Grand Rajasthan Tour: 14-Day India Trip

Itinerary: Delhi – Mukundgarh- Khimsar – Jodhur – Jaipur – Bharatpur – Orcha – Khajuraho – Agra – Delhi (13 Nights / 14 Days)

Day 1: Arrival Delhi
Arrive Delhi, meet assist at the airport and transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 2: Delhi
After a leisurely breakfast take a sightseeing tour of New Delhi where ornate buildings recall the days when India was the Jewel in the crown of the British empire. Visit the 11th century Qutab Minar, India Gate and the grand government buildings, the President’s House , Red fort , Mahatama Gandhi Memorial. Also visit Laxmi Narayan temple popularly known as Birla Temple. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 3: Delhi – Mukundgarh ( By road )
After breakfast drive to Mukundgarh, arrive & check in to hotel. Later in the afternoon visit Mukundgarh / Mandawa. Mandawa, founded in 1775 by Thakur Nawal Singhand still the home of his descendants has beautiful frescoes, havelis and mansions. Mandawa Castle, one of the finest castle of Rajasthan is now a hotel and houses a collection of armories, costumes of ancestors, cannons from 1820 ancient coins, numismatic collection and many other interesting items in a Museum. Night stay in Mukundgarh.

Day 4: Mukundgarh- Khimsar ( By road )
After breakfast drive to Khimsar. Arrive Khimsar & check in at hotel. Later in the afternoon sightseeing at Khimsar. Khimsar is steeped in history- founded 2500 years ago by the Jain Saint Mahaveer. This is the starting point of the great Indian Desert. The founder of the castle which was built in mid 15th century was Prince Karamsi- son of Jodhpur and very close to other places of interest like Osian and Nagaur. Well managed Khimsar Fort provides the visitors with all modern amenities- 50 luxuriously furnished rooms, theme dinners, a variety of continental and indian meals as well as traditional Rajasthani are available. Evening jeep safari to sand dunes for a sunset view. Night stay in Khimsar.

Day 5: Khimsar – Jodhpur ( By road )
After breakfast drive to Jodhpur via Mandor 10 Kms short of Jodhpur to visit the Mandor Garden the old capital of Jodhpur. On arrival at Jodhpur transfer to hotel. Night stay in Jodhpur.

Day 6: Jodhpur
After a relaxed breakfast proceed for city sight seeing tour of Jodhpur. Jodhpur – the stronghold of the fierce Rathore clan, was founded in 1459 by Prince Jodha. Visit the Mehrangarh Fort, situated on a low sandstone hill. Within the fort, visit Moti Mahal and Phool Mahal. Also visit Jaswant Thada, an imposing marble cenotaph, built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant singh II around 1899 and Umaid Public gardens. Night stay in Jodhpur.

Day 7: Jodhur – Jaipur ( By road )
After breakfast drive to Jaipur, arrival and check in at to hotel. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day 8: Jaipur
Morning excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant ride ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE – Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds it’s ultimate expression. Continue sight-seeing.

CITY PALACE – A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.

JANTAR MANTAR – This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.

HAWA MAHAL – The ornamental facade of this “Palace of Winds” is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. Their five-storey structures of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day 9: Jaipur – Bharatpur ( By road )
After breakfast drive to Bharatpur, arrive & check in to hotel. Later in the afternoon proceed for sightseeing of Bharatpur. Visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary on rickshaws. The most spectacular water- Birds Sanctuary features nesting of indigenous water- birds, migratory birds. From October till December, the indigenous water- birds nest around the lake from December on the migratory Geese, Duck and Cranes are the main feature of the sanctuary. Night stay in Bharatpur.

Day 10: Bharatpur – Agra ( By road ) enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri
After breakfast drive to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri-The deserted, red Sandstone City, Emperor Akbar built that as his capital and palace in the late 16th century is an exhilarating experience. It a veritable fairytale city and its “ruins” are in pristine condition … it’s not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its grandeur. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world. On arrival in Agra and transfer to hotel. Later at sunset visit TAJ MAHAL- the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, built it in 1631 in the memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Behrampur in a campaign to crush a rebellion, after giving birth to their 14th child. Her death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months. When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. An Iranian architect designed it and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a “symbol of eternal love”. Night stay in Agra.

Day 11: Agra
After breakfast visit Agra Fort-the rusty and majestic red-sandstone fort of Agra stands on the banks of the river Yamuna and the construction was started by Emperor Akbar in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Am (hall of public audience), a colonnaded hall of red-sandstone with a throne alcove of inlaid marble at the back, the Emperor heard public petitions. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) where marble pavilions with floral inlays lend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat on his gem-studded Peacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and rulers of friendly kingdoms. Also visit Sikandra,the former capital of Lodi dynasty, was named after the Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi.

The city of Sikandra, located at about 12 km from Agra, houses the tomb of Mughul Emperor Akbar. The design and construction of the tomb was started by Akbar himself and subsequently completed by his son Jehangir. Evening free to explore the rich handicrafts of Agra. Night stay in Agra.

Day 12: Agra – Jhansi ( By fast air-conditioned train Dep. 08:17 hrs. Arriv. 10:48 hrs. ) Jhansi – Orchha (By road ) Approx. 30 minutes drive
After breakfast transfer to railway station to baord the fast air-conditioned train to Jhansi. On arrival at Jhansi railway station meet assist and transfer to hotel at Orchha. Visit the well- preserved medieval township of Orcha built in the 16th century. Sightseeing include the Rajmahal with its beautiful murals, the Laxmi Narayan Temple and the Jehangir Mahal built in the 17th century, to commemorate the visit of the emperor Jehangir. Night stay in Orchaa.

Day 13: Orchaa – Khajuraho ( By road ) Approx. 3hrs. and half drive
After breakfast drive to Khajuraho, arrive & check in to hotel. Later visit Khajuraho and its temples, built during the reign of the Chendela Kings from 950-1050. Only 22 of the 85 original remaining temples are magnificent examples of Hindu architecture today. These exquisite sculptures,.which adorn the spires with a galaxy of gods and goddesses, beasts and serpents and a multitude of erotic couples represent a paean to life, love and joy. Night stay in Khajuraho.

Day 14: Khajuraho – Delhi ( By flight ) Departure
Transfer to airport to board the flight to Delhi to board the flight back to your home.