North India Heritage Tour
Duration: 10 Nights / 11 Days
Places Covered: Delhi - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Jaipur - Agra
- Varanasi - Delhi
Day 01 : Arrival at Delhi
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport
in Delhi late in the evening. Transfer to your hotel. Relax. Overnight will
be at Delhi. Delhi is just not a city but it is a book-- a book which narrates
the history of India. The city was built and destroyed seven times and has been
witness to the various events which has brought India through the history books.
Seven times this city went through the pain of being built and rebuilt. Today
as the capital of India Delhi is the seat of administration and the monuments
which tell the saga of a bygone era stand there. These icons are testimony to
the grandeur of past and also an attraction for the tourists. With an area of
1483 sq. Kms, Delhi is all set to acquire full statehood. The charm of Delhi
has attracted Emperors, Conquerors and poor in equally. It is correctly said
that Delhi is a land of 'Dilwalas' or for people with heart. This phrase acquires
a true colour when one goes around the lanes of Delhi.
Day 02 : Delhi
Breakfast will be at Delhi. Proceed for a full day tour of Old & New Delhi.
Enjoy the DANCES OF INDIA in the evening. Overnight will be at Delhi.
Day 03 : Delhi - Jodhpur
Early morning transfer for flight to Jodhpur. Reach and proceed to Jaisalmer
by surface. Reach and check in at hotel. Overnight will be at Jaisalmer.
At the edge of the Thar Desert, the imperial city of Jodhpur echoes with
tales of antiquity in the emptiness of the desert. The massive 15th century
AD Mehrangarh Fort looms on the top of a rocky hill, soaring 125 mts. above
the plains. A high wall encompasses the city -10 km long with 8 gates and
innumerable bastions. The lifestyle in Jodhpur is unusually fascinating with
people wearing lovely multi hued costumes, artistically designed. Shopping
in Jodhpur bazaars is a heady experience with a colourful display of the rich
collection of exquisite handicrafts. The tie-and-dye fabric, embroidered "jutis"
or slippers in suede, camel skin, velvet and leather, beautiful silks, durries,
marble souvenirs from Makrana, an extensive range of useful and decorative
items etc., are of interest. he Mehrangarh fort is one of the most impressive
and formidable structures. Invincible from the outside, the fort has four
gates approached by a winding road. Within the fort are some magnificent palaces
with marvelously carved panels with latticed windows These palaces house a
fabulous collection of trappings of Indian royalty including a superb collection
of palanquins, elephant howdahs, miniature paintings of various schools, musical
instruments, costumes and furniture.
Day 04 : 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. Stay overnight at Jaisalmer. Rising from
the Thar Desert like a golden mirage is the city of Jaisalmer. The Jaiselmer
fort etched in yellow sandstone stands with all its awesome splendour. The life
within the citadel conjures up images of medieval majesty visible in its narrow
lanes strewn with magnificent palaces, havelies, temples and typical desert
life of men women cattle and camels. The 80 meter high fort, perch on the hill,
houses the entire township within its ramparts. It has enchanting narrow lanes
dotted with exquisite havelis, beautifully sculptured Jain temples of the 12th-15th
century and palaces. The fort is approached through four gateways -Akhaiya Pol,
Ganesh Pol, Suraj Pol and Hava Pol. Some of the most exotic mansions or havelis,
all intricately latticed, are strewn all over Jaisalmer each with a different
facade. The Havelis of Nathmalji, Patwon and Salim Singh all in Yellow Marble
of Jaisalmer are exquisite works of art. A camel safari through the interesting
and remote desert villages of Roopsi, Doojasar, Kanoi, Kuldara and the Cenotaphs
of Barabagh can be interesting. The villages are very special, as different
communities inhabit them.
Day 05 : Jaisalmer - Jodhpur
Proceed in the morning after a leisurely breakfast and reach Jodhpur. Relax
in the hotel and visit the museum of UMAID BHAWAN PALACE. Overnight will be
at Jodhpur.
Day 06 : Jodhpur - Udaipur
Transfer to airport in the morning for flight to Udaipur. Reach and check
in at hotel. Udaipur is the jewel of MEWAR -a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia
dynasty for 1200 Years. Relax in the evening. Overnight will be at Udaipur.
Udaipur, the city of Dawn, is the Jewel of Mewar -a kingdom ruled by the
Sisodia Dynasty for 1200 years. Its kaleidoscope of fairy-tale palaces, lakes,
temples, gardens and narrow lanes strewn with stalls, carry the flavour of
a heroic past, epitomizing valour and chivalry. Their reflection of these
building in the placid waters of the Lake Pichola is an enticing sight.
Day 07 : Udaipur - Jaipur
Proceed for sightseeing tour of Udaipur after breakfast, stopping first at
City Palace. Here you will marvel at rooms with mirrored walls and ivory doors,
colored glass windows and inlaid marble balconies and the Peacock Courtyard.
Overnight will be at Jaipur.
Jaipur, the vibrant capital of Rajasthan, is popularly known as the ' Pink
City ' because of the pink-coloured buildings in its old city. It sits on
a dry lake bed in a somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by barren hills surmounted
by forts and crenellated walls. This buzzing metropolis is certainly a place
of wild contrasts and a feast for the eyes. All through, Jaipur has retained
its strong Rajputana flavour tempered by several influences - the mughal being
the most prominent. The region's strong cultural heritage is distinctly evident
even today. The city is a visitor's delight. From the intricate, delicate
looking Hawa Mahal to the graphic forms of the Jantar Mantar - an open air
observatory of outsized astronomical instruments, the Badi Chaupar lined with
shopsand business establishments on both sides to the majestic fort-palace
at Amber; from the colorful fountains of life to the sublime Birla Temple;
from the architectural delight of the City Palace to the serene Jal Mahal.
Day 08 : Jaipur
Breakfast will be at hotel. Proceed for excursion to Amber Fort in the outskirts
of Jaipur. Elephant ride ascent to the fort. 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 will be at Jaipur.
Day 09 : Jaipur - Agra
Proceed for Agra after breakfast. Reach Agra and check in at hotel. Spend the
night at Agra. Agra is famous as the home to one of the Seven Wonders of the
World -the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendor of the mausoleums, the fort
and the palaces in Agra is a vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary
Mughal Empire. Agra was their capital for nearly a hundred years from 1564.
A pleasant town, with a comparatively easy pace, Agra is known for its superb
inlay work on marble and soapstone by artisans who are hereditary craft persons.
The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather
shoes.
Day 10 : Agra - Varanasi
Proceed for sightseeing of TAJ MAHAL after breakfast. Transfer to the airport
for flight to Varanasi. Overnight will be at Varanasi.
Taj Mahal
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the
memory of his beloved consort Mumtaz Mahal. This beautiful mausoleum took
22 years to complete with a work force of 20,000 craftsmen and master builders,
who came from all over Asia to join in this great work from Baghdad, Shiraz,
Delhi, Samarkand and Turkey. The marble, India s finest; was quarried at Makrana
near Jodhpur. Precious and semi precious stones were imported from distant
lands : Jasper from Punjab, Jade & Crystal from China, Turquoise from
Tibet, Lapis from Afghanistan and Ceylon, Chrysolite from Egypt, Amethyst
from Persia, Agate from Yemen, Malachite from Russia, Diamonds from Golconda
and Mother of Pearl from the Indian Ocean. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11 : Varanasi - Delhi
Drive very early morning to The Daswamedh Ghat and take a boat ride on the sacred
river Ganges. See the cremation Ghats and witness the living traditions of one
of the world's oldest and most important religions. Transfer to airport for
flight to Delhi. Proceed for the FAREWELL DINNER before reaching the airport
for flight home with sweet memories of India. The land of Varanasi (Kashi) has
been the ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus for ages. Often referred to as
Benares, Varanasi is the oldest living city in the world. These few lines by
Mark Twain say it all: "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition,
older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together".
Hindus believe that one who is graced to die on the land of Varanasi would attain
salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth. Abode of Lord Shiva
and Parvati, the origins of Varanasi are yet unknown. Ganges in Varanasi is
believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals