Home ~~> Rajasthan Travel Package ~~> Rural Rajasthan with Corbett

Rural Rajasthan with Corbett

---

Duration: 17 Nights / 18 Days
Places to Visit: Delhi - Mandawa - Khimsar - Osiyan - Pokaran - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Luni - Ranakpur - Udaipur - Ajmer - Pushkar - Jaipur - Agra - Varanasi - Agra - Corbett

---

Day 01 Arrive at Delhi
Meet and assist by our representative upon your arrival at the airport. Then drive to your hotel with your driver and car.

Day 02 Delhi
Morning after breakfast city tour of this imperial British capital of the 20th century. Visit the Qutub Minar - the tallest free standing minaret in stone in the world; then onto Humayun's tomb - the first Mughal construction in India from 1565 AD. Also see the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the India Gate built in the earlier half of the 20th century. Drive through the old city past the Red Fort and visit the Jama Masjid - the biggest of its kind in India. Here take a rickshaw through the winding streets of the old city to see the life of the people in this part of the world. A perfect introduction of your tour. The rickshaw puller pulls you through the imperial avenue the Chandni Chowk where you will find each and every small business under the sky. Finally, reach Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, where your chauffeur is waiting for you to take you to your next stop the Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple in activity.

Day 03 Delhi – Mandawa
After breakfast leave Delhi for Mandawa enroute visiting Mahensar. Upon arrival in Mandawa check into your hotel.

Day 04 Mandawa - Khimsar
In the morning see this beautiful village of Shekhawati that used to be an important caravanserai of the yesteryears. See the many havelis of this quaint little town built by the rich and the famous merchants of the 18th and 19th centuries. These havelis have been painted with activities of daily life and of deities to break the monotony of the desert life.

Then proceed towards Khimsar en route stop at Nagaur to see the splendid Ahichatragarh fort. Reach Khimsar by late afternoon.

Day 05 Khimsar -Osiyan - Pokaran - Jaisalmer
After breakfast we set towards our journey across the Thar Desert to reach Osiyan to see the 7th century Harihar temple and the hindu temple of Goddess Shakti. Reach Pokaran for lunch. Visit the 15th century fortress where the 3rd Mughal emperor, Akbar the Great, was born in 1543. The bazaar in the middle of this village is very colourful and full of local flavours. After lunch continue towards Jaisalmer and arrive by evening to witness the sunset over the desert with the most imposing edifice of the town behind you.

Day 06 Jaisalmer
Morning an exclusive visit of the Jain temples inside the Sonar Kila.. The Jains are a community that respects life and are pure vegetarians by religion. Visit the citadel's palace that houses a museum with a huge collection of robes and artifacts from the royal family of Jaisalmer. Visit the Patwaon ki haveli with intricately designed latticed windows used by the ladies to view the external world. Also see the Gadisar Lake.

Later, we go to Sam or Khuri village. Here we have loads of excitement in store for you. Upon arrival in the village you will be taken to the nearby sunset point on the dunes to see the sunset by camel carts. After sunset return to the village where your stay is arranged in mud huts. Evening listen to the haunted tunes of the desert by the local artists and musicians. A lifetime experience. Dinner and night in the desert mud huts.

Day 07 Jaisalmer - Jodhpur
Today we reach Jodhpur the blue city by early afternoon.

Post lunch session introduces you to the fabulous spice market of Jodhpur the 2nd largest city in Rajasthan. Walk along the market to feel the odours of the spices filling the air around you Then go to Mandore gardens the then capital of Marwar to view some of the fabulous cenotaphs and the hall of local heroes of the wars. Drive back to Jodhpur and see the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the present residence of the king of Jodhpur. Retire to your hotel and relax.

Day 08 Jodhpur - Luni
After breakfast drive up to 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.
Later an hours drive brings us to the world of animals - Luni, the palace amidst the more rustic life of Rajasthan. After lunch we take you on a safari to discover the hidden beauty of the jungle 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 09 Luni - Ranakpur - Udaipur
Leave Luni and reach Ranakpur a big pilgrimage centre for the Jains. Just four hours drive from Luni 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 evening and check into your hotel

Day 10Udaipur
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 temples of Nagda and Eklingji.

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

Day 11 Udaipur - Ajmer - Pushkar
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 goddess 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. 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.

Day 12 Pushkar – Jaipur
Leave Pushkar after breakfast and reach the Pink City – Jaipur. After lunch at your hotel visit the local bazaar and the gems cutting and polishing factory.

Day 13 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 17th 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 golden latticed 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.

Day 14 Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra

Leave the pink ciy and reach Fatehpur Sikri by early afternoon. Visit this abandoned city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the second half of the 16th 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 wifewith 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.
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.

Day 15 Agra – Varanasi
Morning sight seeing shows us the temples built during the 9th to the 11th 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. (1525hrs).Upon arrival (1605hrs) in Varanasi transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day free.

Day 16 Varanasi – Delhi
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 3rd century BC. Visit the nearby ruins of the ancient seat of learning in Sarnath

In time transfer to the airport to return back to Delhi.

Upon arrival in Delhi check ino your hotel for he overnight.

Day 17 Delhi – Corbett
In the morning drive to Corbett National park and reach by early afternoon. Lunch upon arrival.

After lunch leave for an afternoon jeep safari inside the national park to view tigers. Return to your hotel and dinner.

Day 18 Corbett
Early morning safari to view tigers and other animals sin the wild. Return to your hotel for breakfast. After a leisurely breakfast leave for Delhi.

Free time for last minute shopping in Delhi. In time transfer to a local restaurant for a farewell dinner followed by transfer to the international airport to boar d your flight back home.

CITY	DELUX	ECONOMY	NIGHTS
DELHI	THE CONNAUGHT	CITY PARK	2
MANDAWA	CASTLE	DESERT RESORT	1
KHIMSAR	CASTLE	CASTLE	1
JAISALMER	RANG MAHAL	NARAYAN NIWAS	2
JODHPUR	THE UMMED	RANBANKA	1
LUNI	FORT CHANWA	FORT CHANWA	1
UDAIPUR	TRIDENT HILTON	RAJPUTANA RESORT	2
PUSHKAR	JAGAT PALACE	PUSHKAR PALACE	1
JAIPUR	DAYS INN	HOLIDAY INN	2
AGRA	CLARKS SHIRAZ	HOLIDAY INN	1
CORBETT	TIGER CAMP	SITLA ESTATE	1
VARANASI	RADISSON	CLARKS VARANASI	1

Included on this tour are:

1. Daily breakfasts

2. All sight seeing and tours mentioned in the itinerary

3. English speaking local guide in every city

4. Elephant ride at Amber Fort in Jaipur

5. Overnight stay in the hotels mentioned

6. Air conditioned car with chauffeur

7. All applicable taxes

8. Rickshaw ride in the old city of Delhi

9. Desert and village safari in 4 x 4 jeeps in Luni

10. Opium ceremony in Luni

11. Visit to Bishnoi villages in Luni

12. Camel ride on the dunes in the desert

13. Farewell dinner on the last day in Delhi

14. Jeep safari in Corbett

15. Early morning boat ride on the ganges in Varanasi

16. Local music and dance by local village artists on the dunes in Jaisalmer

17. Sunrise/ sunset visit of Taj Mahal in Agra

18. Battery bus / battery auto rickshaw ride in Agra

19. Air ticket for the sector Agra – Varanasi - Delhi