Day 1 Delhi arrival

Inspired by ‘Atithi Devo Bhav’, capital city of India, New Delhi welcomes the guests with open arms. Our representative will greet you on arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport and take you to the pre-reserved hotel and ensure quick and smooth check in.

New Delhi is the capital of India and also the third largest city in Asian continent. Today's Delhi consists of two clearly separate parts- Old Delhi & New Delhi. The Old Delhi, with its typically oriental neighborhoods, its narrow streets and bazaars, its temples, mosques and other historical monuments, called during later Mughal rule as Shahjahanabad, was built and inhabited between the 12th and 19th centuries and was the capital of the then Muslim India. The New Delhi, built symmetrically in 1931 by the British architect Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker as a garden city, has been generously and spaciously planned. New Delhi is characterized by wide boulevards, pristine gardens, widely scattered summer colonial houses and shady avenues. Most of the embassies are located in this part of city, and a large number of the government buildings is also here. But Delhi has yet to throw a third component in the balance when it comes to the importance of the city: it is in addition to its historical importance and the role it plays as an administrative capital, also the starting point for many tourists who want to explore the subcontinent want. The Delhi airport is a hub for many international airlines. The city is also the overland traffic through Asia on the way and finally the center of all routes through northern India.

During the course of your check in process, our representative will hand you over all vouchers. Have overnight stay in hotel and enjoy relaxing sleep to be prepared for full day sightseeing of Delhi, next day.

Day 2 Guided tour of Delhi

Delhi probably is world’s richest capital in terms of historical monuments. Naturally the Delhi sightseeing tour will be moderately fast paced tour so that most of iconic monuments and market places could be covered. Delhi tour guide will collect you from hotel and take you on full day sightseeing tour which includes Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandani Chowk, Humayun’s tomb, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Raj Ghat, Raj Path, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple and Akshardham Temple.

The Raj Path, a boulevard, stretches from the foot of the India Gate to imposing parliament building, straight up to Rahtrapati Bhawan, the royal residence of former viceroys and now the President of India. Tomb of Humuyun- a UNESCO World Heritage Site – set the trend for the architectural concept of the grave sites of the Mughal period, because for the first time mausoleum and gardens were synchronized here to form a complex of Persian style. It also served as a model for the world-famous Taj Mahal in Agra. The well-preserved mausoleum, made of red sandstone with gleaming white onion dome, is the oldest Mughal grave in Delhi and one of the most magnificent historical buildings in the city. The large premises were later used for burial of other moguls. Red Fort (Lal Quila) is the largest structure of Delhi and one of the main tourist attractions of the city. The monumental building was completed in nine years in 1648 and is modeled after Fort in Agra. The Red Fort construction cost about 10 million rupees, with half of the money used for the sumptuous palaces. The imposing fort measures approximately 900x550 meters, is surrounded by a 2.4 km long wall and has - like most Islamic buildings in India - an octagonal basic shape. In honor of the Indian independence the national flag is hoisted in person at Red Fort every year on August 15, by the Prime Minister. Purana Qila (Old Fort) is the location of the city of Indraprastha, the first ever Delhi, established by the Pandavas of Mahabharata fame. India Gate, 41 meter high triumphal arch, is a war memorial, dedicated to 85000 Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in First World War. India Gate is at the end of the end of the straight 4 km long boulevard Raj Path, leading from the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the residence of President of India). On both sides of the boulevard are the colonial-style government buildings. Jama Masjid and Chandani Chowk were also built by Shah Jahan, at the same time Red Fort was being built. Chandani Chowk is a big market place, still buzzes with activity. Raj Ghat is situated on the banks of River Yamuna. It was here Mahatma Gandhi was cremated after his assassination in 1948. Raj Ghat is a beautiful park. Also interesting are all the many marked trees that were planted by high-ranking personalities. These include Elizabeth II of England, Gough Whitlam, Dwight Eisenhower and Ho Chi Minh. Qutub Minar is a sublime victory column. Its construction started since the very beginning of Muslim rule over Delhi in 1193. Qutub Minar, built of red sandstone, is 73 meters high and tapers from 15 meters in diameter at the bottom to just 2.5 meters at the top. The tower consists of five characteristic levels, each clearly recognizable by a projecting balcony. The first three floors were built of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth floor of marble and sandstone.

During the course of visiting these historical monuments, you will be visiting Akshardham Temple, Lotus Temple and local market. Later in the evening, return to New Delhi hotel for overnight stay.

Day 3 Delhi – Agra (by car- 210 kms/ 04 hrs)- guided tour of Agra

After scrumptious breakfast in New Delhi hotel, depart for Agra, a prominent tourist destination of Uttar Pradesh, being the seat of globally renowned Taj Mahal. After 4 hours of driving, you will reach Agra.

Earlier, Agra , was a Rajput principality. During the reign of the Mughal in the 16th and 17th century, , Agra, was the capital of Mughal kingdom. The magnificent buildings of the city remind us of the bygone era. Especially there are two buildings that attract every year stream of visitors. A large number of tourists flock to India solely to view these monuments: Agra Fort and Taj Mahal. Except imposing and impressive architectural monuments, Agra is no different from other north Indian cities. Though Mughal rule in Agra was established by Babur but started flourishing only during the rule of Akbar. But Agra is known to be more associated with Shah Jahan who built Taj Mahal. Agra boasts of being seat of three iconic UNESCO World Heritage sites.

On arrival at Agra, our representative will receive you and ensure speedy check in at Agra hotel. At the same time, he will introduce you with Agra tour guide who will take you for greater exploration of Agra. The sightseeing tour will include, Agra Fort, Baby Taj, Tomb of Akbar at Sikandara, Dayalbagh Temple , and, Taj view from Mehtab Bag. ,

Having seen famous monuments of Agra, explore local market place and then return to Agra hotel to spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay.

Day 4 Visit Taj Mahal/ Agra - Fatehpur Sikri – Abhaneri- Jaipur (by car- 245 kms/ 04 hrs)

Though yesterday you have been shown Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bag during sunset, but today you will be visiting Taj Mahal at the time of sunrise when it looks stunningly beautiful. During dawn hour, Agra tour guide will collect you from the hotel and take you to the Taj Mahal on “tonga”.

Taj Mahal is the most photographed and talked about building of India. According to Archaeological Survey of India, Taj Mahal was designed by Shah Jahan’s architect Ustad Isa. It was not built on the site of an ancient place of worship, but on the site of the mansion of Raja Man Singh. The marble used for the Taj Mahal came from the marble quarries of Makrana in Rajasthan, an area where still outstanding marble is obtained. Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in fond memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal, aka, Arjumand Bano Begum who died while giving birth to her 14th child. She was temporarily buried in Burhanpur.

After visiting Taj Mahal, return to hotel, refresh, have breakfast, check out and depart for Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan and known as “Pink City”. On the way to Jaipur, about 37 kms from Agra, is a deserted medieval town of Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri, built by Akbar between 1570 and 1586, was meant as secretariat or twin capital of the Mughal kingdom. The town of Fatehpur Sikri was built suddenly and hastily but very soon it had been given up. Today it is a Mughal city almost perfectly preserved, as it may have existed in the heyday of the Mughal rule. Anyone visiting Agra, Fatehpur Sikri should not be missed at all. Akbar shifted the capital to Sikri and stomped a new, radiant town almost from the ground. Later, however, it was abandoned, ostensibly because of difficulties in the water supply.

After visiting Fatehpur Sikri, proceed for Jaipur. About 75 kms prior to Jaipur is a village named Abhaneri in Dausa district of Rajasthan. Abhaneri is a village with rich cultural heritage of ancient India. Abhaneri ioffers one opportunity to see architectural and sculptural gems in the form of Chand Baori (water harvesting, conservation and distribution system), a bit dilapidated ancient temple and a large number of sculptured statues, hallmarks of traditional Hindu temples.

After visiting Abhaneri, depart for Jaipur. It will take abot two hours to reach Jaipur. On arrival at Jaipur, our representative will transfer you to Jaipur hotel.

Jaipur , the capital of Rajasthan, is known as the pink city. Unlike cities in the Gangetic plain, Jaipur has broad streets and everything exudes a certain harmony. The city with its now more than 4,000,000 inhabitants is situated in a desert landscape, surrounded by barren hills. Rajasthan is not as crowded as other states. The careful planning and construction of Jaipur had been done by the great warrior and astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II (1699-1744). His predecessor had good understanding with the Mughal and maintained excellent relations with them. But by 1727, the splendor of the Mughal began to fade, and Jaipur king decided to leave his mountain fortress of Amber and to found a new city on the plain. In urban planning, he followed a Hindu scripture, dealing with architecture, the Shilpa Shastra. Hence, a city was designed with walls and six rectangular blocks. In 1728, a remarkable solar observatory called Jantar Mantar was built. Jantar Mantar, still in working condition, is a special attraction of Jaipur today. It served the Maharaja to observe the stars and astrological interpretation. In addition to lot many monuments, Jaipur offers a great opportunity for shoppers.

Day 5 Full day sightseeing tour of Jaipur

Jaipur sightseeing tour will commence a bit early in the morning, soon after the breakfast. Jaipur tour guide will first take you to visit three famous forts of Jaipur- Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort. Amber Fort visit will be made memorable by enjoying ‘maharaja-like’ elephant ride from the foothills of Amber to the main gateway of the fort, at the hilltop.

The old Jaipur painted in Pink can easily evoke any visitor’s admiration. The stunning backdrop of its ancient forts, Nahargarh, Amber, Jaigarh and Moti Doongari are apt testimonials of a bygone era and a reminder of their lingering romance and chivalry. One of the most magnificent marvels of Jaipur is the City Palace Complex, which is a rare combination of the finest blends of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The famous places to visit in the Pink City are Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Amber Palace, etc. Many royal festivals – apart from the religious festivals – are celebrated in Jaipur and these include the Elephant Festival, Gangaur, Teej and Kite Festivals.

After sightseeing of Jaipur, explore bustling market that is famous for its handicraft articles, durries, carpets, jewellery and textiles. Later on, return to hotel for overnight stay.

Day 6 Jaipur – Bhubaneshwar (by air)- Half day local sightseeing tour

Have scrumptious breakfast early in the morning in Jaipur hotel and depart for Sanganer airport to board flight for Bhubaneshwar, capital city of Orissa. On arrival at Bhubaneshwar, you will be received by our representative and transferred to the pre-booked hotel

Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is also popularly known as the "Temple City of India". Being the seat of Tribhubaneswar or 'Lord Lingaraj', Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage center. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the old town, which once boasted of more than 2,000 temples. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building activities of Orissan style flowered from their very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of more than one thousand years. The new Bhubaneswar with its modern buildings and extensive infrastructure perfectly complements its historic surroundings. With facilities to cater to every type of visitor, Bhubaneswar makes for an ideal tourist destination.

After relaxing for a while, you will be taken on a guided half day sightseeing tour that includes tribal museum ( closed on Monday ), Khandagiri & Udaigiri Jain caves ( oldest rock cut caves, the caves are reminiscent of influence of Buddhism and Jainism in Odisha (Orissa) ). Later in the evening return to Bhubaneswar hotel.

Day 7 Bhubaneshwar – Konark- Puri

Today you will be departing for Puri or Jagannath Puri, the cultural capital of India. After delicious breakfast in Bhubaneshwar hotel, move for Puri. On the way to Puri visit Dhauli ( Budhist stupa / peace pagoda ), Pipli ( the applique work village ) and Konark Sun Temple ( famously known as black pagoda ).

Konark derives its name from Konarka, the presiding deity of the Sun Temple. Konarka is actually a combination of two words, Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), which, when combined, means the ‘sun of the corner’. Konark was one of the earliest centers of Sun worship in India. The place finds mention in the Puranas as Mundira or Mundirasvamin, a name that was subsequently replaced by Konaditya or Konarka. Apart from the Puranas, other religious texts also point towards the existence of a sun temple at Konark long before the present temple. The temple city of Konark is situated in the eastern state of Odisha, at a distance of around 65 km from Bhubaneswar and 35 km from Puri.

Having seen Konark Sun Temple, proceed to Jagannath Puri. Spend evening in leisure on the golden beach of Puri. Visit Lord Jannath Temple (Non Hindus are not allowed). Later in the evening return to Puri hotel for overnight stay.

Day 8 Puri – Rraghurajpur – Bhubaneshwar –Departure

After scrumptious breakfast in Puri hotel, drive back to Bhubaneswar. On the way to Bhubaneshwar, have a stop-over at Raghurajpur (artisan village).Then proceed to Bhubaneswar and transfer to airport to board the flight for onward journey.