4 Oct 08:  Arrive Delhi  5 Oct 08:  Delhi 6 Oct 08:  Delhi / Agra 7 Oct 08:  Agra / Jaipur 8 Oct 08:  Jaipur 9 Oct 08:  Jaipur Departure Day 01 ARRIVE DELHI Arrive at New Delhi airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred to the hotel. Overnight at the Hotel. (B)

Day 02

DELHI

Breakfast at Hotel.

Enjoy a full day tour of Old and New Delhi.

Morning sightseeing of Old Delhi. Visit  Jama Masjid is India's largest mosque, built by fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan on 1650. This mosqueis also built by Red sandstone and White marble. 

Then Drive past Negotiating alleyways, which seemingly get narrower and narrower we end up at the Chandni Chowk (The Silver Square), once the imperial avenue, is today bustling with shops, stalls and silversmiths' ateliers. Enjoy the drive past of Red Fort, a fort famous  for its red sandstone walls.

Continue your visit to Raj Ghat, the place where India’s “Father of the Nation” Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. 
Afternoon, tour New Delhi.

Visit Qutab Minar which is built in Indo-Islamic style and has five storeys, with each floor having a projecting balcony. It is one of the highest stone towers in India and has a diameter of about 14.32 meters/47 feet at the base and about 2.75 meters/9 feet the top. The structure is made of red sandstone and is heavily indented with fluting.

Humayun’s Tomb, Built in the mid 16th century by Haji Begum, senior wife of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, Humayun's Tomb is an early example of Mughal architecture built in Delhi. A rose petal sandstone mausoleum built in proper Mughal style is a beautiful memorial to the poet king. Octagonal in shape, raised on a plinth, with double domes, high arches, laid in the centre of a large walled enclosure, the monument is an imposing structure.

India Gate, built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers killed in World War I, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens Built from sandstone, the arch also houses the Eternal Flame, a gesture in memory of the Indian soldiers who laid their lives in the 1971 war with Pakistan.

Afterwards, drive past Rajpath, Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Overnight at the Hotel. (B)

Day 03

DELHI / AGRA  (200 kms. / Approx 4 hrs.)

After Breakfast at hotel, Check-out and drive to Agra en-route visiting Sikandra. 

Sikandra is named after Sikander Lodhi. Here stands the Tomb of the mighty Akbar. The construction of this mausoleum was started by Akbar himself but was completed in 1613 by his son Emperor Jehangir.

Arrive and Check In to the hotel.

Visit Taj Mahal during Sunset to see the sun casting its mellow rays on this magical building. The rays of the sun bathe the pristine white marble edifice in warm hues of gold, ochre, orange, rust and flame.
                                                                                                                                               
The Taj Mahal
Emperor Shah Jahan built this white marble mausoleum for his queen Arjumand Bano Begum or Mumtaz Mahal. The building aside, the Taj Mahal is one of the most glorious symbols of love. Great builder that he was, the Emperor commissioned a building that has lasted centuries to remain a thing of rare breathtaking beauty. The building was commissioned in 1631 and decorated with the landmark technique of intricate marble inlay work.

Situated on the banks of the River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal stands at the northern end of formal gardens. The white marble came from Makrana in Rajasthan and the red sandstone from Fatehpur Sikri. Precious stones like jade, crystal, turquoise, lapis lazuli, sapphire, jade, coral and diamonds were brought from far-flung places in Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, Persia and Afghanistan. It is believed that a fleet of 1000 elephants was used to transport the material.

The gardens enclosed by high walls are divided into four parts or the charbagh, which symbolises the Gardens of Paradise in Islam. There are fountains and water channels flowing through the garden, representing the rivers of water, milk, wine and honey. The monument itself stands on a raised platform with four minarets in the corners. The minarets have a slightly outward incline, to prevent them from falling on the monument during an earthquake. You have to remove your shoes before getting on to the platform. Socks, or cloth shoes available at the base, should be kept on since the marble gets very hot during the day.

On both sides of the Taj are two identical red sandstone mosques. The one to the left holds Friday prayers even today. The one to the right, the jawab (answer) was built only for symmetry and holds no prayers since it faces away from the Mecca.

Overnight at the hotel (B)

Day 04

DRIVE AGRA / JAIPUR  (235 kms / Approx 5 hrs.)

After an early breakfast, set out for a sightseeing of Agra Fort.

Few forts in the world have a more fascinating story to tell than the Great Fort of Agra.  Originally planned as an impregnable military structure by Akbar, the Agra Fort, over a period of time, acquired all the elegance, lavishness and majesty of an imperial palace. Situated 3 km upstream of the Taj Mahal on the right bank of the Yamuna, it took eight years to complete and entailed an expenditure of three and a half million rupees.

Afternoon, check-out from hotel and drive to Jaipur.
 
En-route, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted sandstone city, which was the glorious but short-lived imperial capital of Akbar, the greatest of Mughal emperors. A variety of architectural styles are found, since craftsmen representing many schools were employed.

Resume drive to Jaipur.  On arrival, Check-in at hotel.

 Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is the home of the Rajputs, a warrior clan who ruled this part of India for many years. Built in 1727 by the warrior-astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II, the city of Jaipur is laid out as described in the ancient Hindi treatise on architecture, known as the “Shilpa-Shastra”. Battlement walls with seven gates encircle the old city; broad avenues divide it into neat rectangles. Jaipur is popularly known as the “pink city”, from the pink-colored sandstone of the buildings in the old walled city.

Overnight at the hotel (B)

Day 05

JAIPUR

Breakfast at hotel.
Enjoy morning excursion to Amber Fort and afternoon sightseeing tour of Jaipur city.
Amber Fort, the capital of Rajasthan for 6 centuries before Jaipur was built, lies 11 kms. north of Jaipur. Rising majestically on the slopes of a hill, this 11th century fort and palace complex is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles.
Elephants carry us up the ramparts of the fort. (Subject to availability)

Afternoon, explore the “Pink City”.

The City Palace stands in the centre of the city. Part of it is still the Maharaja's residence, while most of the complex has been developed into a museum containing rare manuscripts, fine specimens of Rajput and Mughal paintings, royal apparel and an armory.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) is the landmark of Jaipur. It stands on one of the main streets, a curious building, elaborate and fanciful, built of pink sandstone with a delicate honeycomb design.

Jantar Mantar (The observatory), built by the founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. The huge stone instruments were devised to study the movements of the sun, moon and planets and are incredibly accurate.

Overnight at the hotel (B)


Day 06:

JAIPUR DEPARTURE

After Breakfast, check-out from hotel AND Transfer to Jaipur airport to board departure flight for onward journey.