Architecture & Museum Tour of India
Duration: 19
Nights / 20 Days
Destinations:
Delhi - Khajuraho - Agra - Jaipur - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Aurangabad - Mumbai
- Madurai - Chettinad - Tanjore - Trichy - Madras
Day
01: Delhi Arrive at Delhi where you would be met and escorted to
the hotel. In the afternoon you will be taken to National Museum where you
will see the finest collection of Indian antiquities and artifacts. Tonight
you will be hosted a welcome dinner when you will also be familiarized with
the tour.
Day 02: Delhi Delhi with its Old and
New parts - each with its specific charm and glory - makes a very
interesting city for its sustenance to medieval and modern cultures at the
same time and space. Today, you will explore the capital of India in a
full-day tour - including buildings of early Turkish structure to Mughal
buildings to Lutyen's Delhi.
Day 03: Khajuraho
This morning you will take a flight to Khajuraho.
Khajuraho: In
the afternoon you will explore the little town known the world-over for its
Nagara style of temple architecture and erotic sculpture.
Overnight will be at Khajuraho.
Day 04: Agra Your
day starts in the morning when you will be driven to Jhansi railway station
for your train to Agra. En route to Khajuraho you will visit sleepy medieval
town of Orchha which is littered with medieval Bundelkhand buildings bearing
fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture.
You will arrive in
Agra in the evening and retire for the day.
Day 05: Agra
Today you will do sight-seeing tour of Agra. In the first half of the day
you will visit Sikandara and the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah or the 'Baby Taj'.
In the afternoon you will visit Agra Fort and will end the tour with a visit
to the Taj Mahal at sunset. Agra buildings are some of the first examples of
extensive marble usage in Indian building style.
Day 06: Jaipur After a leisurely morning you drive to Jaipur - en
route visit Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly preserved Mughal city built at the
height of the empire's splendor. You will arrive in Jaipur in the noon and
will be at leisure for the rest of the day.
Day 07: Jaipur
In the morning, you visit the Amber Fort - one of the most fascinating of
Indian forts. You will reach the fort majestically atop an elephant; once
inside the fort, you visit the Palace of Mirrors, Hall of Public Audience
and the beautifully manicured gardens.
Afternoon you will spend
exploring the Jantar Mantar (astrological observatory), the Hawa Mahal (the
Palace of Winds), the City Palace and the museum.
Day 08:
Jodhpur Proceed to Jodhpur.
Set at the edge of the
Thar Desert, the imperial city of Jodhpur echoes with tales of antiquity in
the emptiness of the desert. Once the capital of the Marwar state, it was
founded in 1459 AD by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs who
claimed to be descendants of Rama - the epic hero of the Ramayana. The
massive 15th century AD Mehrangarh Fort looms on the top of a rocky hill,
soaring 125 Mts. Above the plains. The city is encompassed by a high wall
-10 km long with 8 gates and innumerable bastions.
Overnight
will be at Jodhpur.
Day 09: Jodhpur This morning you explore the magnificent Mehrangarh
Fort-Museum, one of the largest in India, unsurpassed in beauty and grandeur
- and a perfect example of desert variant of Rajput architecture. The tour
of the fort will be followed by a visit to the old town where you walk
through the market getting a feel of the town.
Early in the
evening you will be taken on a short safari to immaculately kept villages of
Bishnoi tribals who are known for their belief in the sanctity of plant and
animal life. A variety of deer roaming freely is the attraction of these
villages.
Day 10: Udaipur Today, you drive to
Udaipur.
En route you will visit Ranakpur - the largest and most
beautifully preserved Jain Temples in India. After visiting Ranakpur you
will proceed to see the fort of Kumbhalgarh. If Ranakpur is beauty and
grace, Kumbhalgarh is all about power.
You will arrive in Udaipur
late in the afternoon. The rest of the day will be at leisure.
Day 11: Udaipur The day begins with a visit to the City
Palace, which is largest in Rajasthan. You will also see lovely medieval
Jagdish Temple and Sahelion-Ki-Bari or the "Gardens of the Maids of
Honour". The tour of Udaipur will end with a lunch at the beautiful
Gallery Restaurant at Fateh Prakash Palace.
The day will end with
a relaxing boat ride on Lake Pichola. From the lake you will get unmatched
views of the gardens surrounding the fascinating Lake Palace Hotel and the
two islands in the lake.
Day 12: Aurangabad Today, you will be escorted to the airport for
your flight to Bombay where you will arrive to connect to your flight for
Aurangabad (Depending on the flight timings you will be given a brief tour
of the commercial capital of India). You will arrive Aurangabad late in the
evening and check into the hotel to retire for the day.
Day
13: Aurangabad Today you will explore the caves of Ajanta which
offer a rich tapestry of images that speak of palaces, royalty, cultures and
tales of everyday life of ancient India. Long buried in the debris of time,
these 30 caves were built to offer seclusion to the Buddhist monks, who
lived, taught and performed rituals.
Day 14: Mumbai
This morning you will be taken to explore Ellora caves. Carved between
fourth and fifth century, the rock temples and monasteries of Ellora
represent the three major faiths of India - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Like Ajanta, Ellora caves too are a fine example of cave temples with almost
34 caves with intricate interiors and ornamental facades.
Later
in the evening you will take your flight for Bombay where you spend the
night before starting your tour of South India.
Day 15: Madurai Continuing your tour to South India you will fly in
the morning to Madurai where you arrive before noon. All activity in Madurai
is centered round Sri Meenakshi Temple in the heart of the told town. A
riotously baroque example of Dravidian architecture, you visit the temple in
the afternoon.
Day 16: Chettinad After a leisurely
start today you drive to Chettinad which is known for its artistic houses.
Spend the afternoon exploring the palace and around for its
unique architecture. Overnight will be at Madurai.
Day 17:
Tanjore / Trichy This morning you will drive to Tanjore. Also
called a city of temples, Tanjore is dotted with no fewer than 74 temples -
the most famous of which is the Brihadeshwara temple. You visit this
fascinating temple and the Thanjavur Palace before continuing your drive to
Trichy.
The town of Trichy is another small place of South India
which is littered with innumerable evidence of the region's excellence in
art and architecture.
In the evening you explore the city
including spectacular Rock Fort Temple.
Day 18: Madras
This morning you take a train ride to Madras - your last destination of the
tour. Madras is a fascinating city with its ancient temples and unique
culture, golden sandy beaches and a marvelous tradition of music and dance.
You explore this lovely city in the afternoon, immediately after arriving at
the station. After the short city tour you will check into your hotel which
is a beach hotel outside Madras city.
Day 19: Madras
Today will be spent in visiting two of the finest examples of ancient South
Indian architecture - Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram.
Day 20:
Madras The day will be spent in leisure. In the evening you will be
hosted a farewell dinner before being escorted to the domestic terminal for
flight to Delhi for return.
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