India Wildlife & Culture Tour
Duration: 9 Nights / 10 Days
Destinations: Delhi - Sariska - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Bharatpur -
Agra - Abroad
Day 1 : Abroad / Delhi
Arrive late night at New Delhi International airport. On arrival the guest
will be met by our representative and transferred to hotel. Upon arrival at
hotel the guests will be provided with the traditional Indian welcome consisting
of aarti-tikka and garlands. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2 : New Delhi
Morning sightseeing tour of Old Delhi. This morning you will be taken to visit
Old Delhi - Former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments,
narrow streets and bustling bazaars. Visit the vast Red Fort, built in 1648,
the Jama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah
Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial
to Mahatma Gandhi. Afternoon sightseeing tour of New Delhi - drive past the
stately government buildings of the British Era designed by Lutyens, including
the India Gate & the Presidential Palace. Continue onto the beautiful
Humayuns tomb of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world famous Taj
Mahal. End the tour at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 3 : Delhi - Sariska
After breakfast drive to Sariska (180 kms) On arrival in Sariska - check into
the hotel. Sariska Palace - built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar, at the turn
of the century, the Sariska Palace was a royal hunting lodge or Palace de
Nature. Silhouetted against the nurturing arms of the Aravali range, this
legacy of Maharaja, now a heritage hotel, is located right inside the Tiger
Reserve. Hard tennis courts with a viewing pavilion and a swimming pool give
that zestful touch to a quiet holiday. Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon, an exciting
jeep drive to the Sariska sanctuary to view wildlife. Set among valleys, hills
and deep forests that change colour with the seasons. It is the home to an
exotic variety of wild animals and beautiful birds. Here, herds of golden
deer dart and pirouette gracefully, playing hide and seek with their shadow,
and the big wild cat, the tiger, roams free.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 4 : Sariska - Ranthambore
After breakfast drive to Ranthambore (240 kms) On arrival in Ranthambore -
check into the hotel. Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary - Rajasthan's most renowned
wildlife sanctuary, it is 400 sq kms of dry deciduous forest, perfect natural
habitat for tigers, and is set in the Aravalli and Vindhya hills, dotted with
pavillions and dominated by a hilltop fort. Ranthambore was one of the hunting
preserves of the former rulers of Jaipur and because of this the Maharajas
ensured the environment was preserved and the forest and their inhabitants
well protected. It has a good population of tiger and their prey species,
and has been declared a "Project Tiger" reserve. Wildlife includes
blue bull, black buck, spotted deer or cheetal, wild boar, a large variety
of bird species and, if very lucky, the rarely seen leopard. This afternoon
you will be escorted on a game viewing inside the sanctuary by jeeps.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 5 : Ranthambore
Early morning and late afternoon, game viewing in the sanctuary by jeeps.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 6 : Ranthambore - Jaipur
After breakfast drive to Jaipur (156 kms) On arrival in Jaipur - check into
the hotel Lunch at the hotel Afternoon, tour of the "Pink City"
is spectacularly set within surrounding rugged hills, dotted with ancient
ruined fortresses. Your tour will include the imposing City Palace, still
home to the Maharaja although several of the rooms are now open to the public.
Many antiques and artefacts belonging to the ruling family are housed here,
including a collection of weaponry. You will also visit the Hawa Mahal "Palace
of the Winds", and the open-air Jantar Mantar Observatory to see the
vast astronomical instruments. Enjoy a stroll through the colourful bazaar
before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 7 : Jaipur - Bharatpur
Morning visit Amber Fort Afternoon drive to Bharatpur The famous Keoladeo
Ghana Bird Sanctuary which is a wonder of the natural world and no less worth
seeing than the marble mausoleum of the Taj. Here over 350 species of birds
find refuge in the 29sq kms of shallow lakes & wood lands of the park.
A third of them are migrants many of whom spend winter in Bharatpur before
returning to their breeding grounds as far away as Siberia and Central Asia.
This sanctuary is the creation of the Maharaja of Bharatpur in the late 19th
century, who recognized the area's potential and augmented the water supply
by diverting water from a nearby irrigation canal. He also constructed small
dams, dykes and shooting butts & in a few years the new ecosystem so flourished
that it was able to support thousands of water birds. The maharaja celebrated
his success in style, with extravagant shooting parties for the dignitaries
of princely India. Their exploits are recorded to this day on a sandstone
inscription in the park. There are many good paths & trails through the
dense park, but a ride with your expert rickshaw driver will be a rewarding
experience as he has been trained to recognise the different species of birds.
Afternoon, cycle-rickshaw ride.
Day 8 : Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra
After breakfast drive to Agra (56 kms) enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur
Sikri - drive to the impressive sandstone fortress of Fatehpur Sikri. The
fort was built in the 16th century and only occupied for a few years before
being abandoned, leaving the buildings in virtually perfect conditions. On
arrival in Agra - check into the hotel Lunch at the hotel Afternoon, visit
the Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved spouse
of Shah Jahan, who died in 1630. The Taj complex comprises a forecourt, a
lofty entrance, a charming formal Mughal garden with canals and a central
tank with a series of fountains, the tomb proper, and an attached mosque on
the west and its symmetrical counterpart on the east. The Taj is remarkable
for its perfect proportion and rich pietra dura, with minute details executed
with great skill. The building, often styled "a dream in marble"
is said to have taken at least 22 years (1631-1653) to build.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 9 : Agra - Delhi
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Red Fort built by three generations of Mughal
Emperors starting from Akbar the Great in 1565 AD, which is a masterpiece
of design and construction. It housed both the residential Palaces of the
Royal family, and the military quarters. Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon drive
to Delhi (203 kms/ 5 hrs) Upon arrival transfer to the international airport
for onward flight.
Day 10 : Delhi - Abroad
Leave Delhi for Abroad.