Day 1 - Arrive Delhi

Arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport. As you exit the airport, you will be met by an AKORN airport representative outside the customs gate who will escort you to your hotel.

Transfer to your hotel - The Grand New Delhi (approx. 25 min drive). You will be assisted with check-in. At the hotel, a traditional Indian welcome of aarti- tikka- garland will be accorded. Check-in time at the hotel is 14:00 hrs. VIP amenities (fruit basket and mineral water with compliments) will be placed in all rooms.

Overnight: The Grand New Delhi

Meal Plan:

Day 2 - Delhi

We begin our cultural journey in India with an orientation tour of Delhi.

Delhi: The city consists of two parts - Old & New Delhi. Old Delhi was the capital of Muslim India from 17th to 19th century and has many mosques, monuments, and forts. New Delhi, the imperial city was created by the British as the capital of India. In 1911, Edwin Lutyens, the most renowned English architect of the day, was chosen to design New Delhi which flaunts a surprising number of impressive monuments related to its conquests by the Mughals, Turks, Persians and ultimately the British.

This morning, explore and photograph in Old Delhi. Visit Jama Masjid, the royal mosque built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in 1656. It is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world and is constructed in red sandstone and white marble. The main prayer hall has a seating capacity of more than 20,000 worshippers. Enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, the spine of Old Delhi. Jahanara Begum, the daughter of Shah Jahan designed this commercial place in 1648. Drive past Red fort, built in red sand stone by Shah Jahan in 1648, this magnificent monument is laid out along the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon. Visit Rajghat, the simple square platform of black marble marks the place where the father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.

Post lunch, visit Qutab Minar, a soaring tower of victory, 72.5-meter-high with five distinct stories. The construction of this minaret commenced in 1193 and was completed in 1368. Built on the foundation of a Hindu temple, many elements of the construction reflect their Hindu and Jain origins. Within the complex, there are myriad monuments that combine both Islamic calligraphy and Hindu motifs.

Continue to Humayun’s Tomb, the first great example of Mughal architecture in India, it developed to become the hallmark of the Mughal Dynasty.  The squat building of white marble and red sandstone, with a dome and high arched entrances, surrounded by formal gardens, is generally regarded as a prototype of the famed Taj Mahal of Agra. Humayun’s wife is buried in the red-and-white sandstone, black-and yellow marble tomb.

Photo stop at India Gate, this 42m high stone arch of triumph stands at the eastern end of the Rajpath. It bears the names of 85,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the campaigns of WW I the North-West frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco.

The day culminates with an interesting visit to a Sikh Temple Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. A holy place for Sikhs across the world, the complex includes a community temple, a community kitchen, a school, a library and an art gallery. If you like, partake in a traditional Langar style meal that has been cooked by the Gurudwara’s disciples in its community kitchen.

Overnight: The Grand New Delhi

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - Delhi - Amritsar

This morning an AKORN representative will escort you for your flight to Amritsar:

Depart: Delhi                             at: 08:25hrs                   by: Jet Airways flight 9W-364

Arrive: Amritsar                         at: 09:35hrs

The city of Amritsar is synonymous with the Mecca of the Sikh faith - the Golden Temple. It stands as a beacon of faith in the middle of a busy bustling city that is also a major commercial centre of Northern India. A whole world of turn-of-the-century architecture, chaotic streets and peaceful lagoons wait to be discovered in this city of living history.

On arrival, an AKORN representative will meet you and escort to your hotel. Early check-in will be subject to availability.

Later in the afternoon, travel in comfort to the Wagah border to witness Change of flag ceremony. On-route, photo-stop at Khalsa College that is considered a gem of Indo - Saracenic revival architecture. Founded in 1892, this historic educational institution is spread over 300 acres. On arrival, in Wagah, enjoy the spectacle as the sun sets over the Wagah border - the line that divides India and Pakistan in Punjab. For many decades now, every evening, soldiers from both sides lower their respective country flags and walk through no man’s land into each other’s territories. The pomp and show attracts many spectators from across the country and patriotic fervor runs high. You can instantly feel the emotional connection as people from both sides share stories of their common ancestry and how their families were divided during partition.

Overnight: Hyatt Regency

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - Amritsar

Head out by 4am for the pre-dawn prayer service at Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple. This is one of the most peaceful experiences in the world, as you see the Holy book is paraded before jostling crowds in a palanquin before being taken to its prayer place.

Return to your hotel for breakfast. Later in the day, proceed for a city tour. Visit Partition museum. Initiated by The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust to work towards the establishment of a physical museum in Amritsar it is dedicated to the memory of the Partition in 1947. Thereafter walk along Heritage Street to Jallianwala Bagh to see the historic site. Enjoy an interesting snacking experience on street food! The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure for shopping etc. Spend some time buying traditional footwear or stunning phulkari dupattas, Amritsar has a lot to offer. In the evening return to the Golden Temple to witness the ‘Going to Bed’ ceremony of the Sikh holy book!

Overnight: Hyatt Regency

Meal Plan: B

Day 5 - Amritsar - Varanasi

This morning an AKORN representative will escort you for your flight to Delhi:

Depart: Amritsar at: 10:15hrs by: Jet Airways flight 9W-340

Arrive: Delhi at: 11:35hrs

Remain in transit for your connection to Varanasi:

Depart: Delhi at: 15:10hrs by: Jet Airways flight 9W-820

Arrive: Varanasi at: 16:30hrs

Varanasi - Dating back to more than 3000 years, Varanasi is said to be the oldest city in the world. There are temples at every few steps here giving it the sobriquet, ‘city of temples’. In Hinduism, it is believed that those who breathe their last in this city attain nirvana and get an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and re-births. On arrival, you will be met by an AKORN representative and escorted to your hotel. Check-in to your rooms. This evening witness the Aarti ceremony, hundreds of people gather at the banks of the river Ganges to participate in the aarti (hymn).

This evenings aarti offers one of the most spectacular sensory experiences, when hundreds of lamps light up the riverside at dusk, the entire city of Varanasi comes to a standstill and the sound of chimes and dongs reverberates in each and every street (great photography opportunity).

Overnight: Ramada JHV Varanasi

Meal Plan: B

Day 6 - Varanasi

Early this morning boat cruise on the Ganges. A morning cruise on the Ganges presents a very beautiful view of the ghats bathed in crimson light. For thousands of years, people have been thronging these ghats to offer their morning prayers to the rising sun. Some of the popular ghats are the Dasaswamedh Ghat, Kabir Ghat, and Assi Ghat. It is at the Ganga ghats where we see life and death together. While most ghats are used for bathing and taking holy dips while praying for a long, happy life, there are also several cremation ghats where bodies are cremated in public. The main cremation ghat is Manikarnika.

Return to the hotel. After leisurely breakfast visit Jnana Pravaha museum, which promotes Indian Culture in its quintessence. Thereafter Banaras Hindu University. Spread across 1300 acres, this great centre of learning was founded in the year 1916. The university also has an art and archaeological museum called ‘The Bharat Kala Bhavan’, established in 1920, which has on display some rare collections of paintings and Hindu and Buddhist sculptures. In the afternoon visit Sarnath, famous for many Buddhist monuments and edifices.

It is at Sarnath where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon after enlightenment. Some of the important Buddhist monuments at Sarnath are the Dhamekha stupa, the Chaukhandi Stupa and monasteries and temples of different schools of Buddhism from Japan, China, Thailand and Burma. The Indian Buddhist society maintains a park around the Buddha temple that has a tooth relic of the Buddha. There is also a vast expanse of ancient ruins at Sarnath dating between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD. The Archaeological Survey of India has established a site Museum at Sarnath (Closed on Friday). Finest specimens of Buddhist art and other important remains dating from the 9th to 12th centuries have been housed at the museum. The main attraction at the museum is the Ashoka Pillar. It has four back-to-back lions at the top, and this element has been adopted as the national symbol of India

Overnight: Ramada JHV Varanasi

Meal Plan: B

Day 7 - Varanasi - Khajuraho

This morning an AKORN representative will escort you for your flight to Khajuraho: Depart: Varanasi at: 12:45hrs by: Jet Airways flight 9W-2423

Arrive: Khajuraho at: 13:40hrs

On arrival, you will be met by an AKORN representative and escorted to your hotel. Check-in to your rooms. Afternoon sightseeing of Khajuraho, which includes a visit to: Kandariya Mahadeo, Parasvanath Temple, and Ghantai Temple etc. The temples of Khajuraho are India's unique gift to the world, representing, as they do, a paean to life to love, to joy; perfect in execution and sublime in expression. Life, in every conceivable form has been captured and immortalized in stone. Architecturally they are unique, being very different from the temple prototype of their period. The three main compartments are the entrance (ardhamandapa), assembly hall (mandapa) and sanctum (garbha griha), with further additions in the more developed temples. Three geographical divisions group the temples: western, eastern and southern.

This evening witness sound and light show. This fascinating Son-et-Lumière spectacle evokes the life and times of the great Chandela Kings and traces the story of the unique temples from the 10th Century to the present day.

Overnight: Jass Radisson

Meal Plan: B

Day 8 - Khajuraho - Orchha - Jhansi - Agra

This morning drive to Jhansi en route visiting Orchha (173 kms/ approx.04 hrs).

Orchha - overlooked by the modern era, this beautiful medieval town, was once the capital of Bundela Kings. Built along the banks of the river Betwa, flowing through a rugged country century side, it still retains the captivating air of a bygone era. Amongst the various imposing edifices, of particular interest are the Jehangiri Mahal, built by Raja Bir Singh Deo to commemorate the visit of Moghul Emperor Jehangir, the Raj Mahal and the Laxmi Narayan temple, both noted for their fine Frescoes and Mural paintings. En route lunch will be arranged at the Orchha Resort.

Upon arrival in Jhansi, an AKORN representative will transfer you to the Jhansi Railway station to board the train for Agra.

Depart: Jhansi at: 18:40 hrs by: Shatabdi Express

Arrive: Agra at: 21:10 hrs (Train Timings Subject to Change without Prior Notice)

Agra: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat (seat of the Emperor). Today, a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices of red sandstone and white marble, narrow lanes and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously.

On arrival, an AKORN representative will meet you at the Railway station and transfer you to your hotel.

Overnight: Trident Agra

Meal Plan: B,L

Day 9 - Agra

Early morning visit Taj Mahal (UNESCO World heritage site) at sunrise. The 17th century Taj Mahal is often called a poem in stone. If so, the mausoleum is a love poem - created by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years to be completed and was designed and planned by a Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen. Note: Taj Mahal remains closed on every Friday. Taj Mahal is best experienced at sunrise when the light reflects off the marble to give it a magnificent hue.

Return to your hotel for breakfast. Leisurely this morning you will be escorted for a tour of Agra Fort by tuk tuks, 20 min drive approx. An imposing structure with walls of red sandstone, almost two miles long and contains palaces, audience halls and mosques. The fort presents a good sampling of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. It was built by the third Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Subsequent additions were made to the fort by his son Jahangir and grandson Shahjahan.

Rest of the afternoon will be at leisure for relaxation and independent activities.

Overnight: Trident Agra

Meal Plan: B

Day 10 - Agra - Jaipur

This morning drive from Agra to Jaipur covering a distance of 260 Kms/ approx.05h30 min drive.

On-route, stop at Fatehpur Sikri. A visit to the Fatehpur Sikri, now a UNESCO world heritage site, brings alive the early days of Emperor Akbar and resonates the music of the legendary musician Tansen all over again. Fatehpur Sikri was Akbar's capital for approximately 12 years. The finest monuments within Fatehpur Sikri are the Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Buland Darwaza and the tomb of Saint Sheikh Salim Chishti, and the Jama Masjid (one of the largest mosques In India).

Lunch will be at Laxmi Vilas Palace, Bharatpur.

After lunch, continue your journey to Jaipur.

The city was first intended to be called ‘Sawai Jaipur’, named after the boy Prince who commissioned it - Maharaja Jai Singh II - a warrior, astronomer and politician who reigned over the Mughals from 1699 to 1743. Today's Jaipur is pink, visually described as the city shaded with the autumn colors of the sunset. Jaipur's universal coat of pink only came in 1876 to coincide with the visit of the Prince of Wales (King Edward VII). Almost the entire city was given a coat of pink paint, thus giving it the name the ‘Pink City’. On arrival, check in to your hotel.

Overnight: ITC Rajputana

Meal Plan: B,L

Day 11 - Jaipur

Optional: An early morning Ballooning experience over Amber Fort for great photography opportunity (subject to weather conditions).

This morning visit Amber Fort and its stunning walls and towers. Tour the chambers and hallways of the palace. Amber Fort is famous for the excellence of its design and decoration. Within the complex is Ganesh Pol, an imposing gateway painted with the images of the elephant-headed god, Ganesh. The merging of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles is captured in the Sukh Niwas and Jas Mandir apartments, and the Charbagh garden with its perfectly proportioned landscaping. Pierced screen windows offer views from different vantage points & shimmering mirrors encrust walls of Sheesh Mahal.

Optional: Enjoy an Elephant Safari followed by Champagne Lunch at ‘Far Pavilions’ - a beautiful countryside location.

Enjoy a tour of Jaipur city first stopping at Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), one of the most photographed monuments in India. This beautiful façade is probably the most-photographed in Jaipur, with its ornately carved windows designed so the ladies of the palace could look out onto the streets unobserved Continue tour of Jaipur visiting the Jantar Mantar Observatory built between 1728 and 1734 - it houses precise instruments for measuring “the harmony of heavens” each instrument serves a function and gives an accurate reading. Also, visit the City Palace museum and tour its famous galleries.

Late afternoon explore the Bazaars, Cuisine & Craft of Old Jaipur. Walk, mingle and talk with the locals and see some of the city’s most popular street food vendors. Observe local artisans in their workshops; jewelers and silversmiths, gold painters and tie-dying experts as well as other artists.

Overnight: ITC Rajputana

Meal Plan: B

Day 12 - Jaipur - Udaipur

This morning an AKORN representative will escort you for your flight to Udaipur: Depart: Jaipur at: 08:30hrs by: Spice Jet flight SG-2623

Arrive: Udaipur at: 09:30hrs

Udaipur, the city combines real beauty with a picturesque association of a great and glorious past. It stands in a valley, amidst green hills on the banks of the wide, steel blue Lake Pichola. On little islands in the lake, from the water's edge, rise marble palaces of pure white that glisten like fairy castles. Crowning the ridge in which the city clusters, along the shore of the lake, is the palace of the Maharana. Possibly no city in Rajasthan is quite as romantic as Udaipur and is replete with fantastic hilltop fortresses, exotic fairytale palaces and gripping legends of medieval chivalry and heroism. Udaipur rivals any of the world's famous creations of the Moghuls with the Rajput love of the whimsical and it's superbly crafted elegance (Please be noted the check-in time at the hotel is 1400hrs, in case the rooms are available on arrival then the guest can do check-in and later proceed for sightseeing of the city).

On arrival, you will be met by an AKORN representative. Proceed with an orientation tour. Visit City Palace, a conglomeration of buildings added by various Maharanas, the palace manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design. The entrance is through Hathi Pol (elephant gate) along the main street of the old city, past the Jagdish Temple. The paintings, mosaics, intricately carved ‘chhatris’ and of course the architecturally brilliant facade all contribute in making a visit to the City Palace a truly memorable experience. Also, visit Crystal Gallery - Located at the City Palace, it has a rare collection of Osler's crystal ordered from England by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1877. Culminate the tour with a visit to Maharana’s Vintage & Classic car collection - On display is the magnificent Rolls Royce, 1939 Cadillac open convertibles, rare Mercedes models, 1936 Vauxhall among others.

Later check-in to your hotel. Rest of the afternoon will be at leisure. 

Enjoy a romantic boat ride at Lake Pichola with the setting sun making the experience ever so magical. Udaipur, also known as the ‘City of Lakes’ The many lakes in the city have lent it the name of ‘Venice of the East’. And what better to admire the regal beauty of this historic city dotted with palaces than a boat cruise.

Overnight: Trident Udaipur

Meal Plan: B

Day 13 - Udaipur

After a relaxed breakfast, proceed for an excursion to Eklingji & Nagda. Udaipur and its neighboring cities also have some very beautiful temples. And the Eklingji and Nagda temples are a must visit. We begin our tour with Eklingji. The town has in all about 70 temples including the famous Eklingji Shiva temple. The original structure of the temple was built in 734 A.D. The temple has a beautiful rustic architecture with the distinctly carved tower.The temple also has beautiful and heavy silver doors. On entering the main hall, you are greeted by a mesmerizing fragrance and a silver image of ‘Nandi’. There are two more Nandi’s in the temple; one made of black stone and the other of brass. Shiva is worshipped here in the form of a four-faced black marble image. Our next stop would be Nagda. This city founded in the 6th century has many small and big temples, but the main attraction is the 'Sas-Bahu' temple. The term 'Sas-Bahu' suggests 'Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law' respectively. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and it is made of two structures. The main entrance to both the temples has intricate carvings. The temple of ‘Sas’ (mother-in-law) is comparatively larger than that of the ‘Bahu’ (daughter-in-law). The 'Bahu' temple has an octagonal ceiling, which is adorned with beautifully carved eight intricate female figures.

Return to the hotel after the visit.

This afternoon, proceed for an interesting walk in the bazar of Udaipur - Away from the glitz and glamour of the royal palaces and life of the maharajas, the vegetable and spice market of Udaipur narrates a very colorful tale of the Indian bazaars. The narrow streets of the bazaar will be teeming with shoppers and vendors. You will find tables along the roads loaded with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Huge bowls filled with colorful spices will fill your nostrils with the scents of coriander and cinnamon.

Overnight: Trident Udaipur

Meal Plan: B

Day 14 - Udaipur - Delhi - Departure

The morning, will be at leisure. This afternoon an AKORN representative will escort you for your flight to Delhi:

Depart: Udaipur at: 14:10hrs by: Indigo flight 6E-747

Arrive: Delhi at: 15:35hrs

On arrival, an AKORN representative will meet you and escort to an airport hotel where rooms will be available for wash & change. Later in the evening, an AKORN representative will escort you to International airport for your flight back home.

Rooms for Wash & Change at Holiday Inn Aerocity.

Overnight:

Meal Plan: B