DAY 01
Mumbai Arrival
You will be met on arrival at the International airport and transferred to your hotel. Check into the hotel.
Mumbai is a bustling, diverse metropolis with a flare all its own. The entrepreneurial spirit and pulsing pace of life provide a sharp contrast to much of the rest of India. There has been much debate regarding the original name of the city. Some say the current name of the city Mumbai
is the original name; and is an eponym derived from "Mumba", the name of the local Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and "Aai", meaning "mother" in Marathi. Others claim Bombay was an anglicized version of Bom Bahia, a name given by the Portuguese to mean "Beautiful Bay" and later made popular by the British as the name of the Bombay state. Mumbai is the most cosmopolitan city in India. In comparison with the rest of the country, the city is quite liberal. With a regular influx of immigrants from rest of India, the citizens, popularly known as 'Mumbaikers', have shown remarkable tolerance towards other cultures, making it a true cultural melting pot.
Mumbai is dubbed as the commercial capital of India and it also serves as the capital city of the state of Maharashtra. The city was created from seven islands and they are Mazagaon, Colaba, Wadala, Old Woman's Island, Parel, Mahim, and Matunga-Sion. Today, Mumbai or erstwhile Bombay ranks as the biggest metropolitan region in the country. The city is home to above 13 million people. As a result, Mumbai is among the most populous cities in the globe.
Overnight will be at Mumbai.
DAY 02
Mumbai
Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Enjoy the sightseeing tour of the city.
Visit Haji Ali Dargah.
Gateway of India: Mumbai’s most famous monument, this is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, complete with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. Ironically, when the Raj ended in 1947, this colonial symbol also became a sort of epitaph: the last of the British ships that set sail for England left from the Gateway. Today this symbol of colonialism has got Indianised, drawing droves of local tourists and citizens. Behind the arch, there are steps leading down to the water. Here, you can get onto one of the bobbing little motor launches, for a short cruise through Mumbai's splendid natural harbor.
Marine Drive: Marine Drive is possibly the best way to discover Mumbai. This is a windswept promenade, flanked by the sea and a row of buildings. Looped between the concrete jungle of Nariman Point, Mumbai's Manhattan, and the leafy green slopes of Malabar hill, Marine Drive was once called the queen's Necklace, strung with glittering street lights like an enormous strand of imperious jewels.
The Prince of Wales Museum: This museum stands not too far from the Gateway of India. It has a priceless collection of art, sculpture, china and other antics. Carefully preserved, this mid-Victorian Gothic style building built in 1904 with beautiful gardens surrounding it, is worth visiting in Mumbai.
Queen Victoria Terminus: No photograph collection of Mumbai is complete without a photo of the Queen Victoria Terminus station in the "Fort Area" of Mumbai also referred to as VT station. It was acknowledged as a 'World Heritage Site' by UNESCO in 2004. And “Slumdog Millionaire " famous song was shot here on these platform.
In the evening visit Chowpatty Beach: 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.
Overnight will be at Mumbai.
DAY 03
Mumbai: Excursion to Khandala / Lonavala
Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Proceed for full day excursion to Khandala and Lonavala.
Visit Pavana Lake, Tiger Point, Lohagad Fort, Rajmachi Point and Wax Museum.
Return to the hotel in Mumbai.
Overnight will be at Mumbai.
DAY 04
Mumbai – Goa by Air
Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Goa. Reach and check in at your hotel.
Goa, variously known as "Rome of the East", "Tourist Paradise" and "Pearl of the Orient", the state of Goa is located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan. The magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendors of its temples, churches and old houses have made Goa a firm favorite with travelers around the world. Nestled on the slopes of the Western ghats (Sahyadri ranges), Goa is bounded on the North by Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, on the East by Belgaum, on the South by Karwar Districts of Karnataka, and on the west by Arabian Sea.
Legends from Hindu mythology credit Lord Parshuram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu with the creation of Goa. Over the centuries various dynasties have ruled Goa. Rashtrakutas, Kadambas, Silaharas, Chalukyas, Bahamani Muslims and most famously the Portuguese have been rulers of Goa. Goa was liberated by the Indian Army from Portuguese colonization on 19th of December 1961 and became a Union Territory along with the enclaves of Daman and Diu. On 30th of May 1987 Goa was conferred statehood and became the 25th state of the Indian Republic. After all, more than anywhere else on planet earth, this is a place where people really know how to relax.
Overnight will be at Goa.
DAY 05
Goa
After breakfast proceed for a day sightseeing tour of Goa.
Situated on the Mandovi River, it still shows a strong Portuguese heritage in its plazas, cathedrals and architecture. Although it is best known for its 65 miles/105 km of magnificent, palm tree – lined beaches along the Arabian Sea, Goa has other attractions of significance. Among them are the Portuguese Catholic Church of Old Goa and the Basilica of Bom Jesus (most of the mummified body of St. Francis Xavier is exhibited there on occasion.) The tour includes visits to Mapusa town, Mayem Lake, Vagator, Anjuna, Calangute beaches and Fort Aguada in North Goa and the South Goa tour covers Old Goa Churches – Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, Margao, Colva and Mormugao.
Overnight will be at Goa.
DAY 06
Goa – Mumbai by Air
Mumbai – Jaipur by Air
Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Mumbai. Reach Mumbai and board your flight to Jaipur. Reach and check in at your hotel.
Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan a romantic realm of resplendent palaces, mighty fortresses and regal Maharajahs that lies in the western deserts and is an utterly unique part of India. Proudly belonging to the KSHATRIYA warrior caste and fiercely independent, the Rajput princes made fearsome foes. However, many of them realized that to maintain their wealth and authority locally, it was expedient to proclaim allegiance to the central power. Thus, many enjoyed a privileged position under the Mughal emperors and also the British Raj that followed.
The bustling Rajasthan capital of Jaipur takes its name from its venerated founder Jai Singh II, who was given the title Sawai Maharaja by the Mughal. Literally translated this would mean ’one and a quarter’, suggesting that the Mughal thought this emperor to be more valuable than just ‘one’. Jaipur is known as the ’Pink City’ on account of the distinctive colour of its buildings. This did not, however, form part of the original plan, but dates back to 1856, when the city was given a wash of pink in honor of a State Visit from Prince Albert.
Check in at the hotel and proceed for shopping or visit the walled city for an interesting walk.
Overnight will be in Jaipur.
DAY 07
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. At the foot of the hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the slow but steady climb up to the main gate, making your entrance in the time honored fashion. The Fort, completed in the early 18th century, took over 100 years to build and now, although deserted, offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the Moghul ruling families.
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.
This evening, visit the Birla Temple to learn more about the fascinating religious life of Jaipur. The marble structure, built as recently as 1985, houses ornate statues including one of Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth and Beauty) and Narayan dressed in gaudy robes, representing a Hindu vision of heavenly luxury. Carvings in the temple and on pillars supporting the covered walkways include images of the Hindu pantheon, as well as Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Francis of Assisi. Your visit will coincide with the AARTI Ceremony, which involves oil lamps being lit and waved, in order to awake and invoke the deity. Enjoy the experience and spend night at Jaipur.
Overnight will be in Jaipur.
DAY 08
Jaipur – Ranthambore by Road
After sightseeing proceed to Ranthambore. Reach and check into the hotel.
Ranthambore National Park is situated in Eastern Rajasthan, where the Aravali Hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau meet; the Ranthambore National Park was once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The rivers Chambal in the South and Banas in the North bound the Ranthambore National Park.
It is famous for its Tigers and is a favorite with photographers. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora - species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, and 272 birds, 12 reptiles including the Marsh Crocodile & amphibians and 30 mammals. For the wildlife savvy, Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary today offers an intense diversity of flora and fauna. Tigers, the park’s pride make it one of the best places in the country to observe them. Apart from that a large numbers of Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Gazelles, Boars, Mongoose, Indian Hare, Monitor Lizards and a large number of birds.
Proceed for an afternoon jungle safari.
Overnight will be at Ranthambore.
DAY 09
Ranthambore – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra by Road 260 km in 6 hrs
Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Drive to Agra visiting Fatehpur Sikri en route.
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.
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.
Spend the evening at leisure.
Overnight will be at Agra.
DAY 10
Agra – Delhi by Road 201 kms in 4 hrs
Enjoy the sunrise tour of TAJ MAHAL – it is the best time to experience the marble monument in its full glory. Moreover the light is best for photography during this time of the day while the less number of people help in a better tour.
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 veiled screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.
Return to the hotel to freshen up and then have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel.
Proceed for day sightseeing of Agra.
AGRA FORT: The red sandstone structure is surrounded by chahar-bagh, a foursquare formal garden. Built by the famed Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction. It lies on the bend of the river Yamuna, almost in the heart of the town. Akbar built it as his citadel over the years 1563-73 in the finest architectural style. It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone and a moat.
After Agra Fort we will visit BABY TAJ or the ITMAD-UD-ULLAH – The interiors of which are considered better than the Taj. Noor Jahan, the Empress of Jahangir for her father in 1628, built one of the most beautiful Mughal tombs, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb. The tomb is a resting place of the powerful personality in Mughal Court, Itmad-Ud-Daulah, whose life is very interesting. Formerly a very poor Persian merchant then named Mirza Ghiyas or Ghiyas Beg he became a minister and a trusted treasure in Akbar's court. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jahangir rose into power. Jahangir made Ghiyas Beg his chief minister and honored him with the title of Itmad-Ud-Daulah, the Pillar of State. Later, Jahangir met a beautiful daughter of Ghiyas Beg named Mehr-Un-Nissa and married her. Mehr-Un-Nissa soon played a significant role in the Jahangir's court and was called Nur Mahal, the light of the Place. Owing to her influence, her father and brother were granted with privileges in the court. When Ghiyas beg (Itmad-Un-Daulah) dies in 1622, Nur Mahal decided to build a mausoleum for him. Queen Mumtaz Mahal or the lady of the Taj was also from this prevailing family. The mausoleum is entirely made of white marble and graced with intricate decoration of inlay work, and marble-screen work belonging to the Islamic style. With its tranquil, small garden on the bank of Yamuna River, the tomb stands impressively elegant from a distance.
Drive to Delhi. Reach and check in at your hotel.
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.
DAY 11
Delhi Departure
After breakfast at the hotel start a guided tour of Old Delhi.
The tour will begin with a visit to Raj Ghat, a simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. He is also famously known as the “father of the nation”.
One of the most important buildings of Old Delhi is the Red Fort. The magnificent Red Fort was built during the years 1638 – 48 when the Moghul Empire was at its peak. In 1638 Shahjahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. It is enclosed by a rubble stonewall, with bastions, gates and wickets at intervals. Of its fourteen gates, the important ones are the Mori, Lahori, Ajmeri, Turkman, Kashmiri and Delhi gates, some of which have already been demolished. His famous citadel, the Lal-Qila, or the Red Fort, lying at the town's northern end on the right bank or the Yamuna and south of Salimgarh, was begun in 1639 and completed after nine years. The Red Fort is different from the Agra fort and is better planned, because at its back lies the experience gained by Shahjahan at Agra, and because it was the work of one hand. It is an irregular octagon, with two long sides on the east and west, and with two main gates, one on the west and the other on the south, called Lahori and Delhi gates respectively. While the walls, gates and a few other structures in the fort are constructed of red sandstone, marble has been largely used in the palaces.
Continue your tour to Jama Masjid by bicycle rickshaws, one of Asia’s largest mosques. People stream in and out of the mosque continuously and the presence of a nearby bazaar means that the area is rarely quiet.
Enjoy the rickshaw ride at Old Delhi peddling through the narrow by lanes of Chandani Chowk.
After lunch proceed for a sightseeing tour of New Delhi, which reflects the legacy of the British left behind. The division between New and Old Delhi is the division between the capitals of the British and the Mughals respectively. The division in the walled city and New Delhi also marks the division in the life-styles. The walled city is all tradition where one will be able to glean a past life-style in all its facets, colors and spells. New Delhi in contrast, is a city trying to live up to the best of 21st century standards.
Imperial Delhi will include the Qutub Minar, the tallest stone tower in India. Qutub-Minar in red and buff sandstone is the highest tower in India. It has a diameter of 14.32 m at the base and about 2.75 m on the top with a height of 72.5 m. Qutbu'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the mu'azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first floor, to which were added three more floors by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1211-36). All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honeycomb design, more conspicuously in the first floor.
Next stop would be the majestic Humayun's Tomb. Humayun died in 1556, and his widow Hamida Banu Begum, also known as Haji Begum, commenced the construction of his tomb in 1569, fourteen years after his death. It is the first distinct example of proper Mughal style, which was inspired by Persian architecture. It is well known that Humayun picked up the principles of Persian architecture during his exile, and he himself is likely to have planned the tomb, although there is no record to that effect.
The tour also includes a drive past the imposing India Gate, the Parliament building and the Rashtrapathi Bhawan, the President’s residence.
If time permits then visit the Lotus Temple located in south of Delhi. It is lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name. It is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility. Its founder, Bahaullah (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahai as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.
We could even have time to see the Indira Gandhi Museum or else Lotus Temple can be replaced with the museum visit. The history of the Gandhi family is well documented in this old building which was the last residence of Mrs. Gandhi.
As per your flight timings you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight back home with sweet memories of the tour.
TOUR ENDS
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