......................................................... ESCAPE
TO RAJASTHAN (10 Days)
DELHI-AGRA-SAMODE-JAIPUR-UDAIPUR-DELHI
Day 01
: Abroad / Delhi Arrive late night at New Delhi International
airport.
On arrival, the guest will be
met by our representative and transferred to hotel.
Upon arrival
at hotel the guests will be provided with the traditional Indian welcome
consisting of aarti-tikka and garlands with non-alcoholic welcome drink.
Overnight at hotel
Day 02 : Delhi Morning sightseeing tour of Old Delhi.
This morning you will be taken to visit Old Delhi - Former
centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments, narrow streets
and bustling bazaars. Visit the vast Red
Fort, built in 1648, the Jama
Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658
by Shah Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj
Ghat, the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
Afternoon sightseeing tour of New Delhi.
New Delhi -
drive past the stately government buildings of the British Era designed by
Lutyens, including the India Gate
& thePresidential Palace.
Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb
of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world famous Taj Mahal. End the
tour at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar.
Exclusive dinner at 'Chor
Bizarre' - a "one of its kind" restaurant where
each corner beckons you with old memorabilia and bric-a-brac handpicked from
various Chor Bazaars (Thieves' Market) all over India. Apart from the Old
World ambience and unique setting, it is the only restaurant that serves the
most authentic Kashmiri food from the south of the valley.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 :Delhi - Agra After a
leisurely breakfast the guest drive to Agra (203 kms / 4 hours)
Upon arrival check in at hotel.
Late Afternoon you will be board on a
decorated tongas (horse
carriage) for a journey from your hotel to the Taj
Mahal this white marble memorial built by Shah Jahan for his
beautiful wife. Little needs to be said about this architectural
wonder which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to
Agra.
This monument took 22 years to be completed and was
designed and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from it's
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. The guest will stay at the Taj Mahal till
sunset to see this true wonder of the world in gentle late afternoon light.
In the evening witness magic show. Magic
show - There is nothing that captures the magical spirit of
the lad as much as the conjuror who enthralls his audience with sleights of
had and a range of tricks. Only the adventurous can volunteer to be sawed in
half.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 : Agra - Samode After breakfast visit the Red Fort.
Red
Fort - 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.
Drive to Samode enroute visit Fatehpur
Sikri.
Fatehpur Sikri
- drive to the impressive sandstone fortress of Fatehpur Sikri. The fort was
built in the 16th century and only occupied for a few years before being
abandoned, leaving the buildings in virtually perfect conditions.
Continue drive to Samode
Upon arrival - check-in at
the hotel.
Samode - the
small principality of Samode lies 50 kms northwest of the city of Jaipur and
dates back to the 16th Century. The 7th ruler of Amber, the ancient capital
of the Rajput Empire, had twelve sons, one of whom was awarded the feudatory
seat of Samode for his gallantry and outstanding service. The construction
of the fort began 400 years ago and each successive ruler added to the fort
and the palace.
Samode Palace - The comfortable
palace is today full of architectural delights with stately corridors,
frescoed walls ethereal audience halls, harmoniously reflecting the skill of
master craftsmen. An evening at Samode is a magical experience of former
princely India and part of an ongoing tradition.
This evening we
shall organise for a candle light dinner at the Sam dunes The
guests will board Camel Cart in the evening and shall be taken for about an
hour to the Sam dunes. There you will witness Rajathani dance and music
performance (you may just get carried away and start dancing yourself with
them), While you enjoy the dance performance, our barman shall make drink of
your choice which will be followed by a bar-be-que dinner. This
will be a low seating candle light dinner on the Sand dunes in Samode (An
experience of a lifetime). Return to hotel for an overnight.
Day 05 : Samode - Jaipur Morning explore the surroundings of
Samode villages.
Later drive to Jaipur.
Afternoon
city tour of Jaipur.
Tour of the Pink City - Surrounded
on three sides by the rugged Aravali hills, Jaipur is the picturesque
capital of Rajasthan. It takes its name from the prince, soldier and
astronomer Jai Singh II who moved his capital here in 1727. Jaipur is
notable for its distinctive pink-orange coloring. The whole of the old city,
including many fine palaces and buildings, was constructed from solid blocks
of Sandstone or faced with the same stone. But it was only in 1853 that it
gained its famous title, the "Pink City"- it was painted pink for
the first time in honour of a visit from Prince Albert. You will also visit
the 'Hawa Mahal' , the open
air Jantar Mantar Observatory
to see the vast astronomical instruments. Enjoy a stroll through the
colorful bazaar before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at
hotel. Day 06 : Jaipur After breakfast tour of Amber Fort.
Tour of the impressive Amber
Fort, situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur City. 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 honoured
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.
Enjoy a cycle rickshaw
ride through the bustling bazaars. Jaipur is renowned for textile block
printing, blue pottery, carpet weaving, semi-precious stones and local
crafts which still thrive from the day of Maharaja Jai Singh's patronage
when he designed special areas in the city for the 'bandhanas', the
'cheepas' and the 'meenakari' workers.
Dinner and an overnight
at hotel. Day 07 : Jaipur - Udaipur Transfer to the Airport or flight
Jaipur/Udaipur (0720/0910 hrs).
Upon arrival at Udaipur, the
guests will be met and transferred to hotel.
Morning sightseeing
tour of City Palace,
Visit the magnificent City
Palace, which is simply enormous - an assemblance of not one
but four separate palaces covering some four acres of area and exceeding all
other palaces for colossal grandeur. Here you will marvel at rooms with
mirrored walls and ivory doors, colored glass windows and inlaid marble
balconies; and the Peacock Courtyard.
Late afternoon boat cruise
on Lake Pichola.
Enjoy a boat
cruise on Lake Pichola at sunset visiting the Jagmandir
Island - in the middle of the romantic Lake Pichola. It commands a
magnificent view of the City Palace, Lake Palace and Sajjangarh Fort, on its
own island, and it is where Prince Khurram was given refuge in the 17th
century
Dinner at the Crystal Gallery at Fateh Prakash Palace
hotel is a part of the City Palace Complex which was built in early 20th
century during the reign of Maharana Fateh Singhji. It is situated on the
shore of Lake Pichola and while eating at the Crystal Gallery you will
witness the lit up Lake Palace in the middle of the lake which is such a
romantic site. Overnight at hotel.
Day 08 : Udaipur Morning city tour of Udaipur.
City tour of Udaipur - the
romantic Lake City in Southern Rajasthan, famous for the stunning white
marble Palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It was the former
Palace of the Maharana and now converted to one of the most glamorous hotels
in India. The tour will cover the magnificent City
Palace, the Jagdish temple,
and a drive around the other nearby lakes. then continue on to the Garden of
Maidens "Sahelion-ki-bari'
and the Folk Art Museum, to
view the interesting collection of puppets & paintings.
Afternoon free for own activities and to enjoy the facilities at the hotel.
This evening an exclusive dinner will be arranged on floating platoon on the
Lake Pichola.Most romantic dinner on the Lake Pichola with Lake Palace lit
up at the backdrop.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 09 :
Udaipur - Delhi Morning transfer from hotel to the airport for
fight Udaipur/Delhi (0810/1045 hrs).
Upon arrival the guest will
be met and transferred to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 : Delhi - Abroad Transfer from hotel to the airport for
flight back home.