Travel North India

Monuments Tour India
Travel Duration: 19 nights / 20 days
Destinations Covered: Delhi - Khajuraho - Agra - Jaipur - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Aurangabad - Mumbai - Madurai - Chettinad - Tanjore - Trichy - Madras - Delhi


Day 1: 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 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: 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 7: 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 8: 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 9: 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 - Delhi
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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