12 Day Magic Of India Private Tour

Upon your arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport, a tour representative will greet and transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Delhi is a bustling metropolis where the past and the present merge, both defining the capital’s cultural and architectural heritage. The remainder of the day is for you to spend at your own leisure, making the most of the services available at the hotel, exploring this exciting city, or even perhaps enjoying an optional Bollywood performance at Kingdom of Dreams.

After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Old Delhi and discover the city’s largest monument: the imposing Red Fort, built with glorious red sandstone (photo stop from outside, entrance not included). Continue to the nearby 17th-century Jama Masjid (‘Friday Mosque’), the largest mosque in India. Drive past Kotla Firoze Shah, the ruins of a 14th-century fort and the Ashokan Pillar of the 3rd century BC.

Also visit Raj Ghat, the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, a simple black marble platform that marks the spot of his cremation. In the afternoon, once in New Delhi, visit the India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb built in 1565 AD by his grieving widow Haji begum, the Qutub Minar, and Quwat-ul-Eslam (‘Light of Islam’) Mosque. Drive past the Presidential Palace and the Secretariat buildings, flanked by the houses of Parliament. Late in the afternoon return to the hotel.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport of Delhi to board your flight for Udaipur (included in the tour price). Upon arrival, a tour representative will meet you and guide you to the transfer to the hotel in Udaipur for check-in. In the afternoon, enjoy a city tour of Udaipur, nestled like a gem in a valley surrounded by the green Aravalli hills. Old dwellings, temples and palaces speak of its aristocratic past.

Visit the City Palace, once the home of Mewar’s rulers, overlooking the clear blue Lake Pichola, then proceed to Sahelion-ki-bari (‘Garden of the Maids of Honour’), the scene of royal parties for centuries. Drive around Fateh Sagar Lake, excavated in the late 17th century by Maharana Feteh Singh, the Puppet Museum (Lok Kala Mandal) and the statue of Maharana Pratap. The tour ends with an evening boat ride on Lake Pichola before returning back to the hotel.

After breakfast, depart for Jodhpur, and en route stop to visit Ranakpur, located in a deep, secluded valley where the most magnificent Jain temples in India are to be found. It is an extensive complex covering 3,600 square metres and contains 29 halls with 1,444 pillars, each unlike the other, intricately covered with delicate carvings, designed so that if one stands near any pillar, one can always see the deity.

The central temple is dedicated to Adinath, the Revealer of Truth. The temple was constructed in the early 14th century. (Temples are open from 12:00 to 17:00). After the visit, proceed to Jodhpur and, upon arrival, check in at the hotel.

In the morning after breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Jodhpur. Its walls, seven gates and numerous bastions and towers were built in the 16th century by Rao Maldeo. 120 metres above the flat surrounding plains soars a bold bluff on which the massive Meherangarh Fort was erected. In the old city’s maze of ancient lanes lay several palaces, havelis and temples.

The famous puppet-makers of Jodhpur are to be found here. Visit the Sardar Bazar, with its Clock Tower of 1912; the fort and palaces, some of which contain fine collections of Rajput miniature paintings; a museum; the Maan Vilas, housing Rathore armouries with cannons on the ramparts; and the spoils of Gaj Singh.

On the road down from the Fort see Jaswant Thada, the blinding white marble cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Later in the afternoon, depart for Manvar and upon arrival check in at Camps.

In the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, visit a Bishnoi Village. Steeped in history, this 450-year-old tribe has a distinctive way of life. Witness the opium ceremony, a ritual by which guests are traditionally welcomed.

Gaily attired men and women carry on about their chores and one can catch a glimpse of their norms and customs. Driving across this mystic horizon, you might encounter the agile black buck, wild camels and flights of rare birds.

As you drive across desert landscapes, see how the barren sands of austere colour contrast sharply against the rich cobalt of the skies. A drive through this starkly beautiful landscape takes you to the very heart of the Rajasthani villages, where centuries-old traditions still permeate day-to-day life.

After lunch in the resort, in the afternoon, proceed for Jaisalmer and en route stop to visit Pokhran Fort before continuing with the drive to Jaisalmer. Once at your destination, check in at hotel.

Morning starts with breakfast followed by a tour of Jaisalmer. From a sea of gold-tinged sand, Sonar Kila, a golden fort rises out of a rock of topaz. Visit the silent 12th-century Fort and Palace built by Prince Jaisal, and the Jain Temples that lie within the fort complex.

The tour continues with a visit to Salim Singh ki, Patwon ki Haveli and Nathmal ki Haveli. The famous art of the stone carvers of Jaisalmer is evident in the elaborate facades of these yellow sandstone desert havelis (‘mansions’), which glow softly in honey-like tones. Then continue the tour by visiting the artificial lake Gadi-sar. Later in the afternoon, visit the Sam Sand Dunes and experience the pace and space of desert life. Ride to the smooth, silky sands of the Samm dunes, where the Raikas (‘camel drovers’) travel with their animals over vast distances and know every waterhole and pasture in their region. The day ends with a return back to the hotel.

Wake up to breakfast at hotel and then proceed to Bikaner, where you’ll check in on arrival. In the afternoon, join a tour of this fascinating city. This mediaeval-flavoured city was set along the old caravan route that linked Central Asia and North India with the Gujarat seaports.

Charming havelis stand in the old part of this walled city and a leisurely lifestyle still prevails in this sublimely picturesque place surrounded by harsh desert landscapes. Visit the Fort, one of the finest Rajput monuments, where thirty-seven palaces, pavilions and temples built by different kings are all connected by paved courtyards, narrow staircases and terraces in this Rathor stronghold.

The oldest existing structures in Bikaner are the 14th-century Jain temples built by two merchant brothers, Sandeshwar and Bhandeshwar. The Bandeshwar Temple has carved wooden columns with dancing figures, surrounding a dark sanctuary with a chequered gold design and a mandap with astonishingly well-preserved frescoes.

The Sandeshwar Temple’s chief features are enamel and gold-leaf wall paintings and a vaulted ornamental ceiling. Its two marble altars are lined with rows of white marble statues of Jain saints.

Enjoy your last breakfast at the hotel in Bikaner before you hop on your transfer to Jaipur, where upon arrival you will check in at your new hotel. In the evening, a panoramic visit of this historical city on a rickshaw tricycle awaits you.

Jaipur is the vibrant capital of Rajasthan. It’s nicknamed the ‘Pink City’ because of the pink paint that covers the buildings of the entire old city. Built on the bed of a dry lake in an arid landscape, the city is surrounded by barren hills, surmounted by fortresses and crenelated ramparts.

Charge your batteries with breakfast at the hotel before setting off for a morning tour of the Amber Fort. It has been described as “the sleeping beauty of Rajasthan”. The sombre exterior belies the richness of the royal apartments which open on to striking views of the gorge. It also possesses a Chamber of Mirrors. The Hall of Victory presents a galaxy of decorative art, panels of alabaster with fine inlay work of the tenderest hues.

Then, in your afternoon city tour of Jaipur, visit Hawa Mahal (‘Palace of Winds’), an elaborate building encrusted with delicate honeycombed screens and carved balconies. You will also set eyes upon Jai Singh’s Observatory, built in the 17th century by the founder of Jaipur who, besides being a prince, was also soldier, astronomer and builder.

Lastly, the City Palace – now a museum – contains fine Rajput and Moghul paintings, rare manuscripts and an armoury. The day ends with your return to the hotel.

Take to the road after breakfast at the hotel and drive to Agra, on the banks of the Yamuna River. En route stop to visit the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri. This monumental walled city was built by Akbar the Great, the third emperor, to be his capital, but was abandoned within a few years of its completion due to a lack of water. Today, it is a remarkably well-preserved collection of red sandstone palaces, pavilions and mosques.

The buildings present a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic styles, and include the Panch Mahal, the Buland Darwaza and the Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chisti, which speak of the grandeur and splendour of the Mughals. Afterwards, proceed onward for Agra and on arrival check in at the hotel. Spend the afternoon until sunset visiting the Taj Mahal (closed on Fridays), the greatest love story ever told in stone, and then return to the hotel.

Morning visit of the Agra Fort-behind its forbidding red sandstone battlements lie palaces that tell the story of the Moghul Empire. The most impressive part of the Fort are the Dewan-e-Am, where the Emperor sat on his throne to dispense to his subjects, and the Dewan-e-Khas where he received foreign dignitaries.

This afternoon proceed by road to Delhi, on arrival directly transfer to International airport to connect flight for onward destination.