Duration: 11 Days
Places to Visit: Delhi - Rishikesh - Haridwar - Allahabad - Varanasi - Sarnath - Agra - Mathura - Jaipur
Day 01: Arrive Delhi. Meeting & greetings at airport by representative of Heritage India. Transferto Hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Delhi /Rishikesh - After
breakfast, leave Delhi by 6.00 AM by road for Rishikesh (6hrs.)-
'The City of Nirvana'. Upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Rishikesh is the most popular spiritual town in the Himalays, on the bank of the holy riger Ganga.
Unlike other Indian holy cities, it offers a
profound spiritual expedition of both body and mind.
Afternoon tour of the city which include
Laxman Jhoola, Ram Jhoola, Shivananda Ashram,
Swargashram, Bharat Mandir, Geeta Bhavan and
Triveni Ghat where the evening becomes
solemn and gets spectacular, with
"Sandhya Ganga Aarti" scenes which one must not miss. Overnight at hotel.
Day 03: Rishikesh/Haridwar/Delhi - After breakfast leave Rishikesh by 7.30 AM for
Haridwar(25 kms) by road. The name Haridwar
"Door of Vishnu" dates
from about 1400 yrs. It is where legend has placed
Vishnu's footprint on the bank of the holy river
Ganga giving it its sanctity.
One of the 7 holy cities of Hinduism, in Haridwar every 12th year
The Kumbh Mela is held and every 6 years Ardha Kumbh.
Visit Mansa Devi Temple &
Hari-ki-Pauri,
the place where Vishnu is believed to have left his
footprint. Part of the Ganga has been diverted here
and this later becomes the canal. Bathing here is
believed to cleanse all sins. One can also offers
rituals here at the ghat. Continue drive to Delhi
& upon arrival, check-in at Hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04: Delhi/Allahabad - After breakfast, sightseeing tour of Delhi visiting
Lakshmi Narayan Temple, India
Gate, drive past the President's House, Parliament House, Qutub
Minar, Lotus Temple, Aksherdham Swaminarayan Temple, Jamma
Masjid, Red Fort and visit Rajghat where Mahatma Gandhi were
cremated. Evening transfer to railway station to connect
train for Allahabad. Overnight in Train.
Day 05: Allahabad/Varanasi - Arrive Allahabad early morning and transfer to hotel for breakfast.
Allahabad, for Hindus is particularly a sacred because it is at the junction or
'Sangam' of the three Rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati - hence its other name is,
Prayag (confluence).
The purifying power of a sacred river is strengthened
at a confluence just as the physical power
is Bathing in the River at the Prayag
is auspicious at all times of the year, more so at Magh
Mela which occurs every year for 15 days (Jan/Feb).
Here at Prayag, every 12th year The Kumbh Mela is
held and every 6 years Ardha Kumbh. Out of 4 sites
for Kumh Mela, Holiest of all is Allahabad, the site
of the
Maha Kumbh Mela. Also
visit Anand Bhawan, the home of Nehru family,
Allahabad University & Khusrau Bagh.
Afternoon leave Allahabad by road for Varanasi (135 kms. 3
hrs.).
Upon arrival in Varanasi, check-in at Hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 06: In Varanasi - After
breakfast, morning city tour of
Varanasi - also called
'Kashi' (The City of Light
) and
is India's most sacred city, it was probably already an important
town by the 7th century BC. It
is also said that Varanasi is the oldest living
civilized city in the earth. Visit Bharat Mata Temple with a big
relief map of India in marble, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir
and Banaras Hindu University.
Varanasi is one of the 7 Sacrted cities of Hinduism. Afternoon visit
Sarnath,
the buried Buddhist city where Lord Buddha gave his first
sermon.Sarnath as a renowned school of learning from 6th
century B.C. to 12th century A.D. Visit the ruins, the Stupa,the
Buddhist Temple and the Museum. Later in the evening
witness ' Sandhya Ganga Aarti ' at the river
bank. Overnight at hotel.
Day 07: Varanasi/Agra - Early morning boat
excursion on the holy River Ganges to see the Bathing Ghats
and the Cremation Site. Watching people bathing and
worshipping at the Ghats is one of the most extraordinary experiences
of a visit to India. Thereafter, one can offer rituals at the
ghat. After
breakfast,
rest morning free at leisure. Afternoon transfer to railway
station to connect train for Agra. Overnight in Train.
Day 08: Arrive Agra early morning and transfer to hotel. After
breakfast, visit world famous
Taj Mahal.
Afternoon visit the Fort, Radha Swami Temple and marble factory. Overnight at hotel.
Day 09: Agra/Mathura/Jaipur - After
breakfast, proceed for half day visit to
Mathura - A
long line of picturesque ghats - with their steps leading to the
water's edge, arched gateways and temple spires extending along
the right bank of the River Yamuna, emphasis the sacred character
of the town of Mathura. The birth place of Lord Krishna, "the best
known, best loved and most complex of Lord
Vishnu's manifestations" – Mathura is today an important place of
pilgrimage. The city stretches along the right bank of the Yamuna
and the continuous line of ghats along the river makes a
splendid spectacle when viewed from the opposite bank.
Mathura is also one of the 7 holy Hindu cities.
Return to Agra in hotel. Afternoon leave Agra by road for Jaipur (220 kms. 5hrs) enroute visiting
Fatehpur Sikri built
by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and later abandoned after 15 years due to
scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including Jama
Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other Palaces.Upon
arrival in Jaipur in the evening, check-in at Hotel. Overnight at
hotel.
Day 10: In Jaipur - After
breakfast, morning half day city sightseeing tourvisiting Maharaja's City Palace, Observatory,
Birla Temple and
Ram Niwas Gardens. Also drive past Hawa Mahal or
the Palace of Winds and through the Pink Rose
residential and business areas of Jaipur. After
lunch free
time for shopping as Jaipur is Shopper's Paradise for
Hand-printed textile, glazed pottery,
jewellery, presious
stones,decorative
ware of brass, leather, ivory, sandalwood, marble &
handwoven carpets and shawl.Overnight at hotel.
Day 11: Jaipur/Delhi/Leave - After
breakfast, leave Jaipur by road for Delhi (250 hrs. 5 hrs) enroute visiting
Amber Fort -
the ancient capital of the State until 1728. Visit the
Jagmandir or the Hall of Victory glitering with mirrors, Jai
Mahal and
Temple of Kali.
Ascend the hill on which the Fort is situated on the Elephant
back. For return from the Fort, Jeeps shall be used.
Thereafter, proceed for Delhi & on arrival Delhi,
some free time for last minute shopping. Evening transfer to
airport to connect flight for onward destination.
