India and Rajasthan Luxury Tour

Total Tour - 19 Days

Day 07:
Gwalior - Agra:

By Road 119 km in 3 hr

Proceed for sightseeing after breakfast.

Visit the historic Gurjari Mahal, Man Mandir Palace, Sas Bahu ki Mandir, Royal Palace, The Suraj Kund in the Fort and also the Scindia Palace and Cenotaphs

Proceed to Agra after lunch. Reach Agra and relax.

AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat (seat of the Emperor). Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously.

Overnight will be at Agra.

Day 08:
Agra:

Proceed for sightseeing of the city after breakfast. First, proceed to Taj Mahal, which is just walking distance from the hotel.

TAJ MAHAL: The fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, built it in 1631 in the memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Behrampur in a campaign to crush a rebellion, after giving birth to their 14th child. Her death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months. When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. An Iranian architect designed it and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a "symbol of eternal love".

Having buried her down at Behrampur, it was time for the emperor to keep his promise and build a tomb there itself. But by and by, it was felt that it was virtually impossible to transfer all the marble there, as it would cost an entire fortune and an entire lifetime. So, when Agra was chosen as the only alternative, astonishingly her grave was uprooted and brought to Agra, only to be finally transferred to the monument, completed twenty-two years later.

Proceed to Agra and visit Agra Fort- that was built by Akbar In 1525 AD. After Agra Fort we will visit Baby Taj - The interiors of which are considered better than the Taj.

Visit the Taj Mahal at sunset. Overnight will be at Agra.

Day 09:
Agra - Jaipur:

By Road 170 km in 3 hr

Proceed for Jaipur after breakfast.

Visit Fatehpur Sikri - The deserted, red Sandstone City, Emperor Akbar built that as his capital and palace in the late 16th century is an exhilarating experience. It a veritable fairytale city and its "ruins" are in pristine condition ... it's not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its grandeur. Also visit the Buland Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world.

Continue your drive to Jaipur.

JAIPUR - The origins of the beautiful city of Jaipur can be traced back to the eighteenth century, during the reign of Jai Singh II who ascended the Amber throne in 1699. Jaipur today, epitomizes the spirit of Rajputana. In spite of growing into a bustling metropolis, it still retains its character and history - A beautiful fusion of the yesteryears and modernity. It is popularly known as the Pink City because of the extensive use of the locally abundant pink plastered stone, painted so in honor of the visit of the royal consort of Queen Victoria. Jaipur thrills the soul with its massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite temples and lush gardens.

Reach Jaipur and check in at hotel. Spend the evening relaxing at this beautiful hotel or visit a couple of temples like the Birla Mandir.

Overnight will be in Jaipur.

Day 10:
Jaipur:

Breakfast will be at hotel. Proceed for a morning excursion will be taken to the Amber Fort. Enjoy the fort ascent on elephant back in a royal manner.

AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate expression.

Proceed for city sightseeing after lunch. The sites to include:

CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.

JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.

HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. It is a five-storey structure of sandstone-plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women.

Shopping and relax in the evening. Overnight will be at Jaipur.