Home ~~> Rajasthan Travel Package ~~> Exotic Rajasthan

Exotic Rajasthan

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Duration: 9 Nights / 10 Days
Places to Visit: Delhi – Agra - Jaipur – Ranthambhore - Jodhpur - Udaipur – Delhi

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Day One
Delhi:
Arrival at Delhi
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport in Delhi late in the night or midnight. 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. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.

Overnight will be at Delhi.

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

OLD DELHI - A sightseeing 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 and the Red Fort - once the most opulent fort and palace of the Moghul Empire.

Enjoy the cycle rickshaw ride from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk.

NEW DELHI - 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, the President’s Residence, Lotus Temple and would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave.

Overnight will be at Delhi.

Day Three
Delhi - Agra:

Start for Agra early in the morning after breakfast.

En-route visit SIKANDRA. Check in at hotel.

AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat (seat of the Emperor). Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the visitor to the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine.

TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to 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.

Proceed for visit to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Itmadullah’s Tomb. Return to hotel and relax in the evening.

Day Four
Agra - Jaipur:

Drive to Jaipur after breakfast via Fatehpur Sikri. The deserted, red Sandstone City, Emperor Akbar built that as his capital and palace in the late 16th century is an exhilarating experience. It a veritable fairytale city and its "ruins" are in pristine condition... it's not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its grandeur. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world.

After lunch proceed for Jaipur and upon arrival see the local bazaar and the gems cutting and polishing center in Jaipur.

Day Five:

Jaipur

Proceed for a morning excursion to Amber Fort after breakfast. 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 its ultimate expression.

Continue sightseeing.

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. It is a five-storey structure 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.

Relax in the evening or proceed to Choki Dani Village for dinner.

Overnight will be at Jaipur.

Day Six
Jaipur – Ranthambhore
Leave Jaipur after breakfast and reach Ranthambhor and check into your hotel The Tiger Moon or similar. Today we take you out on a jeep safari to spot the tigers in this region. This fabulous wild cat is seen mainly in the low grasslands and visits the lake occasionally to quench its thirst which being generally early evening time and that is the time we are there to view this animal in its natural surroundings. Apart from tigers you also do come across monkeys, langurs and alligators and a wide variety of birds.

Day Seven

Ranthambhore – Jodhpur (By train)

Game viewing in the morning.

Post lunch session drive to the station to catch the train to Jodhpur. Upon arrival in Jodhpur railway station drive up to your hotel.

Day Eight

Jodhpur

Today we see the majestic Mehrangarh fort, the stronghold of the Rathore princes from 1453AD. We see the superb collection of paintings and arms and ammunitions. The view of the city from the rampart walls is breath taking. Drive back to Jodhpur and see the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the present residence of the king of Jodhpur. Retire to your hotel and relax.

In the post lunch session we take you on a safari to discover the hidden beauty of the desert life. Here you would be visiting the Bishnoi villages. Bishnois are a tribe that respects life in every form – animals trees and even dead branches. They are vegetarians and even in the villages they protect the animal life and don’t let anybody practice hunting in the vicinity of their villages. They live in a joint family system where the oldest member is generally the head of the family.

Then we would like you to witness the opium ceremony with the Patels – a rich tribe. It is a ceremony prevelant in this part of Rajasthan where the youth offers opium to drink mixed with water to the elders of the family when they come back from work in the fields.

Day Nine

Jodhpur - Udaipur

Leave Jodhpur and reach Ranakpur a very big pilgrimage centre for the Jains. Just four hours drive from Udaipur is the eternal Jain pilgrimage centre of Ranakpur. Admire the workmanship from the 16th century. The temples are built out of marble and the main shrine of Adinath with 1444 columns is awe inspiring and none of these are similar. Also see the sun temple and the other temples in the campus. Proceed towards Udaipur and on the way stop by the fields to see the local way of farming and irrigation. Walk into the villages to mingle with the locals around to know more about their lifestyle. Reach Udaipur by late afternoon and check into your hotel.

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.

Day Ten

Udaipur - Delhi

Visit the City Palace the richest palace museum in the entire Rajasthan. See the Peacock Square and the miniature painting school inside the palace premises. Udaipur has the prestige of housing the best miniature schools in the country under the royal patronage of the king of Udaipur.

Later, see the Sahelion ki Bari where Maharana Sangram Singh build this garden complex with fountains and lakes for his beautiful daughter.

Leave for Delhi after lunch.

Reach Delhi and you will be transferred to a local restaurant for your farewell dinner, as your flight will be late in the evening.

Meet your Tour Manager for a tour debrief and FAREWELL DINNER.

Proceed to the airport for flight with sweet memories of India.

TOUR ENDS

Hotels included on the tour are:

CITY	HOTEL	NIGHTS
DELHI	CITY PARKor similar	2
AGRA	CLARKS SHIRAZ or similar	1
JAIPUR	HOLIDAY INN or similar	2
RANTHAMBHORE	TIGER MOON or similar	1
JODHPUR	AJIT BHAWAN or similar	2
UDAIPUR	RAJPUTANA RESORTS or similar	1

Tour price includes:

1. Daily breakfasts
2. All sight seeing and tours mentioned in the itinerary
3. English speaking local guide for every city
4. Elephant ride at Amber Fort in Jaipur
5. Overnight stay in the hotels mentioned
6. Ranthambhore hotel on full board for one night
7. Air conditioned car with chauffeur
8. All applicable taxes
9. Jeep safaris for two days AM and PM in Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhor Wildlife Sanctuary)
10. Rickshaw ride in the old city of Delhi
11. Desert and village safari in and around Jodhpur
12. Opium ceremony in Luni
13. Visit to Bishnoi villages
14. Sunset cruise on Lake Pichhola in Udaipur
15. Airfare for sectors mentioned: Udaipur – Delhi
16. Farewell dinner on the last day in Delhi before departure to international airport. The tour price for this tour is USD 855 per person on twin sharing.