Stay : GRAND TOUR OF THE TAJ MAHAL AND RAJASTHAN
DELHI/AGRA/BHARATPUR/ABHANERI/JAIPUR/FORT D'AMBER/PUSHKAR/BUNDI/CHITTORGARH/UDAIPUR/RANAKPUR/JAWAI/JODHPUR/JAISALMER/BIKANER/SHEKHAWATI/DELHI.
18J/17N SUR PLACE
Summary of the stay
Possible departure at these times
How to get there?
SHIVALIK HOLIDAYS
18 days
From 2000 € to 2400 €
Detail of the stay : GRAND TOUR OF THE TAJ MAHAL AND RAJASTHAN - 18 days
Day 1: DELHI
Arrival in New Delhi, welcome and transfer to hotel according to flight schedule. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: DELHI - AGRA
Steps: Agra
After breakfast, departure for Agra. Afternoon visit to Agra, one of the highlights of Mughal art and architecture,
Visit Agra Fort, whose high red sandstone walls overlook the Yamuna River.
The Taj Mahal, the country's most famous monument, considered the eighth wonder of the world. This luminous mausoleum of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: AGRA-F.SIKRI-BHARATPUR (1h + 30Min)
Steps: Bharatpur, Fatehpur Sikri
After breakfast departure for Jaipur, en route visit the famous city of Fatehpur Sikri founded by Akbar, the greatest Mughal leader. A magnificent Unesco World Heritage site.
In the afternoon, rickshaw ride through Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO-listed site for migratory birds and cranes, where at least 400 avian species have been recorded and observed. Overnight at hotel.
Day 4: BHARATPUR - ABHANERI - JAIPUR ( 1h45 + 2h30)
Steps: Jaipur
After breakfast departure for Jaipur, en route visit the Abhaneri site. Chand Baori the underground well (Abhaneri)
Continuation to Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital and "pink city". Jaipur was founded in 1728 by the warrior astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5: JAIPUR - AMBER FORT -JAIPUR
After breakfast, departure for an excursion to Amber Fort, 10 km north of the city. In Mughal times, it was the former residence of the Maharajas. Amber is the former capital of the state, founded by the Minas and abandoned a few centuries later when Maharaja Jai Singh moved to Jaipur. Visit the palace with its mirror-set halls and the former harem.
Glimpse the Hawa Mahal or "Palace of the Winds", an extraordinary section of the wall of an ancient Baroque palace considered one of the wonders of Rajput architecture. The many windows that adorn its façade were built to allow the women of the royal harem to see out without being seen in return.
Afternoon visit to the city palace, the Maharaja's palace, part of which is still inhabited by the Maharaja and houses Mughal miniatures.
The astronomical observatory, Jantar-Mantar, built by Jai Singh II between 1728 and 1734, features the world's most accurate sundial.
Day 6: JAIPUR - PUSHKAR (2h30)
Steps: Pushkar
After breakfast, departure by road to Pushkar, visit the Pushkar temples and stroll around the ghats leading down to the lake. Around a vast pool accessible by monumental staircases, visit the Brahma temple and stroll through the bustling bazaar. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 7: PUSHKAR - BUNDI (4h)
Steps: Bundi
After breakfast, departure by road to Bundi.
In the afternoon, discover the princely city of Bundi, dominated by the Rajput (hanging) palace decorated with beautiful 18th-century paintings. A very picturesque town, with panoramic views from the palace. Discover the Rani well, richly decorated with sculptures. Stroll through the lively local bazaar. Overnight at hotel.
Day 8: BUNDI - CHITTORGARH/BIJAIPUR (2h45)
Steps: Chittorgarh
After breakfast, departure by road to Bijaipur. En route stop at the ancient temple ruins of Bijolia and Menal.
Afternoon free to stroll around the village. Overnight at hotel.
Day 9: BIJAIPUR - CHITTORGARH - UDAIPUR (1h+2h30)
Steps: Chittorgarh
Departure for Udaipur, with a visit to the fortress of Chittorgarh (the most beautiful in Rajasthan), which rises imposingly above the plain. Chittorgarh is an exceptional site, 150 m above sea level; a dark mass where everything breathes the tragedy of those who, sword in hand, threw themselves in front of certain death, rather than succumb to their assailants. In the citadel, you'll discover numerous remains of temples and palaces. Continue on to Udaipur, the romantic white city with its luminous, romantic atmosphere. Overnight at your hotel.
Day 10: UDAIPUR
Steps: Udaipur
Overlooking the city of Udaipur and Lake Pichola, the Maharana's City Palace houses interesting collections of weapons and miniatures, as well as a veritable maze of courtyards and gardens, halls and salons decorated with mirrors, ceramics and paintings....
Nearby, visit the 17th-century Jagdish temple, which houses a black stone statue of Vishnu in the guise of Jagannath, the lord of the universe.
Stroll through the narrow streets of the old town, teeming with merchants and small stores.
Boat trip on Lake Pichola. Overnight in hotel.
Day 11: UDAIPUR - RANAKPUR - JAWAI/BERA (3h)
Steps: Ranakpur
After breakfast, departure for Ranakpur.
Afternoon visit to Ranakpur's 15th-century Adinath temple. This important and beautifully crafted sanctuary is one of the jewels of Jain architecture.
Continuation to Jawai, the Jawai Bandh (dam) region, famous for its leopard habitat and a very pleasant spot in the countryside. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12: JAWAI/BERA - JODHPUR (3h)
Steps: Jodhpur
Morning departure for a leopard safari in the wild.
After breakfast, departure for Jodhpur, the blue city.
Free time to explore the old town near the clock tower. Overnight at hotel.
Day 13:
Steps: Jodhpur
After breakfast, visit Mehrangarh Fort, one of the most important forts of the Rathore Rajput dynasty, dominating the landscape for miles around and housing palaces decorated with mural frescoes and stone lacework.
In the afternoon, visit the gardens of Mandore, the former capital of the Rathore dynasty. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 14: JODHPUR - JAISALMER (5h)
Steps: Jaisalmer
After breakfast, departure for Jaisalmer, the golden, fortified city rising out of the desert, once an important route for spice, opium and indigo caravans between the Indus Valley and Central Asia, and a source of wealth in the 18th century.
Visit Bara Bagh, the former garden of the sovereigns of Jaisalmer, to discover the cenotaphs (chhatris) of the sovereigns, built on a hill in a beautiful setting. Overnight at hotel.
Day 15: JAISALMER AND SAM
Steps: Jaisalmer, Dunes De Sam
Visit Jaisalmer, known as "the golden city" because of the color of its stones in the setting sun. Impressive citadel with massive walls and towers that bear witness to its past splendour as sumptuous merchant's residences (Havelis), with richly carved ochre sandstone facades. Visit the fortress and its magnificently sculpted Jain temples. Stroll through the city.
Afternoon camel ride in Sam's desert. Overnight at hotel.
There is the option of ending the tour in Jaisalmer and returning to Delhi by plane/train, subject to operational availability at the time of booking.
Day 16: JAISALMER - BIKANER (6h)
After breakfast, departure for Bikaner.
In the afternoon, visit the beautiful 16th-century Junagarh fort. It is one of the best preserved in Rajasthan. Tuk-tuk ride through the narrow streets of the old town and market, where you'll also see some beautiful havelis. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 17: BIKANER - SHEKHAWATI/MANDAWA (4h)
Steps: Mandawa
After breakfast, departure for the Shekhawati region, characterized by small villages surrounded by sand dunes, home to havelis, the houses of wealthy merchants who once lived off the camel trade between India and Central Asia: veritable little palaces with walls adorned with frescoes painted in an "open-air gallery".
In the afternoon, visit the famous village of Mandawa. Overnight at your hotel.
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