Fabulous India Tours

Detailed Day Wise Itinerary

• Day 01 / Arrival DelhiArrive Delhi, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope – that is India. Meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.
• Day 02 / DelhiAfter breakfast proceed for sightseeing tour of Old & New Delhi: OLD DELHI – A sight-seeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting the Raj Ghat – the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama Masjid – the largest mosque in India. NEW DELHI – An extensive sight-seeing tour of New Delhi would include a visit to the Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutub Minar, a drive along the ceremonial avenue – Rajpath, past the imposing India Gate, Parliament House, the President’s Residence and would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave. Night stay in Delhi
• Day 03 / Jodhpur – Pushkar ( By road )After breakfast drive to Pushkar, Pushkar boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might expect at such an important pilgrimage site, since many were deserted by Aurangzeb and subsequently rebuilt. The most famous is the Brahma Temple, said to be one of the few temples in the world dedicated to this deity. It’s marked by red spire, and over the entrance gateway is the hans, or goose symbol, of Brahma, who is said to have personally chosen Pushkar as its site. Night stay in Pushkar.
• Day 04/ Pushkar – Jaipur ( By road approx 145 kms/ 03Hrs)Morning drive to Jaipur – known as Pink City, was the stronghold of a clan of rulers whose three hill forts and series of palaces in the city are important attractions. Known as the Pink City because of the colour of the stone used exclusively in the walled city, Jaipur’s bazaars sell embroidered leather shoes, blue pottery, tie and dye scarves and other exotic wares. Western Rajasthan itself forms a convenient circuit, in the heart of the Thar desert which has shaped its history, lifestyles and architecture on arrival transfer to the hotel. Evening at leisure . Night stay in Jaipur.
• Day 05 / JaipurMorning excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant Ride ascent to the fort. AMBER FORT PALACE – Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds it’s ultimate expression. Continue sight-seeing. 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 Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. JANTAR MANTAR – This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use. HAWA MAHAL – The ornamental facade of this “Palace of Winds” is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. Their five-storey structures of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women. Night stay in Jaipur.
• Day 6 / Jaipur – Agra ( By road approx 235kms/ 05Hrs ) enroute visit Fatehpur SikriAfter breakfast drive to the City of Tajmahal – the beautiful city is situated on the banks of holy river Yamuna. Agra is the third largest city in the state of Utter Pradesh in India and a prominent tourist destination in the country. Millions of tourists visit Agra from all across the world every year to see the beauty of majestic Taj Mahal and other historical monument lying every where in the city. Agra is primarily witness of Mughal architectural excellence and their love for structural designs. Agra is also a prime center of rich cultural heritage and art in India. No trip to India can be considered as complete without visiting to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri- a perfectly preserved red sandstone “ghost town” which was the estranged capital of mughal emperorAkbar, built in 1569 and deserted when its water supply failed. Arrive Agra and transfer to hotel. Night stay in Agra.
• Day 7 / AgraAfter breakfast visit the magnificient Taj Mahal -one of the seven wonders of the world surely the most extravagant expression of love ever created. 20,000 men laboured for over 17 years to build this memorial to Shah Jahan’s beloved wife. A ride on Tonga upto Taj is sheer fun and frolic all through. Also visit the Red fort – the rusty and majestic red-sandstone fort of Agra stands on the banks of the river Yamuna and the construction was started by Emperor Akbar in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Am (hall of public audience), a colonnaded hall of red-sandstone with a throne alcove of inlaid marble at the back, the Emperor heard public petitions. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) where marble pavilions with floral inlays lend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat on his gem-studded Peacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and rulers of friendly kingdoms. Evening free to explore the rich handicrafts of Agra. Night stay in Agra.
• Day 8 / Agra – Jhansi ( By Superfast train Dep. 0815Hrs Arrv. 1045Hrs )Jhansi – Orchha ( By road approx 15kms/ 30Minutes ) Morning transfer to railway station to board the train to Jhansi , Arrive Jhansi & drive to Orchha – grandeur has been captured in stone, frozen in time, a rich legacy to the ages. In this medieval city, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces and temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries retain much of their pristine perfection. Arrive & transfer to hotel. Later tour of this historical site with magnificient temples and monuments. Some of the palaces were decorated with painted murals which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela school of painting. Night stay in Orchha.
• Day 9 / Orchha – Khajuraho ( By road approx approx 180kms/ 04Hrs )After breakfast drive to Khajuraho Khajuraho- the legendary temples of khajuraho are an incomparable experience. Acknowledged as one of the world’s artistic wonders, these temples dedicated to the Hindu pantheon of Gods are covered in carvings that are a paean to life and love. Built within a short span of a hundred years by the Chandela Rajputs, the 10th century temples lay forgotten until they were discovered in the present century. Khajuraho has achieved fame for the sensual appeal of its erotic sculptures. Arrive Khajuraho and transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night stay in Khajuraho.
• Day 10 / KhajurahoThe fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India’s unique gift of love to the world, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, were built between 950 and 1050 A.D. The divine sculptures in these temples, are a tribute to Life itself, embodying everything that is sublime and spontaneous about it. The murals depict the life and times of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being. They not only testify to the mastery of the craftsman, but also to the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose reign, these temples were constructed. The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions : western, eastern and southern. After breakfast explore the Western, eastern and southern temples of khajuraho while your guide explains the intricate meaning and legends behind each describable sculpture.
• Western GroupKandariya Mahadeo: This is the largest, and most typical Khajuraho temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it soars 31 m high. The sanctum enshrines a lingam, while the main shrine is ornately carved and depicts various gods, goddesses, apsaras (heavenly maidens) in elaborate detail. Chaunsat Yogini: The oldest surviving temple in the group (900 A.D.), this is the sole granite temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. Another Kali temple, which was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is the Devi Jagdambe temple. Chitragupta Temple: Dedicated to the sun-god, Surya, this temple faces eastwards to the rising sun. Vishwanath Temple: The temple enshrines a three-headed image of Lord Brahma. Lions guard the northern entrance to the structure, while elephants flank the southern flight of steps that lead upto it. A Nandi bull faces the shrine. Lakshamana Temple: The lintel over the entrance of this temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, shows the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort. The sanctum is adorned with a three-headed idol of Vishnu’s incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha. Matangeshwara Temple: This temple, which happens to be outside the precincts of the western group, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It boasts of an eight feet high lingam.
• Eastern GroupParsavanatha Temple: The largest in the group of three Jain temples, the Parsavanath image in this temple, was installed in 1860. Ghantai Temple: This Jain temple has a frieze depicting the 16 dreams of Mahavira’s mother, and a Jain goddess perched on a winged Garuda. Adinatha Temple: The last of the Jain temples, is dedicated to the Jain saint, Adinatha, and is gorgeously adorned with sculptures of yakshis among others. The three Hindu temples in this group are the Brahma temple, which has a four-faced lingam, The Vamana temple which is embellished with images of ravishing apsaras at their alluring best; and finally the Javari temple, with its ornate gateway and lavish carvings
• Southern GroupDuladeo Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the highlights of this temple are the sensuous images of the apsaras, and other exquisite sculptures. Chaturbhuj Temple: This temple sports a huge, elaborately carved image of Vishnu in the sanctum. Night stay in Khajuraho.
• Day 11 / Khajuraho – Varanasi ( By flight )After breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight for Varanasi-said to be the India’s most sacred city situated on the western bank of the holy river Ganga. It is also the oldest living city in the world. As a place for devotion and worship, with hundreds of temples dotting the city , sunrise on the river front as seen from a boat can be a spiritually uplifting sight. It has a fascination uniquely its own, a quality of sublime beauty, a timeless eternal appeal. Varanasi is the city which cannot be described, only experienced. Arrive Varanasi and transfer to hotel. Evening view “Aarti” ceremony on the Ghats. Night stay in Varanasi
• Day 12 / VaranasiMorning boat cruise at the river Ganges to observe the way of life of pilgrims by the Ghats. Later excursion to Sarnath, 10kms & East of Varanasi, is the place where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon. The celebrated Mantra, ‘Buddham Sharanam Gachhami’, owes its origin to Sarnath. On the day before his death Buddha included Sarnath along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar as the four places he thought to be sacred to his followers. It makes Sarnath one of the most venerated Buddhist places. Besides Buddhism, Sarnath is also connected with Jainism. There are many Buddhist monuments and edifices in Sarnath. 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, Burma and others. The Indian Buddhist society called Mahabodhi Society maintains a park around the Buddha temple. The Mahabodhi Temple within the park has a tooth relic of the Buddha.There is also a vast expanse of ancient ruins at Sarnath. Several Buddhist structures were raised at Sarnath between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, and today it presents the most expansive ruins amongst places on the Buddhist trail. The Ashoka pillar of Sarnath is the National emblem of India. Also visit the deer park and the museum and later back to Varanasi . Night stay in Varanasi.
• Day 13 / Varanasi – Delhi ( By flight )Morning at leisure, Afternoon transfer to airport to connect the flight for Delhi , Arrive Delhi & transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure or last minute shopping etc. Night stay in Delhi.
• Day 14 / Delhi – DepartureTransfer to airport to board the onward flight.