North and South India Tour
15 Nights / 16 Days

Morning tour of New Delhi. Designed in 1911 by the British, New Delhi is one of the greenest capitals in the world. Your tour includes a visit to the impressive Qutab Minar, a 234 foot sandstone tower and Humayun's Tomb, a predecessor to the famous Taj Mahal. Later drive past the government buildings and presidential palace along the broad and majestic Rajpath, Diplomatic Enclave etc. Afternoon tour of Old Delhi. See the Red Fort, a symbol of Mughal power. Drive past Chandni Chowk (old shopping street) and the Jama Mosque area. On return, visit Rajghat, a memorial to the great Mahatma Gandhi. Overnight at the hotel.

Early Morning transfer to the rail station for a two hour train ride to Agra. The earliest reference to is in the epic "The Mahabharat". Alexander the Great geographer also called it . It was however in the medieval period that earned prominence as a capital city under the Mughals. Its many wonderful monuments and the Taj Mahal, the greatest of them all, have given it a unique position as a major tourist centre.

Taj Mahal, simply, is beauty - not just in design and technique, but in desire and intent. It was built as a monument to love, a manifestation of life's most powerful emotion. When his wife died unexpectedly, Emperor Shahjahan vowed to honour her with a memorial of unmatched beauty. He commissioned the world's best craftsmen and 20,000 workers to build this beautiful structure. The result stands before you today - a delicately carved, white marble jewel, which seems to float on a sea of red limestone. Visit the Taj Mahal and the Fort in the Morning. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

You drive to Jaipur today via Fatehpur Sikri, the once fabled Mughal capital which now lies quietly but wonderfully preserved. We continue to Jaipur - the rose pink capital of Rajasthan. Surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts, Jaipur is aptly called the "Pink City" of India. Upon arrival transfer to the hotel and rest of the day at leisure.

Morning, travel just north of Jaipur to visit Amber and it's famous palace. Riding on elegantly caparisoned elephants,you approach the palace in the traditional way. The high gateway allows you to enter on these broad-backed animals. Inside you will find lavish courtyards, beautifully decorated halls and the Chamber of Mirrors.

Afternoon visit Jantar Mantar, an observatory which is equipped with instruments of astonishing size and precision, including a 90 foot high sun dial which is remarkably accurate. You will also see the ornate and elaborate Palace of Winds, the Hawa Mahal - a famous landmark of Jaipur and the City Palace Museum. Overnight at the hotel.

Morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Mumbai (Bombay). Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to the hotel. A beautiful harbour studded with hilly islands and a palm-fringed shore rising gradually to the peaks of mountain ranges form a fine waterfront for Mumbai, "the Gateway of India". Besides being the major port of India, Mumbai is also a great industrial centre. A cosmopolitan city, it owes it's prosperity to the industry and enterprise of it's population of about eight million. It is the commercial capital of India. Afternoon at leisure for you to explore Bombay's many museums, markets, cinema and theatre. Overnight at the hotel.

Morning tour of Mumbai city. Visit the Gateway of India, a 262 feet highway overlooking the sea, built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. We will drive past the Victorian Railway Station to the Flora Fountain. Known by the natives as Hutatma Chowk, this spot is the centre of Mumbai's life. We will also visit the Hanging Gardens, Prince of Wales Museum, the Gandhi Museum and the Dhobi Ghats - the public laundry. Afternoon again at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

transferred airport/ hotel. Aurangabad, once a Mughal capital , is now a thriving industrial metropolis and an important base for visiting the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Northern Maharashtra's largest city, Aurangabad is located almost 410 kms northeast of Mumbai and is situated on the northern part of the elevated Deccan Plateau in the region known as Marathwada. It stands along the River Kham and is a pleasant spacious town.

In the afternoon, take a short drive to Ellora to visit the temples. Stonecutters removed an estimated 200,000 tonnes of rock to build the 34 caves. With statues, columns and decorative facades, these temples are a wonder of ancient statues sightseeing of the city art. Over 2000 years old, they have been compared to the (-W1tour will include visits to S10 pyramids for their amazing construction. The highlight of the Thomas's Cathedral which 34 caves is the mighty Kailasa Temple, the zenith of Hindu houses the grave of S10 Thomas rock-cut temple architecture, with enclosures, galleries, a the Apostle, the Bronze bridge, two large stone elephants. Overnight at the hotel.

This Morning will visit Ajanta. Buddhist monks spent architecture of South India. centuries carving 29 caves into a horseshoe-shaped cliff on Waghora River. Completed around the 7th century A.D., the hotel. masterpieces were lost for a century until a British-hunting party stumbled upon them in 1819. These dramatically cut caves contain some of India's most magnificent paintings. Their murals exquisitely depict scenes from Buddhist legends and reveal telling details of the culture at the time they were painted. Five of the caves were temples and 24 were monasteries, thought to have been occupied by some 200 monks and artisans. Return to Aurangabad late afternoon for balance of the day at leisure. Overnight at the Hotel.

Morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Bangalore via Mumbai. Upon arrival, assistance and transfer airport/hotel. Though a modern bustling city and an important industrial centre, with a lot of scientific and research activity, Bangalore still remains one of India's most pleasant cities and very lately it's being known as the "Silicon Valley" of India. At a height of 3250 ft, it boasts of a salubrious climate with innumerable parks, gardens, lakes and tree-lined avenues. Overnight at the Hotel.

You will drive this Morning to Mysore,visiting enroute to the Somnath Temple. Mysore has a long history of eminent dynasties that ruled from here and created a city, that even today, is one of the finest in southern India with tree-lined boulevards, beautiful gardens and stately palaces. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Morning tour of Mysore city. As the principal residence of a former royal family - Mysore offers palaces with a profusion of exquisite domes, arches and turrets. On Chamundi hill find the summer palaces and the 2000 year old temple of Chamundeswari, dedicated to the deity of the Mysore royal family. Nearby find the 16 foot high monolithic sculpture of the Nandi bull adorned with garlands and bells. It was carved out of a single stone. Afternoon, excursion to the summer palace of Karnataka's ruler, Tipu Sultan at Srirangapatnam and also visit the Brindavan Gardens formed by damming the River Kauvery. Overnight at the hotel.

You will drive back to the Bangalore airport this Morning In time for your connecting flight to Chennai (Madras). The gateway to the sunny south and the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is also the seat of an ancient civilization, rich with a heritage of fine arts, sculpture and architecture. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Full day sightseeing of the city your tour will include visit to ST. Thomas's Cathedral which houses the grave of St. Thomas the Apostle, the Bronze Mudeum the Mylapore Temple and Dakshinchitra, which shoe cades the traditional art and architecture of South India. Afternoon is at leisure.Overnight at the hotel.

You drive today to Mahabalipuram - the "city of the seven pagodas", which was once the main harbour and naval base Embellishments at a of the great Pallava Empire. Visit to temple in South India Sightseeing of the city will include the breathtaking display of the pagodas or rathas, small sized shrines that have all been chiseled out of boulders in the form of temple chariots dedicated to the Pandava princes. But the masterpiece at Mahabalipuram is the "Penance of Bhagirath", the world's largest bas-relief in stone.

In the afternoon will drive to the spectacular temple city of Kanchipuram which has successively been the capital of the major kingdoms of the south. Kanchi is also very famous for it's hand woven silk fabrics. You will visit the Kailasanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Built in the 7th century during the Pallava dynasty, it reflects the simplicity and freshness of early Dravidian architecture. Also visit the Sri Ekambaranathar Temple dedicated to Shiva and one of the largest temples in Kanchipuram, covering 9 hectares with a 59 metre high gopuram. Return to Mahabalipuram. Overnight at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.