Duration: 22 nights/23 days
Places to Visit: Delhi - Jim Corbett Park - Jaipur - Ranthambhore - Bharatpur - Agra - Khajuraho - Bandhavgarh - Katni - Varanasi - Kathmandu - Chitwan - Delhi
Day 1: Arrive Delhi Day 2: Delhi Full day tour of Delhi.
The city is lushed with a plethora of temples, forts, mosques as well as parks, gardens and beautiful colonial mansions. Delhi may seem daunting to a first time visitor but as a national capital and the gateway to the North, it is a must visit city on any travelers itinerary. Impressive museums and interesting nightlife, Delhi has a lot to offer for everyone.
Day 3: Delhi - Jim Corbett Park A drive to the blissful land of the tigers at the Jim Corbett park is always an experience to remember.
Developed and nurtured by Late Jim Corbett, the former hunting ground of the British, the Jim Corbett National Park was set up in 1936. Initially named as the Hailey National Park, the park was renamed as Jim Corbett National Park and became one of the tiger reserves in the country in 1973 with the launch of the Project Tiger scheme. This 201 square miles park is known for the large population of tigers, leopards and elephants. The national park is home to the most precious wildlife in India and the diverse species of flora and fauna accommodating around 110 tree species, 50 mammal species, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species.
The first ever National Park in India and Asia is also known for its breathtaking landscapes and the thick cover of Sal forests surrounding the park. The Corbett National Park is spread in two districts of Uttaranchal - Nainital and Pauri - in north India. Along with the adjoined Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve Forest Areas, the Corbett Tiger Reserve covers an area of over 1288 sq. km. Occupying the position between the Himalayas and the Terai regions, Corbett presents a variety of landscapes - gentle and rugged, plain and mountainous, wet and dry, forests and grasslands - making up an ideal habitat for the numerous plant and animal species. The Corbett National Park is widely known for the Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Elephant and the 600 species of avifauna Corbett is one of the richest bird regions of India.
Day 4: Jim Corbett Park Morning and Evening Safari.
Day 5: Jim Corbett Park Morning and Evening Safari.
Day 6: Jim Corbett Park - Delhi On day 6 we take a drive back to Delhi from Jim Corbett park.
Day 7: Delhi - Jaipur Drive Delhi to Jaipur.Morning drive to Jaipur. Check-in at the hotel. Afternoon visit the Maharaja's City Palace (Museum) & Jantar Mantar (the observatory), Albert Hall Museum, Ram Niwas Gardens; drive past Hawa Mahal/the Palace of Winds & through the pink rose residential/business areas of Jaipur,the Amber fort. Overnight in Jaipur.
Day 8: Jaipur - Ranthambore Drive Jaipur to Ranthambhore, check in at Tiger Den Resort, Evening Safari at the reserve.
Day 9: Ranthambhore Morning and Evening Safari.
Day 10: Ranthambhore - Bharatpur Drive Ranthambhore to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
Day 11: Bharatpur - Agra Drive Bharatpur to Agra, en route visit Fatehpur Sikri.
Day 12: Agra Full day tour of Agra and the Wonder “Taj mahal”.
The origin of the name the "Taj Mahal" is yet not known. It is generally believed that "Taj Mahal" (in simple terms either "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace") is an abbreviated version of the empress name, Mumtaz Mahal (Exalted One of the Palace). It is also said that after the construction of the monument the hand and legs of the craftsmen were amputated so as to make them immobile and incapable to make the conception of another Taj Mahal possible in the world. The one and only reality that rules and remains unchanged is the immortal existence of the eternal love between Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jehan even after their demise many centuries before.
Day 13: Agra - Khajuraho Fly from Agra to Khajuraho, evening Son et Lumiere show at the city of temples, visit to Temples.
Situated in the heart of Central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is a fascinating village with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural heritage. The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love to the world represent the expression of a highly matured civilization. It is one of the top tourist places of India. An Airport has been built in this small village. Tourists with fat pockets but less time can fly Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Delhi in a day! There are a lot of hotels in the area to stay. Foreigners run a few. The shops in Khujaraho sell a lot of handicrafts and some of them are really good and reasonably priced.
Day 14: Khajuraho - Bandhavgarh Drive Khajuraho to Bandhavgarh, check in at Tiger Den Resort.
This is a small National Park; compact, yet full of game. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. This is also White Tiger country. Bandhavgarh is densely populated with species: the great gaur, or Indian bison, Sambar, Barking deer and Nilgai are to be seen in the more open areas of the park.
Covering 448 sq. km, Bandhavgarh is situated in Shahdol district among the outlying hills of Vindhya range.The terrain is of great rocky hills rising sharply from the swampy and densely-forested valley bottoms. The finest of these hills is Bandhavgarh, sided with great cliffs and eroded rocks and on its highest point stands Bandhavgarh fort, thought to be some 2,000 years old.
Day 15: Bandhavgarh Morning and Evening Safari in Bandhavgarh.
Day 16: Bandhavgarh Morning and Evening Safari in Bandhavgarh.
Day 17: Bandhavgarh - Katni - Varanasi From bandhavgarh the visitors drive to Katni and board Train to Varanasi.
Almost 3000 years old, Varanasi (also popularly known as Benaras or Kashi) is one of the oldest living cities in the world and the ultimate pilgrimage center for Hindus, who believe that those who are fortunate to die here attain salvation instantly. Much renowned as a seat of learning for ages, people who wish to learn Hindi or Sanskrit or even Hindu philosophy in its purest form throng to Varanasi in search of the most knowledgeable teacher. Besides the galaxy of thousands of schools and colleges, there are numerous Brahmins who take it upon themselves to keep up the traditions and serve as the spiritual teacher for the people and Banaras Hindu University has carved out a name for itself, when it comes to most productive institution, which has the distinction of producing students who tuned out to be the best in their respective field ever since it was formed. However, its knowledge and enlightenment doesn't stop to mere books and religion. Arts and crafts including production of silks and brocades done in gold and silver threads and music and dance can never be said to have lacked behind.
Day 18: Varanasi - Kathmandu Fly Varanasi to Kathmandu the capital of Nepal.
The magic begins already when you commence your descent into Tribhuvan Airport at Kathmandu. The spectacular views of the Annapurnas and the Himalayas are your first welcome to the Kingdom of Nepal.
Here in Nepal the rivers are holy and the mountains are gods. Kathmandu, the capital, lies in the valley known as "the Valley of the Gods". Here are situated no less than seven World Heritage Sites; Kumari, the Virgin Goddess, Swayambhu Stupa, Bodnath Bouddha Stupa, Pashupatinath, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur and the Durbar Square of Kathmandu itself.
Day 19: Kathmandu Full day tour Kathmandu.
Day 20: Chitwan Fly to Chitwan National Park.
Royal Chitwan National Park (‘Chitwan’ means "in the heart of the jungle’) covers 932 sq. km. in the flat lowland region of southern Nepal. It is one of the most important sub-tropical parks on the Indian subcontinent with populations of the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, Greater One-horned rhinoceros, Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica), Wild Asian elephant, Gaur, Golden Monitor lizard, Gharial crocodile and many more.
The Chitwan region has had a long history of conservation. For many years it was the Royal hunting grounds for the Kings and dignitaries of Nepal and therefore was not hunted by the general public. It did however become a favorite spot for big game safari hunters in the late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth centuries. This was coupled with a surge in local human populations following the development of anti-malaria medicines in the mid-twentieth century. The long-term effect was a drastic decrease in jungle habitat and animal populations in the Chitwan valley as jungles were converted to farmland and big game were hunted and poached to dangerously low numbers. The falling rhino (less than 200) and tiger (less than 30) populations in the present park region, focused attention on the Chitwan region and in 1963 the southern two-thirds of the park were declared rhino sanctuary. With sanctuary status came the relocation of 22,000 people from the Chitwan valley and a moratorium on hunting. Since 1963 wildlife populations and ecosystems have been rebounding. In 1973 Chitwan became Nepal’s first National Park. The relatively pristine state of the modern park and its unique ecosystems prompted UNESCO to declare the park a World Heritage site in 1984.
Day 21: Chitwan Morning and Evening Safari.
Day 22: Kathmandu - Delhi Fly to Delhi via Kathmandu.
Day 23: Delhi Fly out of Delhi by an international flight.
