In this section you will find a short description of the daily possibilities. The tour leader will offer a program on almost every day but the program is informal and by no means obligatory leaving lots of room for your own initiative. Your guides will organize and accompany some activities and will also make suggestions so that you are free to dine or explore on your own.
Day 1 Depart USA
Day 2 Arrival Delhi In transit
Day 3 Delhi
Participants on the 15-day Palace tour come from the United States and Canada. Our tour leader is a local Indian guide. Our tour starts in the capital of India, Delhi. In and around the center of this metropolis there is a wide choice of interesting places to visit. Just a few options: the Jama Masjid mosque (the largest in India), the impressive Red Fort of the Mogul era, Raj Ghat, the place where Mahatma Ghandi was cremated or the Chandni Chowk, the largest bazaar in Old Delhi. A little further outside the center you will find the Qutab Minar, an enormous minaret and the very modern Bahia temple, built in the form of a lotus flower. Some places you can reach on foot while others are best visited by car or rickshaw.
Day 4 Delhi – Agra
By bus we travel to Agra (estimated five hours). On the way we pay a visit to Fetehpur Sikri, the former capital of the most famous Mogul emperor Akbar. Our hotel is 15 minutes away by foot from the Taj Mahal, the world famous mausoleum for Mumtaz, the wife of Sjah Jehan. Agra Fort is situated close to the lively old center of Agra, where mosques and palaces of pure marble can be found. The rickshaw is likely to be your best means of transportation. Seven miles from Agra at Skiandra you can visit the tomb of Akbar. We will stay in Man Singh Palace.
Day 5 Agra – Karauli
In the morning, we will visit the Taj Mahal and later, we will drive to Karuli (around 3 hours) where we will stay overnight at the Bhanwar Vilas Palace. Bhanwar Niwas Palace was built as a royal residence in the year 1938 by Maharaja Ganesh Pal Deo Bhadur, then, the ruler of Karauli. The architecture is of colonial style with modern amenities. Karauli is a remote, ancient town in Rajasthan. It is a devotional city with a wealth of history and a magnificent palace built in 1635. You will find a blend of warm royal hospitality, a serene rural environment and an opportunity to see historical monuments and magnificent temples. The ruling family of Karauli are the descendants of Lord Krishna while the city is the home of Shri Madan Mohanji, the deity of Lord Krishna, worshipped by millions of followers from Rajasthan and other states.
Day 6 Karauli – Jaipur
Day 7 Jaipur
After a drive of about three hours, our next stop is the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur where we will stay at the Hotel Narain Niwas Palace. Jaipur owes her nickname ‘Pink City’ to the fact that prior to the visit of a British prince the maharaja at the time ordered all houses and buildings in the city to be painted pink. In those days the color pink was considered to be the color of hospitality. In the heart of the city you find the royal palace, now a museum, and the well-preserved 18th century observatory. The Hawa Mahal, or the Palace of the Winds, with its 1000 richly decorated windows, is the most characteristic building of Jaipur. This building should definitely be on your list of sights to visit. You can make interesting excursions to the Amber Fort, situated about 6 1/2 miles outside of the city, or the more closely situated Nahagarh Fort. Those who wish can take an organized camel tour from outside of Jaipur.
Day 8 Jaipur – Pushkar
After breakfast we have a drive of approximately 3 hours to the small and beautiful town of Pushkar, set in a valley just about 14 km off Ajmer. It is surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the other side. Pushkar forms a fascinating location and a befitting backdrop for the annual religious and cattle fair (in Nov), which is globally famous. No pilgrimage is considered complete without a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake. Pushkar has as many as 400 temples and 52 Ghats. The only temple in the country that is dedicated to Brahama is to be found here. You can visit the camel fair site. Here we stay in the Pushkar Palace.
Day 9 Pushkar – Khimsar
After breakfast we have a long drive to Khimsar. Khimsar is a small town situated on the Thar Desert the major tourist attraction at Khimsar is the Khimsar Fort built in 16th century. The rare blackbuck antelope can be spotted grazing in the fields in and around the sand dunes of Khimsar. With 11 acres of sprawling lawns, orchards and open courtyard, the well maintained Khimsar Fort is a rare historical site to be relished.
Day 10 Khimsar - Luni
On our way to Luni we visit Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur. We will stay overnight in Luni, where a 19th century fort offers us shelter. This fort, according to regional tradition entirely carved from red sandstone, with its many courtyards, water mills and complicated facades, and offers a welcome contrast to the busy cities. Nearby in Jodhpur, besides the impressive Mehrangarh Fort, you can visit several temples and palaces. From the fort you have a nice view on the “blue quarter”, where the Brahmans live. In addition, the old city with the market recognizable by its clock tower definitely deserves a visit. Here you can satisfy all of your shopping desires at the many bazaars, including the Sadar Bazaar. In the many often tiny, dark shops and workplaces, the attractive Rajasthan handwork products are traditionally hand made.
Day 11 Luni - Udaipur
Day 12 Udaipur
Day 13 Udaipur - Delhi (overnight train)
On the way to Udaipur, we will make a stop at the colossal Jain Temple of Ranakpur. This 15th century temple counts an impressive 1444 beautifully sculptured columns. After a beautiful bus ride through a mountainous region we arrive in Udaipur: “City of the Sunrise”, a city with a medieval feel situated around the Pichola and the Fateh Sagar lakes. In Udaipur there is much to please the eye; the old city with innumerable small streets, colorful markets and shops and all kinds of temples draws attention, but also the breathtaking City Palace and the fairy-tale like Lake Palace that is built on an island in the middle of the lake. There is a nice view of the city from the islands in Lake Pichola or Lake Fateh Sagar, which you can reach by rowboat. Our accommodation also offers a magnificent view of the city and the lake. Your second day in Udaipur is a free day. In the evening we will embark on an overnight train ride to Delhi.
Day 14 Delhi – Depart
Day 15 Arrival USA
The following morning we arrive in Delhi. We check into the Hotel and in the evening we transfer to the airport to take our flight back home.
