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.

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.

Afternoon 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.

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.

In time assisted departure transfer to the railway station to board Shatabdi Express for Jhansi. On arrival, assistance at the railway station and drive to Khajuraho enroute visiting Orchha.

Orchha’s grandeur has been captured in stone, frozen in time, a rich legacy of the ages. For this medieval city, the hand of time has rested and the palaces and the temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th 17th century retain much of their pristine perfection. Jehangir Mahal, a tiered palace crowned by graceful Chhatries commands a spectacular view of soaring temple spires and cenotaphs.

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

In the temple architecture of India, the Khajuraho complex remains unique. One thousand years ago, under the generous and artistic patronage of the Chandela Rajput kings of Central India, 85 temples, magnificent in form and richly carved, came up on one site, near the village of Khajuraho. The amazingly short span of 100 years, from 950 AD – 1050 AD, saw the completion of all the temples, in an inspired burst of creativity. Today, of the original 85, only 22 have survived the ravages of time; these remain as a collective paean to life, to joy and to creativity; to the ultimate fusion of man with his creator.

Overnight at hotel.

Morning visit of eastern and western group of temples.

The Eastern Group of temples including the Ghantai Temple, Vamana Temple dedicated to the “Vamana” or dwarf incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the Javari Temple. There are also three Jain Temples with beautiful carvings and non-erotic sculptures. Although these are Jain temples, they also contain numerous Vaishnav deities.

The Western Group of temples, the most important temple being the Kandariya Mahadeo Temple-dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the largest and most typical of the Khajuraho temples. Visit the Chaunsat Yogini Jain Temple -dedicated to the 64 “Yoginis” or attendants of Goddess Kali. This temple stands apart from the rest. Also see the Chitragupta or Bharatji Temple with a lovely sculpture of Lord Vishnu in his 11-headed form. The sculptures that adorn the temples, carved in stone depict gods, goddesses and amorous couples.

Overnight at hotel.

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

Meeting, assistance on arrival at the airport & transfer to hotel. 

Known to the devout as `Kashi’, is said to have been founded by Shiva, Lord of the Universe. One of the oldest living cities in the world, as also one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India, Varanasi is a major tourist attraction. Situated on the banks of the sacred Ganges, the city has been a centre of learning and civilization for over 2000 years.

Evening tour to downtown area in a rickshaw. Experience Varanasi intimately when you go on a leisurely rickshaw, ride through the narrow streets and alleys of Varanasi. In the evening the Ghats and temples are lit with oil-lamp lights or candles. Participate in an Aarti Ceremony (collective prayer) and watch the floating Diyas (lamps) on the river Ganges.

Overnight at hotel.

Early morning boat cruise on river Ganges. The western banks of Ganges has a string of Ghats – the chain of stone steps, all built with pavilions, palaces and terraces, most of which are mainly used as Dharamsalas where the pilgrims stay during their visit to the holy city. At dawn, the Ghats are abuzz with activity of the devotees performing their ablutions in the river or offering prayers to the rising sun and performing other religious rituals. A boat ride along the Ghats gives you vantage views of this activity. The sunrise on the Ganges is a soul-lifting experience.

Return back to hotel for Breakfast. Later tour to Sarnath, 10-Kms away from Varanasi is the fabled place, which bears testimony to its great past where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon to his disciples, expounding the principles of Buddhism. The remains date back to as far as the3rd-Century BC when Emperor Ashoka founded various institutions, stupas, monasteries and pillar Edicts. Visit the art collection at the Archaeological Museum. The main attraction is the superb Capital from Ashokan Pillar – the Ashokan symbol of four back-to-back Lions which has been adopted as the state symbol Independent India. Also visit the Mahabodhi’ Buddha temple and walk around the Deer Park. Later see the Monastery ruins area, Dhameka Stupa.

Overnight at hotel.

In time assisted departure transfer to the airport to connect flight for Delhi. On arrival assistance at airport and transfer to 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)

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

(No accommodation envisaged in Delhi on this day)