important sites just 10 kilometres away from Varanasi. There are extensive ruins of Buddhist temples and stupas, set in a serene deer park, and the Archaeological Museum is worth a visit to view unique Buddhist masterpieces.
Day 12 - Varanasi:
The principal attraction of Varanasi is the long string of bathing ghats, which line the west bank of the Ganges River. Ghats are the steps which lead down to the river from which pilgrims make their sins by taking a cleansing dip in the holy river and also spots on which bodies are cremated. We enjoy a boat ride on the Ganges at dawn when it is full of pilgrims; this is sure to be an amazing experience. Afterwards we take a short walk through the city before returning to the hotel for breakfast, followed by free time.
Day 13 - Varanasi - overnight train:
(Train journey: approx 12 hours)
We have a free day to further explore Varanasi. Wandering around the bazaars of Varanasi is a great experience. We will see many shops offering beautiful brocades in silk and gold or silver threads. The city is also famous for exquisite lengths of handloom silk. In the evening we transfer to Varanasi Railway Station to board our air-conditioned sleeper train back to Delhi.
Day 14 - Delhi:
On arrival in Delhi we are transferred to our hotel and have the rest of our day free. There is plenty to see in India's capital. Humayun's Tomb and Safdarjang's Tomb are other great examples of Mughal architecture and design. The narrow streets of Old Delhi are worth exploring, with the highlights being Red Fort and the impressive Jama Masjid (Great Mosque). Hauz Khas Village is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown - a chic artistic enclave set right next to the remnants of a historical site. We then have the chance to head out to one of Delhi's great restaurants for a final group dinner (optional) to commemorate the end of our tour.
Day 15 - Delhi:
Your trip ends in Delhi this morning after breakfast. Check out time is usually around 12 noon. If your flight leaves in the evening you may wish to book additional accommodation so you have a room until departure. Most flights leave Delhi in the evening and your leader will be on hand to assist with transfers to the airport. These are not included, but can be booked through us or your travel agent.