26 Days, 24 nights

Day 1:Arrival/Delhi
Arrival in Delhi Upon arrival meet and assistance by our representative and transferred to our hotel for  night stay.

Days 2: Delhi
There have been at least eight cities previously built over the site where New Delhi now exists.  This is a city full of architectural wonders and two half day tours are taken to see much of it for ourselves.  In Old Delhi is the magnificent Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, also the Red Fort and the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi.  On the second day there will be a visit to New Delhi, driving past the India Gate, the President’s House and the Parliament House.  We will also visit the intriguing Qutab Minar complex. 

Day 3: Delhi/Varanasi
There will be plenty of time today to visit the handicraft emporiums and other shops before leaving Delhi.  In the evening board our comfortable first class sleeper train for the overnight journey to Varanasi.  Dinner and overnight aboard the train.

Day 4/5: Varanasi
The train arrives into Varanasi early in the morning and we then transfer to our hotel.  The religious capital of Hinduism, Varanasi is the oldest living city in India, and one of the world’s most ancient.  We visit the Bhuddist site at Sarnath and in the  evening visit the Ghats of the River Ganges to witness the pooja ceremony of Ganga Aarti.  On the second day we take an early morning boat ride on the river from where you will see pilgrims bathing and performing rituals on the Ghats or steps. Return to the hotel for Breakfast.  Rest of the day at Leisure.

Day 6:Varanasi/Khajuraho
We take a morning flight to Khajuraho.  The temples of Khajuraho are one of India’s major attractions. Built from around 950AD by the Chandela dynasty, the temples depict many aspects of Indian life 1,000 years ago.

Day 7: Khajuraho/Agra
After breakfast we commence our journey by road through the rural Indian countryside to Orchha where we stop for lunch.  After lunch we drive on to Jhansi where we board the Shatabdi Express train to continue our journey, arriving in Agra in the evening.

Day 8: Agra
Agra lies to the south-east of Delhi and is home to the world famous Taj Mahal.  Agra rose to fame in the medieval period as the capital of the Moghul Empire and was beautified with gardens, waterfalls, bathhouses and canals.  Today we visit Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal – a highlight of any visit to India.

Day 9: Agra/Jaipur
Departing Agra, we stop a short way out at Fatehpur Sikri, a magnificent fortified ghost city built in 1569 by Emperor Akbar as his capital.  It was abandoned after just 15 years due to lack of water.  We continue on to Jaipur, arriving later in the afternoon.

Day 10: Jaipur
Jaipur is known is the “Pink City” and you will very quickly understand why this is so.  All around the walled city, the buildings have been painted pink.  There is much to see here and we take all day to visit all the sites.  The Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, will fascinate you, whilst a visit to the City Palace will leave you breathless at the vastness of the complex.  We also see the Mubrak Mahal museums of  textiles and armoury and the Jantar Mantar Observatory and take an elephant ride to the palace and fortress at Amber.

Day 11: Jaipur/Bikaner

Drive to Bikaner en-route visiting the compact and busy little market of Mandawa established in the 18th century and fortified by some dominant merchant families. Today, it has some of the finest painted Havelis in the region and is a perfect place for wandering at random.  Continue our drive to Bikaner.

Day 12: Bikaner
Bikaner is a major desert town in northern Rajasthan founded in 1488. Like many others in Rajasthan, the old city is surrounded by a high crenulated wall and was once an important staging post on the great caravan routes. The city is chiefly interesting for its superb large fort, but it is also known for the fine camels bred here.

Day 13/14: Bikaner/Jaisalmer
Drive to Jaisalmer en-route visiting the village of Deshnok lying 33 km south of Bikaner and known mainly for the 17th century Karni Mata temple.. On arrival in Jaisalmer check-in at the hotel.  The captivating city of Jaisalmer, founded by Prince Jaisal in 1156 AD, has been dubbed the Golden City because of the honey colour imparted to its yellow sandstone walls by the setting sun.  We take an evening visit to the Sunset Point.  Take a half-day sightseeing tour of  Jaisalmer, situated in the heart of the Thar Desert.  See the fort built by Rawal Jaisal atop the 80 m high Trikuta hill, where a fourth of the population still lives. Within the fort are also beautifully carved Jain temples and Badal Vilas Palace, the former ruler’s 20th century home.  Late afternoon visit Khuri village, 40 km southwest of Jaisalmer. Visit the sand dunes and take a camel ride to view the sunset.  Return to Jaisalmer for dinner.

Day 15/16: Jaisalmer/Jodhpur

Drive to Jodhpur the second largest city in Rajasthan and at the entrance to the Thar Desert in a region called Marwar. The old city, founded in 1459, is surrounded by a 10 km long wall. The massive Meherangarh Fort overlooks the city and the red sandstone palaces within the fort form one of the most impressive complexes in Rajasthan.

We take a half-day city tour to visit the Fort, situated on a low sandstone hill and also the museum located in the Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Day 17: Jodhpur/Pushkar

The village of Pushkar lies 11 kms from Ajmer on the edge of the desert. At its heart is one of India’s most sacred lakes. There are 52 ghats around the lake, and numerous temples. Apart from its religious significance, Pushkar is known for its Cattle and Camel fair held every year in the month of Kartik (October / November).  Being a religious town, alcohol and non-vegetarian food are tabo.

Day 18/19: Pushkar/Udaipur

Breakfast at the hotel. Then drive to Udaipur  We take a sightseeing tour of Udaipur with the City Palace and Museum, also see the 17th century Jagdish temple, drive around the Fatehsagar Lake, and visit the Sahelion ki Bari (the Garden for the Maids of Honour).   Later visit the Folk Art Museum.  Late afternoon take a boat ride on the 4 km long Lake Pichola which is fringed with hills, palaces, havelis, ghats and temples and offers spectacular views of the city.

Day 20/21: Udaipur/Mumbai

A morning to relax in the peaceful atmosphere of Udaipur.  In the afternoon transfer to airport for our flight to Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and the economic powerhouse of India. It’s the fastest moving, most affluent and the most industrialized city in India.

Day 22: Mumbai/Aurangabad
Transfer to the airport for our flight to the city of Aurangabad founded by Malik Ambar in 1610.

Day 23: Ajanta
A full day excursion to Ajanta. The Buddhist Caves of Ajanta lying 166 km north-east of Aurangabad date from 200 BC to 650 AD. The 30 rock-hewn caves are adorned with sculptures and frescoes, portraying in epic form the religious and secular life through eight centuries.  It is now a World Heritage site.  Return to Aurangabad for dinner.

Day 24: Aurangabad/Mumbai
Morning excursion to the Caves of Ellora, another World Heritage site.  The caves are carved into the side of a basaltic hill 30 km from Aurangabad. The finest specimens of cave-temple architecture, they encompass 34 rock-cut shrines representing Buddhist, Jain and Hindu art dating from the 4th to 5th century AD.  Later in the day we transfer to the airport for our flight to Mumbai for overnight

Day 25: Mumbai/Departure
Morning visit to Elephanta Caves. The island of Elephanta is an hour away from Mumbai by motor launch. The cave temples here were excavated between the 5th and 8th centuries AD and are famous for their magnificently sculpted panels.  The rest of the day we can relax and after dinner we are transferred to the international airport where we board our Singapore Airlines flight to Australia, arriving home the following evening, filled with many wonderful memories.