Fort Palaces - Khajuraho Temples

This fascinating journey visits the major highlights such as Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur but it also includes fabulous castles, forts and palaces of Rajasthan. It is not difficult to see why this is our favorite tour of India. Journey the Mother Ganges, India's most sacred river. Add a desert camel safari, colourful cultural experiences, royal palaces and the incomparable Khajuraho erotic temples, to experience the magic of India. Some of the finest examples of India's architectural and cultural heritage making it one of the most popular India holidays. It is an ideal trip for the first-time visitor to India wanting to see the classic sites like the Taj Mahal, The Pink City, and the historic capital.

Day 01: Arrival Delhi:
Upon arrival at mid night meet to our rep. greet and transfer to hotel at center Delhi.

Day 02: Delhi/ Udaipur:
Early morning take flight to Udaipur, on arrival meet to our staff drive to hotel, rest of the time visit the Vaishnava temple of Jagdish (seventeenth century). Boat ride on Lake Pichola at sunset (if the water level permitting).

Day 03: Udaipur:
The morning excursion to the temple Eklingji which takes place every day a religious ceremony. En route, stop at Sanctuary Nagda delicately carved in the eleventh century. Dominating the town and Lake Pichola, the palace of Maharana houses a veritable maze of courtyards, gardens, richly decorated rooms. Stroll through the old city. Rest of the time explore the local market and painting school. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Udaipur / Ranakpur / Jodhpur (By road 4-5 hrs drive):
After breakfast commenc drive to Jodhpur en route visit Ranakpur temple of Adinath dating from the fifteenth century. This huge sanctuary beautifully carved white marble is one of the jewels of Jain architecture. on arrival at Jodhpur check in hotel.

Day 05: Jodhpur/ Jaisalmer (By road 6-7 hrs drive):
Morning visit Meherangarh fortress, which overlooks the entire city. The contrast between its massive and imposing walls of red sandstone and the fineness of its interiors are stark. Stroll through the streets of the old city. Road to Jaisalmer through the Thar desert using public once the caravans. On arrival check in hotel for overnight.

Day 06: Jaisalmer:
Stroll around the Gadi Sagar Lake and visit the Jain temples sculptures refined, then the fortress founded in the twelfth century. Discover the beautiful havelis of the old city, rich family homes, built of golden sandstone. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07: Jaisalmer/ Pokaran / Gajner (By road 6 hrs drive):
Morning drive to Gajner, stop in the resort of a Rajput family and tasting of products grown on their land. Installation at the former hunting palace of Gajner, beautifully situated on a lake. Overnight at resort.

Day 08: Gajner / Bikaner/ Shekhawati (By road 6 hrs drive):
After breakfast drive to Bikaner, discovery of Fort Junagarh (sixteenth century). A few miles off the Cenotaph Devi Kund adorned with beautiful paintings. Road to the Shekhawati region, famous for its havelis, rich merchants' mansions delicately decorated with frescoes, balconies and carved columns.

Day 09: Shekhawati / Jaipur (By road 4-5 hrs drive):
Morning, after breakfast drive to Jaipur, end of the visit of Shekhawati in Nawalgarh. Visit the Palace, current residence of the royal family and its museum. Discover the observatory Jantar Mantar and ride rickshaws through the old town.

Day 10: Jaipur:
Morning visit the famous facade of the Palace of Winds, behind which the ladies sheltering glances lewd. Visit Amber Fort by elephant back. Rest of the time visit The Wind Palace, Jal Palace and Observatory, rest of the time visit the Pink city. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Jaipur / Fatehpur Sikri / Agra (by road 5-6 hrs drive):
Early morning drive to Agra, en route visit Fatehpur Sikri. a beautiful site entered in WorldHeritage by Unesco, which was one of the capitals of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Arrive Agra in the late afternoon. Check in the hotel for overnight.

Day 12: Agra:
Morning visit Red Fort, built in 1565. Its massive walls 25 m high, home to a succession of impressive palaces and pavilions refined. On the opposite bank of the Yamuna River, visit the delicate tomb of a noble Persian, Itimad-ud-Daulah. Finally, discovery of the Taj Mahal, bright white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz. Rest of the time leisure for individual activities.

Day 13: Agra / Gwalior (Train):
Morning departure by train to Gwalior. Visit the monumental and breathtaking fortress. Discover the baroque palace, still inhabited by the Maharaja, decorated objects Europe's most unusual. On arrival check in hotel for overnight stay.

Day 14: Gwalior / Dantia/ Orchha (By road 5-6 hrs drive):
After breakfast drive to Dantia visit old fort overlooking a windswept. Continue to the romantic city of Orchha. From his past as capital of a powerful Rajput kingdom, the town has retained the prestigious vestiges including Jehangir Mahal palace and a beautiful cemetery slumbering on the banks of the Betwa.Guided the Laxmi Narayan temple, famous for its frescoes. Overnight at hotel.

Day 15: Orchha / Khajuraho (By road 4-5 hrs drive):
Morning drive to Khajuraho, on arrival check in hotel rest of the time visit the East group of temples. In the evenings, live music and traditional dance (from October to March only).

Day 16: Khajuraho / Benares (Varanasi):
Morning continued discovery of archaeological site, one of the largest in India, World Heritage Site by Unesco. His splendid temples built a thousand years ago, are famous for their erotic sculptures and scenes of everyday life. Artistic expression, both secular and religious, achieved by the vertices of elegance and control. Later flights to Varanasi. On arrival meet to our rep. drive to hotel rest of the time visit Ghat on sunset.

Day 17: Benares:
Early morning boat trip on the Ganges, you enjoy an atmosphere quite different, at the hour of prayer on the sacred banks. Walk on foot in the old town to the mosque of Aurangzeb high in the seventeenth century. Overview of Golden Temple (entrance restricted), the most sacred of Benares, and that visit Durga Temple. Rickshaws ride through the bazaar.

Day 18: Benares/ Delhi (flight):
Excursion to Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first sermon. Visit the museum, which includes beautiful Buddhist sculptures. later flight to Delhi. on arrival meet to our staff drive to hotel for overnight stay.

Day 19: Delhi Sightseeing:
Morning visit the Old Delhi, the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent, and the bazaar of Chandni Chowk. Quick look at the Red Fort, built in the seventeenth century. The afternoon visit to New Delhi's government district, the famous minaret of Qutub Minar and Humayun's tomb. Farewell dinner and provision of some hotel rooms. Later in time departure transfer to onward destination.