Travelpack

Day 1: Arrive Delhi
Upon arrival at Delhi airport welcome, meet and assist by our representative and transfer to hotel

Day 2: Delhi
After breakfast proceed for city tour of Old Delhi visiting Raj Ghat which is located on the banks of the river Yamuna, This is Mahatma Gandhi's Memorial, where he was cremated following his assassination in January 1948. The memorial lies in the midst of landscaped gardens and made of a sim ple square platform of black marble inscribed with his last words "Hey Ram". Drive Pass Red Fort (closed on Monday)- the 17th century imposing fortress built in red sandstone is surrounded by a huge boundary wall 33m high. Inside are exquisite palaces and beautiful gardens. Board the 'cycle rickshaw' 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. Opposite the Red Fort lies Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) made of red sandstone and white marble, completed in 1656. It is India's largest mosque where more than 20,000 people can kneel in prayer at one time. Afternoon New Delhi visit ing Humayun's Tomb, built by his wife Haji Begum in the 16th Century. An early example of Mughal architecture considered the predecessor of the Taj Mahal. The Qutab Minar - the landmark of Delhi, a huge tower of victory started in 1199 and completed in 1368. The Minar is 72.Sm high with a diameter at the base 14.4m and 2.7m at the top. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 3: Delhi to Varanasi by flight
Transfer from hotel to Delhi airport in time to board flight for Varanasi. Upon arrival at Varanasi airport transfer to hotel
Varanasi - a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga). It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, dating back thousands of years. It is often also referred to as "city of temples and learning". The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganga and its religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious center. Varanasi has its own style of classical Hindustani music, and has produced prominent musicians, philosophers, poets, and writers in Indian history. It is one of the cities mentioned in the Bible and ha s been known to the world for its sericulture. Rest of the day at leisure and Overnight stay at hotel

Day 4: Varanasi
Early morning you will be taken on a visit to the Ghats witnessing the Hindu pilgrims perform the rituals and following the centuries old tradition and belief that by dying in Varanasi or by immersing the mortal remains in the holy Ganges, it clears one from the birth circle and you are incarnated to human life in the next birth. You would be taking a boat cruise on the river Ganges around all the ghats and stopping at the important ones. The riverfront, as seen from a boat, early in the morning, is a spiritually uplifting sight, you de-board the boat at Manikarnika Ghats and walk down towards the narrow lanes experiencing the daily life style of people and visit Golden Temple(Kashi Vishwanath temple). Return to hotel to have breakfast. After breakfast you will enjoy sightseeing tour of the city Bharat Mata temple - was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936 and houses one perfect relief maps of India carved out of marble. The Temple was gifted by the nationalsts Babu Shiv Prasad gupta (Barat Ratana) and Shri Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists and antiquarians., DRIVE PASS Durga temple- commonly called the 'Monkey temple', it was built in the 18t h century. There is a pond adjacent to the temple called
"Durgakund". And BHU ( Banaras Hindu University). Afternoon you will do excursion to Sarnath (Museum is closed on Friday) Evening witness Aarti by boat on Ganges. Overnight stay at hotel

Day 4: Varanasi to Agra by flight.
Transfer from hotel to Varanasi airport in time to board flight for Agra
Upon arrival at Agra airport meet and assist by our representative and transfer to hotel
Agra – medieval city on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was founded by Sultan Sikandar Lodi in the year 1506. Agra achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings. Most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Rest of the day at leisure and Overnight stay at hotel

Day 5: Agra
Morning Tonga Ride (Chariot Ride) till the Taj Mahal entrance and visit the world famous monument Taj Mahal (Closed on Fridays) – Overlooking the River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is a classic example of Mughal architecture, with the Taj itself built as a mausoleum at the northern end of an extensive formal walled garden designed in the charbagh style and structured on the Islamic theme of ‘paradise’. The whole site was built by Shah Jahan between AD 1632 and 1653 as the final resting place of his favourite wife Arjumand Bann Begum (also known as Mumtaz Mahal) who died in AD 1631 shortly after giving birth to their fourteenth child. Upon his death in AD 1666, Shah Jahan was buried alongside his wife in the Taj.
Agra Fort - Agra Fort was originally a brick fort and the Chauhan Rajputs held it. It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a Ghaznavide force captured it. Sikandar Lodi (1487-1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi who shifted to Agra and lived in the fort. He governed the country from here and Agra assumed the importance of the second capital. He died in the fort in 1517 and his son, Ibrahim Lodi, held it for nine years until he was defeated and killed at Panipat in 1526. He built several palaces, wells and a mosque in the fort during his period. ltmad -Ud-Daulah Tomb also called "Baby Taj" has a special place in the chronicles of both history as well as architecture. This is precisely because ltmad ud Daula is the very first tomb in India that is entirely made out of Marble. This is actually a mausoleum that overlooks the River Yamuna and is a tomb of Mir Ghiyas Beg, a minister in the court of Shah Jahan. Evening enjoy sunset view of Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh - The Garden complex, situated on the opposite bank of the Taj Mahal, is known as Mehtab Bagh. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 6: Agra to Bharatpur by surface. Bharatpur to Jaipur by train.
After breakfast drive to Bharatpur railway station in time to board train for Jaipur En-route visiting Fatehpur Sikri - which is a beautiful and deserted medieval city, built by Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great in the 16th century to serve as the capital of his vast empire. It was mysteriously abandoned 13 years later. Today, it is perfectly preserved as a ghost city built at the height of the empire's splendor. Upon arrival at Bharatpur railway station drive to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.Enjoy rickshaw ride at the Keoladeo National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary Later transfer to Bharatpur railway station in time to board train for Jaipur. Upon arrival at Jaipur railway station transfer to hotel. Jaipur Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh - 11, the ruler of Amber, Jaipur was the first planned city in India. This town is also referred as Pink city for the colour of buildings in its wonderful old city. The city was painted pink to honour the visit of Prince wales in 1876. Overnight stay at hotel

Day 7: Jaipur
This morning excursion to the Amber City Fort situated 130m high with the Aravalli hills around and 11 km north of Jaipur. It was the ancient capital of the Kachhawaha Rajputs till 1037. Ride the colourfully painted elephants up the hill, admire the massive gateways, courts, stairways, pillared pavilions and palaces the recall the glory and wealth of Amber's association with the Mughals. Afternoon enjoy city tour visiting the The Maharajah's City Palace -A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Deve Temple and the City Palace Museum. Jantar Mantar - This is the largest and best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. Hawa Mahal -The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a landmark in Jaipur. Its five-storey structure of pink sandstone encrusted with fine tellies work and balconies has 953 inches and windows. It was built in 1799 by Pratap Singh and was a royal grandstand for palace women. Johari Bazaar -The main bazaar is in the old city for jewellery and saris. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 8: Jaipur to Jodhpur by train
Transfer from hotel to Jaipur railway station in time to board train for Jodhpur
Upon arrival at Jodhpur railway station transfer to hotel. Jodhpur - founded in 1459, Jodhpur is referred as Sun City for its bright & sunny weather. It is also termed as Blue city for it blue whitewashed houses around Mehrangarh Fort. Rest of the day at leisure and Overnight stay at hotel

Day 9: Jodhpur
Morning enjoy city tour Jodhpur Mehrangarh Fort - located atop a 125 m high hill. The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort is the most majestic and one of the largest forts in India. The construction of the fort started in 1459. The walls of the fort are up to 36 m high and 21 m wide; they enclose some exquisite structures. The fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The rampart of fort not only has excellently preserved cannons but also gives a breathtaking view of the city. Kipling once remarked, the fort seems to have been built by giants and not by ordinary people. Also visit Jaswant Thada – an architectural landmark. It is a white marble memorial built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. The monument, in its entirety, is built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. These stones are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow when the sun's rays dance across their surface. Within this cenotaph, there are also two more tombs. Umaid Bhawan Palace – one of the fascinating palaces of Jodhpur, Maharaja Umaid Singh constructed in20th Century. A part of the palace has now been converted into a hotel and a museum. Later enjoy A heritage tour by Tuk Tuk in the Old City, Jodhpur. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 10: Jodhpur to Udaipur by surface
After breakfast drive to Udaipur lies in a valley, amidst green hills on the banks of Lake Pichola. Along the shores of the lake is the palace of the Maharana. Within the palace, view peacocks in mosaic on the walls, floors inlaid with tiles of rare beauty and roof gardens. En route visit the tranquil pilgrimage town of Ranakpur, renowned for some marvellously carved Jain temples. Upon arrival at Udaipur, check in at hotel for an Overnight stay.

Day 11: Udaipur
After breakfast you will enjoy city tour visiting City Palace - The city palace was built in 1725 with various palaces inside it such as Dilkush Mahal, the palace of Krishan Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal all ornately decorated. The museum in City Palace contains incomparable historic and artistic heritage which dates back to 14 century, Jagdish Temple - Dedicated to Vishnu, the preserver, this temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651, Saheliyon Ki Bari -The Garden of the Maids of Honour, a most serene place in Udaipur, designed by Maharana Fateh Singh. It consists of beautiful lawns, gardens and fountains, a retreat for the ladies of the household, Rana Pratap Smarak, & Sajan Niwas Gardens - Overlooking the Fateh Sagar is the Moti Magri (Pearl Hill) on which is a statue of Maharana Pratap on his famous horse Chetak. Local guide claim that he jumped an abyss of extraordinary width in the heat of the battle even after losing one leg! The path to the top winds through some attractive gardens. Afternoon enjoy Boat ride on Lake Pichola. Lake Pichola - The beautiful Lake Pichola derives its name from a nearby village Picholi. Udai Singh built a dam and from then the lake has become a meeting place for more than two hundred species of migratory and resident birds. Overnight stay at hotel

Day 12: Udaipur
Day at leisure to explore city of Lakes at your own pace and Overnight stay at hotel

Day 13: Udaipur to Delhi by flight
Delhi to Trivandrum by flight. Trivandrum to Kovalam by surface. Transfer from hotel to Udaipur airport in time to board flight for Trivandrum.
Upon arrival at Trivandrum airport drive to Kovalam is a golden sand virgin beach on the Malabar Coast of Kerala and is amongst the most prominent beach holiday spot of the world. Upon arrival at Kovalam, check in at hotel Overnight stay at hotel

Day 13 - 17: Kovalam
All days at leisure and Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 17: Kovalam to Trivandrum by surface
Trivandrum to Colombo by flight. Transfer from hotel to Trivandrun airport in time to board flight for Colombo. Upon arrival at Colombo airport transfer to hotel Rest of the day at leisure and Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 17 - 26: Colombo
All days at leisure and Overnight stay at hotel

Day 26: Depart
Transfer from hotel to Colombo airport in time to board flight.

Delhi - The Claridges
Varanasi - Radisson – Superior Room
Agra - Radisson
Jaipur - Trident
Jodhpur - Indana Palace
Udaipur - Trident
Kovalam - Leela Kovalam

Accommodation on Bed and Breakfast throughout the tour
1 Lunch at The Bagh Bharatpur
Meet & assist at airports / railway station & hotels by our representative
All transfers, sightseeing & excursions as mentioned in the itinerary by air-conditioned car
Entrance fees in monuments
Services of local English Speaking Guide as per the itinerary during city tour except at Ranakpur where Audio guide will be provided
Cycle Rickshaw ride at Old Delhi
Elephant / Jeep ride at Amber Fort, Jaipur
Boat ride at River Ganges, Varanasi
Common boat ride at Lake Pichola Udaipur
Tuk Tuk ride at Jodhpur
Rickshaw ride at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Train fare for the sector Bharatpur / Jaipur and Jaipur / Jodhpur by air-conditioned chair car