Budget Adventure In Northern India

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

This morning you have the opportunity to join an optional tour of Old Delhi by metro and cycle rickshaw (please be aware that rickshaw and metro costs are at your own ex-pense).The former capital of the 17th century Moghul emperor Shan Jahan, the old city is a magnificent blend of architectural splendour and vibrant chaos, the very image of an Indian city and all centred on the bustling Chandi Chowk Bazaar. The tour will take in the bazaar and the spectacular Jami Masjid Mosque, the largest in India and Shah Jahan’s magnificent swan song. Afterwards there will be an opportunity to remain in old Delhi and make your way back to the hotel later, meeting with the rest of the group in time to trans-fer to the Nizamuddin station for an overnight train on to the beautiful lakeside city of Udaipur.

Overnight Train (U) Included meals: Breakfast

Arriving early this morning, we travel to the hotel by taxis/auto rickshaws. Our tour leader will then take an orientation tour of the city by foot. Set before the serene backdrop of forested hills this is without doubt one of Rajasthan’s most elegant and sublime settings: a city of temples, palaces and gardens that is considered by many to be amongst the most beautiful in the state. Founded in 1559, by Maharaja Udai Singh II, today it encom-passes some of the finest architectural examples of Rajput design and excess anywhere in India. Your tour will take in the lakeside ghats and the dhobi wallahs, who come down to the shore to wash clothes before the setting of Udaipur’s regal grandeur. We will also visit the intricate carvings of the Jagdish Temple, home to a black stone image of Vishnu as Lord of the Universe, before moving on to view the exterior of the City Palace, one of Udaipur’s most iconic buildings. Over the next 2 days there will ample opportunity to re-visit some of these places in your own time.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

In a state filled with testaments to a golden age of Indian nobility, the City Palace is the largest of its kind in Rajasthan, a magnificent edifice of towers and cupolas, halls and balconies that overlooks the waters of Pichola Lake. There is the option today to visit this extraordinary setting. Other possibilities for today include a boat trip on Lake Pichola oy you can hire a bike and  venture into the surrounding countryside, the ideal way to con-trast life in the villages with that in the city. Other alternatives further afield include visits to the Eklingi Temple, whilst a sunset cruise on Lake Pichola, presents this idyllic setting in all its glory. Please be aware that during the dry season the water levels on the lake can drop considerably, and in the event of a poor monsoon season dry up completely.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

A morning train takes us on to the city of Ajmer, a famous Muslim pilgrimage centre that is home to the tomb of a 13th century Sufi saint. Our train should get us into the city around lunchtime. From here we then transfer by jeep to the nearby town of Pushkar, an important Hindu pilgrimage place and the setting each autumn for one of the most fa-mous camel fairs in all Rajasthan. Set besides the shores of Lake Pushkar, to the north-west of Ajmer, this tranquil little  town is one of the oldest in India and is revered as one of the 5 sacred dhams of the Hindus, boasting one of the few temples to Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, anywhere on the planet.  This afternoon has been left free to enjoy at your leisure.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

For those that wish, this morning offers a chance to take a hike up into the nearby hills to visit the Savitri temple for sunrise (optional). Dedicated to Brahma’s first wife, the temple lies at the end of a long series of steps that run behind the Brahma Temple and from its lofty vantage point the views out across to the lake and the surrounding desert offer a breathtaking setting from which to watch the arriving dawn. The rest of the day is then free to explore a little more of Pushkar, taking in its lake and perhaps visiting some of its colourful bazaars, before the opportunity to take a late afternoon camel safari out into the desert (optional).

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Catching a local bus this morning we head for the fabulous ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, a city steeped in the rich heritage of the Rajput princes. The journey should take around 3 hours and on arrival we will transfer to the hotel by taxi. The capital of the state of Rajast-han, Jaipur is considered by many to be one of the finest planned cities anywhere, with the usual Indian urban chaos being replaced by wide streets and formal gardens. This afternoon we have planned an orientation tour of the city on foot, following which you might like to take in the unique majesty of the Hawa Mahal, the famous ‘ Palace of the Winds’, whose extraordinary façade of red and pink sandstone towers some 5 storeys above the city streets. Other options include the remarkable 18th century observatory of Jantar Mantar, the fascinating creation of Maharaja Jai Singh II, which houses a collec-tion of astronomical instruments capable of measuring time to an accuracy of 2 seconds, including the largest sundial in the world. Another alternative is a visit to the opulent splendour of the City Palace, a rich fusion of Moghul and Rajasthani design that houses an armoury and a museum that is home to a dazzling array of costumes, manuscripts and inlaid grandeur

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning there’s the chance to pay an optional visit by taxi or rickshaw to the once mighty Rajput capital of Amber and its magnificent fortress. Lying at the mouth of a rocky mountain gorge, overlooking Maotha Lake, the fort is a stunning creation of white marble and red sandstone that contains a dazzling mix of Hindu and Muslim ornamentation, in-cluding the breathtaking mirrored halls of the Sheesh Mahal. Today it presents visitors with a staggering insight into the lives of the Rajput rulers. There is also an option to take an elephant ride up to the fort to enter the complex in the footsteps of the princes of old. The rest of the day is free for personal activities.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

An early morning transfer to the railway station sees us catching the train to Agra, once the capital of the Moghul Empire. Littered with some of the country’s most opulent and spectacular buildings, Agra provides a perfect setting for some fascinating sightseeing and the rest of the day has been left free to enjoy it at your own pace. One alternative is to take an optional tour of the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri. Founded in 1569 and, for a brief time the capital of the Moghuls under Akbar the Great, the city was deserted just 16 years later following the emperor’s death. Today it remains a ghostly testament to the majesty and power of 16th century Moghul India and presents a perfectly preserved ex-ample of an imperial court.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we have the option of making an early start and taking a rickshaw ride to visit one of the most universally recognised buildings on earth. The Taj Mahal was built by the emperor Shah Jahan to honour the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, and was once described by Rudyard Kipling as ‘…the embodiment of all things pure’. Built of marble and decorated with the most exquisite inlay work, it required the labours of 20,000 men and is estimated to have cost something in the region of 3 million rupees (at today’s prices around $70 million). You can watch the sunrise over this iconic masterpiece before breakfast, after which the rest of the day is free to enjoy as you wish. You might like to visit the city’s imposing fort, whose grandeur and importance has seen it inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Another recommendation is the exquisite Itimad-ud-Daulah on the east bank of the river, a 17th century tomb built for the Emperor Jehangir’s chief minister, which mirrors the marble majesty of the more famous Taj Mahal (hence its rather apt title of ‘Baby Taj). There is also a possibility of returning to the Taj Mahal, to watch the sunset later this afternoon, before we catch the overnight train to Allahabad.

Overnight Train (U) Included meals: Breakfast

We arrive in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh early this morning and, after a chance to freshen up in a nearby hotel, continue by road to Batoli Ghat on the shores of the sacred Ganges. Boarding our boats in the afternoon, we then begin our 2-day journey to Varanasi, drifting downstream in traditional crafts towards the historic walls of Chunar Fort. Overlooking the waters of the Ganges, the fort is steeped in 5 centuries of Indian history, providing us with a fascinating place to stop and explore, before we continue on to our simple overnight camp on the sandy beaches that line the banks of the river. 2-man tents, foam mat-tresses and blankets are provided – we recommend that you bring your own sleeping sheet or lightweight sleeping bag.

Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Dinner

We set sail again this morning, passing through a rural landscape of timeless villages and ageless landscapes towards the holy city of Varanasi. We hope to stop at the school in Sherpa village, before ending our journey at the Asi Ghat in Varanasi, from where we transfer to our hotel by taxi.One of the oldest Hindu pilgrimage centres in India, Varanasi is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, its age making it a contemporary with ancient Thebes and Babylon. Lying on the banks of the scared River Ganges, it is steeped in the lore and traditions of Hinduism, and since its inception as one of the principal centres of Shiva worship some 1200 years ago, it has attracted devotees from across the world to its myriad of temples and ghats. Believed by many to be the place where the material and spiritual worlds cross, countless thousands come here to cleanse themselves along the banks of the Ganges and partake in the rituals of Aarti. This evening there should be an opportunity to attend an optional classical music performance.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

It is possible this morning to take an optional dawn boat ride along the Ganges, when the city is bathed in the glow of the early morning and the pilgrims can be seen performing the puja ceremony to the newly awaking sun. For those that it’s easy to make a trip to the nearby site of Sarnath by taxi one of the holiest sites in Buddhism, where the Buddha preached his first sermon following his attainment of enlightenment. This remarkable site is home to the Dharmarajka Stupa and the Dhamekh Stupa, the spot where Buddha first espoused the teachings that were to form the very principles of the Buddhist faith. The entire area constitutes the most expansive collection of Buddhist temples and monasteries on earth and represents one of the four holiest Buddhist sites in the world. Late afternoon in Varanasi provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy an evening sunset boat ride along the sacred Ganges, hopefully catching sight of the local priests performing the revered Aarti ceremonies. Varanasi can boast some 80 or so riverfront ghats, including a number of ‘burning ghats’ where public cremations take place along the waters edge. Please be aware that photographing the cremation ceremonies is not really acceptable.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today is left free - you may like to take the time to explore the old city and the river-front by taxi, bicycle and rickshaw, or perhaps immerse yourself into the eclectic mayhem of the city’s narrow streets and alleyways, a truly unforgettable experience that provides an incredible insight into traditional Indian life. Later this afternoon we then board an over-night train to Kolkata

Overnight Train (U) Included meals: Breakfast

Once the capital of British India, Kolkata (Calcutta) has had a turbulent past. It was cen-tral to the struggle for Indian independence and thousands of Bengali refugees came here at the start of the 1900’s. It is a city of striking contrasts and can be overwhelming initially, but the unusual sights, pungent smells and the chaotic sounds of the country’s second largest city are an experience unique to India. Arriving early morning, the rest of the day is free to explore. You could visit St John’s Church and the many historic Raj buildings around Dalhousie Square, or take in the Jain and Kali temples and the magnifi-cent marble dome of the Victoria memorial, where the grandeur of European and Mughal influences come together in a blaze of white marble. There is also the flower market and clay modeller’s village of Kumartuli, where the potters spend all year creating a wealth of images and idols for the annual festivals.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Our tour ends this morning. Please note: The QIN08OCT11 and the QIN29OCT11 tours will have an evening flight and so have today to explore any of Kolkata not yet visited.

Included meals: Breakfast