India

Taj, Tiger & Temples
(8 days / 7 nights)

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

This adventure travel package is the celebrated event which gives opportunity to make you feel the opulence of natural wealth. Explore the undulating landscape of Aravali peaks amid the steep slopes of Vindhyas. In fortunate conditions you can see India’s National Animal strolling through Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. Next in the circuit Ex Delhi are Agra, Ranthambore enroute Fatehpur Sikri and then to Jaipur. Taj Mahal built by Shahjahan is the most looked upon monument in the entire package.

This seven nights’ tour package covers the famous golden triangle destination – Agra, Jaipur and Delhi, and Ranthambore National Park, where one can see picturesque tigers, leopards, striped hyenas, sambar deer, etc. On this tour, you will be visiting four different cities with different reasons to visit, but glorious at the same time. You will be fascinated to see how interesting cultures are upheld in these places. So, if you want to get to the heart of India, avail this package and begin your journey now!

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.
The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight stay at the hotel 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.

Lunch at the city Restaurant, 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, and overnight stay at the hotel in Delhi.

DAY 3: DELHI – AGRA (210 KMS/4-5 HRS)
Breakfast at hotel.
Post breakfast you continue your journey to the city of Taj i.e. Agra.
On arrival check in at the hotel.
First we will visit the majestic marble edifice, Taj Mahal. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal. Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance stands on the banks of river Yamuna. The architecture is considered as the finest specimen of Mughal style of architecture. The architecture is highly inspired from different styles of architecture, which includes Persian, Indian and Turkish. Taj Mahal architecture is truly splendid and one of its kind in the world. The design & layout of Taj Mahal never fails to enrapture architects, engineers, historians as well as common man. (Closed on Fridays)

Agra fort. 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.
Dinner and Overnight stay at the hotel in Agra.

DAY 4: AGRA – RANTHAMBORE (280 KMS/6-7 HRS)
Breakfast & checkout, then proceed to drive for Ranthambore.

While driving towards Ranthambore, en-route visit 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 honor 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.
Continue your drive to Ranthambore.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Ranthambore.

DAY 5: RANTHAMBORE – JAIPUR (170 KMS/4-5 HRS)
This day proceed for morning game drive inside national park using open canter.

Morning Safari:
Entry Time: 06:00 hrs.
Exit Time: 09:00 hrs.
(Above timing is subject to change by forest authority)

Later return back to hotel for breakfast and lunch.
Post lunch leave for Jaipur. On arrival check in and overnight stay at the hotel in Jaipur.

DAY 6: JAIPUR
Breakfast at hotel.
This day engage yourself for full day sightseeing of the Pink City.

Morning Amber Fort with Elephant failing jeep ride (subject to availability). 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. En-route 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 stay at the hotel in Jaipur. Dinner at City Restaurant with folk dance.

DAY 7: JAIPUR – DELHI (265 KMS/6-7 HRS)
Breakfast at hotel.
Later leave in time for Delhi. On arrival check in and overnight stay at the hotel in Delhi.

DAY 8: DELHI – DEPARTURE
Breakfast at hotel.
In time transfer to Delhi International airport to board onward flight for your home town.