Places to Visit: Delhi - Mandawa - Gajner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Luni - Udaipur - Deogarh - Khajrela - Pushkar - Jaipur - Agra - Delhi
Duration: 16 Nights/17 Days
Day 01:Abroad / Delhi Arrive late night at New Delhi International airport. On arrival the guest will be met by our representative and transferred to hotel. Upon arrival at hotel the guests will be provided with the traditional Indian welcome. Consisting of aarti-tikka and garlands.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Delhi Morning sightseeing tour of Old Delhi. This morning you will be taken to visit Old Delhi - Former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments, narrow streets and bustling bazaars.
Day 03: Delhi - Mandawa Upon arrival check in at Hotel . Late afternoon visit the Shekhawati region. Walk through the Shekhawati region, which was the stronghold of Kayamkhani Nawabs till 1730. Besides the cenotaphs, wells, forts and temples the majority of frescoes are painted on the walls and gateways of Havelis.
Day 04: Mandawa - Bikaner - Gajner Upon arrival in Bikaner lunch at one of the hotels followed by city tour.
City sightseeing tour of Bikaner, this desert town in the north of the state was founded in 1488 by Roa Bikaji, a descendant of the founder of Jodhpur, Jodhaji. Visit the Junagarh Fort constructed between 1588 and 1593 by Raja Jai Singh, a general in the Moghul Emperor Akbar's army.
Day 05 : Gajner - Jaisalmer Jaisalmer - is India's most exotic and unusual town - a medieval looking place, straight out of the 'Tales of the Arabian Nights'. This beautiful city is situated inside a huge mud fort and grew as a result of its strategic position on the trading route between India and Central Asia bringing great wealth to the city. Jaisalmer is a tiny jewel in the heart of the Thar Desert - once the capital of the Bhatti Rajputs. Jaisalmer started as an important caravan center and remnants of caravan sarais still exist.
Day 06: Jaisalmer After breakfast, visit this perfect Rajput walled desert city which is like a golden jewel shimmering above the hard sand. Visit the palaces, the Jain temples and magnificent Havelis or merchant's houses, each richly decorated and carved from golden yellow sandstone - Patwon-ki-haveli (House of the Brocade Merchants) is the largest and most elaborate of the famous havelis of Jaisalmer.
Day 07: Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Luni City tour of Jodhpur - the largest city in Rajasthan after Jaipur, Jodhpur stands at the edge of the Thar Desert. It was founded by Rao Jodha. Chief of the Rajput clan known as Rathores and the Rathore kingdom was once known as Marwar - the Land of Death. The tour includes Meherangarh Fort - one of the most impressive & formidable in the whole of fort-studded Rajasthan is situated on a high natural rock bluff and from which you can look down on the wonderful panorama of the bustling city below, Jaswant Thada - the Royal Cenotaphs. Continue drive to Luni.
Day 08 : Luni - Udaipur Early morning visit the surrounding villages and witness their daily lifestyle of living and enjoy cup of tea / coffee with them.
Day 09: Udaipur Morning, city tour of Udaipur - the romantic Lake City in Southern Rajasthan, famous for the stunning white marble Palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It was the former Palace of the Maharana and now converted to one of the most glamorous hotels in India. The tour will cover the magnificent City Palace, the Jagdish temple, the pleasure gardens and a drive around the other nearby lakes. The magnificent City Palace, which is simply enormous - an assemblance of not one but four separate palaces covering some four acres of area and exceeding all other palaces for colossal grandeur. Late afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Pichola at sunset visiting the Jagmandir Island - in the middle of the Romantic Lake Pichola.
Day 10: Udaipur - Deogarh Ranakpur temples: A visit to the famous Jain Temple, dating back to the 15th century. 200 pillars, none of which are alike, support its 29 halls. The Temple abounds with intricate friezes and sculptures. The tour also includes visits to two more Jain temples and the Temple of the Sun God with its erotic sculptures. Deogarh Mahal - built in 1670 A.D., the Mahal stands at a height of 2100 ft. above sea level with its bold battlements, domed turrets and balconies offering a commanding view of the surrounding Aravalli mountains and its rugged rock-strewn countryside dotted by a number of lakes. Overnight at hotel.
Day 11: Deogarh - Khajrela Khajrela seems to rise out of the Narwar plains like a sentinel. A sturdy fort, it is quite simple and uses very little ornamentation to break the almost forbidding exterior. The interiors too are simple and neat where the guests can look forward to genuine Rajput hospitality. In the surrounding area has several interesting temples, cenotaphs and stepwells and for the more adventurous - camels are available to explore the countryside and visit Raika and Bisnoi villages.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 : Khajrela - Pushkar After breakfast drive to Pushkar (180 kms) enroute visiting the Dargah at Ajmer. Ajmer, is the most sacred of all Muslim places of pilgrimage in India. Ajmer is a green oasis on the shore of Ana Sagar Lake, hemmed in by barren hills. Historically, Ajmer has always had great strategic importance. It was founded in 7th century by Ajaipal Chauhan. He named it Ajaimeru the 'invincible hill'. The city's Muslim history began when Prithviraj Chau-han lost Ajmer to Sultan Muhammad Ghori in 1193 A.D. The Persian saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti who came with Muhammad Ghori from Persia in 1192 settled here. Thus the place where he was buried is today known as the Dargah Sharif. Construction of the shrine was completed by Humayun and the gates were added by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Later Shah Jahan constructed a mosque of white marble, it has 11 arches and a Persian inscription running the full length of the building.
Day 13 : Pushkar - Jaipur Afternoon tour of "Pink City" - Surrounded on three sides by the rugged Aravali hills, Jaipur is the picturesque capital of Rajasthan. It takes its name from the prince, soldier and astronomer Jai Singh II who moved his capital here in 1727. Jaipur is notable for its distinctive pink-orange coloring. The whole of the old city, including many fine palaces and buildings, was constructed from solid blocks of Sandstone or faced with the same stone. But it was only in 1853 that it gained its famous title, the "Pink City"- it was painted pink for the first time in honour of a visit from Prince Albert. You will visit the Hawa Mahal and the open air Jantar Mantar Observatory enjoy a through the colorful bazaar before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 14 : Jaipur Tour of the impressive Amber Fort, situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur City. At the foot of the hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the slow but steady climb up to the main gate, making your entrance in the time honoured fashion. The Fort, completed in the early 18th century, took over 100 years to build and now, although deserted, offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the Moghul ruling families.
Day 15 : Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra Fatehpur Sikri - the impressive sandstone fortress was built in the 16th century and only occupied for a few years before being abandoned, leaving the buildings in virtually perfect conditions. Thereafter, visit the Taj Mahal, the guests will board the 'decorated tongas' (horse carriage) which will take them to Taj Mahal…… Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from it's stunning design balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen. The guests will remain till late afternoon to witness the pristine Taj Mahal at sunset, to see this true Wonder of the world in gentle late afternoon light.
Day 16 : Agra - Delhi Breakfast at hotel. Thereafter, visit the Red Fort. Red Fort- lies on the bend of the river Yamuna, almost in the heart of the town. Akbar built it as his citadel over the years 1563-73 in the finest architectural style. It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone and a moat.
Day 17 : Delhi - Abroad Depart Delhi
