Morning sightseeing of Old Delhi. Drive past the magnificent Red Fort, – a marvel in red sandstone, built on the banks of River Yamuna by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Visit Jama Masjid – The largest mosque in India. A cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, once an imperial avenue of Mughal Royalty which today is the busiest commercial area of the city. Also visit Gandhi Museum (closed on Mondays).

Afternoon sightseeing of New Delhi: Visit the 12th century Qutab Minar, gracefully hand-carved for its entire height of 234ft, and the iron pillar, which has withstood the ravages of time and not rusted even after 1500 years, the mausoleum of emperor Humayun. Drive past India Gate (memorial to the Indian army soldiers who died in the World War I) the Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly the viceroy’s residence) and the Parliament House.

Overnight at hotel.

In time assisted departure transfer to the airport to connect flight for Udaipur.

On arrival, assistance at the airport and transfer to hotel.

Lies in the Girwa valley amidst the Aravali hills of south Rajasthan. It is considered a romantic city – with its lakes, gardens, temples and palaces – an Oasis in the Thar Desert. The old city is a traditionally planned fortified walled city, a maze of narrow winding lanes flanked by houses with doorways decorated with Mewar folk art, windows with stained glass or jali screens, massive havelis with large inner courtyards and shops. The legendary Ranas who ruled, traced their ancestry to the Sun Dynasty.

Overnight at hotel.

Morning city tour visiting the City Palace built on the bank of the Pichola Lake, by Maharana Udai Singh in 1570. The impressive complex of several palaces is a blend of Rajput and Mughul influences. Half of it is still occupied by the Royal family, and part converted into a museum. The Jagdish Temple (1651) was built by Maharana Jagat Singh. A fine example of the Nagara style of temple architecture. A brass Garuda stands outside and stone elephants flank the entrance steps. Inside is a black stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe.  Sahelion-ki- Bari an ornamental pleasure garden specially made for the ladies of the palace in the 18th century. It has beautiful fountains, trees and flowers.

Afternoon boat ride on Lake Pichola on seat sharing basis.

Overnight at hotel.

Morning drive to Jodhpur enroute visiting Ranakpur. Ranakpur, situated in the lovely valley of the Aravali, built in the 15th century. Its surroundings are peaceful and picturesque. The main temple in the complex is the Chaumukha (four-faced) temple, built in 1439. Its 29 halls are supported by 1444 pillars, no two of which are alike. Visit the Surya temple and other Jain temples a little distance away.

Post visit continue drive to Jodhpur. On arrival check in at hotel.

Is at the edge of the Thar Desert and is the largest city in Rajasthan after Jaipur. Among Rajasthan’s many princely settlements, Jodhpur is one of the most distinctive. This five-hundred-year-old settlement was the headquarters of the Rathore Rajput’s’ celebrations for their tales of daring. Jodhpur is known for its impressive, fortified bastions, especially those of Mehrangarh which have been witness to many battles and were associated closely with the history of the region. The years of peace that followed resulted in the building of palaces that were laid on open grounds and spread out in an elaborate European manner.

Overnight at hotel.

Morning city tour of Jodhpur visiting the impressive Mehrangarh Fort on a 37 m low sandstone hill built by Rao Jodha in 1459. From the top of the fort one can get a bird’s eye view of the old city. You will notice the predominance of blue houses referred to as Brahmin houses – the colour being associated with the high caste. Proceed to the Jaswant Thada, an imposing marble cenotaph built in 1899 for Maharajah Jaswant Singh II, and smaller memorials to other Maharajahs of Jodhpur. At the end of the tour enjoy a short walk through the local and vibrant bazaar of Jodhpur. Also visit Umaid Bhawan Palace Musuem.

Evening visit clock Tower market followed by a `tuk-tuk’ ride though the local markets. Jodhpur is famous for all cotton `durees’ (rugs).  Stop by Rawat Sweets a local shop famous for `lassi’ (butter milk) & `payaz ki kachauri’ (big nugget, deep fried & filled with finely cut onions & spices & herbs).

Overnight at hotel.

Morning drive to Jaipur enroute visiting Pushkar. On arrival check in at hotel. 

Was built in the 18^th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II. It is a planned city built with ancient Hindu rules as the colonial capital of a richly colourful state. It was made attractive with the pink wash – a traditional colour of welcome in 1853 in honour of the visit of Prince Albert.

Overnight at hotel.

Morning Amber Fort with jeep ride. Amber is a classic, romantic Rajasthani fort Palace. The rugged, time-ravaged walls of the Fort may not look beautiful from the outside, but the interior is a virtual paradise. Miniatures painted on the walls depict hunting and war scenes, apart from festivals. Precious stones and mirrors are embedded into the plaster. Inside the Fort visit the Jag Mandir or the Hall of Victory. Inside the Jag Mandir is the famed Sheesh Mahal – a room with all the four walls and ceiling completely embedded with glittering mirror pieces, which were specially imported from Belgium during that period. En route to Amber Fort, you will have a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal – the Palace of Winds.

Afternoon city tour begins with a visit 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. The royal families of Jaipur once used most of these weapons. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, which is the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world. Situated near the gate of the city palace, the observatory has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working conditions.

Evening attend an `aarti’ (prayer ritual ceremony) at Birla Mandir (modern Hindu temple).

Overnight at hotel.

Morning drive to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpursikri.

The ‘ghost’ yet the City of Victory or Fatehpur (victory) Sikri (city), as it translates to in Persian, sounds paradoxical now.  Approximately 30 miles west of Agra, Fatehpursikri was built by Emperor, Akbar between 1571 and 1573 AD but was later abandoned. The reasons of abandonment of this once & till today a beautiful capital city are many & debatable by the modern-day historians. One school of them believes the hostile neighbourhood kingdoms of the Jaats & their impending threat of running over the city made Emperor Akbar give up on this city. The other school of scholars discount this theory & conclude water scarcity being the one single reason for the Emperor to move out & re-designate Agra at the capital. In the modern day, Fatehpur Sikri features in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites & is a fine living example of an amalgamation of various architectures’ style.

Post visit continue drive to Agra.

It was the Taj Mahal which ultimately put Agra, its hometown on the global map.  It is an epitome of Mughal architecture of the 16^th & 17 centuries of the then capital of the Mughal dynasty of India. Agra holds a special significance for the Mughals in the many of the firsts: Emperor Barber, the founder of the dynasty laid out the first formal Persian gardens on the banks of the river Yamuna.  Down the lineage the 3^rd Emperor & grandson of the founder Barber, Emperor Akbar, conceptualized & laid the foundation of the gigantic Red Fort. His successors Emperors Jahangir & Shah Jahan took the construction further adding the rose-red palaces, courts and gardens, the marble mosques, palaces and pavilions for the public & private audiences.

Sunset visit of Taj Mahal – the world-famous Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan in 1560 in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. The architecture marvel is perfectly proportioned masterpiece fashioned from white marble that stand testimony to the skill of 20,000 craftsmen brought together from Persia, Turkey, France and Italy and who took 17 years to complete this ‘Love poem in Marble’.

Overnight at hotel.

Morning visit the Agra 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. The lofty battlements of the Agra Fort cast its protective shadow over the far stretching mansions of nobles and princes built along the riverfront.

Post visit drive to Delhi. On arrival check in at hotel.

Overnight at hotel.

Day at leisure.

OPTIONAL: Morning visit Akshardham temple (closed on Mondays), Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Lotus temple (closed on Mondays).

Later intime assisted departure transfer to the airport to connect flight for onwards journey.

(No accommodation envisaged in Delhi on this day)

In time assisted departure transfer to the international airport to connect flight for onwards journey.

(No accommodation envisaged in Delhi on this day)