North India Budget Adventure

Our journey begins in the Indian capital today, where later this afternoon there will be a briefing outlining the plans and itinerary for the coming days ahead. There are no included excursions planned for today, so on arrival you are free to relax and enjoy the city at your own leisure.

Overnight Simple Hotel

This morning you have the chance 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 expense). 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 Chandni Chowk Bazaar. The tour will take in the spectacular Jami Masjid Mosque, the largest in India and Shah Jahan’s magnificent swansong. Taking 6 years to complete, the mosque is a majestic structure, featuring three gateways and two towering minarets that stand some 40m high. Built from sandstone and marble its vast courtyard can hold upwards of 25,000 worshippers and from the top of the southern minaret you can get a clear view of the architectural grandeur of colonial Delhi. After the tour there will be an option to remain in Old Delhi and make your way back to the hotel later, meeting with the rest of the group in time to transfer to the New Delhi station later this afternoon for the train on to Agra.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning your tour leader will be organising a rickshaw ride for a visit to 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). We’ll watch the sunrise over this iconic masterpiece, before returning to the hotel for breakfast, after which the rest of the day is free to enjoy as you wish. Once the capital of the mighty Moghul Empire, the city is littered with some of the country’s most opulent and spectacular buildings and one particularly fine example is its imposing fort, whose grandeur and importance has seen it inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Built by Emperor Akbar and then embellished by his grandson, Shah Jahan, this was once a great city, with palaces, mosques and halls all lying behind the protective embrace of 20m high walls. Another place you can visit 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, also known as the ‘Baby Taj’. There is also a possibility of returning to the Taj Mahal, to watch the sunset later this afternoon.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Boarding a local bus this morning we head west, towards the fertile landscapes of the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur. Our journey takes us via the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, lying close to the western boundaries of Agra, where there is the option to break our journey for a visit. 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 political unrest. Today it remains a ghostly testament to the power of 16th century Moghul India and is a perfectly preserved example of an imperial court. Amongst the many treasures left in the city are the 5- storey Panch Mahal, believed to have been a pleasure pavilion for the ladies of the harem, and the stunning lotus shaped carved central pillar of the Diwan-i- Khas (Hall of Private Audience), a magnificent column that supports the vaulted roof of Akbar’s old debating room. The city also features a central courtyard that contains a pachisi board, where the emperor played an Indian equivalent of chess, using real slave girls as pieces. After the visit we continue by local bus to Bharatpur, arriving in time for an afternoon’s optional excursion to the nearby bird sanctuary by bike or cycle rickshaw. Formerly a royal duck-shooting reserve and now an ornithologist’s paradise, the park covers 12 square miles, some 7000 acres of which lie under water: the lakes and marshlands offering a safe habitat for large numbers of breeding waterbirds and migrants. More than 300 species have been sighted here, among them herons, storks, geese and the huge and rare Siberian crane.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we board the early train on to the fabulous ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, a city steeped in the rich heritage of the Rajput princes. The capital of the state of Rajasthan, Jaipur was India’s first planned city and is considered by many to be one of the finest planned cities anywhere, the usual Indian urban chaos being replaced by wide streets and formal gardens. Arriving late morning, the rest of the day has been left free for personal exploration. You might like to take in the unique Hawa Mahal, the famous ‘ Palace of the Winds’, whose extraordinary façade of red and pink sandstone towers some 5 storeys above the city streets. Built at the end of the 18th century its 935 windows were designed to allow the women of the harem to gaze out on the city scene below without themselves being seen, the openings also creating a refreshing breeze (hawa), which kept the palace cool even in the hot summer months. Other options include the 18th century observatory of Jantar Mantar, the fascinating creation of Maharaja Jai Singh II, which houses a collection of astronomical instruments capable of measuring time to an accuracy of 2 seconds. Begun in 1728, the collection represents the largest and best preserved of the 5 observatories that Jai Singh had constructed during his reign and includes the largest sundial in the world. Another alternative is a visit to the opulent City Palace, a stunning complex of gardens and courtyards that also houses an armoury and a museum that is home to an array of costumes and manuscripts.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning there is the opportunity to pay a visit 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, including the breathtaking mirrored halls of the Sheesh Mahal. It was from these towering walls that the Kachchawahas ruled over their kingdom for some 7 centuries, until its importance was eclipsed by nearby Jaipur.There is an option to take an elephant ride up to the fort to enter the complex in the footsteps of the princes of old (please be aware that the elephant ride option is not available in the afternoons).

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Pushkar by jeep; pm optional camel safari Another 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. Lying some 130km from Jaipur it lies sandwiched between the waters of the Ana Sagar Lake and the Aravali Hills and 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 site and the setting for one of the most famous camel fairs in all Rajasthan. Set besides the shores of Lake Pushkar, to the northwest of Ajmer, the 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 there will an opportunity to take a camel safari out into the desert, to watch the sun set across the arid landscapes of Rajasthan.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

For those that wish, this morning there is 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 the lake and the surrounding dunes 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, perhaps chill out in a lakeside café or browsing some of its colourful shops, before we transfer to the railway station in Ajmer for the afternoon train back to Delhi. Travelling on the Shatabdi Express our journey back to the capital should take us around 7 hours, with dinner being provided on the train.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Included meals: Breakfast