Taj and Beyond (10 Days / 09 Nights) Travel Package India

Arrive at the New Delhi International Airport. Our representative will be waiting outside the customs enclosure to assist you to reach your hotel and check in. New Delhi is the capital city of India. Delhi has a colourful history and since the Mughal period (17^th century) till the British period (1947) served as the capital city. In 1649 Mughal emperor Shahajahan built Shahajahanabad which today is known as Old Delhi. Later during the British period the New Delhi area was developed and built to become the present New Delhi. The whole city was planned and built by Sir Edwin Lutyen starting from 1918. The structures which make up the Parliament House or Rashtrapati Bhavan are heritage of Lutyen’s Delhi. New Delhi is a beautiful city, modern in every way and well planned with wide tree lined roads, skyscrapers and interesting shopping destinations.

Have breakfast in the hotel and spend the morning relaxing. In the afternoon you will proceed for a half city tour of New Delhi. Visit Qutab Minar, a tower built in 1119 by Qutab-Ud-Din Aibak but completed later by Iltutmish. It is a red and buff sandstone structure with intricate carving all over. It has five stories with surrounding balconies. Also verses from holy Koran is inscribed on it. Next visit Humayun’s tomb built by Huamayun’s widow Haji Begum around 1562, the mausoleum of Emperor Humayun with typical Mughal architecture. . Later drive past the secretarial offices, the Parliament house and India Gate- the war memorial and Rashtrapati Bhawan. Come back to the hotel for the overnight stay.

Have an early breakfast and start your day with a visit to Jamamasjid in Old Delhi. This day you will be touring Old Delhi Jamamasjid was built in 1644 and completed in 1658. It is a beautiful mosque constructed with alternating strips of red stone and marble. Its importance lies in the relics that it preserves till today of Prophet Mohammad. Quran written on deer skin, a strand of beard, his footprint on marble and his sandals are preserved in this mosque. Visit Red Fort a colossal red stone castle built by Emperor Shahajahan in 1638 when the Mughal capital was shifted to Shahajahanabad. Visit Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. Later take a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, the oldest market in Delhi and enjoy the Delhi street food. Come back to the hotel and relax in the evening. Spend the night in the hotel.

After a sumptuous breakfast you will start your journey towards Agra. Agra is situated in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Agra has a rich history and has three UNESCO world heritage sites- Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.  It had served as the capital city for Lodhi rulers (1506) and Mughals later till 1540 when Shahjahan decided to shift the capital to Delhi. Arrive in Agra and check into a hotel. In the afternoon start your sightseeing tour. Visit the Agra Fort a massive red stone fort sprawled over 94 acres. This fort though built earlier was renovated by Emperor Akbar in the 16^th century.  This fort is unique in a way as three Mughal emperors have added to its structure over the century. Agra Fort is known for its massive gates like Delhi Gate, Lahore gate, Elephant Gate and Amar Singh gate which is the only one open to visitors. At the end of the afternoon during the sunset visit Taj Mahal. It is an exceptional view of this magnificent building. Taj Mahal is one of the ‘seven wonders of the world’. It was built by Emperor Shahajahan (1632-1652) in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal depicting his deep love for her. This monument took 22 years to complete and required 20000 men to build it. The intricate work done on its marble inlay is exquisite. The perfectly sculptured structure out of white marble never fails to impress the visitors. It is closed on Fridays. Come back to the hotel and stay overnight in Agra.

After a relaxed breakfast start your journey towards Bharatpur by car stopping en-route to visit Fatehpur Sikri. This city, 37 Km from Agra is built predominantly with red stones. It was built by Emperor Akbar in memory of Sufi saint Salim Chist and was his capital in late 16^th century. This magnificent city has 11Km long fortification, interspersed with numerous gates. The blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture shows the uniqueness of this fortified city and is an example of religious tolerance of Emperor Akbar. The city was abandoned by the emperor after 15 years due to scarcity of water. Our representative will receive you at Bharatpur and assist you to check into a hotel for the overnight stay. 

Keoladeo Ghana National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is one of its kinds in the world and is situated in Rajasthan. The sanctuary is named after Lord Shiva as there is an ancient temple of Shiva in the middle of the park. The park used to be covered with thick deciduous forest. The existence of Bharatpur Lake encourages many species of migratory water birds to come here in winters. The Bharatpur Lake itself is an artificially created lake by a Maharaja. Coming of the migratory birds and the native Indian birds offered a shooting ground to the royalty and later the British. This was banned by 1960 and Keoladeo became a protected bird sanctuary. By 1985 it was declared world heritage site. The migration of birds from far away land like Siberia or Central Asia creates a major tourist attraction. Hundreds of species like cranes, pelicans, larks, ducks, eagles, hawks etc. come here in winter and fly back to their nesting grounds in summers. Take a rickshaw ride around the park and return in the afternoon to go to  Bharatpur railway station. Here you will board Jan Shatabdi Express to arrive at Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. Our representative will be waiting here to welcome you and escort you to the hotel where you will stay overnight.

In the morning drive to Ranthambore National Park which is 14Km from Sawai Madhopur. The park lies at the intersection of Aravalli and Vindhya hills. The landscape here is varied with lush flora near the canals, meadows in valleys, grasslands and plateau vegetation in the rest of the park. There are number of rocky hills dotting the surface of the wildlife reserve. The massive Ranthambore Fort is part of the national park. The main attraction of Ranthambore National Park is the tiger which can be seen in broad day light. Apart from this stately animal you will come across langur, hyena, jackal wild boars, bears, leopards etc. You will also find marsh crocodile and various species of birds. The safari will be done in two parts- one before breakfast and one after lunch. Come back to the hotel Sher Bagh here and have dinner. Stay the night in Ranthambore.

In the morning you will visit the game reserve once again. By afternoon you will be driven to Jaipur. Jaipur is 180Km away from Ranthambore. Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan. It is also popularly known as the ‘Pink City’ because of the pink walled buildings of the old city. This is a stunning remnant of the bygone era. It was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1727. Stay the night in the hotel after reaching Jaipur.

After breakfast you will be driven to Amber Fort built in 17^th century by Maharaja Mansingh. Amber Fort is set on the top of a hill which can be reached by taking a lurching elephant ride if you choose. This magnificent fort has number of breathtaking palaces, gardens and temples with elaborate mirror work adding to the grandeur. En-route to Amber you will stop to see Hawa Mahal the palace of winds. This palace is an architectural wonder designed to trap cool wind inside the palace. This is also built with pink stones. Built in 1799 this palace has five stories and 953 small windows delicately carved with Rajasthani patterns and designs. Visit the City Palace built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1729. The architecture of the palace reflects Muhgal, Rajput and European style. It is a grand building with decorated walls, murals, lattice and mirrors. The next visit will be to the astronomical observatory, Jantar Mantar. This was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1727. This imposing structure is a historical wonder which was used to calculate the earth’s orbit, predict eclipse, measure time, track stars etc. Later take a stroll in the colourful markets of Jaipur. Come back to the hotel and stay overnight.

Start the day with breakfast and then driving from Jaipur to New Delhi. After reaching you will be met by our representative and assisted to transfer to the international airport for a flight back home.