DAY 01: ARRIVE DELHI
Arrive Delhi by any international flight; assistance
and transfer to hotel. Afternoon tour of Delhi - your
first stop is Red Fort built by the great Mughal emperor
Shahjahan when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi.
A short drive down lies Jama Masjid, a grand mosque
built by Shahjahan. Further, a fascinating walk down
Chandni Chowk or the Silver Street takes you back to
a bygone era. Next comes a drive to Mahatma Gandhi's
memorial at Rajghat and then on to Qutab Minar, the
tallest stone tower in India dating back to 1191 AD.
Close to it are the cloisters of one of the first mosques
of India, the Quwwatul. In the centre of the courtyard
is a 2000-year old iron pillar built in 4 AD, famous
for never having rusted. From there to Hamayun's tomb
built by the widow of Mughal Emperor Humayun. A drive
through Delhi's avenues of British vintage brings you
to India Gate, a memorial to the "unknown soldier",
Rashtrapati Bhawan (residence of the President of India),
and the awesome Rajpath. Finally to Connaught Circus
where the best bargains await you. Overnight at the
hotel.
DAY 02: DELHI-AGRA: By road
Post-breakfast proceed for Agra (203 km); after checking
in at the hotel take a city tour of Agra, visit the
Taj Mahal built by Shahjahan as a memorial of his wife
Mumtaz Mahal. A masterpiece, it took 22 years to build;
the finest of artisans were hired for the white marble
edifice originally inlaid with precious stones. The
structure guards the cenotaphs of the emperor and his
beloved. Next comes the Agra fort from where Shahjahan,
imprisoned by is son, spent time looking at the Taj.
Visit Sikandra, emperor Akbar's tomb. Overnight in Agra.
DAY 03: AGRA-JAIPUR: By road
After breakfast, proceed to Jaipur (235 km) with a visit
to Fatehpur Sikri en route. Sikri is an awesome ghost
town Akbar built when he grew weary of Agra; he abandoned
it a decade and a half later owing to water scarcity.
It still stands, its massive fortification and impressive
gateway and palaces unbeaten by time. Sitting in the
middle of a pink sandstone courtyard is the marble tomb
of saint Salim Chisti. Arrive Jaipur and check in at
the hotel.
In the afternoon, tour the Pink City of Jaipur. A visit
to the City Palace, a union of Mughal and Rajasthani
architecture now a museum; it houses the various art
effects from Jaipur's princely past. Also visit the
Jantar Mantar built by Jaisingh, a well-known astronomer;
it's a brick and mortar observatory of amazing accuracy.
Not far from here is the breathtaking Hawa Mahal (palace
of winds). Not exactly a palace, this place was used
by the royal ladies of Jaipur to watch, unobserved,
the goings on the streets below. Overnight in Jaipur.
DAY 04: JAIPUR-DELHI-ONWARD DESTINATION: By
road
Take a morning excursion to Amber Fort and enjoy an
elephant ride on the ramparts of the fort. The fort
is famous for its pavilions and courtyards of the palace
which ascend in successive levels up the hill to the
Sheesh Mahal, or pavilion of mirror; studded with tiny
mirrors which reflect a single flame in a thousand times
over, this is a glorious experience. Later transfer
to Delhi (265 km) and drop at the international airport
for your flight onward.
