Destination : Delhi -
Agra - Jaipur - Pushkar - Ajmer - Delhi
Duration : 8 Nights / 9
Days
Day
01 : Abroad - Delhi Arrive at Delhi International airport.
On
arrival in Delhi, the guest will be met by our representative and
transferred to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
02 : Delhi This morning you will be taken to visit Old Delhi -
Former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments, narrow
streets and bustling bazaars. Drive past the Red Fort, built in 1648 and
board the 'rickshaw ride' for a unique experience from the Red Fort, through
"Chandni Chowk" or Silver Street, experiencing the sights and
sounds of this very busy avenue heading west from the Fort. Later visit
theJama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah
Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to
Mahatma Gandhi.
This afternoon you will be taken to visit New Delhi -
drive past the stately government buildings of the British Era designed by
Lutyens, including the India Gate & the Presidential Palace. Continue
onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb of the Mughal era & predecessor of the
world famous Taj Mahal. End the tour at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 : Delhi - Agra
Morning drive to Agra (203 km)
Upon arrival in Agra - check into the
hotel.
Afternoon visit Red Fort and famous Taj Mahal.
Red Fort -
lies on the bend of the river Yamuna, almost in the heart of the town. It
was built by Akbar as his citadel over the years 1563-73 in the finest
architectural style. It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone and a
moat.
Taj Mahal -This most famous Moghul monument was constructed by
Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal "the lady of the
Taj". It has been described as the most extravagant monument ever built
for love, for the emperor was heartbroken when Mumtaz died after 17 years of
marriage, during the birth of her 14th child.The central structure has four
small domes surrounding the huge, central dome. Above the tombs of Mumtaz
Mahal and Shah Jahan are false tombs, a common practice in Indian
mausoleums. (Taj Mahal is closed on Friday).
Stay at pristine Taj
Mahal for sunset, to see this true Wonder of the world in gentle late
afternoon light.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04
: Agra - Jaipur
Morning drive to Jaipur (221 km), en route visit
Fatehpur Sikri.
Fatehpur Sikri the deserted, red sandstone city that
was built by Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the 16th century.
Also visit the Bulund Darwaza the largest gateway in the world.
Thereafter continue drive to Jaipur and check into the hotel.
Afternoon
at leisure to explore the city.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 : Jaipur
Morning tour of the impressive
Amber Fort, situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur City. At the foot of the
hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the slow but steady climb
up to the main gate, making your entrance in the time honoured fashion. The
Fort, completed in the early 18th century, took over 100 years to build and
now, although deserted, offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of
the Moghul ruling families.
Afternoon tour of the City - "The
Pink City" is spectacularly set within surrounding rugged hills, dotted
with ancient ruined fortresses. Your tour will include the imposing City
Palace, still home to the Maharaja although several of the rooms are now
open to the public. Many antiques and artefacts belonging to the ruling
family are housed here, including a collection of weaponry. You will also
visit the Hawa Mahal "Palace of the Winds", and the open-air
Jantar Mantar Observatory to see the vast astronomical instruments. Enjoy a
stroll through the colourful bazaar before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 06 : Jaipur - Pushkar
Late morning drive to Pushkar (130 km)
Pushkar - is famous
for its colourful annual fair during Kartik Poornima (full moon) in the
November each year. At this time, this otherwise peaceful and gentle village
on the banks of holy Pushkar take is thrown into colourful confusion when
the desert tribes and camel caravans meet to trade cattle, camels, goat,
sheep, clothes, jewellery and spices. Upto 2,00,000 traders and 50,000
cattle pour into town, along with numerous festooned camels and colourful
pilgrims. After 10 hectic days of livestock dealing, camel racing and
colourful festivities, everybody goes for a big holy dip in the lake on the
night of the full moon (Kartik Purnima) and perform rituals in its waters to
the accompaniment of temple & folk music.
Upon arrival in Pushkar - check into the Royal Camp which captures the
luxurious nostalgia of a bygone age of the Maharaja's Safari and Shikar
camps, combined with innovative design demonstrating many of the skills and
crafts of Marwar. The camp consists of tents, each with verandah, bedroom
and bathroom. There is a large dining tent serving the best of Rajasthani
cuisine and a large open reception tent with seating areas. The campfire is
the focal point for the evening entertainment programme with cocktails &
rhythms of the Thar-music, dancing, magicians, puppet shows, jugglers,
flaming torches & camel parades.
Afternoon city tour of Pushkar -
Pushkar boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might expect at
such an important pilgrimage site, since many were deserted by Aurangzeb and
subsequently rebuilt. The most famous is the Brahma Temple, said to be one
of the few temples in the world dedicated to this deity. It's marked by red
spire, and over the entrance gateway is the hans, or goose symbol, of
Brahma, who is said to have personally chosen Pushkar as its site.
Overnight at Camp
Day 07 : Pushkar
Full
day at the fair. Built as 'an explosion of fun, frolic, games and laughter',
the fair provides some wonderful photographic opportunities and is a great
chance to see Rajasthani women decked up in all their traditional jewellery,
dress and finery. Temple music wafts through the night, as the fires die
down and the Rajasthani melodies played on the stringed ek-tara come to a
close. On the night of the full moon, the pilgrims bathe in the moonlight,
then send marigold and rose petals floating across the lake on green
plate-like leaves. It is worth getting up early to see the camels and tribes
rousing themselves in the pink of the dawn desert light.
Overnight at
hotel
Day 08 : Pushkar - Ajmer - Delhi
Morning drive to Ajmer (15 Km).
Upon arrival in Ajmer, proceed
straight for city tour - Ajmer, located 135 km southwest is the most sacred
of all Muslim places of pilgrimage in India. Ajmer is a green oasis on the
shore of Ana Sagar Lake, hemmed in by barren hills. Historically, Ajmer has
always had great strategic importance. It was founded in 7th century by
Ajaipal Chauhan. He named it Ajaimeru the 'invincible hill', because here he
raised Taragarh, India's first hill fort. The city's Muslim history began
when Prithviraj Chauhan lost Ajmer to Sultan Muhammad Ghori in 1193 A.D. The
Persian saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti who came with Muhammad Ghori from
Persia in 1192 settled here. Thus the place where he was buried is today
known as the Dargah Sharif. Construction of the shrine was completed by
Humayun and the gates were added by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Later Shah Jahan
constructed a mosque of white marble, it has 11 arches and a Persian
inscription running the full length of the building. Beyond the Dargah is
the Adhai din ka Jhonpra an ancient Sanskrit college, which was converted
into mosque in 1198 and remains one of the finest monuments of medieval
India.
Afternoon transfer to railway station for train to Delhi.
Leave: Ajmer at 1550 hrs by Shatabdi Express
Arrive: Delhi
Cantt. at 2220 hrs
On arrival in Delhi, the guests will be met by our
representative and proceed to International airport for flight back to home.
Day 09 : Delhi - Abroad
Seasons in India
Formalities
