Day 1 : ARRIVAL DELHI Upon your arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport, a tour representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Delhi is a bustling metropolis where the past and the present merge, both defining the capital’s cultural and architectural heritage. The remainder of the day is for you to spend at your own leisure, making the most of the services available at the hotel, exploring this exciting city, or even perhaps enjoying an optional Bollywood performance at the Kingdom of Dreams.Overnight in Delhi. Day 2 : DELHI After breakfast, go out on a sightseeing tour of Old Delhi and discover the city’s largest monument: the imposing Red Fort, built with glorious red sandstone (photo stop from outside, entrance not included). The walls of the massive Red Fort rise a daunting 33 meters above the bustle of Old Delhi as a reminder of the magnificent power of former emperors. Continue to the nearby 17th-century Jama Masjid (‘Friday Mosque’), the largest mosque in India. Also visit Raj Ghat, the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, a simple black marble platform that marks the spot of his cremation. In the afternoon, once in New Delhi, capital designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, visit the India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb built in 1565 AD by his grieving widow Haji Begum, the Qutub Minar, and Quwat-ul-Eslam (‘Light of Islam’) Mosque. Drive past the Presidential Palace and the Secretariat buildings flanked by the houses of Parliament. Late in the afternoon return to the hotel. Overnight in Delhi. Day 3 : DELHI – JAIPUR (255 km – 6 hrs)After breakfast at the hotel, depart Delhi, heading to Jaipur, or the ‘Pink City’, as it is popularly known, for its red terra-cotta-colored walls give it the “tone of an autumn sunset.” It is the second-largest city in Rajasthan and the gateway to the Thar Desert in the Marwar region. En route, make a stop to visit the Samode Palace, a splendid example of regal Indo-Saracenic architecture. Have lunch at the hotel Samode Palace before continuing your way to Jaipur, arriving late in the afternoon to check-in at the hotel. Overnight in Jaipur. Day 4 : JAIPUR After breakfast, enjoy a morning visit of the Amber Fort. This is one of the most fascinating Indian forts, comprising a palace of mirrors, a hall of a public audience and beautiful gardens, all of which give us a glimpse of the majestic life of a bygone era. After lunch, join an afternoon city tour of Jaipur. Visit the Hawa Mahal (‘Palace of Winds’), an elaborate building encrusted with delicate honeycombed screens and carved balconies from which the royal ladies, confined to their quarters, could view the world outside. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, the largest observatory made of stone and marble in the world, built in the 17th century by the founder of Jaipur who, besides being a prince, was also soldier, astronomer, and builder. Also visit Maharaja's City Palace, part of which is now a museum. A small portion is still used by the Royal Family of Jaipur. It contains a fine collection of Rajput and Moghul paintings, rare manuscripts and an armory. Late in the afternoon return to the hotel. Overnight in Jaipur. Day 5 : JAIPUR – FATEHPUR SIKRI – AGRA (235 km – 7 hrs) Begin the day with breakfast at the hotel, then drive to Agra and, en route, stop to visit the ‘Ghost City’ of Fatehpur Sikri. This monumental walled city was built by Akbar the Great, the third emperor, to be his capital, but it was abandoned within a few years of its completion due to a lack of water. Today, it is a remarkably well-preserved collection of red sandstone palaces, pavilions, and mosques. The buildings here present a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles and include the Panch Mahal, the Buland Darwaza and the Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chisti, which speak of the grandeur and splendor of the Mughals. Once the visit ends, proceed toAgra late in the afternoon. Overnight in Agra. Day 6 : AGRA After breakfast, visit the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world. It was built by Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife Mumtaz Mahal by the banks of river Yamuna. After her untimely death, Shahajahan had her mortal remains buried in this mausoleum. And following his own demise, he was placed to rest next to his beloved queen in the same mausoleum. The Taj has been called the most extravagant monument ever built for the sake of love. The great monument took almost 22 years to build and around 20,000 workers from all over the country and central Asia were recruited to translate this dream into a reality. Later visit the Agra Fort, notable for its smooth blending of Hindu and central-Asian architectural styles. The Diwan-i-Am (‘Hall of Public Audience’), the Diwan-i-Khas (‘Hall of Private Audience’), the Khas Palace, the Sheesh Mahal (‘Palace of Mirrors’), the Shahjahan’s Palace, Jahangir’s Palace, and the Akbar’s Palace are the fascinating palaces you’ll find inside the fort. Overnight in Agra. Day 7 : AGRA – JHANSI (3 hrs, by train; included) /ORCHHA – KHAJURAHO (185 km – 5.5 hrs) After an early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Railway Station to catch a connecting train to Jhansi (departure is at 8:10 am from Agra, estimated arrival to Jhansi is approx. at 10:45 am). Upon your arrival, a tour representative will meet and assist you. You then proceed by road to Ochha and join a sightseeing tour of this city, visiting the Jehangir Mahal, built in the 17th century by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo to commemorate the visit of Emperor Jehangir to Orchha. Its strong lines are counterbalanced by delicate chhatris and trellis work. The Raj Mahal has a plain exterior crowned by chhatris, but the interior has exquisite, boldly colorful murals on religious themes. The Ram Raja Temple is most unusual as it is a palace turned temple where Rama is worshipped as a Raja (‘king’). The Laxminarayan Temple is linked by a flagstone path to the Ram Raja Temple. The interiors contain the most exquisite of Orchha’s wall paintings. After the visit, proceed for Khajuraho by road. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel late in the evening. Overnight in Khajuraho. Day 8 : KHAJURAHO - ALLAHABAD (270 km - 6 hrs) Wake up to breakfast at the hotel, followed by the morning city tour of Khajuraho. Khajuraho was the capital of the Chandela kings and its temples were built in the short span of hundred years, from 950-1050 AD. Most of them were destroyed by Muslim invaders. Adorned with exquisite sculpture, only 22 temples remain of the original 85. They are the strange works of long-dead people. Khajuraho’s temples are covered with hundreds of sculptured figures - a galaxy of gods and goddesses, beasts and serpents, and a multitude of erotic couples which represent a paean to life, to love and to joy. The most famous is the Kandariya Mahadev, the Chaturbhuj, the Paraswanath, and the Ghantai- the summit of Hindu sculpture: voluptuous forms; human and divine, throbbing with life and sublime in expression. After this fulfilling city tour, you will proceed to Allahabad with an en-route visit of Chitrakoot. You cannot miss visiting the Kaushambi Monastery and the Jain Temple of Sri Digamber Jain. After the visit continue drive to Allahabad. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Allahabad. Day 9 : ALLAHABAD - VARANASI (150 km - 4 hrs) Enjoy your morning breakfast at the hotel and follow your Indian experience visiting the Sangam' (confluence) of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical river of Saraswati. After, continue to the fort of Allah, built by Akbar in 1583, the Anand Bhavan, the ancestral residence of the Nehrus, and the Hanuman Mandir, a statue of the famous god Hanuman in sleeping position. After the visit to this mythical sacred city, we continue towards Varanasi. Upon arrival check-in at the hotel and get rest for the evening tour on Ganges. Visit Mother India Temple - a unique temple dedicated to Mother India carved with a single piece of marble. The perfect map of undivided India signifies unity in diversity. From here proceed to the Ghats to witness the Aarti Ceremony (Hindu ritual /prayer of river Ganges at Sunset) on bicycle rickshaws. Passing through the crowded bazaars and galis (old part) of this ancient city, small shops illuminatedwith beautiful lights followed by a short boat ride on the Ganges observe the Aarti ceremony amidst jingling of bells, floating of diyas (traditional lamps) and chanting of mantras give an unforgettable experience indescribable in words. Later return to the hotel with Rickshaws. Overnight in Varanasi. Day 10 : VARANASI Wake up early in the morning and enjoy a boat ride through the river Ganges. The ride gives you an unforgettable experience as you see the bathing and cremation sites. The boat ride takes you till Manikarnika Ghat- the cremation ghat and back. After the boat ride, take a short (approx. 1.5 hrs) walking tour through the narrow lanes of Varanasi passing by Vishwanath temple- also called The Golden temple because of the gold-plating on its roof and Durga temple (Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple). Later, return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, the excursion to Sarnath comes after. Buddha preached his first sermon to five disciples at the Deer Park here, enshrining the principals of his teaching into laws. The Dhamek Stupa Marks the location of a once resplendent monastery. A large complex of ruined monasteries covers the area north of the stupas. Some of the buildings belong to the Kushan and Gupta periods. The first monk communities probably settled here in the 3rd century BC. Near the Dhamek Stupa is a new Monastery built by the Buddhist Mahabodhi Society. A Japanese artist depicts the major events of Buddha’s life here in wall paintings. Sarnath has an interesting Archaeological Museum, which has preserved the famous Sarnath pillar, whose capital forms India’s national emblem. Later in the evening, we will visit the ghat to attend an Aarti ceremony dedicated to the river Ganges (included). Overnight in Varanasi. Day 11 : VARANASI - DELHI (1.5 hrs, by flight; not included) After breakfast, check out from the hotel (not later than 12:00 pm) and at the appropriate time, transfer to Varanasi Airport to board your onward flight back to Delhi. Upon your arrival, there will be our tour representative waiting for you and will assist you to take your return flight to your following destination.