North India 14 Days Exploration Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi, airport to hotel transfer included After arriving in India’s capital city, a staff member will be present to meet and greet you, before escorting you to your hotel. After settling in, we’ll run through what you can expect over the next few days, before arranging a time to collect you tomorrow. OVERNIGHT: Delhi hotel EXTRAS: Single room supplement (INSGRE), Extra day in Delhi - pre-tour Day 2: Exploring Delhi and an overnight train ride to Udaipur Our morning starts with a city tour of New Delhi, India’s capital, located on the banks of the Yamuna River. From the back of a vehicle, we’ll visit India Gate, a towering 42-metre Archway which shares a resemblance to France’s Arc de Triomphe. New Delhi is also the seat of India’s government and we’ll drive past the President’s Palace and the Parliament of India, before passing Humayun’s Tomb and the Bangla Sahab Gurudwara Sikh Temple. We’ll then head to Connaught Place Station to board a train to Old Delhi, where we’ll explore is bustling markets and bazaars, such as the Chandni Chowk and the Chawri Bazar, well known for its unique copper, paper and brass products. This afternoon, we’ll be treated to some of India’s finest street food cuisine, trying all the unique snacks and delicacies on offer, before we hop into a rickshaw to explore the old city a little more. A visit to one of the largest mosques in India - the Jama Masjid - is also on the cards. Tonight, we head to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper train to Udaipur. You'll see a lot of busy Delhi life through the windows as the train makes its way out of the city this evening. OVERNIGHT: Sleeper train MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: Delhi to Udaipur flight upgrade Day 3: Exploring Udaipur’s Temples Once we arrive in beautiful Udaipur, we’ll stop for breakfast before being transported to the Nagda - the early Mewar capital - well known for an unusual temple that dates back to the 10th century. Built to commemorate Lord Vishnu, the temple is built in two structures, one by a mother-in-law and one by a daughter-in-law. Our next temple visit is at Eklingi, which houses over 100 temples and is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims, but very few tourists visit here. Eklingji is one of Rajasthan’s most well-known temples, with the main temple built in dedication to Lord Shiva and holds a striking four faced idol of Eklingji (Lord Shiva) made in black marble. The Shivlinga (phallic form of Lord Shiva) is here garlanded by a silver snake and is also given great attention. We head back to Udaipur for lunch at the Jodhpur Mishthan Bhandar in Udaipur's city centre, where we’ll have the opportunity to try some unique Indian delicacies such as Mirchi wada, Kachori, Samosa, Pakodi, Khaman (Gujarati food) and more. We have the rest of the afternoon is free to relax or explore Udaipur independently. OVERNIGHT: Udaipur hotel MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch Day 4 : Venturing further into Udaipur We’ll explore Udaipur a little more today, with our first stop at the 400-year old City Palace located over Lake Pichola. The palace itself is made up of a host of pavilions, terraces, courtyards and hanging gardens. Next on the agenda is a visit to the manicured Saheliyon Ki Bari Gardens before we hop on a boat to Jagmandir Island to explore a palace built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620. At its entrance, you'll be met by massive stone elephants and the island has an ornate 17th-century tower, the Gol Mahal, carved from bluestone. We’ll stop to explore the Jagdish Temple, situated outside of the Royal Palace, before going on a walking tour through the Old City. Tonight we’ll visit Bagore Ki Haveli, an ancient palace that has been converted into a museum on the waterfront of Lake Pichola, to watch a traditional dancing and puppet show. OVERNIGHT Udaipur hotel MEALS Breakfast Day 5: Onwards to Jodhpur We’ll visit Jodhpur today, the second largest city in Rajasthan. On our way there, we’ll visit the Chaturmukha Jain Temple, famous for its white marble architecture. The Temple is the largest and most significant temple of the Jain religion and was built in the 15th century in dedication to the first Tirthankara of Jainism - Lord Adinath. We'll take an audio tour here, and also look out of the large population of monkeys that make the temple their home. OVERNIGHT Jodhpur hotel MEALS Breakfast Day 6: Exploring Jodphur on foot We’ll start our day with a visit to the one of India’s largest forts - the Mehrangarh Fort - which towers over the city. We’ll also make our way to the Jaswant Thada, a milky-white marble cenotaph created in 1899 by Maharaja Sardar Singh to commemorate his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. We’ll also visit the architecturally beautiful Lord Krishna Temple, meet the priest and his family before heading to Ram Rasoda - a community kitchen which has been operating for hundreds of years. Today we’ll also explore the ancient Temple of Jetha Bera, the 6th century old Toor ji ka Jhalra step well which is shaped like an inverted pyramid. Our walking tour also takes us through Jodhpur’s narrow winding streets and blue painted buildings, before visiting some of its markets around the clock tower. We’ll taste some unique sweets such as Gulab jamun - a milk based sweet and Mawa Kachori - which is a fried puffed pastry stuffed with sweetened and flavoured khoya. OVERNIGHT: Jodhpur hotel MEALS: Breakfast Day 7: Pushkar’s Lake and Temples We’ll head out on a morning drive to Pushkwar, one of India’s oldest towns, situated on the edge of the Thar Desert. It’s also one of the Hindu religion's five most sacred pilgrimage sites. The scene is set around Pushkar Lake, its waters are thought to be holy. In fact, there are 52 stone staircases which pilgrims use to bathe. Pushkar is also famous for its huge camel fair which takes place in October or November every year and one of our departure dates is timed to ensure we visit during the peak of the fair. We’ll get here at lunch time and we’ll have some time time to settle in at our accommodation before heading out to the Pushkar Lake and its temples - most notably the 14th-century Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, dedicated to the god of creation and its surroundings. If there’s time, we have an option of walking up to the Savriti Temple at sunset, which provides you with spectacular views of the lake and valley below. If you don’t feel like walking, take the cable car to the top. OVERNIGHT Pushkar hotel MEALS Breakfast Day 8: Goodbye Pushkar, Hello Jaipur You can choose to start your day with a sunrise walk up to the Savriti Temple and watch how it awakens the town. After exploring Pushkar, we’ll make our way to Rajasthan’s capital city of Jaipur, and on our way there, we’ll stop to visit the Amber Fort - an ancient fortress built on a hill in the 16th century, with its towering walls creating a resemblance to the Great Wall of China. OVERNIGHT: Jaipur hotel MEALS: Breakfast Day 9: A sightseeing tour of Jaipur You have an option to embark on a hot air balloon ride this morning, soaring over Jaipur’s magnificent palaces and forts as you take in the beauty of the Pink City from above. If you decided not to, your day starts with a sightseeing tour of the city. You’ll visit India’s largest astronomical observatory known as the Jantar Mantar Monument, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II between 1724 and 1730. You’ll also make your way to the City Palace created between 1729-1732 AD, which was once the seats of the King of Jaipur and the leader of the renowned Kachwaha Rajput clan. After lunch, you’ll head to Jaipur’s famous craft markets, where you can see craftsmen such as jewellers, silversmiths, textile workshops and bangle makers producing some of the most unique creations. You’ll also have the chance to browse the fruit, vegetable and spice markets here OVERNIGHT: Jaipur hotel MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: Hot air balloon in Jaipur Day 10 : Visiting the ancient village of Tordi Your day starts with a visit to the rural Rajasthan village of Tordi, which was founded in the 16th century by Th. Akhey Singh, a descendant of Khangar Singh who overthrew the regional chief and built a hilltop fortress. All that remains today are ruins, however, the family still lives in the palace and in a fort on the plains below. You’ll be accommodated in a wing of the palace which has been created for guests. After settling in, your afternoon begins with a walk through the village, visiting a temple, a school and a potter’s house, before chatting to some of the locals to find out more about their way of life. You have a few optional activities available to you today, such as camel cart riding, a jeep safari to a 300-year-old-stepwell, visiting a shepherds village and watching the sun go down at the Tordi Sagar Dam. You can also hike to the 400-year-old Tordi Fort for drinks and snacks at sunset or try some horse-riding or henna hand art. OVERNIGHT: Tordi Garh hotel MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 11 : The world's largest stepwell & birdwatching in the Keoladeo Ghana National Park Today we’ll head to Bharatpur to explore the wildlife-rich Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a birdwatcher’s paradise. On our way there, we’ll stop at the largest step well in the world: the Abhaneri step well which boasts 3500 steps and is 13 stories deep. You’ll have a chance to settle in at your accommodation before we head out once more, this time on a guided cycle rickshaw ride through Keoladeo, which is home to over 360 species of birds. Keoladeo, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is strategically located on the Central Asian migratory flyway and is an important destination for wintering water birds, most notably the endangered Siberian crane and its huge heronry which in good years can host more than 20,000 nesting birds of various species. You won’t just find birds here though, other wildlife that you can see include wild boar, black buck, sambar, chital, mongoose, porcupine, several different wild cats, and some huge pythons. OVERNIGHT: Bharatpur hotel MEALS: Breakfast Day 12 : A first view of the manificent Taj Mahal. Optional activities available Say goodbye to Keoladeo as we make our way to the city of Agra, which is home to India’s most popular tourist attraction - the towering Taj Mahal. You’ll have time to settle in at your hotel before heading out on a Mughal Heritage Walk, which was designed by a local NGO to create more jobs and better infrastructure of the local community. The walk takes you through the ancient village of Kachhpura and surrounding farmland on the banks of the Yamuna River, giving you spectacular views of the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. One of the locals will also give you a tour of the village, showing you their agricultural techniques, how they cook and their unique architecture and places of worship. You’ll also be introduced to the local cottage industry for leather shoe making which helps Agra export shoes all over the world. You’ll then explore the Mehtab Bagh Park which is one of 11 parks built by Emperor Babur on the east banks of the Yamuna River, but as the sun goes down this afternoon, you’ll be treated to the mesmerising views of the Taj Mahal at sunset - something that cannot be missed. Tonight, you have an option to join a local Hindu family for a vegetarian cooking lesson and a tasty meal before settling in for the night. OVERNIGHT: Agra hotel MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: Cook with a Hindu family in Agra Day 13 : A Taj Mahal sunrise and a multimedia water show We start today early for our tour of the Taj Mahal. Truly one of the wonders of the world this elaborate monument to love was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and took over twenty-two years to complete. Sunrise is a great time to visit as the light changes gradually with the colours of the Taj changing too. After breakfast, we visit Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a huge complex with a fascinating history, being the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. After lunch, we'll drive to Delhi, and on arrival visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham New Delhi, a Hindu mandir and a spiritual-cultural campus, home to millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture and architecture. It's one of India's most popular tourist attractions, in fact, it's estimated that it draws in 70% of all visitors who explore Delhi. We’ll be mesmerized by the Sahaj Anand water show - a multimedia water exhibition, which makes use of multicoloured lasers, under-water flames, video projection, water jets combine to provide a captivating experience which tells the story of Kena Upanishad - a Vedic Sanskrit text. OVERNIGHT: Agra hotel MEALS: Breakfast Day 14: Bon Voyage! Airport transfer included You have some free time to buy any gifts for your loved ones back home before we transfer you to the airport to catch your flight back home. OVERNIGHT: N/A MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: Goa beach extension, Ranthambore National Park Safari, Spinmonkey cycling tour, Salam Balak Trust walk