Colourful and Chaotic India

Upon arrival at the airport, we will be greeted and transferred to our hotel on a 2 night stay. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

With our guide and coach we start our full day Delhi sightseeing tour with a panoramic drive through Old Delhi. Upon arrival at Chandni Chow, Old Delhi’s major street and one of the oldest and busies markets, we will hop onto a rickshaw traveling across the tiny allies leading to a variety of shops for a glimpse into an old world lifestyles and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Following lunch at a local restaurant (not included on the quote), we continue to New Delhi and enjoy a photo stop at the India Gate. From here, we proceed to Humanyun’t Tomb, a landmark in the development of Mughal architecture and the basis for the design of the famous Taj Mahal, which was built almost a hundred years later. Our last stop will be at the Qutab Minar, India’s tallest stone tower standing for eight centuries. We travel back to our hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

We depart Delhi by coach this morning and travel south west to Jaipur. Later in the afternoon, we arrive at out hotel in Jaipur for a 2 night stay.

Accommodation: In Jaipur

Next we proceed to Amber Fort. On arrival, we travel by jeeps to reach the fortress. After exploring this incredible fort palace and marveling at its architectural wonders, pristine beauty and various collections of priceless artifacts, we continue to the City Palace, which is an amazing complex with various courtyards, connecting buildings, and fascinating museums displaying royal costumes and weaponry.

We travel east to Agra by road with a stop at Fatephur Sikri (City of Victory), where we will meet our guide from Agra for a guided tour of this fairy-tale ghost

city and the temporary capital of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The grand ghost city was carved from red sandstone and only inhabited for 14 years before it was totally abandoned due to water shortages.

After settling into our hotel and a short break, we depart with our coach and guide for a sunset tour of Taj Mahal. Built on the east bank of the Yamuna Rive, the elegant memorizing Mogul architecture was built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife, who died in childbirth. Being described as “a teardrop on the cheeks of time”, it is “its perfect symmetry, the wonderful proportions, the sheer scale, the exquisite detailing covering every inch of marble that justifies it as a wonder of the world.”

Tonight we head to Kalakriti to witness the Mohabbat the Taj show, which is a saga of love based on the story behind the making Taj Mahal and Emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

After a leisurely breakfast, we meet our guide and coach for a full day of culture adventure. We will meet a henna applier expert who will come to our hotel and demonstrate to us the henna hand adornment. In India, women have their hands and feet decorated with henna for centuries on important occasions, such as weddings and festivals. It will take approximately 15 minutes for the designing of each hand henna adornment. After watching the hand adornment demonstration, we will visit a marble inlay artisanal unit. Upon arrival, our host will introduce to us the art of marble inlay and show us the different steps and the entire process. Next, we will have a high tea with a local family. Our host is a retired local doctor and a keen golfer. While we enjoy our afternoon high tea, we will interact with the family and gain insight into their social, religious and philosophical thoughts. Later this afternoon, we travel back to our hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

A morning transfer brings us to Agra railway station, where we will travel by Shatadbi Express train to Ghansi, where we will meet our guide and coach and travel to Khajuraho and our hotel on a one night stay.

A World Heritage Site, the temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Today only about 20 temples remain; they strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. This morning, we depart our hotel and visit the Western Group of Temples.

Later today, we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Varanasi. On arrival, we will be met and transferred to our hotel. At dusk, we witness the holy ceremony of 'aarti' (hyms and prayers) on the banks of the Ganga and view the sight of hundreds of lighted lamps flowing on the waters – a sight one will not forget.

We set out early for an early morning sunrise boat ride on the sacred River Ganges to see the cremation Ghats and witness the living traditions of one of the world's oldest and important religions. At sunrise the sight unfolds before us, thousands of faithful come daily to the banks to bathe and pray while in the background, temples and palaces rise in tiers from the water's edge.

After the boat ride, we travel back to our hotel for breakfast. Later this morning, we travel to the airport for the flight to Delhi for a one night stay.

Overnight: Country Inn and Suites

We will be transferred to the airport today for our flight home.