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DAY 01 : ARRIVE DELHI
On arrival meet and assist at the airport and transfer to prebooked
hotel.
DAY 02 : DELHI
After breakfast, half day city tour of Old Delhi. Visit Jama
Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan, the
construction was started in 1844 and was not completed until 1658;
drive past Red Fort, which was also built by Shah Jehan. This massive
fort was built from 1638 to 1648; Chandni Chowk and Rajghat
- the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi.
Afternoon, city tour of New Delhi. Visit Humayuns Tomb : built in
mid 16th century this is an early example of Mughal architecture;
Qutab Minar, drive past India Gate, President House,
Connaught Place. The tour ends with a visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple
DAY 03 : DELHI
- AMRITSAR
(TRAIN)
Early morning, transfer to the railway station to board Shatabdi
Express, scheduled to depart for Amritsar at 0720 hrs.
Arrive Amritsar at 1305 hrs. and transfer to prebooked hotel.
Afternoon visit Indo-Pak Border to watch retreat ceremony-30
KM on the road to Lahore is India-Pakistan Border. A visit to the
border is an interesting experience especially at Sunset, when the
retreat ceremony takes place with the Border Security Force on the
Indian Side and the Sutlej Rangers on the Pakistan  side
putting up a well coordinated and spectacular display. The sound
from the Bugles blown together from both sides paints past on the
canvas when India and Pakistan were one, simultaneously Flags of
the two nations are ceremoniously retrieved and lights are switched
on marking the end of the day. Amidst thunderous applause today
this point is the only land route open to approach Pakistan and
central Asia.
DAY 04 : AMRITSAR
- DELHI
(TRAIN)
After breakfast, city tour of Amritsar - Golden Temple-the
holy scripture is brought in a vivid procession from the Akal Takhat
(the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs) in the morning to the temple
to be returned at night. Singing is central to Sikh worship &
is a feast to the souls when hymns from the holy scripture are recited
Kirtan and the waves of the classical ragas, a sublim blend of voice
& music. Jallianwala Bagh - the historic site where hundreds
of innocent Indian men, women and children were massacred by British
General Michael Dyer on April 13, 1919. A memoral and Garden have
been created here as a national monument.
Afternoon, transfer to the railway station to board Shatabdi Express
scheduled to depart at 1705 hrs. for Delhi.
Arrive New Delhi railway station at 2250 hrs., transfer to prebooked
hotel.
DAY 05 : DELHI
- JAIPUR
(260 Kms., 05-06 Hrs. Drive)
After breakfast, leave for Jaipur - The city owes its names,
foundation and its careful planning to the great warrior - astronomer
Maharaja Jai Singh II. In 1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai
Singh decided to move down from his hillside fortress at nearby
Amber to a new site on the plains. He laid out the city, with its
surrounding walls and six rectangular blocks, according to the principles
of town planning set down in Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise
on architecture.
Arrive Jaipur and check in at prebooked hotel.
DAY 06 : JAIPUR
 After
breakfast, excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant ride from the
foothills of the Aravallis to the fort entrance.
Amber Fort : At a distance of 11 kms from Jaipur, Amber was the
ancient capital of Jaipur state. Construction of the fort began
in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Akbar's army
and is a superb example of Rajput architecture.
Afternoon, city tour of Jaipur. Visit the City Palace which
has museum having an extensive collection of art, carpets, enamel
ware and weapons ; Jantar Mantar - the observatory built my Maharaja
Jai Singh in 1728 and the façade of Hawa Mahal.
DAY 07 : JAIPUR
- RANTHAMORE NATIONAL PARK
(180 Kms., 04 - 05 Hrs. Drive)
After breakfast leave for Ranthambore National Park.
Located
at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill range, this is
one of the finest places to view animals, especially as they are
used to being stared at here.The park covers an area of Approximately
400 sq Km and if combined it with the area of
sawai man singh sanctuary area,it is around 500
Sq km. Ranthambore national park was declared a wildlife sanctuary
in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". It
got it's status of a National Park in 1981.
Ranthambore
National Park is dotted with structures that remind you of bygone
eras. There are many water bodies located all over the park,
which provide perfect relief during the extremely hot summer months
for the forest inhabitants. A huge fort, after which the park is
named, towers over the park atop a hill.  There
are many ruins of bygone eras scattered all over the jungle, which
give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history
and wildlife. Tigers at Ranthambore National park have been
known to even hunt in full view of human visitors. These tigers
are famous for being seen in the daytime too, due to their lack
of fear of human presence in vehicles. This lack of fear of humans
is excellent for tourists, as they get to see the tigers often.
This National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream.
It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities.
The park remains open every year from October to May.Famous for
the exciting and frequent tiger sightings captured dramatically
in several books, this park is today affected by ecological pressures
and poaching. In Nutshell, Ranthambore National park is a
wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream.
Arrive Ranthambore and check in at prebooked hotel.
DAY 08 : RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL
PARK
Morning and afternoon, Jungle Safari to witness the
wild life.
The Park contains a huge variety of animals, birds
and reptiles within it. Primarily the population consists of...
Animals :
Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai, Common
or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth
bears, Black bucks, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara,
Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats,
Fivestriped Palm Squirels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying
Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian
Porcupines, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose,
Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose. The
amphibian species only consist of the Common India
Toad and the Common Frog. The park is most famous for it's
diurnal tigers.
The park also has a large number of
marsh crocs Reptiles: Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles,
Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common
Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian
Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers
and the Indian Chamaeleon.
DAY 09 : RANTHAMBORE
- BHARATPUR (TRAIN)
BHARATPUR - FATEHPUR SIKRI - AGRA
(55
Kms., 01-02 Hrs. Drive)
Early morning, transfer to the railway station to board Jan Shatabdi
Express, scheduled to depart at 0707 hrs. for Bharatpur. (Train
does not operate on Sunday). Arrive Bharatpur at 0922 hrs.
and visit
the world over renowned Keoladeo Ghana National Park or-as many
people prefer to call it-the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. It lies between
two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur. This north
Indian sanctuary is situated in the country's northwestern state
of Rajasthan, about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi.
Bharatpur hosts a variety of bird species from across the globe.
Close to 380 species of birds are found in this 29 sq km stretch,
approximately 10 sq km of which comprises of marshes and bogs. Rest
of the area comprises of scrublands, grasslands and more than 44,000
trees that are used for nesting by birds each year. This rather
intriguing blend of marshes, woodland and flora found here represents
and, at the same time, substantiates the density and diversity of
the region's forest cover
Later, leave for Agra, enroute visit the abandoned Mughal city of
Fatehpur Sikri : built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, was the
old capital of the Moghuls, which was abandoned after 15 years due
to scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama
Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal & other
Palaces which are still preserved in its original glory.
Continue drive to Agra. Arrive Agra and checkin at prebooked hotel.
DAY 10 : AGRA
- DELHI
(203 Kms., 04-05 Hrs. Drive)
 After
breakfast, city tour of Agra (Taj Mahal is closed on Friday). Visit
Red fort, which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565, and additions
were made up until the time of his grandson, Shah Jahan. It contains
the hall of public and private audiences amongst many other beautiful
structues; the highlight of the day - The Taj Mahal, which was constructed
by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Contruction of
the Taj began in 1631 and was not completed until 1653.
Afternoon, leave for Delhi. Arrive Delhi and check in at prebooked
hotel.
DAY
11 : DEPART DELHI
Transfer to the airport to board flight back home.
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