Best
of North India Tour
Places to Visit: Delhi
– Mandawa- Bikaner – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Udaipur –
Jaipur – Agra – Khajuraho – Varanasi – Delhi
Duration:
19 nights/ 21 Days
Day 01: Departure for Delhi Fly
from USA to India
Day 02: Arrival at Delhi Company representatives
will receive you on arrival at the international airport in Delhi late in the
evening. Transfer to hotel for overnight stay. DELHI, the capital of kingdoms
and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past
and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient
land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.
Day 03: Delhi
After
breakfast, full day city tour of old & modern capital of India. Visit Jama
Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan, the construction was
started in 1844 and was not completed until 1658 ; visit Red Fort ( from out side
only, as it is not permitted to visit from inside due to security reason ), which
was also built by Shah Jehan. This massive fort was built from 1638 to 1648 ;
Chandni Chowk and Rajghat - the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. Witness the
India Gate, the Presidents House & the Parliament. Visit Humayun's Tomb :
built in mid 16th century this is an early example of Mughal architecture; Qutab
Minar. The tour ends with a visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir).
Dinner & overnight stay at hotel.
Day 04: Delhi – Mandawa
( Shekhawati) Breakfast at hotel.
Drive to Mandawa ( Alsisar ), lunch
n the way . On arrival, check in at hotel . late afternoon visit the havelis around
this area . overnight stay at hotel.
Shekhawati : - This is a semi
desert region in north Rajasthan and it is situated entirely in the triangle between
Delhi-Bikaner-Jaipur. Shekhawati is a region and not just a town or fort; it takes
its name after its ruler Rao Shekha. Shekhawati means the garden of Shekha. The
towns of Shekhawati are eminent for their amazing painted havelis. Such is the
appeal of the havelis that this region is dubbed as "open art gallery of
Rajasthan". The plethora of painted Havelis in rich artistic tradition makes
it commendable and fascinating.
Most of the buildings are dated from 18th
century to early 20th century.
Day 05: Mandawa – Gajner ( Bikaner
) Breakfast at hotel
Drive to Bikaner. On the way visit Fathepur and
see some wonderful Fresco example at here.
Arrive Bikaner.
BIKANER
- The royal fortified city with a timeless appeal. Lying in the north of the
Desert State, the city is dotted with many sand dunes. Bikaner retains the medieval
splendor that pervades the city's lifestyle. More popularly called the camel country,
the city is renowned for the best riding camels in the world. The ship of the
desert is an inseparable part of life here. Be it pulling heavy carts, transporting
grains or working on wells, camels are the prime helpers. The wells of Bikaner
- an important source of water are other attractions of the city. These are built
on high plinths with slender minareted towers on each of the Four Corners and
can be noticed even from a distance.
After lunch proceed for sightseeing
tour of Bikaner. Visit Junagarh Fort. Continue drive to Gajner. A place just 19
KMS from the City … with Beautiful Palace beside the Lake , A place that
one can’t forget in his life after visited once !!!! On arrival check in
at hotel, see the Palace building which is itself a sight seeing. Entire area
is quite big , you might need to use Cycle to cover the whole area !!!!! overnight
stay at Gajner
Day 06: Bikaner – Jaisalmer Breakfast
at hotel.
Drive
to Jaisalmer. Lunch at Midway at Pokran.
Rising from the heart of the Thar
Desert like a golden mirage is the city of Jaisalmer. A commanding fort etched
in yellow sandstone stands, with its awesome splendor, dominating the amber-hued
city. The city has an interesting legend associated with it, according to which,
Lord Krishna-the head of the Yadav Clan, foretold Arjuna that a remote descendent
of the Yadav Clan would build his kingdom atop the Trikuta Hill. His prophecy
was fulfilled in 1156 AD when Rawal Jaisal, a descendent of the Yadav Clan and
a Bhatti Rajput, abandoned his fort at Lodurva and founded a new capital -Jaisalmer,
perched on the Trikuta Hill. On arrival, check in at hotel . If time permits ,
can visit the “Vays Chatri”
Overnight stay at Jaisalmer.
Day 07 : Jaisalmer After a relaxed breakfast proceed for full
day sightseeing tour of The Golden City - Jaisalmer. It is in the heart of the
Great Indian Desert. Its temple, fort and palaces are all built of yellow stone.
The city is a mass of intricately carved buildings, facades and elaborate balconies.
Visit the JAISALMER FORT - The oldest living Fort in the world. (This is the highlight
of the tour) See the Patwon-Ki-Havelies, Salim-Singh-Ki-Haveli and Gandhi Sagar
Tank. Also visit Barabagh Hill. In the afternoon, proceed to the SAM SAND DUNES
for visiting the typical Rajasthani Desert Village. View the sunset from the dunes,
as the sky is set on fire ( A camel ride will be provided ) . Dinner will be arrange
by us in the middle of the Thar Desert , with live music & dance perform by
local musician . Return to hotel.
Overnight stay at Jaisalmer.
Day 08: Jaisalmer - Jodhpur Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Jodhpur .
On arrival , Check in & lunch at hotel. Set at the edge of the Thar Desert,
the imperial city of Jodhpur echoes with tales of antiquity in the emptiness of
the desert. Once the capital of the Marwar state, it was founded in 1459 AD by
Rao Jodhachief of the Rathore clan of Rajput who claimed to be descendants of
Rama - the epic hero of the Ramayana. The massive 15th century AD Mehrangarh Fort
looms on the top of a rocky hill, soaring 125 Mts. Above the plains. A high wall
-10 km long with 8 gates and innumerable bastions encompasses the
city.
After Lunch proceed on sightseeing of Jodhpur- gateway to the desert beyond,
home of the Rathors of Marwar, visit the Mehrangarh Fort, rising up a hilly scarp,
built on the advice of a hermit, overlooking the city in the image of a long sentinel.
Inside the Fort are a number of palaces added by successive rulers. In this palace
you would see different miniature paintings & cradle room. After this you
would visit Jaswant Thada Memorial.
Dinner & overnight stay at hotel.
Day 09 : Jodhpur – Udaipur Breakfast at hotel, Drive to Udaipur
Via Ranakpur
Visit the world famous Jain temple of Ranakpur. n the AD 1439.
After
lunch Continue drive to Udaipur. Arrive Udaipur by late afternoon, Check Inn at
hotel. Overnight at Udaipur.
UDAIPUR : One of the most romantic cities
in Rajasthan, Udaipur is also known as the city of lakes. The marble palaces,
beautifully laid out gardens and the lakes make Udaipur seem almost like a mirage
in the desert. The founder of Udaipur, Maharana Udai Singh, was overcome by the
misfortunes that his old capital of Chittaurgarh had to face due to repeated attacks
by the Mughal armies. On the advice of a holy man, Udai Singh shifted his capital
to the banks of Lake Pichola- the city was named Udaipur after him.
Day
10: Udaipur Breakfast at Hotel . Morning visit the City Palace, Jagdish
Temple, drive around Sahelion ki Bari (queen's resort for her friends), Fateh
sagar Lake and. Afternoon Boat ride at Lake Pichola and visit “Jag Mandir”
.
Evening free at leisure. Overnight in stay at Udaipur.
Day
11: Udaipur – Jaipur (By Flight) Breakfast at hotel. Departure transfer
to Domestic airport to fly Jaipur.
Flight No : 9W 373 ( Jet airways )
Departure at Udaipur :07:40 AM
Arrival at Jaipur : 08 : 25 AM
On arrival
at Jaipur , our representative will take you to hotel, Check Inn .
JAIPUR
- The origins of the beautiful city of Jaipur can be traced back to the eighteenth
century, during the reign of Jai Singh II who ascended the Amber throne in 1699.
Jaipur today, epitomizes the spirit of Rajputana. In-spite of growing into a bustling
metropolis, it still retains it's character and history - A beautiful fusion of
the yesteryears and modernity. Popularly known as the Pink City because of the
extensive use of the locally abundant pink plastered stone, painted so in honor
of the visit of the royal consort of Queen Victoria. Jaipur thrills the soul with
its massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite temples and lush gardens. Afternoon
, proceed for sightseeing of the city.
CITY PALACE - A delightful
blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls
over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal,
Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR -
This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by
Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of
outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The
ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a prominent landmark
in Jaipur. Its five-storey structure of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with
fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows.
Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace
women. Visit a rug factory and see the ladies at the intricate work or a gem factory
and see the gem cutting and polishing process.
Overnight stay at Jaipur.
Day 12: Jaipur 
Breakfast
at hotel.
Proceed for excursion to Amber Fort in the outskirts of Jaipur.
Elephant ride ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is
the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man
Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. It's forbidding
exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu
styles finds it's ultimate expression. Jaipur is considered as a shoppers paradise
for Textile & Jewelers. Afternoon, free time will be given for shopping .
Overnight stay at Jaipur.
Day 13: Jaipur – Agra
Breakfast at Hotel, drive to Jaipur en-route visiting Fatehpur Sikri built by
emperor Akbar in 1569 and later abandoned due to scarcity of water. Lunch on the
way. On arrival at Agra , Check inn at hotel . Overnight stay at Agra.
Day 14: Agra After breakfast the highlight of the day - The Taj Mahal
( Please note that Taj Mahal is closed on Friday), which was constructed by Shah
Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Contruction of the Taj began in 1631
and was not completed until 1653. later on proceed for remaining sight seeing
of Agra , which include, Red fort, which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565, and
additions were made up until the time of his grandson, Shah Jahan. It contains
the hall of public and private audiences amongst many other beautiful structues;
Itmad-ud-daulah, which was contructed by Nur Jahan between 1622 and 1628 and is
very similar to the tomb she constructed for her husband, Jehangir, near Lahore
in Pakistan;
Day 15: Agra – Khajuraho Early Breakfast
at Hotel. Departure Transfer to Agra Railway station to catch the train to Janshi.
Train No. : 2022 ( Satabdi express, considered to be the fastest train in
India )
Departure at Agra : 08:05 AM
Arrival at Janshi : 10:25
On
arrival at Janshi , our representative will pick you up from Railway station and
drive own to Khajuraho via Orcha . Sight seeing and lunch at Orcha.
Orcha:
Was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela Rajput chieftain Rudra Pratap.
Orcha's grandeur has been captured in stone, frozen in time; a rich legacy to
the ages. For, on this medieval city, the hand of time has rested lightly and
the palaces and temple built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries
retain much of their pristine perfection. Complementing the noble proportions
of their exteriors are interiors which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela
school of painting. In the Laxminarayan Temple, vibrant murals encompassing a
variety of religious and secular themes, bring the walls and ceiling to rich life.
Continue drive to Khajuraho , on arrival at Khajuraho check inn at hotel. Overnight
stay at Khajuraho.
Day 16: Khajuraho Breakfast at hotel, sight
seeing of Khajuraho.
Khajuraho:
The temple city of central India, is famous throughout the world for its exquisitely
carved temples in stones. Thousands of visitors and tourists from all over the
world flock together to envisage this immortal saga of Hindu art and culture engraved
in stone by shilpies (stone craftsmen) a millenia ago.
Today, apart from
the temples, Khajuraho is a small village but a thousand years ago it was a large
city of the Chandelas, medieval Rajput kings who ruled over Central India. Khajuraho
is 595 km (370 miles) south-east of Delhi and can be visited by air, rail or road.
The visitor to Khajuraho cannot but be attracted to the vivid erotic sculptures
on the temples walls. The sculptures are mithunas i.e. couple in various erotic
poses. There have been many interpretations of their existence and some have criticized
them severely. According to one authority, a man and woman in erotic
embrace
typify the ultimate union of the soul such erotic figures save the temple from
beings struck by the lightening. The reason given for this is that Indra, Lord
of rainand thunder bolt who himself is a great connoisseur of Kama, will not damage
anything pertaining to that.
Day 17: Khajuraho – Varanasi ( Flight)
Breakfast at Hotel. Later on departure transfer to Airport to fly Varanasi.
Flight No : 9W 724 ( Jet airways )
Departure at Khajuraho :13:30 PM
Arrival
at Varanasi : 14 : 10 PM
On arrival at Varanasi , our reperesentative will
take you to hotel, Check Inn . Later in the evening visit the Ganga river Ghat
to see” Arti “ Puja.
Overnight stay at Varanasi.
Day
18: Varanasi Morning boat ride tour at river Gangas, return to hotel for
breakfast. Later on Proceed for full day sight seeing and overnight stay at Varanasi.
Varanasi is an important and sacred pilgrimage center for Hindus and a major tourist
attraction. It is situated on the banks of river Ganga. The word Varanasi has
been derived from an ancient name meaning the city between two rivers - the Varuna
and Asi, which flow in the north and south of the city. Varanasi is also known
as Kashi and Benares. Varanasi, one of the ancient seats of learning in India,
is a center of learning even to this date. Glorified by myth and legend and sanctified
by religion, it has always attracted a large number of pilgrims and worshippers
from times immemorial.
Ghats: Pilgrims gather at the Ghats to have a ritual
bath and worship the rising sun. The most famous ghat is the Dasashvamedh Ghat,
others being Asi, Panchganga, Barnasangam and Manikarnika, Ghats.
Sarnath:
12 km from Varanasi lies Sarnath, where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon
and revealed the eight fold path that leads to the attainment of inner peace,and
elightenment. Vishwanath Temple: This is one of the most sacred temples in Varanasi
and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The temple has skillfully been restored as
the actual temple was destroyed by Mughuls
Day 19: Varanasi - Delhi
– Departure Breakfast at hotel , later on transfer to domestic airport
to catch the flight to Delhi.
Flight No : 9W 724 ( Jet airways )
Departure
at Varanasi :14:40 PM
Arrival at Khajuraho : 16 : 00 PM
On arrival at
Delhi Chcek inn at Hotel. Overnight stay at Delhi. After farewell dinner , departure
transfer to International Airport to fly back home.
Day 20: Delhi
– Departure Breakfast at Hotel. Full day free to explore the local
markets of Delhi .After farewell dinner , departure transfer to International
Airport to fly back home. Overnight on board.
Suggested
Hotels :- ( Few hotels are considered to be one of the best hotels in India/
Asia) but we can work out a cost for you according to your budget with different
category of Hotels.
| Place | Hotel |
Web Site |
| Delhi | The Imperial | www.theimperialindia.com |
| Mandawa | Indira Vilas | www.indravilas.com |
| Bikaner | Gajner Place | www.hrhindia.com/HRH_Properties/ghp.asp |
| Jaisalmer | Fort Rajwada | www.fortrajwada.com |
| Jodhpur | Umed Bhawan Palace | www.tajhotels.com |
| Udaipur | Lake Palace | www.tajhotels.com |
| Jaipur | Raj Vilas | www.rajvilas.com |
| Agra | Amar
Vilas | www.amarvilas.com |
| Khajuarho | Taj Chandala | www.tajhotels.com |
| Varanasi | Taj Ganges | www.tajhotels.com |
Surface Journey ( approximate time takes by Car )
| From | To | Time
Period |
| Delhi Airport | Hotel | 45 Minutes |
| Delhi | Mandawa | 6 hours |
| Mandawa | Bikaner | 4
hours |
| Bikaner | Jaisalmer | 5 hours : 30 minutes |
| Jaisalmer | Jodhpur | 6 hours |
| Jodhpur | Udaipur | 6hours
:30 minutes |
| Udaipur | Jaipur | By flight |
| Jaipur | Agra | 5 hours : 30 minutes |
| Janshi | Khajuraho | 4
hours |
| Khajuraho | Varanasi | Flight |
| Varanasi | Delhi | Flight |
