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Golden Triangle India Holidays Delhi Taj Mahal Jaipur Rajasthan Tigers

India Holidays: Varanasi + Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur & Taj Mahal, Agra)

Best of India: Varanasi + Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur, Taj Mahal)
India Holidays Varanasi Golden Triangle Delhi Jaipur Taj Mahal Agra
10 NIGHTS FROM:
$2,015
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
IRA10D
• India Holidays
• Golden Triangle
• Delhi - Old & New
• Varanasi
• River Ganges
• Aarti Ceremony
• Taj Mahal, Agra
• Jaipur
• Amber Fort
• Jhalana Wildlife Sanctuary

Our tailor made Highlights of India holidays take you on a captivating journey through the country’s cultural heartland — from the bustling capital of Delhi, where you’ll explore the historic lanes of Old Delhi and visit landmarks of New Delhi, to the sacred city of Varanasi, where you can witness a moving Hindu aarti ceremony on the banks of the River Ganges. Marvel at the timeless beauty of the Taj Mahal in Agra, discover Jaipur’s royal palaces and vibrant bazaars, and end with an off-the-beaten-track safari experience in Jhalana to spot elusive leopards in the wild.

Day 1
You will be met at Delhi Airport and transferred to your hotel in this ancient capital of kingdoms and empires that is now a sprawling metropolis.
 
Delhi's strategic location was one of the main reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power and today it is a conglomerate of seven cities. The division between the old walled city and New Delhi marks a division in lifestyles, with the old city retaining its past traditions whilst New Delhi strives to match the pace of the 21st century.
Day 2
Today enjoy a full day private tour of modern New Delhi and the 17th century walled city of Old Delhi, which came to prominence when Shah Jahan moved his capital here from Agra.
 
In Old Delhi enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through 300-year old Chandni Chowk market, a maze of lanes crowded with noisy shops selling an extraordinary variety of items and foods, and past the Jama Masjid (or Friday Mosque), the largest in India, and drive past the imposing walls & battlements of the Red Fort, once the most opulent palace in the Mughal Empire. We continue to the Raj Ghat - the simple but moving memorial on the site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.
 
In the afternoon our tour of New Delhi starts with a visit to the Qutub Minar, an ancient victory tower built of red sandstone and marble in 1199 and still the tallest minaret in India. With its imposing cylindrical towers and surrounding ruins, it is today a World Heritage Site. Our next stop is Humayun's Tomb, the beautiful mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, that inspired the Taj Mahal.
 
We drive along the Rajpath - the capital's broadest avenue - where you will see the imposing arch of the India Gate war memorial, Parliament House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential residence built for the Viceroy of India, and the government buildings on Raisina Hill.
 
Note: The Red Fort is closed on Mondays.
Day 3
Transfer to Delhi Airport for your flight to the ancient city of Varanasi.
 
You will be met at Varanasi Airport and transferred to your hotel in this holy city, situated on the sacred River Ganges. Varanasi is regarded as the spiritual capital of India and is a holy city for both Jains and Hindus, who believe dying here can bring salvation. The Benares Gharana form of Indian classical music developed here and many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers and musicians have made it their home.
 
In the late afternoon your guide will walk with you to the bathing ghats (steps) on the River Ganges to witness the moving daily aarti ceremony, a religious ritual performed as an offering to the gods. It includes the lighting of hundreds of candles that are released in baskets onto the river, which will leave you spellbound. The ceremony lasts about 1.5 hours.
 
Note: Hotels situated on the Ganges River or next to a temple are not allowed to serve alcohol. These same hotels often only serve vegetarian food.
Day 4
Rise early today for a very special experience - a boat ride on the River Ganges as the sun rises. View the remarkable colours on its waters as you pass the bathing ghats, a series of steps leading down to the river where the faithful come to bathe and pay homage to the sun god. Also see the cremation ghats.
 
Afterwards enjoy a short walking tour of the temples of Bharat Mata, Durga and Vishwanath, followed by a visit to the ruins and museum at Sarnath - an important pilgrimage site where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Here you will see many stupas (shrines) including the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, a Tibetan Buddhist shrine containing a life-sized golden image of Buddha.
 
Note: Sarnath Museum is closed every Friday.
Day 5
Transfer to Varanasi Airport for your flight to Delhi. Here you will be met by a driver and transferred 3.5-hours to Agra, set along the banks of the Yamuna River and originally the capital of the Mughal Empire.
 
Agra is world renowned as the home of the Taj Mahal - that great symbol of love built by emperor Shah Jahan in the 16th century as a memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal.
 
After checking in to your hotel in this ancient city, time permitting visit the Mehtab Bagh Gardens that are located across the river from the Taj Mahal, to enjoy your first views of this magnificent edifice at sunset.
Day 6
Rise early this morning to visit the stunning Taj Mahal at sunrise. This magnificent white marble mausoleum took 22 years to build and, apart from its stunning design and perfect symmetry, it is noted for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best marble inlay work ever done. Sunrise and sunset are particularly good times to visit and see the dome subtly change its colour.
 
After returning to your hotel for breakfast, later in the day visit Agra Fort, a massive structure with walls over 70-ft high and 1.5-miles long that encompasses an astounding collection of well preserved buildings, many of them completed during the reign of Shah Jahan. After he was deposed by his son, he was imprisoned in this fort where he remained until his death - spending the rest of his life looking out along the river to the final resting place of his beloved wife.
 
Note: Taj Mahal is closed every Friday. You are allowed a maximum of 3-hours at the monument and cannot take in anything except your camera, water and essential medicine. From mid-January to mid-February there may be early morning fog, in which case you will visit the Taj Mahal a little later.
Day 7
This morning we leave Agra and travel 1-hour to the magnificent red sandstone royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, built by the emperor Mohammad Akbar as the capital of the Mughal Empire. The city was abandoned due to water shortage, when the capital was moved north to Delhi, and in more recent years the fort has provided a dramatic backdrop to several famous films.
 
We then drive 2-hours to the village of Abhaner where we have a guided tour of the ancient Chand Baori Stepwell, which extends 30 metres downwards, making it one of the largest and deepest stepwells in India.
 
Afterwards we continue 2-hours to Jaipur which is the capital of Rajasthan. Check into your hotel in this chaotic and colourful "Pink City" that is home to over 3 million people.
 
Note: At Fatehpur Sikri there is a short transfer from the car park in a local bus, that will be very full and will not be air-conditioned.
Day 8
Today enjoy a private tour of the city of Jaipur, which has been declared a World Heritage Site due to its cultural heritage.
 
Our first stop is to view the magnificent Hawa Mahal (the "Palace of the Winds") designed in the form of the crown of the Hindu god Krishna. This five-storey frontage looks like a bee's honeycomb with 953 small windows, each decorated with intricate latticework so that the court ladies living in secluded purdah could watch royal processions, without being seen themselves. Built of red and pink sandstone, it is particularly striking early in the morning when lit by the sunrise.
 
We continue to the Amber Fort - another World Heritage Site. This magnificent royal palace was built from pale yellow & pink sandstone and white marble and is divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard. You will enter via the main courtyard (Jaleb Chowk), where returning armies would display their war booty and women could view them from the veiled windows of the palace. Once inside explore the amazing Palace of Mirrors and Hall of Public Audience.
 
We then visit the Jantar Mantar Observatory, the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world and also a World Heritage Site. It is the best preserved of five observatories built by Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur. It has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working condition.
 
Our day finishes with a visit to the nearby City Palace, the former Royal Residence part of which is now a museum. One of the major attractions here is the armoury with its impressive array of pistols, blunderbusses, flintlocks, swords, rifles and daggers used by the Maharajas of Jaipur. The Textile and Costume Museum on the first floor is another fine display, with items from all over India.
Day 9
Rise early this morning for a private jeep safari in Jhalana Wildlife Sanctuary, a small 6.6 square mile (17 square km) reserve situated in the Aravali Foothills in the heart of the city of Jaipur.
 
Home to over 30 leopards, sightings of these magnificent big cats are fairly good in this protected forest - although never guaranteed as they are shy animals and can retreat to the hills. You may also see peacocks, jackal, sambar, spotted deer and grey langur monkeys. Birds you may see include the Spotted owlet, Bay backed shrike, White-throated kingfisher, Red collared dove, sandpiper, dunlin and flamingo.
 
In the evening enjoy an interactive Cooking Class and dinner with a local family at their home, where you will taste spicy Rajasthani food and gain insight into their lifestyle, with different generations living under the same roof.
Day 10
Transfer to Jaipur Airport for your flight to the bustling city of Delhi.
 
You will be met at Delhi Airport and transferred to your hotel situated near the airport.
Day 11
Transfer to Delhi Airport for your flight home.