India
Highlights
|
 |
| Sample Itinerary - 14 days |
|
 |
Sunday Enroute Today we depart from the U.S. aboard our overnight flight to New Delhi. |
Taj Mahal |
Monday New Dehli Upon our late evening arrival to Dehli's International Airport and after passing through customs, immigration, and baggage claim, we will be met and assissted to our hotel. India's capital and a major gateway to the country, contemporary Delhi is a bustling metropolis, which successfully combines in its folds the ancient and the modern. Amid the dast spiraling skyscrapers, the remnants of a bydone time in the form of its many monuments stand as silent reminders to the region's ancient legacy. The first impressions for any visitor traveling in from the airport are of a spacious, garden-city, tree-lined with a number of beautiful parks. Overnight, New Dehli. |
 Red Fort Jama Masjid |
Tuesday New Dehli: Old City On our half day city tour of Old Dehli, we begin with a visit to Raj Ghat, a simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. We continue our drive past the Red Fort then hop on our bicycle rickshaws to the Jama Masjid, one of Asia's largest mosques. People stream in and out of the mosque continuously and the presence of a nearby bazaar guarantees the area is always bustling! We will lunch at the Aangethi Restaurant and the afternoon will be yours to relax at the hotel or shop downtown. Overnight, New Delhi. |
Taj Mahal |
Wednesday Dehli / Agra After breakfast we will drive by bus to Agra. Upon our arrival in the early afternoon we will check into our hotel. In terms of ambiance, Agra is still associated with the Mughal period. The Mughals were great rulers and builders who preserved their best architectural wonders for Agra and its neighborhood. It has many wonderful monuments, the finest of which is the Taj Mahal. The massive but elegant Agra Fort, the delicate artistry of Itimad-ud-daulah's Tomb, the magnificent Taj and Akbar's deserted capital, Fatehpur Sikri, are each unique and outstanding Their architectural genius can also be seen in the forts, palaces, and aesthetically appealing gardens - each one a silent witness to a grand style of a golden era. We'll enjoy lunch at the Mughal Sheraton Hotel before visiting the Taj Mahal, and enourmous monument that took over 20 years and 20,000 men to build. We'll return in the early evening to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight, Agra. |
|
Thursday Agra / Delhi / Mumbai In the morning we will begin our day of touring that will end in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. We'll check out of the hotel and depart for Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted red sandstone city, built by the great Mughal emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century. After leaving we'll enjoy brunch at Chandra Mahal Haveli in Bharatpur before departing for Delhi by bus. Upon our arrival we will transfer to the domestic airport for our flight to Mumbai. Mumbai was a swampy, mosquito infested marshy island off the west coast of India with little or no potential, or so thought the Portuguese when they gave it to Charles II of England as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza. Charles, believing the same, leased it to the British East India Company who helped develop the small fishing villages and natural harbors into the city of Bombay, which subsequently became the subcontinent's busiest port and the region's center for trade, finance, and industry. Overnight, Mumbai |
 Hebrew Manuscript from Alibag |
Friday Mumbai After enjoying a buffet breakfast at the hotel we will board a bus and transfer to the village of Alibag. It is one of the original villages of Bene Israel and still has a small Jewish community. Its historic synagogue was renovated and rededicated three years ago. While there we will visit the historic Kulaba Fort, the Magnetic Observatory, and the Shri Vikram Vinayak Temple built by the Birlas. In nearby Navagaon we will see the legendary site of the arrival of the Bene Israel and their oldest cemetery. In the afternoon we'll return to Mumbai we're we'll enjoy a Group Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight, Mumbai. |
Gateway of India |
Saturday Mumbai Your morning will be at leisure to relax or wander around the area near your hotel. After lunch we'll be taking a walking tour of Mumbai, a vibrant and bustling city with colonial architecture, towering buildings, and shopping centers. We also want to visit the Gateway of India, built to commemorate the visit of King George V in 1911. Next we'll walk to the Prince of Wales Museum and spend an hour seeing its fabulous collection of art and paintings. In the evening we'll enjoy an exciting Cultural Event. Overnight, Mumbai. |
Pandesi Synagogue, Mattancherry
|
Sunday Mumbai / Cochin In the very early morning we will transfer to the airport to board a flight for Kochi, aka Cochin. Cochin is a multi-faceted city with a long history of being pivotal to the development of shipping and trade in the region. Kochi's prime location on the west coast, its fine bay and protected harbor made it popular with seafarers and merchant ships who made frequent stops to stock up on spices, coffee and wood enroute to the rich markets of Europe and West Asia. Consequently, Cochin prospered as a busy port city and commercial center. Its seafront is still extremely relevant to Cochin and to India; it houses a Naval base and one of India's busiest ports. At 9:00am our tour of Cochin begins in Mattancherry to see the oldest Jewish Synagogue in India, the Paradesi, built in 1568. Here we'll also visit the Dutch Palace, which was built in 1555. Its coronation hall and murals at Ramayana are noteworthy features. In the afternoon we'll catch our flight back to Mumbai. The evening will be at leisure. Overnight, Mumbai. |
 Mumba |
Monday Mumbai / Jaipur Today we'll be taking a city tour of Mumbai including a visit to the Hanging Gardens and Kamla Nehru Park on Malabar Hill. At the end of the Malabar Point is the Raj Bhawan, home of the Governor of the State of Maharashtra. We continue to the Dhobi Ghats, a huge open-air laundry which is quite an interesting place to visit. Time permitting, we will visit Mani Bhawan (Gandhi Memorial), the house where the Father of the Nation stayed on his early visits to the city. After lunch we'll depart for the airport to catch our flight to Jaipur. Jaipur's past is never too far from hand. This "City of Victory" presides over the fascinating desert state and its people. It is surrounded by rugged hills, each crowned by a formidable forts and beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens. Upon our arrival, we will be met and assisted to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight, Jaipur. |
Amber Fort |
Tuesday Jaipur After breakfast, our first stop of the day is at the ancient capital of Amber to see the fabulous Amber Fort. Amber was the seat of power before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur. Enroute to Amber, we will stop at the Palace of Winds otherwise known as Hawa Mahal. It served as an elaborate facade behind which the ladies of the court used to watch the daily goings-on in the street below. We'll enjoy an exciting Elephant Ride to the top of the fortress where we'll get to stroll through the sprawling complex of courtyards and halls. After having lunch together as a group at Samode Haveli, we'll head to Sanganer, a village just outside of Jaipur. There we'll witness their ancient art of block printing. In the afternoon we'll return to Jaipur for dinner and overnight. Overnight, Jaipur. |
Jaipur City Palace |
Wednesday Jaipur Today we'll get to spend exploring Jaipur, the highlight of which will be the City Palace, which is an overwhelming complex of exquisite palaces, gardens, courtyards, decorative art and carved doorways. We'll walk to the adjacent Jantar Mantar or Astronomical Observatory made by the Maharaja of Jaipur in 1726. We'll get time to shop in the local bazaars before lunching at the hotel. The afternoon will be free to shop, sight-see, or relax in the hotel. Overnight, Jaipur |
 Qutab Minar |
Thursday Jaipur/Delhi After breakfast we'll check-out and depart for the airport for our flight to Delhi. On our last day in India, we'll visit New Delhi, which reflects the legacy 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 tour to Imperial Delhi will inlude a visit to the Qutab Minar, the tallest stone tower in India, started by Qutub-ud-din Aibak in 1199. We will also visit the Quwway-ul-Islam Mosque built by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave Dynasty. We will then visit Humayun's Tomb, built by the widow of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayan. It is an outstanding monument in the Indo-Persian style and a precursor of the Taj Mahal. The tour also includes a drive past the imposing India Gate, the Parliament Building, and the Rastrapathi Bhawan, the President's Residence. In the afternoon we'll enjoy a Farewell Lunch and enjoy some time to do some last minute shopping at Trans Asia. In the evening we'll depart for the airport to catch our return flight to the U.S. Overnight, Enroute. |
