Taj Lakes
7 Nights / 8 Days
Udaipur - Ajmer - Pushkar - Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Delhi
Day 1 : Arrive Udaipur
Arrival transfer from Airport to hotel .Udaipur is the most romantic of all the Rajasthan cities and one of the most exotic places in Asia. The city's palaces, havelis, temples sets it apart from the rest of the cities. It is also popular for its crafts, paintings and performing arts. The lake palace is the best example of the unique cultural explosion. Udaipur has rightly been called Venice of the east. You can see the city from the rooftop of palaces, the view is marvelous, it makes you forget the world. The smooth rolling hills that surround Udaipur are as overpowering as the city itself.
Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning, city tour of Udaipur - the romantic Lake City in Southern Rajasthan, famous for the stunning white marble Palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It was the former Palace of the Maharana and now converted to one of the most glamorous hotels in India. The tour will cover the magnificent City Palace, the Jagdish temple, the pleasure gardens and a drive around the other nearby lakes. The magnificent City Palace, which is simply enormous - an assemblance of not one but four separate palaces covering some four acres of area and exceeding all other palaces for colossal grandeur. Here you will marvel at rooms with mirrored walls and ivory doors, colored glass windows and inlaid marble balconies; and the Peacock Courtyard. Continue your visit to Eklingji and Nagada temples.
The road from Udaipur to Eklingji is very beautiful. The undulating countryside, gentle hills and valleys carry the charm of the miniature paintings of this region. About thirty kilometers north of Udaipur is an ancient temple called Eklingji dedicated to Shiva. The temple was originally built by the founder of the Mewar family who came upon this site one day when he was herding his cattle. A holy sage he met there advised him to build this temple and the stone image, a linga of Shiva with four faces, became the patron deity of the royal family. Even today the Maharana worships here and he is considered the minister of Eklingji. The temple was rebuilt in the fourteenth century in granite and marble, and is still a celebrated pilgrimage site in Rajasthan (open alas to Hindus only). Nagada Temples - About four kilometers to the west of Eklingji are some interesting ruined eleventh century temples called Sas-Bahu (for some reason, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law temples) with exquisite stone carvings.
Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Pushkar.
Pushkar is a mellow, serene and bewitching little town which attracts those in search of some respite from the tumult of India. Pushkar is right on the edge of the desert and is only 11 kms from Ajmer but separated from it by Nag Pahar, the snake mountain This traveler-friendly town clings to the side of the small Pushkar Lake with its many bathing ghats and temples. For Hindus, Puhskar is a very important pilgrimage centre and you'll see plenty of Sadhus (individuals on a spiritual search). Pushkar boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might expect at such an important pilgrimage site, since many were desecrated 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.
Over night at Pushkar.
After breakfast drive to Jaipur 150 KM .Jaipur the `Pink City' as it is popularly known, is the bustling capital of Rajasthan, `Pink city' because most of the buildings are pink in colour in the old city. The city retains its old self, at the same time it is moving fast as a modern city. You can see extreme contrast on the streets of Jaipur. On one side you have cars, buses and motorbikes, on the other side you can see camel carts. On one side there are traditionally dressed men and women in their turbans and colorful long skirts and blouses. On the other hand you can see modernly dressed Indians and foreign tourists having a bite in their favorite American restaurants.
Over night at Jaipur.
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning you will be given an excursion to Amer Fort - At a short distance of 11 kms. from Jaipur, the Amer Fort complex stands amidst wooded hills overlooking the Delhi-Jaipur highway, with its forbidding ramparts reflected in the still waters of the Maota Lake below. At the foot of the hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the slow but steady climb up to the main gate. One of the finest examples of Rajput architecture, it was the ancient capital of the Kachhawah rulers. The original palace was built by Raja Man Singh and additions were made later by Sawai Jai Singh. Within the palace are the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas or the "Hall of Private Audience" and the Sukh Niws where a cool breeze blows across channels of water for the purpose of air-conditioning.
Here are the private chambers of the queens with windows having latticed screens so that the ladies could watch the proceedings of the royal court inprivacy. There is also the Jai Mandir or the "Temple of Vicotry", with its famed Sheesh Mahal, the scintillating "Hall of Mirrors". Afternoon sightseeing tour of Jaipur city visiting City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar (Observatory). The City Palace is now converted into a museum, except a small portion that is still used by the royal family of Jaipur. Built in the fortified campus style, the palace covers almost one-seventh part of the city.
One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion that is devoted to the arms and ammunition used by the wariors family in the past. Other important attractions are the Textile and Costume Museum, Art Gallery, Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, and Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Am. Drive past Hawa Mahal - Strange though it may seem, this most famous landmark of Jaipur is not actually a palace but a series of sandstone screens. This pink structure was constructed so that the ladies of the palace could watch the royal processions without being seen by any outsider. This sandstone edifice was named Palace of Winds after the many brass wind vanes that adorned it until 1960s. Also visit Observatory Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we motor to Agra, with a visit en route to the Fatehpur-Sikri, originally built by Moghul Emperor Akbar but deserted due to lack of water. Continue your drive to Agra. Agra, the name brings to our mind superb monuments including the magnificent Taj which is one of the seven wonders of the world. Agra is the symbol of a bygone era. The era, when the Mughals ruled India. As a reminder of their glorious past they have left behind some beautiful monuments. The one and the only Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Jehangir's Palace. The list of the monuments is endless. If we could push these great monuments away from our minds, then Agra is just like any other city.
Arrive Agra and check in at hotel After lunch you will be given the city tour of Agra. Visit the Taj Mahal, unquestionably one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire world, Taj Mahal (closed on Fridays) built in 1630 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. The monument has been described as the most extravagant ever built for love, for the emperor was heart-broken when Mumtaz, to whom he had been married for 17 years, and who died in 1629 in childbirth soon after delivering her 14th child.
Visit the Agra Fort - Built by Emperor Akbar on the west bank of the river Yamuna and beautified with palaces and gardens by Jehangir, Agra Fort today dominates the centre of the city. The crescent-shaped fort with its 20-metre high, 2.4-km outer walls contains a maze of buildings that form a small city within a city. One can enter the fort only through the Amar Singh Gate. The public access is limited to the southern part of the fort which includes nearly all the buildings of tourist interest. The Diwan-i-Aam (hall of public audience) and Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience) were built by Shahjahan for receiving audiences. Jehangir's palace built by Akbar was the largest private residence in the fort. Close to Diwan-i-Khas, stands an octagonal tower known as Musamman Burj. It was here that Shahjahan breathed his last after seven years of imprisonment. Other places to see within the fort include the Khas Mahal and the Anguri Bagh (the Grape Garden).
Overnight at the hotel.
After breakfast you will leave Agra for Delhi. Proceed for the tour of Old and New Delhi. Visit the former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments, narrow streets and bustling bazaars. Visit the vast Red Fort, built in 1648, the Jama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. You will enjoy the Cycle Rickshaw Ride in the narrow lanes of Chandni Chok. Later visit New Delhi - drive past the stately government buildings of the British Era designed by Lutyens, including the India Gate & the Presidential Palace. Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world famous Taj Mahal. End the tour at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar.
Check in at hotel Overnight at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport in time to connect flight for your onward journey.