Explore India's Holiest City with an Ancient Spiritual Legacy
The schedule of this trip is appropriate for those who want to know about India's 3,000 years of culture and history when they first come to India.
As you walk beside the Ganges, witnessing people's piety will grow your respect and admiration for Hindus.
Days
9
Price
US$1,814 p/p
Best For
First-timers
Best Time
Oct. to Mar.
Tour Highlights
We have just returned from an amazing trip to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Our travel adviser Albee Ning prepared a wonderful itinerary taking us to great locations with creative activities highlighting local culture.
We traveled with Asia Highlights (Lissie was our agent) several years ago when we went to Saigon, and the experience was so positive, we automatically went to Asia Highlights again for an extensive trip to Southeast Asia.
Itinerary Details
Welcome to Delhi, a city where new and old cultures meet. After getting off the plane, you will take the private car we arranged for you to go to the hotel and enjoy settling into your room.
We recommend a hotel located in the city center so you can travel conveniently and enjoy the clean and accommodating facilities. Many famous scenic spots are not far from the hotel. In your spare time, you can take a stroll and feel the enthusiasm of the city.
After you have enjoyed breakfast in the hotel, your tour guide will take you to Old Delhi for a visit and the famous Red Fort will be first on the docket. Looking up at the fort from under the gate, you can feel its magnificence. Then you will go nearby to Jama mosque, one of the world's three mosques where you can see the religious beliefs of devout believers.
After that, your guide will take you to the shopping streets in old Delhi, where traditional style of an old market has been preserved for centuries. The hustle and bustle of people and the shouts of peddlers will make you feel that you have traveled back in time. Then you will go to the home of a local resident for a meal. The host of the home will choose the ingredients with you and tell you how to make local delicacies. Of course, you can also talk to her about the cooking methods of your country. After the lesson the host will give you an Indian cook book. (Although many Indians are vegetarians, the meal can be catered to your interests as long as it falls within the realm of normal Indian cuisine. If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know in advance.)
Today's final stop is the Tomb of Humayun, the earliest Mughal edifice in India and the tomb of the Mohsen emperor Humayun.
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to Delhi airport and fly to Varanasi. When you arrive at this historic city, you will go to the hotel and have a good rest for a few hours because today's excursion is best experienced in the evening.
When the lights on the streets start to shine in the evening, your guide will take you to the Ganga Aarti. Slowly, large crowds begin to gather on the banks of the river, waiting to watch an ancient Ganga Night Sacrifice. Indians regard the Ganges as a holy river. It is just such a river that the Indians have to worship it every day. The bright lights around the venue will shine brightly. This kind of ceremony has lasted for thousands of years. No matter what happens, it will be held every day without interruption. Many tourists come to Varanasi to watch this ceremony.
Apart from the evening ceremony, the second thing you must do when you come to Varanasi is to take a boat ride at sunrise. Enjoy the sunrise, boat ride, and beautiful mountain views. Watch people engage in ancient Hindu activities and watch people live in harmony with the Ganges River.
After getting off the boat, you will spend the rest of the morning visiting Sarnath. This is where Sakyamuni taught Buddhism for the first time and where the Buddhist Sangha was established. Sarnath is also one of the four holy places of Buddhism in ancient India.
In Sanat, the tour guide will show you the Dharma Hefo Pagoda. Today's tour will end at an archaeological museum, where you can see well-preserved Buddhist relics.
Your trip today will start in the Pink City. Jaipur's greatest feature is pink. The buildings are arranged neatly. Pink walls, pink windows, street shops, stalls, and even toilets are painted pink. In the color language of the Rajput, pink represents hospitality. The whole of Jaipur is a pink dream.
Then go to Ganesh Pol which will be the most magnificent and colorful door you will pass through during your trip to India. Its kaleidoscope-like polygonal patterns and the pure plant pigments that depict these exquisite patterns are exquisite!
Continue to the center of Jaipur and you will come to Jantar Mantar Observatory. These astronomical instruments are immortal masterpieces of old used to study the heavens before modern observatories existed.
Later you will come to the City Palace Museum, located in the center of the old city which is one of the best-preserved historic sites in India. Here your tour guide will explain to you the glorious stories of the past imperial palace.
After visiting the palace, the bustling market is not far away. You can see peruse handicrafts here and also see the lifestyle of common Indian people.
In the morning, you will take a bus to Agra, a city full of miracles.
On your way to Agra, you'll visit Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Keoladeo is one of the most famous bird habitats in India. Its area is not very large, but it has many ecological types of wetland, grassland, and forest. Here you can see not only a dazzling array of rare birds but also many wild animals. This vibrant land is waiting for your exploration.
After visiting the National Park, you will continue to Agra by private car. After arriving in Agra, your driver will take you to your hotel to recharge for tomorrow's trip.
When you are ready to leave the hotel, the first place you'll visit is the world-famous Taj Mahal. Some people said, "When you go to India, you must go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. If you haven't seen the Taj Mahal, you can't really be considered to have been to India. " The two marble coffins in the central palace are inlaid with exquisite jasmine patterns with more than 20 kinds of colorful gemstones such as jadeite, agate, crystal, and malachite. At the same time, your tour guide will also explain to you the sad and beautiful love story behind the Taj.
Then you will go to Khas Mahal. It is a private palace built by Sha Jahan for himself. Due to the Sha's proclivity for marble, in 1637, he built the palace with pure white marble.
Then you'll go to Itimad-ud-Daulah where marble inlays depicting vases, trees, fruits and other patterns can be found on the surrounding walls, giving off a strong Persian flavor.
Lastly, go see the Mehtab Bagh and experience the calm brought on by the beautiful scenery in the sunset.
In the morning, you will go back to Delhi by private car.
After your arrival, your tour guide will take you first to Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. It tapers from bottom to top. There are intricate angles and grooves around the tower's body that truly make it a marvel to witness.
Finally, you will see the famous Victory Gate of India and take some photogenic shots to add color near the end of your trip.
After enjoying breakfast in the morning, your guide will take you to the airport to see you off. See you next time!
Price Includes
Price from: $1,814 (Tour code: gh-ah-in-72)
Trip Notes
About the Meals
Many hotels offer buffets with a variety of cuisines from Indian to Italian and Asian. People who are looking to taste authentic local cuisine can try the restaurants specializing in barbecued tandoori kebabs and Indian naan bread. We also recommend trying out one of the many great restaurants that serve modern Indian fusion food. Let us know your food preferences and we'll take care of the rest. Make sure to inform us of any allergies or dietary requirements in advance.
About the Car Transfers Between Cities
We will arrange private car transfers from Delhi to Agra and from Agra to Jaipur. Your guide will not be with you during the transfers. You will have different guides in different cities. Your driver will be able to speak basic English so there will be no problems with basic conversation during the transfers.
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