Arrive Delhi, assistance upon arrival

Transfer to your hotel. Check-in time from 1200 hrs

Briefing of the tour by the executive

The rest of the day is free to relax

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Full day guided tour of Old & New Delhi

Drive past Red Fort (UNESCO World Heritage Site) - Red Fort was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, famous for his architectural wonders including the Taj Mahal. Red Fort is famous for its delicately carved inlaid and Royal chambers.

Jama Masjid – the Great Mughal Mosque and the largest mosque in India. Located in Old Delhi the mosque has the capacity to accommodate 25000 devotees. Jama Masjid was completed in 1656 AD and it again the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan is behind this architectural masterpiece. Close to some 5000 craftsmen were involved in the construction of the mosque.

Then visit Raj Ghat - The cremation ground of the father of the nation - Mahatma Gandhi.

Lunch at a local restaurant

Lotus Temple is so named because of the lotus like structure of the temple. It was built in the 20th century and has enthralled visitors since its opening. It was found by the believers of the Bahai Faith, which was founded by Baha'ullah. This amazing piece of edifice is shaped like a half opened lotus flower built of sparkling white marble stone.

Continue your tour with Qutab Minar (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Qutab Minar is a 73 meters high tower which tapers from a 15 m diameter base to just 2.5 m at the top. The walls consist of intricately carved quotations from the Koran and is one of the most perfect towers of the Persian world.

Last enter the Lutyen's Delhi and drive through India Gate (The War Memorial) and President's Palace.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Depart for Delhi airport in time to connect flight to Varanasi

Meet & assist on arrival and transfer to hotel

Varanasi was founded by the Hindu deity Lord Shiva around 5,000 years ago, thus making it one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the country. It is one of the seven sacred cities of Hindus. Many Hindu scriptures, including the Rigveda, Skanda Purana, Ramayana, and the Mahabharata, mention the city.

In the afternoon you will be taken to visit Sarnath – the place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. Excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India at Sarnath have revealed many structures which represent facets of the Buddhist history here. Visit the Archaeological Museum, Chaukhandi Stupa, Ashoka Pillar, Tibetan Temple, Thai Temple and the Deer Park. The Archaeological Museum in Sarnath is one of the most famous museums of its kind in Southeast Asia. The museum is situated very near the historical ruins & contains a huge collection of sculptures.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast at the hotel

Half day sightseeing tour of Varanasi visiting:

Durga Temple - also nicknamed "Monkey temple" due the presence of large numbers on monkeys in the temple, was built at some point in the 18th century. According to legends, the present statue of Goddess Durga was not made by man but appeared on its own in the temple. Thousands of Hindu devotees visit the Durga temple during Navratri and other auspicious occasions. Non-Hindus can enter the courtyard of the Durga temple but not the inner sanctum.

Bharat Mata Temple - Bharat Mata Mandir or Bharat Mata Temple is one of its kind in Varanasi. This temple is not dedicated to any God, Goddess or certain deity and instead is dedicated to the human manifestation of India popularly called Mother India or Bharat Mata in Hindi. The temple was inaugurated by non other than Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian Nation and houses a very big relief map of India carved out of white marble bought out of Makrana. The map is said to be perfectly in scale in both longitude & latitude. The construction of temple is unique in itself. It stands on 5 distinct pillars that converse in to one at the top. The five pillars signify the 5 basic elements of creation namely earth, wind, fire, water and sky. There convergence in to a single pillar symbolizes that every element has to ultimately submerge into the supreme. The temple is a handiwork of two people namely Babu Shiv Prashad Gupta and Shri Durga Prashad Khatri. While the former was a nationalist leader, the later was a renowned numismatist and antiquarian.

Also drive through the most famous Banaras Hindu University founded by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and visit Laxmi Narain temple.

This afternoon is free to relax

Late afternoon take a boat ride on river Ganga to witness the ritual bathing at the Ghats. Then take the opportunity to wander through the narrow lanes of Varanasi or Kashi before a stop outside the famous temple of Shiva – the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast at the hotel

Transfer to Varanasi airport in time to connect flight to Khajuraho

Khajuraho is a small town located in the Bundelkhand region (Chhatarpur District) of Madhya Pradesh and is famous for groups of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. Khajuraho has the Vindhya range of mountains as its beautiful backdrop & makes the city a fascinating destination.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Depart for sightseeing tour of tour of eastern & western group of Temples of Khajuraho

Western Group of Temples

Lakhmana Temple - The oldest and finest of the western group of temples & named after the ruler that built the temple. The A horizontal beam over the entrance of this beautiful Vaishnavite temple shows the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Lakshmi, Vishnus consort.

Kandariya Mahadeo Temple - This temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.

Devi Jagdamba Temple - Dedicated to the Goddess (devi), this is smaller and much more delicately proportioned temple and is home to some of the finest sculptures of Khajuraho. The garbha griha has a huge image of the Devi of the Universe (Jagdambi), though it appears to have started as a Vishnu temple. It has the usual three bands of sculptures, but the third and most uppermost of these houses some of the most erotic sculptures.

Chaunsat Yogini - The only granite temple in the Khajuraho group

Chitragupta Temple - is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya), it faces eastward to the rising sun

Matanageswara Temple - A temple dedicated to Shiva, a huge 8ft Lingam adorns the temple.

Eastern Group of Temples

Parsvanath Temple - Largest among the group, with exquisite carvings in detail. The sculptures on the northern outer wall are the highlights of this temple. The image was installed in 1860.

Ghantai Temple - This Jain temple has a frieze which depicts the 16 dreams of Mahavira's mother, and a Jain goddess on a winged Garuda.

Adinath Temple - Dedicated to Jain saint, Adinath, the temple is lavishly embellished with sculpted figures, including yakshis.

Hanuman Temple

Brahma Temple - considered to be one of the oldest temples of Khajuraho made entirely in granite and sandstone, is dedicated to Vishnu.

Vamana Temple - is the dwarf form of Lord Vishnu, located in a secluded place and is known for its simple architecture.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Depart for Jhansi train en route visiting the delightful town of Orchha.

Orchha Fort -

The fort is reached by an arched bridge and the three palaces set in an open courtyard within the fort are the first buildings to explore. The tiered Jahangir Mahal was built in 1606 to commemorate the visit of Emperor Jahangir in 1606. The Raj Mahal, to the right of the courtyard, was built by Madhukar Shah and has bold colorful murals inside. The third palace, is the Rai Praveen Mahal, which is a two storey brick structure set in the gardens of Anand Mahal.

Of the many temples within the fort, three are especially worth visiting. The Ram Raja Mandir was originally a palace and became a temple more by accident than design. An image of Ram was installed while the temple, The Chaturbhuj, was being built for it. For some reason the image could not be moved from the palace and despite its spires and ornate decoration became a sacred place. Linked to the Ram Raja is the Lakshminarayan temple, the interiors of which have some of the best preserved murals and wall paintings in Orchha.

Continue your drive to Jhansi train station in time to board 2001 Shatabdi Express (travel in Air Conditioned Chair carriage) to Agra.

Meet & assist on arrival and transfer to hotel

Agra is famous as being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World - The Taj Mahal. The architectural splendor of the Moslems, the fort and the palaces is a vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal empire, of which Agra was the capital in the 16th and early 17th centuries. While it's significance as a political center ended with the transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1634 by Shah Jahan, its architectural wealth has secured its place on the international map.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Depart for half day sightseeing tour of Agra visiting Taj Mahal (closed on Fridays) - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Described as a most extravagant monument ever build for love, this sublime Mughal mausoleum is India’s most ogled icon. The Taj was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. The death of Mumtaz left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned grey virtually overnight. Construction of the Taj began in the same year and was not completed until 1653. Not long after it was finished, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra Fort where, for the rest of his days, he could only gaze out at his creation through a window. Following his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here alongside Mumtaz.

Visit AGRA FORT (sometimes called the Red Fort) which was commissioned by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1565, and is another of Agra's World Heritage Sites. A stone tablet at the gate of the fort states that it had been built before 1000 but was later renovated by Akbar. The red sandstone fort was converted into a palace during Shah Jahan’s time, and reworked extensively with marble & Pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl Mosque, the Diwan-e'Ām and Dīwān-e-Khās (halls of public and private audience), Jahagir Palace, Khās Mahal and Sheesh Mahal (mirrored palace),

Also visit local market and a marble factory where you can actually see the inlay work being created on marble like it was done for Taj in the past.

This afternoon is free to relax

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast at the hotel

Depart for Jaipur en route visiting Fatehpur Sikri

The Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpūr Sikrī about 35 km from Agra, and moved his capital there. Later abandoned, the site displays a number of buildings of significant historical importance and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name came about after the Mughal Emperor Barbar defeated Rana Sanga in a battle at a place called Sikrī . Then the Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted to make Fatehpūr Sikrī his headquarters, so he built a majestic fort however due to a shortage of water he had to ultimately move his headquarters back to Agra Fort.

Continue your drive to Jaipur and check in at your hotel

Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and is the first well planned city of India, located in the desert lands of Rajasthan. The city, which once had been the capital of the royalty, now is the capital city of Rajasthan and its very structure resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. In the present time Jaipur is the major business centre for the natives of Rajasthan with all the requisites of a metropolitan city.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast at the hotel

This morning depart for Amber fort, situated atop the Aravali hills, which is the ancient capital of Jaipur and a magnificent example of Rajput architecture.

We ascend to the fort on Elephant's back and come down by Jeep.

Pronounced ‘Amber’ and meaning ‘High’, this wraithlike fort – palace beautifully illustrates Rajput artistry in the faded shades of the reddish pink. Situated on the rugged hills 1 Km north of town, Amber was once the ancient capital of the Jaipur state.

Later sightseeing of Jaipur city includes a viewing of Hawa Mahal - Palace of Winds. This five storied building which looks out over the main street of the old city is one of Jaipur's major landmarks. This is a stunning example of the Rajput artistry with it's pink, semi-octagonal and delicately honey combed and stone windows. Originally Hawa Mahal was built to enable the ladies of the royal families to watch the daily life and processions of the city.

Jantar Mantar - The Observatory, built by Raja Jai Singh in1728. It is an excellent example of the marvelous precision where in each construction has a specific purpose to measure the position of stars, altitudes and azimuths or calculating eclipses. The most striking instrument is the Sun Dial which is 90 feet high.

City Palace Museum - City Palace is delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture. A part of the palace is still the house of the former Maharaja of Jaipur. Visit the various galleries displaying the armory, clothes and paintings of the Rajput clan.

The tour of Jaipur is not complete without shopping as Jaipur is known as a shopper’s paradise famous for jewellery, handicraft, carpets, blue pottery and textiles.

Overnight at hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Drive to Delhi International airport in time to connect your onward flight to your next destination.