Forts and Palaces Tour

After breakfast, visit Red Fort (from Outside) – the 17th-century imposing fortress, the Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque), India’s largest mosque where more than 20,000 people can kneel in prayer and Raj Ghat –Mahatma Gandhi’s Memorial. In the afternoon, explore New Delhi. You will drive past President’s Palace and India Gate (42m high), built to commemorate the 70,000 Indian soldiers who died in the 1st world war. Later visit Humayun’s Tomb, and the Qutub Minar, the highest sands stone minaret in the world (73 meters).

Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Agra. En-route visit Sikandra, 9 kilometres before Agra, the mausoleum of the great Mughal King Akbar (1556-1605).

Proceed to the hotel on arrival in Agra. Check-in at the hotel.

Agra stands on the right bank of the river Yamuna, and was once the seat of the Mughal rulers, the zenith of art and an enshrined romance. The town is famous for its beautiful medieval monuments. The passion of the Mughals for building endowed it with some of the loveliest buildings in the world.

In the afternoon, visit the world-famous monument of India, the Taj Mahal (1631-1653), a poem in white marble, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. It employed 20,000 workers from Central Asia and Europe for 22 years to construct this extravagant monument of love, inlaying the white marble edifice with precious and semi-precious stones.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, visit Agra Fort (Fort and Palace) situated on the west bank of the river Jamuna, made by the Mughal King Akbar in the 16th century and completed by his grandson Shah Jahan, who was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb for 8 years in this fort, before his death. The fort is crescent-shaped and the perimeter is 2.4 km long.

After sightseeing at Agra Fort, drive to Jaipur. On the way, visit Fatehpur Sikri. 40 km (1 hour) from Agra, lies the beautiful and deserted medieval city built by Akbar the Great in the 16th century to serve as the capital of his vast empire. It was mysteriously abandoned 13 years later. Today, it is perfectly preserved as a ghost city built at the height of the empire's splendour.

Later, drive to Jaipur. After arrival, check-in to the hotel. Jaipur was built in the 18th 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 of Rajasthan. It was made attractive with the pink wash - a traditional colour of welcome in 1853 in honour of the visit of Prince Albert.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, a half-day excursion trip takes you to Amber Fort. En route, make a photo stop at the palace of winds the,Hawa Mahal. A 5 stored building with a 25cm thick facade from the 18 century having 953 windows and niches so that ladies of the royal family could see the procession and events in the city without being visible to the people. Proceed to the Amber City Fort situated 130m high with the Aravalli hills around and 11 km north of Jaipur. It was the ancient capital of the Kachhawaha Rajputs till 1037. Enjoy an Elephant ride to the top of the fort.

In the afternoon, visit the "Pink City" of Jaipur. The City Palace occupies the centre of Jaipur. It now houses the Royal residence and museums with collections of textiles and costumes, armoury, manuscripts, paintings, etc.

Also, visit Jantar Mantar (1728-34) by king astrologer Jai Singh II. The instruments are built of stone with marble facing on the important plains for measuring the harmony of the heavens. Each instrument serves a particular function and each gives an accurate reading.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

After an early breakfast, head for a 7 hour drive through the barren and desert landscapes of India's desert country to Bikaner in the middle of Rajasthan's Thar Desert. Bikaner was founded by Rao Bika in 1488. It is an oasis town among scrub and sand dunes. The walled city retains a medieval air and sandstone architecture.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, tour of Bikaner takes you to visit the Junagarh Fort which is an unusual fort, because other major forts of Rajasthan were built on hilltops, but this fort is built on the desert plain, surrounded by a moat.

Later, proceed to the Camel Breeding Farm, 9 km southeast of Bikaner. It claims to be the only one in Asia. A great sight in the afternoon, to see hundreds of camels as they return from grazing. The British army had a camel corps drawn from Bikaner during.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, leave for Jaisalmer. It will be a full day’s drive westwards to Jaisalmer through the Thar Desert. The drive passes by dry vegetation, with villages of colourfully dressed people, plenty of camels and camel carts, sheep and goats.

Before you arrive in Jaisalmer, which would be late evening, on the way from a distance, you can experience the unique view of the Jaisalmer Fort and the beautiful city Jaisalmer. Upon arrival, check-in to the hotel.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Jaisalmer, across the hot barren desert, is magical as the city shimmers like a mirage. The golden sandstone town, its walls and narrow streets lined with exquisitely carved buildings, through which camel carts trudge leisurely, has an extraordinarily medieval feel with Jaisalmer Fort's incredible atmosphere. The fort is perched on a hilltop and houses the Jain temple building, and beautifully decorated merchants' havelis are scattered through the town.

The havelis (mansions of the rich merchants) have beautifully carved facades, Jali screens and oriel windows overhanging the streets below. Visit Salim Singh Haveli (17 century), which is especially attractive for peacock brackets. Nathmal Haveli (1885) was built for the prime minister. Patwon Haveli (1805) is a group of five, built for five brothers and possibly the finest in town. They have fine murals and carved pillars. A profusion of balconies covers the front wall.

In the afternoon, enjoy a camel ride near the dunes and at the backdrop of scintillating sunset.

Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Jodhpur. Jodhpur the second largest city of Rajasthan, once the capital of Marwar, sprawls around the massively impressive cliff-top Meherangarh Fort. Upon arrival, check-in to the hotel.

Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, leave for sightseeing of Jodhpur. Visit the impressive Mehrangarh Fort on a 37 m low sandstone hill built by Rao JodhaJaswant Thada 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.

After sightseeing, drive to a small village Rohit with the fort from the 16thcentury in the middle of the Thar Desert. You will be the guest of the Thakurs in his fort styled small castle in which during the 16Th Century lived Champavat Clan of the Rathore-Rajput. A family member will show you the village so that you could see the century-old traditional handicraft work.

Late in the afternoon, enjoy Jeep safari to the village to see the typical village life.

Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Udaipur. En-route visit Ranakpur, the wonderful 3 temples of the Jain sect dating back to the 14th/15th century. The unforgettable main temple is dedicated to Adinatha, the first Tirthankar (1439) built-in marble that took 65 years to complete. It is one of the five holy Jain pilgrimage centres and has one of the best temple complexes. One can enjoy a good lunch (on direct payment) amid the 19th-century walled orchard the Maharani Bagh Orchard belonging to the Royal family. The orchard is full of bougainvillea and fruit trees predominantly mangoes.

A beautiful two hours’ drive will bring you to Udaipur. Upon arrival, check-in to the hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight at the hotel.

The city of Udaipur 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, it is 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.

After breakfast, visit 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 partly converted into a museum. The Jagdish Temple – (1651) was built by Maharana Jagat Singh, is 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. Visit 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.

In the afternoon. Take a boat ride on the Pichola Lake.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Mumbai. After arrival, transfer to hotel.

Mumbai is India's cosmopolitan city, an ancient port and a trading centre. This palm-fringed shore of the Arabian Sea Gateway of India was the British Empire's entrance to its `Crown Jewel'. Mumbai is also the centre of Hindi films. It is called Bollywood, with a credit of almost 900 films a year.

In the afternoon a, head for a short tour of the Mumbai city, rich blend of East and West. The tour includes the 26 meters high British-built Arch "Gateway of India", Mumbai's landmark built to honour the visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Marine Drive, dubbed as the Queen's Necklace, is Mumbai's most popular promenades and a favourite sunset watching spot. The Kamla Nehru Park from where you have a picturesque view of the city, Hanging Gardens are so named since they are located on top of a series of tanks that supply water to Mumbai. Pass by the `towers of silence' the crematorium of the Parsis. Also, visit Mani Bhawan, a private house where Mahatma Gandhi used to stay when he visited Mumbai. It is now a museum and research library with 20,000 volumes.

After sightseeing, drive to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Early morning transfer to the airport to board the flight back home.