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Splendours of India Tour – ISIT10
Check out the alleyways and street food of Old Delhi on this Splendours of India tour itinerary. Feel the magic of the Taj Mahal and the bazaars of Jaipur. Search for the tigers of Ranthambhore National Park on game drives. Witness the display of devotion in the holy city of Varanasi along The Ganges River, one of the oldest living cities in the world.
Itinerary
Day 1 Delhi
Arrive in Delhi where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The narrow alleys of Old Delhi hold secrets of the Mughal rule. The wide avenues and imperial buildings of New Delhi are reminiscent of The British Raj. Delhi is an ancient city which has risen from a combination of eight settlements and where every crumbling wall has a story to tell. Iti has been considered forever the seat of power, from the past to the present.
Accommodations: The Oberoi New Delhi, Premier Plus Room
Day 2 Delhi
Commence on a private tour of the city. Start with Humayun’s Tomb, the first garden tomb in the Indian subcontinent and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tomb is a complex of buildings built as the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s tomb.
Carry on past Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House), the official residence of the President of India. Next is India Gate, a stone arch of triumph bearing the names of 85,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the campaigns of WW I and other wars.
Afternoon takes you on a rickshaw ride in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. It was once the grandest of markets in India. Even though today Chandni Chowk appears choked with congestion, it retains its historical character. Follow this with Khari Baoli spice market, operating since the 17th century. Check out the highly decorative mosque, Jama Masjid, the largest in India. The mosque accommodates 25,000 people in its courtyard.
Carry on to sample some street food. Savouring the flavours of the streets is best done in Delhi, the home of street food. Leave room for High Tea in the Dharampura Haveli, an historic building.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations: The Oberoi New Delhi, Premier Plus Room
Day 3 Agra
Start off on a 3 hour road trip to Agra. Your luxurious hotel is located 600 meters from the Taj Mahal. The city flourished under the patronage of the emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Thus, it attracted artisans from Persia and central Asia. Agra is where Emperor Shah Jahan engraved his immortal love for his Empress in marble, the Taj Mahal. Agra is still famous for handicraft products such as inlay work on marble, carpets, jewellery, zari and embroidery work.
During the afternoon proceed on a guided tour to Agra Fort. This fort, in red sandstone, was renovated and converted into a palace during Shah Jahan’s time. It has been reworked extensively with marble and pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl Mosque, the Diwan-e-Am and Diwan-e-Khas (halls of public and private audience), Jehangir’s Palace, Khaas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (mirrored palace), and Musamman Burj.
Visit the famous Taj Mahal for sunset. It is said to be one of the most elegant and harmonious buildings in the world. The Taj Mahal is the manifestation of the wealth and luxury of Mughal art as seen in its architecture, garden design, painting, and calligraphy.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations: The Oberoi Amarvilas, Premier Room
Day 4 Ranthambhore
Wake up with a sunrise visit to Taj Mahal for stunning photo opportunities. Continue with drive to Ranthampbhore. Upon arrival, check in to Sujan Sher Bagh, a pioneering tented camp of 12 luxurious tents nestling on the borders of the world–renowned park.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodations: Sujan Sherbagh Ranthambhore, Tented suite
Day 5 Ranthambhore National Park
Embark on morning and afternoon game drives in an exclusive jeep with a naturalist. Drives are in open 4×4 jeeps. One of India’s most popular nature reserves, Ranthambore National Park is known for its small population of tigers. Ranthambore also boasts a healthy population of spotted chital deer, nilgai, jackal, jungle cats, sambar, chinkara gazelle and wild pigs, as well as the slightly rarer sloth bear. Although they are shy and tend to stick to the higher, more inaccessible areas, the park is also home to a sizeable number of leopard. More than 300 bird species are found in the reserve, ranging from crested serpent eagles to paradise flycatchers, peacocks and painted storks.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodations: Sujan Sherbagh Ranthambhore, Tented suite
Day 6 Jaipur
Depart for Jaipur, the famous walled city. Founded in 1728 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, Jaipur is where modernity and tradition exist side by side. The city, vibrant with colors, houses the City Palace, an astronomical observatory and a bustling bazaar where artisans fashion puppets, silver jewellery, lac bangles and other handicrafts in their workshops.
Your hotel offers its guests a taste of royal living, a luxury and extravagance that was once the sole preserve of kings.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations: Taj Rambagh Palace
Day 7 Jaipur
The morning is kept for a guided visit of stunning Amber Fort. It was known as the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted to present day Jaipur. Its unique artistic style blend both Hindu and Muslim elements. It is ornate and the artistic mastery is breathtaking. (We suggest you do not use the elephants that are present at the Palace to ferry tourists from the bottom of the hill up to the Palace as there is concern for the welfare of these animals).
Continue your India tour itinerary visiting City Palace, a wonderful combination of Mughal and Rajput forms of architecture. City Palace is now partly a museum, giving invaluable insight into Jaipur’s royal past. The palace houses miniature paintings, manuscripts, Mughal carpets, musical instruments, royal costumes and weapons. Some of the instruments at the astronomical observatory are still used today to forecast the weather and the turns of nature. Stop for a photo of Hawa Mahal, or The Palace of Winds, the focal point of the city of Jaipur. It is a five story pink sandstone façade of the palace, built for the ladies of the harem by Sawai Pratap Singh.
In the evening, absorb new sights on a walking tour. Observe local artisans or sample culinary delights on Ghee Walon ka Rasta, a street dedicated to finding the best food! Sample a large variety of Indian savoury snacks including samosa, kachories and pakoras. For those with a sweeter tooth, try the ladoos.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations: Taj Rambagh Palace
Day 8 Varanasi
An early morning departure with transfer to Jaipur Airport for flight to Delhi with connecting flight to Varanasi. Upon arrival at Varanasi, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Originally built by the East India Company, the hotel has hosted royalty, statesmen and celebrities since 1835. It is on the banks of the river Ganges. The afternoon is at leisure for independent activities.
This evening you will be treated to a visit to the famous ghats of The Ganges for a sunset boat cruise. The magical sight of thousands of tiny candlelit lamps made of leaves and marigolds being set afloat are part of the Ganga aarti ceremony. Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities and the most important spiritually. Varanasi’s unique culture associates with the river Ganges, where life and death intermingle. The living flock the ghats, praying with the belief that bathing in the waters of the sacred river will result in the remission of their sins. The ashes of the dead are scattered in the water to break the cycle of reincarnation.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations: Taj Nadesar Palace
Day 9 Varanasi
Take in a sunrise yoga session before watching the early morning sights of the busy Ghats again by boat. Return to hotel for a breakfast, before continuing on to visit Sarnath. This is where Gautam Buddha is believed to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. It is situated about 10 km from Varanasi. The site houses a number of Stupas, excavated ruins of monasteries and the Ashoka pillar with the four sided lion’s head which is also the national emblem of India. The museum has a rich collection of sculptures comprising numerous Buddha and Bodhisattva images, considered amongst the finest specimens of Buddhist art.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations: Taj Nadesar Palace
Day 10 Delhi Departure
The morning is leisure time to explore the local markets of Varanasi, famous world over for their silk sari, before departure to the airport. Hop on your flight to Delhi, departing at 1510 hrs and arriving 1635 hrs. Please allow enough time for transit to connect to your international flight back home. If needed, you will have the use of a Superior Garden View Room at the Trident Hotel until it is time for your departure. Finally, this is the end of your Splendours of India Tour.
Meals included: Breakfast