India (Golden Triangle)

Delhi – Agra – Jaipur – Delhi
(06 days / 05 nights)
Validity: 01 Oct 2019 till 31 Mar 2020

Itinerary:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL – DELHI
You land at New Delhi’s international airport and after clearing Immigrations and Customs, our representative will assist you on arrival, and later leave for your pre-booked hotel and check-in.
New Delhi is the capital of India and a microcosm of the country. It is a modern metropolis which still preserves its traditional values and manages its multiple personalities effortlessly, making it a perfect gateway city to any North India journey.

EVENING OPTIONAL VISIT OF AKSHARDHAM TEMPLE (ON EXTRA CHARGES)
Visit Akshardham Temple and witness the essence of Hinduism at Akshardham Temple, one of the biggest and most intricate religious places of worship ever constructed. A visit to this monument is a journey through the gateway to the essence of ancient India and the best of Hindu culture and Vedic civilization. The monument is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace (Closed on Mondays).
Return to your hotel by evening. Overnight in Delhi.

DAY 2: DELHI
Breakfast at hotel.
Proceed for guided sightseeing tour of Delhi. Your tour starts in Old Delhi, the former Imperial capital. Here, you trade your vehicle for cycle rickshaws and enjoy a ride through the crowded streets of the 300 years’ old Chandni Chowk market. It is said that the moonlight reflecting on the canal, earned it its name, ‘Chandni (Moonlit) Chowk (square). Today it is a busy market selling an extraordinary variety of items – silver, jewellery, aromatic spices, leather, fruit and vegetables. Apothecaries sell home grown medicinal items, and roadside dentists display their bizarre array of equipment and false teeth. It is a wonderful introduction into the world of organized chaos of India!

Disembark at Jama Masjid, believed to be the largest in India and Shah Jahan’s last architectural legacy. Originally it was called Masjid-I-Jahanum which means “The mosque commanding a view of the world”. Begun in 1644, the mosque was not completed until 1658. It has three great gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40m high constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble.
After your visit, you board your waiting vehicle and drive to Raj Ghat. A simple square platform of black marble marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated following his assassination in 1948. It is surrounded by a beautiful park with labelled trees planted by notables like Queen Elizabeth II, USA President Eisenhower, Ho Chi Minh and various others.
In the afternoon drive past Lutyens New Delhi. Known as ‘Rajpath’ or ’Kings Way’- the wide tree lined avenues served as the capital city for the former British Empire. Among the buildings, you drive past are the Secretariat buildings, Parliament House, Presidential Palace (Rashtrapati Bhawan), and India Gate, a memorial to 82,000 soldiers of the undivided Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21.
Continue to the Qutab Minar complex which has many historic monuments. The first mosque in India – The Quwwat-Ul- Islam – built from the dressed and carved stones of demolished temples lies in this complex. It establishes the political victory of Islam in Northern India. The Qutab Minar itself began in 1199 by Qutab ud din Aibak and was completed by his successors. This fluted elegant tower is decorated with elegant balconies and carvings.
Return to your hotel by evening. Overnight in Delhi.

DAY 3: DELHI – AGRA (210 KMS/4-5 HRS)
Breakfast at hotel. Check out and drive to the city of 7th wonder of the world.
Meet, assist & check-in to your hotel. This afternoon, you drive to the mighty Agra fort.

EVENING OPTIONAL MOHABBAT THE TAJ SHOW (ON EXTRA CHARGES)
Mohabbat the Taj – A show which has taken seven years of chiseling and carving by 28 craftsmen and designers. Made in pure white Makrana marble like the original 17th century monument, a Taj Mahal replica. This program has exciting and innovative presentation of a song and drama spectacle involving 60 artists, they have tried to merry the traditional media with the latest gadgetry, audio visual technology, including laser. The Taj will be presented in 10 different moods, representing varying seasons and hours of the day.’ The show will present a love story set in the 17th century ambience and woven around the Taj. Timings: 06:15 PM. Overnight in Agra.

DAY 4: AGRA – JAIPUR (240 KMS/5-6 HRS)
This early morning you visit the stunning Taj Mahal at sunrise. (Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays)
When the Mughal Emperor Akbar established his supremacy in Northern India, he began his first architectural venture, rebuilding the fort as a beautiful fort palace. The work was completed by his son and grandson, highlighting the Mughals’ ability to blend defensive and decorative architecture. Richly decorated with marble and mosaic, it was in a part of this fort that Shah Jahan spent the last years of his life, imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. His private quarters, where he was confined, have a magical view of the Taj Mahal across the river Yamuna.
After a late breakfast, you continue your journey to the Pink City of Jaipur.
An hour and a half outside Agra is your first stop, Fatehpur Sikri. A typical visit to Sikri takes about an hour and is worth the time. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fatehpur Sikri was temporarily the capital of the Mughal Empire under Akbar the Great. Built by Emperor Akbar to honour the Saint Salim Chisti who foretold the birth of Akbars’ son and heir, this structure is constructed entirely in vibrant red sandstone, architecturally it draws its inspiration from Hindu, Persian and Islamic styles.
Sikri was the first planned city of the Mughals. The sloping levels of the city, connected into terraces, were utilized for various complexes such as Jami masjid, Buland-Darwazah and tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti; Khwabgah, Diwan-i-Khass, and Diwan-i-Am. The efficient system of drainage and water-supply adopted here suggest an extremely intelligent town-planning by the Mughal emperor but eventually, a lack of adequate water supply for a whole city lead to its abandonment 14 years later.
After visiting Fatehpur Sikri, take straight drive to Jaipur. Transfer directly to your hotel and check-in.
After your long day, free time at leisure. Overnight in Jaipur.

DAY 5: JAIPUR
Breakfast at hotel. This day engage yourself for full day of sightseeing of Pink City.
Morning Amber Fort with Elephant ride (Subject to availability) failing by jeeps. Amber is a classic, romantic Rajasthani fort Palace. The rugged, time-ravaged walls of the Fort may not look beautiful from the outside, but the interior is a virtual paradise. Miniatures painted on the walls depict hunting and war scenes, apart from festivals.
Precious stones and mirrors are embedded into the plaster. Inside the Fort visit the Jag Mandir or the Hall of Victory. Inside the Jag Mandir is the famed Sheesh Mahal – a room with all the four walls and ceiling completely embedded with glittering mirror pieces, which were specially imported from Belgium during that period.
Enroute to Amber Fort, you will have a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal – the Palace of Winds.
Afternoon city tour begins with a visit to the Maharaja’s City Palace, the former Royal residence, part of it converted into a museum. A small portion is still used by the Royal family of Jaipur. Built in the style of a fortified campus, the palace covers almost one-seventh in area of the city.
One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion known as Armory Museum housing an impressive array of weaponry-pistols, blunderbusses, flintlocks, swords, rifles and daggers. The royal families of Jaipur once used most of these weapons. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, which is the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world. Situated near the gate of the city palace, the observatory has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working condition. Later continue to visit Lakshmi Narayan temple which is also known as Birla Mandir.
Overnight in Jaipur.

DAY 6: JAIPUR – DELHI – DEPARTURE (265 KMS/06-07 HRS)
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Delhi International airport, for flight back home.