Extensive Tour of South & North India

Distant India Journeys representative will meet you on arrival at International airport. Transfer to your hotel. Relax.
DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. Delhi is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land and a window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.

Overnight will be at Delhi.
 

Start a full-day tour of Old and New Delhi after breakfast.

A sightseeing tour of Old Delhi would include visiting the Raj Ghat   - the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India and the Red Fort - once the seat of the Moghul Empire.

An extensive sightseeing 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 and the President’s Residence.

After a combined city tour of Delhi you will be transferred to the train station for your overnight train to Udaipur.

Overnight will be on board the train.

Upon your arrival in the “city of lakes” get transferred to your hotel. After breakfast proceed for a sightseeing tour of Udaipur.

Visit the City Palace the richest palace museum in the entire Rajasthan.

Continue drive to the temple complex of Eklingji and Nagda.

The temple at Eklingji is a temple that belongs to the Maharana of Mewar (royal family) as he is often there to pray. The temple complex of Nagda is a group of temples of which only two remain intact and those are that of Saas and Bahu: the temples of Shiva and of Vishnu both from the 7th century.

Return to the city and visit Sahelion ki Bari a garden with fountains and a small palace inside it. Sahelion ki Bari is a garden complex where Maharana Sangram Singh built this garden complex with fountains and lakes for his beautiful daughter.

In the evening we take a lake cruise on the placid waters of Lake Pichhola by sunset and visit the island palace Jagmandir where according to legends the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan lived and got inspired to build the Taj Mahal later on.

Overnight will be in Udaipur.

Today cross the entire stretch of desert to reach the most holy cities of Pushkar and Ajmer. Pushkar happens to be the holiest places according to the Hindus as it is considered that Lord Brahma (the Creator) and his wife Saraswati (the godess of learning and music) performed a ritual in the lake. Here we visit the only Brahma temple of the world before intermingling with the local colours in the local bazaar. Pushkar is the world famous for its cattle fair held each year in the month of October/November.

Overnight will be in Pushkar.

Proceed towards Ajmer. Ajmer is the pious city for the Muslims. Surprisingly both the cities are at distance of 11km from each other. Visit the Durgah built in fond remembrance of Khwaja Muin ud Din Chisti where the Muslim pilgrims from all over India throng during the festival times. Later visit Mughal emperor Akbar’s Palace where his son Jehangir received Sir Thomas Roe to grant him the permission of trade to East India Company with India, that changed the history of India completely and slowly and steadily India became colony of the British Empire. Continue towards Jaipur and reach by late evening and check into hotel.

Overnight will be in Jaipur.

Visit the Amber fort in the morning; included is an elephant ride at the Amber fort. See the marvelous Shish Mahal built in the 17^th century in a fusion style of Hindu and Islamic art. Also see the hall of public audiences and Maharaja Man Singh’s Palace who had twelve queens.

After lunch set off to see the Pink city visiting the observatory Jantar Mantar built in 1727 by Sawai Maharaja Jai Singh II who was a mathematician, an astronomer an astrologer and a great musician of his era. He built five observatories throughout India – Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, Mathura and Delhi but only the one at Jaipur is functional. Then visit the City Palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur with a fabulous collection of robes and saris in cotton and silk with gold lattice work. The City Palace houses a collection of paintings also in the painting gallery and of course a collection of arms and ammunitions in the ammunition gallery.

Overnight will be in Jaipur.

Leave Jaipur after breakfast and reach Fatehpur Sikri by early afternoon. Visit this abandoned city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the second half of the 16^th century. Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar after his Hindu wife bore him the long awaited son who was born after the renowned Sufi saint Salim Chisti blessed Jodhabai Akbar’s hindu wife with a son. Also visit Jodhabai’s palace the biggest palace in Fatehpur Sikri even bigger than the emperor’s palace himself as this was the queen who bore him his heir to the throne.

Continue towards Agra and reach Agra by early evening. Relax at your hotel or go to the local bazaar to see the lifestyle of the people.

Overnight will be in Agra.

Taj Mahal is awaiting your arrival today morning. A must see with the rising sun as the Taj Mahal is bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial that houses the tomb of his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design, balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen anywhere in the world.   

Then see the Agra Fort built by Akbar where Shahjahan was imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb.

Post lunch visit Itmad ud Daulah – it is the first Mughal building built out completely of marble. In many contexts it is referred to being the predecessor of the Taj Mahal. Then visit Sikandara the tomb of the great emperor Akbar.

Overnight will be in Agra.

Transfer to the railway station to catch your train to Jhansi. Upon arrival at Jhansi railway station you will be met by our representative and transferred to Khajuraho via a visit to Orchha. Orchha is a medieval village where time has stopped. You feel the timelessness of this spot. Orchha is a medieval city founded by Bundela rulers with palaces and temples of the 16th and 17^th century - which have remarkably withstood the onslaught of time. The river Betwa picturesquely flanks the city. See the beautiful Palace Complex - Jahangiri Mahal and the Raja Mahal. Closely study the intricacies of the mural paintings in the Raja Mahal and visit the Laxminarayana Temple.

Overnight will be in Orchha.

Continue towards Khajuraho about 182 km away by road and check in to your hotel. Overnight will be in Khajuraho.

Morning sightseeing shows us the temples built during the 9^th to the 11^th centuries by the powerful dynasty of Chandela rajputs. The temples with their erotic sculptures are a feast to the eyes. The Chandelas built 85 temples in all but today only 20 temples stand intact. Visit the eastern and western group of temples before being transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Varanasi. Upon your arrival in Varanasi retire to your hotel. Rest of the day is free.

Overnight will be in Varanasi.

Early in the morning (0500hrs) we take you to banks of the river Ganges where we board a boat to see the morning ablutions of the Hindus from the security of our boat. The boat ride starts from Dasashwamedh Ghat and ends at Manikarnika Ghat along the sacred Ganges. See the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Gyanvyapi kund and the mosque attached to it. Also visit the Benares Hindu University the largest residential university in India with more than 3000 residential students

Return to your hotel for breakfast. Later visit Sarnath the sacred city for the Buddhist all over the world. It was here that Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to his first five disciples. Also worth visiting is the museum with artifacts dating back to 3^rd century BC. Visit the nearby ruins of the ancient seat of learning in Sarnath.

Overnight will be in Varanasi.

In time transfer to the airport for your flight back to Mumbai. Upon arrival in Mumbai check into your hotel and relax.

Overnight will be in Mumbai.

Proceed for a sightseeing tour of Mumbai. The area north of Colaba is known as Mumbai Fort, since the old British fort was once located here. There are a lot of impressive buildings from Mumbai's golden period here. St. John's church, dedicated to the soldiers, who laid down their lives in the Sindh campaign of 1838, and the first Afghan war of 1843, is also worth a visit.

Marine Drive in Mumbai: Marine Drive located in the central Mumbai, built in the 1920s and 30s on land reclaimed from the sea, is Mumbai's most famous thoroughfare. It is also referred to as the Queen's Necklace because of the dramatic line of street lamps lit up at night. Recently it has come to known as Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Road with Nariman Point on one end to Babulnath, at the foot of Walkeshwar on the other.

Gateway of India: Mumbai's principal landmark, the Gateway of India is a huge archway on the water's edge at Apollo Bunder. It is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. This famous monument was built to commemorate the visit of the first ever British Monarch, King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.

Chowpatty beach situated at the end of Marine Drive has a moderate expanse of sand and is the only beach in the central part of Mumbai. One can witnesses many Hindu religious ceremonies taking place at Chowpatty like the Annual Thread-Tying Ceremony initiating young boys into the Brahmin caste, 'Nariel Purnima' towards the end of the monsoons and 'Ganesh Chaturthi' immersions.

Flora Fountain: This fountain situated in the heart of the city was erected in 1869 in honour of a British Governor of Bombay. Sir Brtle Frere. Flora Fountain marks a junction of five streets and known as the 'Picadilly Circus 'of Mumbai, which is decorated at its four corners with mythological figures, the Fountain is a structure in dull stone with a figure the Roman Goddess of flowers, at the top.

Juhu Beach: Juhu is one of the largest and frequently visited beaches of India. Located 18-km north of the city centre, it's a beckoning beach on the shores of Arabian Sea and is one of the posh localities of Mumbai where one can find the bungalows of the famous film personalities. Many shootings are held here too.

Hanging Gardens in Mumbai: Also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, the Hanging Gardens were built in 1880 and renovated in 1921. These gardens are popularly known as Hanging Gardens, because of their location on the slope of a hill. The terrace garden looks south from Malabar Hill towards Colaba, and affords a panoramic view of the city or a breathtaking sunset. It is built over three reservoirs, which store 30 million gallons of water pumped here for cleaning before being supplied to the town.

Overnight will be in Mumbai.

After breakfast, transfer to airport to connect the flight for Chennai. Arrive Chennai - the gateway to southern India, established in 1639 by the East India Company, is one of the oldest cities of the country. On arrival in Chennai, transfer to your pre-booked hotel. Rest of the day is free at leisure to relax.

Overnight will be in Chennai.

After breakfast visit the city of Chennai covering the government museum and Fort St. George. Later excursion to Kanchipuram visiting the Ekambaram temple and the Kailashnath temples dedicated to Shiva. The temples in this region date back to the 6^th and 7^th centuries. Leave for an excursion to Mamallapuram.

Overnight will be in Mahabalipuram.

In the morning proceed for a city tour of Mahabalipuram covering the shore temples that date back from the 8^th century. Also see the rock cut monolithic temples including Arjuna’s Penance and Tiger cave. Post lunch continue towards Pondicherry and visit the Mother’s Ashram. Also worth a visit is the temple complex at Pondicherry.

Overnight will be in Pondicherry.

Board your car in the morning and drive to Chidambaram crossing the unparalleled scenic sights of Southern India. Chidambaram is also known as the “City of the Cosmic Dancer”. This city is also the centre of philosophy art and religion. Post lunch session unfurls the magic of this city of Nataraj – the cosmic dancer. Visit Chidambaram temple planned and built by the Chola kings in the 11^th century.

En route Tanjore visit Gangaikondacholapuram and its monumental temple called Gangaikondacholisvaram built in 1020 AD.

Overnight will be in Tanjore.

Visit the Brihadishwara temple a masterpiece in itself built in 1000AD by the Cholas. Next to be seen is the Tanjore art gallery and the Saraswati Mahal Library with its unique collection of Chola art and rare illustrated manuscripts. A short distance away is the eternal city of Tiruchirapalli better known as Trichy. Here worth a visit is Srirangam temple the abode of Lord Vishnu in his reclining form. All the 1000 pillars in the hall are very intricately designed. Post lunch continue towards Madurai.

On arrival in Madurai, check into your hotel and relax.

Overnight will be in Madurai.

Madurai famous for the Meenakshi Sundereswar temple is the epitome of South Indian temple cities alive and bustling with pilgrims and religious preoccupations. The temple of goddess Meenakshi houses the hall of 1000 musical pillars known for their intricate work. Some free time later in the day to explore this cultural capital of South India.

Overnight will be in Madurai.

Transfer to airport to catch your flight back to Chennai followed by boarding a flight back home with sweet memories of India.....