Enchanting North India (15 Days) 

     Your trip leader will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. Overnight at hotel

     Breakfast at hotel; then take time to relax. At noon we cross the city into the walled gates of Old Delhi, the capital of Muslim India between the 17th and 19th centuries. Our tour includes visit to the Jama Mosque (1650) and drive through the fabled area of Chandni Chowk. Then we drive past the Red Fort (1639-1648). Later visit Raj Ghat to pay homage to the Father of the Indian Nation - Mahatma Gandhi. Enjoy a welcome dinner at an authentic Indian restaurant (for group tours only). Overnight at hotel (B, D)

     After breakfast, we proceed on a guided tour of New Delhi visiting the Qutab Minar. Drive through the Embassy area, Connaught Place, the heart and main shopping district of the capital. Continue to Humayuns tomb, also known as the forerunner to the Taj Mahal. Return to the hotel or go on an optional visit to the Bangla Sahib, a magnificent and spacious bungalow in Delhi owned by Raja Jai Singh Amber (Jaipur) who commanded great respect and honor in the court of Mughal Emperor also visit Birla Mandir. Overnight at hotel (B)

     After breakfast depart for Jaipur, the capital state of Rajasthan also known as the “Pink City”. Built by the great warrior and even better astronomer, Raja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, Jaipur is full of formidable forts, enchanting palaces and lovely temples. The city was completed in eight years. Also this city is a paradise for shoppers; Jaipur offers jewelry, carpets & rugs, textiles and other good deals. Overnight at hotel. (B)

     After breakfast visit ”Amber Fort”; included is an “elephant ride/Jeep ride” (kindly note that an elephant ride is subject to availability and guests have to leave early and line up for approximately 2 hrs before. As per the new rule, each elephant can take only 2 persons at a time and each elephant is limited to 3 trips a day; there are usually 50 elephants in all). Perched on a hill 11km from Jaipur and nestling among the Aravali Hills is the historic fort-palace. Set in a picturesque background, the splendid Amber Fort (Jaigarh) was built in 1600 by Raja Man Singh, commander-in-chief of the Mughal army during Akbar’s reign and greatest general of medieval India. There is a timeless appeal to Jaipur’s colorful bazaars where one can shop for Rajasthani handlooms and trinklets (ankle bracelets).
Overnight at hotel (B)

     After breakfast, set out on a half day city tour visiting Hawa Mahal, the Observatory-Jantar Mantar and City Palace. The Hawa Mahal or “Palace of Winds” was built in 1799 to enable the ladies of the royal household to watch street processions while remaining in a strict state of purdah. Between 1727 and 1734 Maharajah Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five astronomical observatories in west central India. The observatories or “Jantar Mantars” as they are commonly known, incorporate multiple buildings of unique form, each with a specialized function for astronomical measurement. Conceived and designed by Jai Singh, the City Palace is a fine blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. Chandra Mahal is still the residence of the present royal family. Noon and evening are at leisure. Overnight at hotel. (B)

     Breakfast at hotel, then drive to Ranthambore. Upon arrival check-in at your hotel. After lunch, visit the local market or you can opt for a boat ride on Mansarovar Lake (subject to the water level of the lake). Mansarovar is a large deep lake, known for its picturesque sunsets. Return to the hotel. In the evening enjoy a slide show on wildlife in Ranthambore National Park. Dinner and overnight at hotel.(B, L, D)

     Early morning after breakfast go on a game drive to the sanctuary in jeeps. Situated in eastern Rajasthan where the Aravali Hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau meet, the Ranthambore National Park was once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The tiger is not the only attraction at Ranthambore; you could also see several varieties of birds. Other animals in the reserve include leopards, caracals, hyenas, jackals, jungle cats, marsh crocodiles, wild boars, bears and various species of deer. Lunch will be served in the hotel. After lunch, take a game drive in another part of the sanctuary. Return to the hotel and evening is at leisure.
NOTE: The coach with the luggage will depart for Bharatpur tonight. You will receive your luggage on arrival at Bharatpur railway station. Dinner & overnight at hotel. (B, L, D)

     Early morning transfer to Sawai Madhopur Railway station with packed breakfast to board the train for Bharatpur. On arrival at Bharatpur you will be met and assisted by our representative and driven to Fatehpur Sikri, the mysterious ghost city founded by the Mughal Emperor-Akbar the Great in the late 16th century and capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. After sightseeing drive to Agra and on arrival check in at your hotel. Later proceed for a sunset visit of the Taj Mahal. This grand edifice was built by Shahjehan from 1631 to 1653 to enshrine the remains of his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. We walk into the inner chambers of this renowned “Monument to Love" and seek out several vantage points to see the magnificent play of light. It is truly worthy of its status as one of the world wonders. Overnight at hotel.(B)

     In the morning proceed to the sprawling “Agra Fort” on the bank of the Yamuna River. This immense fort and palace is the seat of power for four generations of Mughal emperors; they ruled all of northern India from the early 16th century until the consolidation by British colonial rule in the early 1800s. Agra Fort’s architecture is an almost perfect fusion between military might and lavish beauty. After the visit return to the hotel. Later visit the Itmad-U-Daula. Noon and evening is at leisure. Overnight at hotel (B)

     After early morning breakfast, transfer to the railway station to board the train for Jhansi. On arrival drive to Orchaa, a medieval village where time has stopped. Orchaa is a city founded by Bundela rulers with palaces and temples of the 16th and 17th centuries which have remarkably withstood the onslaught of time. The river Betwa picturesquely flanks the city. Reach Orchaa and see the beautiful Palace Complex – Jahangir Mahal and the Raja Mahal. After lunch resume drive to Khajuraho. Overnight at hotel (B, L)

     After breakfast proceed to visit temples built during the 9th to the 11th centuries by the powerful dynasty of Chandela Rajputs. The temples with their erotic sculptures are a feast to the eyes. Visit the eastern and western group of temples. After sightseeing, return to the hotel and check-out. Transfer to the airport to board the flight for Varanasi, the world’s most ancient city and the home of Hinduism. The present name is derived from the fact that it is at the confluence of the two rivers Varuna and Asi that flow across the city. Evening drive to the Ghat to see the Aarti ceremony. As the sun sets the temple priests perform Aarti, the sacred “light ceremony”, on the riverbanks of Mother Ganges. Overnight at hotel.(B)

     Early morning, we take you to the banks of river Ganges where we board a boat to see the morning ablutions of the Hindus from the safety of our boat. The “boat ride” will also give you a spectacular view of a sunrise on the River Ganges. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Depart for the visit of “Sarnath”. At the ancient Buddhist learning center of Sarnath, where Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon to his disciples as portrayed in Bernardo Bertolucci’s film “Little Buddha.” We then visit the Sarnath Museum (except on Fridays, when the museum is closed) which houses some of the greatest treasures of Indian Buddhist art, including Ashoka’s Lion Capital, the National Emblem of India dating back to the 3rd century B.C. and the beautiful Teaching Buddha, which are among the most beautiful sculptures in the world. At noon, enjoy the city tour; we visit the largest and oldest university in north India – Benaras Hindu University. Spread over an area of 2,000 acres, this great place of education was established by Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya. Today the campus has faculties of Arts, Science, Music, Sanskrit, Languages, Engineering, Statistics and Medical, to name a few. The university also has the huge Vishwanath temple which was built and maintained by the Birla family. The Banaras Hindu University houses the Bharat Kala Museum, which has a very rich collection of precious and rare historical manuscripts. The temple “Bharat Mata Temple” is dedicated to Mother India. Just one kilometer from the Varanasi station, this temple stands in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, which was built by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupt. It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936 so that the citizens could respect Mother India in statue form sculpted in marble. The statue is a replica of undivided India in three dimensions with the mountains, plains and oceans in right proportions. After visits return to the hotel. Overnight at Hotel. (B)

     Breakfast at the hotel and morning at leisure. In the afternoon, you are transferred to the airport to board the flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi you are transferred to your hotel. Evening at leisure. Overnight at hotel (B)

     Transfer to the international airport to board the flight for your return journey.(B)