Day 01 : Arrive Delhi

Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Delhi , the capital of India - a canvas that reflects the complexities, contradictions, beauty and dynamism of a city where the past co-exit with the present. Many dynasties ruled from here and the city is rich in the architecture of its monuments.

Afternoon proceed for half day city tour visiting Old and New Delhi .

Old Delhi visiting - Raj Ghat and shanti vana- the cremation sited of Mahatma Ghandi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Also drive past Red Fort , built in 1648 by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan , Jama Masjid ,one of the longest mosque in India and Chandini Chowk, shopping center of Delhi . New Delhi visiting Qutaub Minar built by Qutub - ud -Din Aibek in 1199. Humayun's Tomb. India Gate (War Memorial Arch). Lakshminarayan Temple - a modern Hindu Temple . Also drive past President House, Parliament House, and Government Secretariat Buildings .

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 03 : Jaipur

After breakfast half day excursion to Amer Fort - At a short distance of 11 kms. from Jaipur, the Amer Fort complex stands amidst wooded hills overlooking the Delhi-Jaipur highway, with its forbidding ramparts reflected in the still waters of the Maota Lake below.

One of the finest examples of Rajput architecture, it was the ancient capital of the Kachhawah rulers. The original palace was built by Raja Man Singh and additions were made later by Sawai Jai Singh.

Within the palace are the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas or the "Hall of Private Audience" and the Sukh Niws where a cool breeze blows across channels of water for the purpose of air-conditioning.

Here are the private chambers of the queens with windows having latticed screens so that the ladies could watch the proceedings of the royal court in privacy. There is also the Jai Mandir or the " Temple of Victory ", with its famed Sheesh Mahal, the scintillating "Hall of Mirrors".

After lunch sightseeing tour of Jaipur city visiting City Palace , Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar (Observatory).

The City Palace is now converted into a museum, except a small portion that is still used by the royal family of Jaipur. Built in the fortified campus style, the palace covers almost one-seventh part of the city. One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion that is devoted to the arms and ammunition used by the royal family in the past. Other important attractions are the Textile and Costume Museum , Art Gallery , Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, and Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Am.

Drive past Hawa Mahal - Strange though it may seem, this most famous landmark of Jaipur is not actually a palace but a series of sandstone screens. This pink structure was constructed so that the ladies of the palace could watch the royal processions without being seen by any outsider. This sandstone edifice was named Palace of Winds after the many brass wind vanes that adorned it until 1960s. Also visit Observatory.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 04 : Jaipur - Agra by surface (237 kms)

After breakfast drive to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri Thirty-nine kilometers from Agra stands Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone city of yesteryears. The city was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in AD 1564 in honour of the Muslim saint Sheikh Salim Chisthi. Fatehpur Sikri was intended to be the capital city but the shortage of water and unrest in the northwest made Akbar abandon it. One of the major attractions of this city is the marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisthi. Other places of interest include Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai's Palace and Birbal Bhavan.

On arrival check-in at the hotel.

Attracting the maximum number of tourist is the city of Taj Mahal , Agra . The over 300 hundred year old white marble Taj is the main drawing factor and various monuments and historical sites dating back to the Mughal period.

Afternoon proceed for half day city tour visiting the world famous Taj Mahal ad Agra Fort - Taj Mahal - One of the most photographed tourist attractions in the world, Taj Mahal is the attraction that pulls the tourists from all over the world. The Taj Mahal is entirely made of white marble and its walls are decorated with exquisite pietra dura (stone inlay) work. It is said that different types of precious and semi-precious stones were used in the intricate inlay work done on the interiors. This magnificent monument is set around a Charbagh or 'four garden' plan, which is split by watercourses-a reflection of the Persian style. ( Taj Mahal remains Closed on Friday)

Agra Fort - Built by Emperor Akbar on the west bank of the river Yamuna and beautified with palaces and gardens by Jehangir, Agra Fort today dominates the centre of the city. The crescent-shaped fort with its 20-metre high, 2.4-km outer walls contains a maze of buildings that form a small city within a city. One can enter the fort only through the Amar Singh Gate. The public access is limited to the southern part of the fort which includes nearly all the buildings of tourist interest. The Diwan-i-Aam (hall of public audience) and Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience) were built by Shahjahan for receiving audiences.

Jehangir's palace built by Akbar was the largest private residence in the fort. Close to Diwan-i-Khas, stands an octagonal tower known as Musamman Burj. It was here that Shahjahan breathed his last after seven years of imprisonment. Other places to see within the fort include the Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (the mirror palace) and the Anguri Bagh (the Grape Garden ).

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 06 : Varanasi

Early morning, boat ride on the Ganges to see the bathing Ghats (river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise on the riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting sight. The life on the Ghats bound in an endless string of rituals, ever-changing aspects of the river & the wide landscape across have fascinated visitors from all over the world. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast proceed for city tour of Varanasi - Visit the Bharat Mata temple with a big relief map of India in Marble, Durga temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Benaras Hindu University which has an art gallery & the mosque of Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb.

Afternoon excursion to Sarnath - the buried Buddhist city where Buddha preached his first sermon. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. Sarnath was a renowned school of learning from 16 th century BC to 12 th century AD. Visit the ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temple & the museum (closed on Fridays). At the museum is the Ashok Pillar with its four guardian lions, used as independent Indias ' national emblem.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 07 : Varanasi - Delhi by flight

Breakfast at the hotel. In time transfer to airport to board flight for Delhi .

On arrival in Delhi connect flight for onward destination.

End of the programme. Check-in & check-out time is 12 Noon at all hotels.