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Incredible India
| DAY 01 |
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Depart from your US gateway to arrive in India on day 02.
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| DAY 02 |
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You are met and assisted upon arrival in Delhi and transferred to your hotel.
Delhi, India’s capital and political hub is an ancient city that has something for everyone. Settled seven times over the centuries, this city has grown in a way that reflects its past, while retaining its cosmopolitan flavor. Delhi is India’s showcase, be it architecture, religion, shopping, culture – everything is available here – waiting to be discovered.
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| DAY 03 |
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After breakfast, morning siteseeing of Old Delhi takes you to Jama Masjid, - the largest mosque in India. Visit the magnificent Red Fort, - a marvel in red sandstone, built on the banks of River Yamuna by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Then, visit Raj Ghat (Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial).
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In the afternoon, proceed for sightseeing of New Delhi. Visit the 12th century Qutab Minar, gracefully hand-carved for its entire height of 234ft. Visit the mausoleum of emperor Humayun - a forerunner of the Mughal style of architecture and the imposing modern Lakshminarayan temple. Drive past the India Gate (World War I memorial), The President's Residence, Parliament House and the Secretariat buildings - an interesting blend of the Victorian and 20th century architecture. (B)
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DAY 04
128 miles |
DELHI - AGRA |
| Agra is renowned the world over due to the fabulous Taj Mahal and is situated on the right bank of the river Yamuna. Agra is a city with a glorious past and has the distinction of being the capital of various ruling dynasties.
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On arrival in Agra, check-in to the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Agra Fort. Emperor Akbar started this fort in 1565. The high red stone monument stretches for around 01½ miles. The palace is a notable for its smooth blending of Hindu and central Asian architectural styles. See the Diwan-i-Am (hall of public audiences), Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audiences), the Khas Palace, the Sheesh Mahal (palace of mirrors), the Shah Jahani Mahal (Shahjahan’s Palace), Jahangiri Mahal (Jahangir’s Palace) and the Akbari Mahal (Akbar’s palace) inside the fort.
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This evening visit the seventh wonder of world – The Taj Mahal. Built by Emperor Shah Jehan as a tribute to his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, this is the ultimate tribute to love ever transcribed in architecture. This great monument, completed in 1653, took almost 22 years and 20,000 workers to build. (B)
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DAY 05
35 miles, 03 hours |
AGRA – BHARATPUR (VIA FATEHPUR SIKRI)
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After breakfast, drive to Bharatpur, visiting Fatehpur Sikri on the way. Situated about 20 Miles from Agra, this was the erstwhile capital of the great Mughal ruler - Emperor Akbar. This magnificent fort palace had to be abandoned after just 15 years of occupation due to lack of potable water.
After your visit to Fatehpur Sikri, continue to Bharatpur. |
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Bharatpur is a paradise for the avian world and a pilgrimage for the bird lovers. It was declared a reserve for birds in 1956 and later upgraded to a National Park. Although small in size, 12 sq. miles, it boasts of more than 375 species of beautiful birds, and more than 132 of them breed inside the Keoladeo Ghana National Park and nearly every year new ones are added to the list.
Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City, was founded in 1727 AD by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha Dynasty - the astronomer King Sawai Jai Singh. It is the capital of the colorful state of Rajasthan and a jewel, which forms one point of the golden triangle.
You are metupon arrival and assisted with checking in into your hotel. (B, L, D)
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DAY 06
113 miles, 04 hours |
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| Enjoy a Rickshaw Ride at dawn to the Bird Sanctuary. |
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Later return to the hotel for breakfast and check out. Post breakfast drive to Jaipur.
Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City, was founded in 1727 AD by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha Dynasty - the astronomer King Sawai Jai Singh. It is the capital of the colorful state of Rajasthan and a jewel, which forms one point of the golden triangle.
You are metupon arrival and assisted with checking in to your hotel. The evening is free at your leisure. (B)
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| DAY 07 |
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After breakfast, proceed for sightseeing of Jaipur. Visit the Amber Fort, which is a classic, romantic Rajasthani Fort Palace, with its rugged, time-ravaged walls and fascinating palaces inside. Enjoy a ride on caparisoned elephants to the entrance of this fort, making for an unforgettable experience. Visit the enchanting palaces and gardens inside the fort palace to complete your tour. On your way back, stop at Hawa Mahal - Palace of Winds for a brief stop for photographs and as it is in the heart of Jaipur’s shopping district, to buy souvenirs.
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After lunch, visit the City Palace, the former residence of the royal family, a part of which is converted into a museum. Built in the style of a fortified campus, the palace covers almost one-seventh in area of the old city. One of the major attractions in the museum is the Armory Museum housing an impressive array of weaponry. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, which is the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world. The observatory has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working condition. (B)
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| DAY 08 |
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After breakfast transfer to Airport.
Fly with 9W-306 at 0840 hrs. Arrive Mumbai at 1015 hrs.
You are met and assisted with checking in to your hotel.
MUMBAI: Extolled by many as the mother of all cities, Mumbai (Bombay) has a history of incredible transformation from its foundation to the present day. It was built mainly for trade by the British and over the years it changed hands from the fishing village through the Portuguese conquest to Catherine of Aragon who took the seven islands of Mumbai as her dowry to Charles II of England. Mumbai was and still is the Gateway of India and a grand Archway of that name was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.
You are met upon arrival at airport and transfer to Hotel.
Afternoon visit to Gateway of India, Mumbai's principle landmark. This arch of yellow basalt was erected on the waterfront in 1924 to commemorate King George V's visit to this colony in 1911. Drive past the Afghan Church. Secretariat of Maharashtra Government and along the Marine Drive which is fondly known as the 'Queen's Necklace'. Visit Jain temple and Hanging Gardens, which offer a splendid view of the city, Chowpatty, Kamala Nehru Park and also Mani Bhavan where Mahatma Gandhi stayed during his visits to Mumbai. Drive past Haji Ali Mosque, a shrine in honor of a Muslim Saint on an island 500 m. out at sea and is linked by a causeway to the mainland. Stop at the 'Dhobi Ghat' where Mumbai's 'dirties' are scrubbed, bashed, dyed and hung out to dry. Watch the local train passing close by on which the city commuters 'hang out like laundry' - a nice photography stop. Also visit Prince of Wales Museum.
Overnight at the Hotel.
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| DAY 09 |
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Morning: excursion to Elephanta Caves. About an hour's ride away by motorboat from the basalt facade of the Gateway lies Elephanta, a cave-temple shrine hewn out of solid rock some time in the eighth century A.D. by the Rashtrakuta dynasty who ruled the Deccan from 757 A.D. to 973 A.D. It is said that the Portuguese named this island after the stone elephant they found here. At Elephanta you can see the cave shrine to Lord Shiva, which belongs to the sixth century, and a massive three-headed sculpture representing Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. You can also find the other interesting sculptures here include those that depict the marriage of Shiva and Parvati.
Afternoon free to relax.
Later in the evening transfer to International Airport to connect flight back home
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Tour ends: Itinerary Subject to Change
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