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DAY
01 : ARRIVE DELHI
Arrive Delhi in the evening. Upon arrival,
you shall met & assisted with your baggages at the airport by
our executive and transferred to your prebooked Hotel.
DAY
02 : DELHI
After breakfast, full day city tour of Delhi : India’s capital
& a major gateway to the country, contemporary Delhi is a bustling
metropolis which successfully combines in its fold the ancient &
the modern. Its strategic location was one of the prime reasons
why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power. New Delhi
also reflects the legacy the British left behind . The division
between New & Old Delhi is the distinction between the capitals
of the British & the Moghuls respectively. So, wherever the
visitor goes, he will invariably confront the citys’ past.
Visit Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan,
the construction was started in 1844 and was not completed until
1658; drive past Red Fort, which was also built by Shah Jehan. This
massive fort was built from 1638 to 1648; Chandni Chowk and Rajghat
- the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. Visit Humayuns Tomb
: built in mid 16th century this is an early example of Mughal architecture;
Qutab Minar, drive past India Gate, President House, Connaught Place.
The tour ends with a visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple.
DAY
03 : DELHI - JAIPUR (260 KMS. 04-05 HRS. DRIVE)
Early Morning, transfer to Amritsar railway station to board Shatabdi
Express, scheduled to depart at 0510 hrs. Arrive New Delhi at 1110
hrs. and drive to Jaipur - The
Pink City : Jaipur needed a fresh coat of paint to welcome
its distinguished guest the Prince of Wales in 1905-6. The contractor
inability to supply any other color in the required quantity compelled
the choice of pink shade for its walls. A contractor’s compulsion
famed Jaipur to Pink city. Since then the PINK color is associated
with hospitality in Rajput culture.
The capital city of the state of Rajasthan
owes its name, its foundation and planning to the great warrior
astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. The city of Jaipur has broad avenues
& sits on a dry
lake bed in a wild and somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by barren
hills surmounted by fortresses and crenellated walls.
Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked Hotel.
DAY
04 : JAIPUR
After breakfast, excursion to Amber Fort enroute witness
the façade of Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds which
was built in 1799.
Amber Fort - The ancient capital of the state until 1727 when Jai
Singh decided to move from his hillside fortress at Amber to new
site on the plains. The construction of this fort began in 1592
by Raja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Akbar’s army. The
fort is a superb example of Rajput architecture, stunningly situated
on a hillside and overlooking a lake which reflects its terraces
and ramparts. Visit the Jagmandir or the hall of victory glittering
with mirrors, Jal Mahal & temple of Kali. Ascend on elephant
back, the hill, on which the fort is situated.
Afternoon, city tour of Jaipur. Visit the Jantar Mantar –
the observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1728 ; the City
Palace which is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture.
It also has a museum with an extensive collection of art, carpets,
paintings, enamel ware and weapons dating back to the 15th century.
DAY
05 : JAIPUR - RANTHAMBORE (180 KMS, 03-04 HRS DRIVE)
Morning, drive to Ranthambore - Located at the junction of the Aravalli
and Vindhya hill range, this is one of the finest places to view
animals, especially as they are used to being stared at here.The
park covers an area of Approximately 400 sq Km and if combined it
with the area of sawai man singh sanctuary area,
it is around 500 Sq. km. Ranthambore national park was declared
a wildlife sanctuary in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection
of "Project Tiger". It got it's status of
a National Park in 1981. Ranthambore National Park is
dotted with structures that remind you of bygone eras. There
are many water bodies located all over the park, which provide perfect
relief during the extremely hot summer months for the forest inhabitants.
A huge fort, after which the park is named, towers over the park
atop a hill. There are many ruins of bygone eras scattered all over
the jungle,
which give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history
and wildlife. Tigers at Ranthambore National park have been
known to even hunt in full view of human visitors. These tigers
are famous for being seen in the daytime too, due to their lack
of fear of human presence in vehicles. This lack of fear of humans
is excellent for tourists, as they get to see the tigers often.
This National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream.
It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities.
The park remains open every year from October to May. Famous for
the exciting and frequent tiger sightings captured dramatically
in several books, this park is today affected by ecological pressures
and poaching. In Nutshell, Ranthambore National park is a
wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream.
DAY
06 : RANTHAMBORE
Morning and afternoon, Jungle Safari to witness the wild
life. The Park contains a huge variety of animals, birds and
reptiles within it. Primarily the population consists of... Animals
: Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai,
Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals,
Sloth bears, Black bucks, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara,
Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats,
Fivestriped Palm Squirels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying
Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian
Porcupines, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose,
Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose. The amphibian species
only consist of the Common India Toad and the Common Frog. The park
is most famous for it's diurnal tigers. The park also has
a large number of marsh crocs Reptiles: Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles,
Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common
Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian
Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers
and the Indian Chamaeleon.
DAY
07 : RANTHAMBORE - BHARATPUR (TRAIN, JAN SHATABDI EXPRESS : 0710 - 0925 HRS)
BHARATPUR - FATEHPUR SIKRI
- AGRA (55 KMS)
Morning, transfer to Sawai Madhopur
railway station to board train for Bharatpur. Arrive Bharatpur Station
at 0925 hrs., proceed
to - the world over renowned Keoladeo Ghana National Park or-as
many people prefer to call it-the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. It lies
between two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur. This
north Indian sanctuary is situated in the country's northwestern
state of Rajasthan, about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi.
Bharatpur hosts a variety of bird species from across the globe.
Close to 380 species of birds are found in this 29
sq km stretch, approximately 10 sq km of which comprises of marshes
and bogs. Rest of the area comprises of scrublands, grasslands and
more than 44,000 trees that are used for nesting by birds each year.
This rather intriguing blend of marshes, woodland and flora found
here represents and, at the same time, substantiates the density
and diversity of the region's forest cover.
Continue drive to Agra, enroute visit the abandoned Mughal city
of Fatehpur Sikri : 37 kms before Agra, built predominantly
in Red Sandstone by Emperor Akbar in 1569, was the old capital of
the Mughals, which was abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity
of water. Witness the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid,
Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal & other Palaces which are
still preserved in its original glory. Arrive Agra in the
evening and checkin at prebooked Hotel for overnight stay.
DAY
08 : AGRA - DELHI
(210 KMS. 04-05 HRS DRIVE)
At Sunrise, visit the highlight of the tour - The Taj Mahal
- Epitome of Love, One of the Seven Wonders of the World - was built
by Shah Jahan (King of the World) for his beloved Begum Mumtaz Mahal
(the exalted of the Palace). Work on the mausoleum began in
1633 and 20,000 workers laboured for 17 years to build it. The most
skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers
and masons came from all across Indian and lands as distant as Persia
and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdab, an expert in building
the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi.
The marble, India's finest was quarried at Makrana near Jodhpur,
Jasper from Punjab, the garnets from Bundelkhand, 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. Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting-place was ornamented
like a queen’s jewel-box. NOTE : TAJ MAHAL CLOSED
ON FRIDAYS
Visit Red fort, Built principally as a military establishment
by Akbar in 1565, the red sandstone Agra fort was partially converted
into a palace during Shah Jahan's time. Though the principal structure
was built by Akbar, many more additions were made by his grandsons.
This massive fort is 2.5 kms long and is considered as the predecessor
of the Delhi Red fort. The maze of courtyards, mosques, palaces,
gardens, halls of private & public audience of
the fort echo the story of the Mughal Empire.
Itmad-ud-daulah, which was constructed by Nur Jahan between
1622 and 1628 and is very similar to the tomb she constructed for
her husband, Jehangir, near Lahore in Pakistan.
Afternoon, leave for Delhi enroute visit Sikandra - Four
kilometers from Agra is the mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Akbar. This
structure is a perfect blend of Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist,
Jain motifs. The tomb has three-storey-minarets on its four corners.
These minarets are built in red sandstone with stunning inlay work
of marble.
Continue drive to Delhi. Arrive Delhi and check-in at prebooked
Hotel.
DAY
09 : DEPART DELHI
Transfer to the airport to board your flight for onward destination.
The
above tour programme can be modified as per your requirements.
For any modification, please fill in the form below or mail
us
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