Standard Golden triangle Tour!!
So far I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the
most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked – Mark Twain, from following the Equator
Standard Golden triangle Tour!!
Day 01: Arrival / Delhi
Welcome to India, or as we say ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (The guest is an incarnation of God). Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you!!
Late night arrival, meeting and assistance upon arrival as our representatives welcome you and escort you to your car. Whilst the room keys and check-in is organized, our representative would introduce the tour to you and hand over the documents to you.
Overnight at Claridges, Delhi (Claridges Cabana Room)(No Meals)
Day 02: Delhi
After breakfast, we will embark on a city tour of New Delhi. Our tour includes a visit to the QutabMinar – 72 meters high and one of the most perfect towers in the Persian world. The Iron Pillar which has survived the vagaries of weather for over 1500 years. Then, we will continue our expedition with a drive to the Lutyens Delhi which is considered to be the corridors of power and serenity. Our tour includes a drive pass through the Rashtrapati Bhawan, this vast, intricate work of mixed Mughal and Western architecture is one of the largest presidential residences in the world we will also visit the Parliament House as well as witness the majestic India Gate – a powerful tribute to our brave soldiers. Following our drive pass to the Lutyens Delhi area, we will now visit the Humayun’s Tomb (1586), built by the Emperor’s widow Hamida Banu Begam, also known as Haji Begam, and commenced the construction of his tomb in 1569, fourteen years after his death. It is the first distinct example of proper Mughal style, which was inspired by Persian architecture.
Later, we will go for a rickshaw tour in Old Delhi – one of the best examples in the world where you can witness the cultural mixtures of “old and new”. Uncover the sights, scents, and the flavors of “Purani Dilli” (Old Delhi) while you are sitting comfortably and safely in your cycle rickshaw. Our major highlights would include a visit to the Jama Masjid, Fatehpuri Masjid, Chandni Chowk market (literally meaning the moonlit square), Darba Kalan (a 17 th century jewel street), Kinari bazaar (a market, especially for wedding & traditional outfits), Kari Baoli (Asia’s largest spice market), as well as the narrow alleys of Ballimaran (well-known for the renowned poet Mirza Galib’s house). Moreover, the people and the streets here have many stories to tell you about the yesteryears of Delhi!! Yes, Please, this magical ride will give you a perfect opportunity to discover a different Delhi, all Natural and all earthy from the safety of your rickshaw.
Overnight at Claridges, Delhi (Claridges Cabana Room)(B)
Day 03: Delhi / Jaipur (310 Kms) (06 Hrs Drive)
After breakfast, we will drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival, we will check in to hotel, ITC Rajputana. After rest and relaxation, we will experience a unique walking tour of Jaipur, where we wander through the winding narrow lanes bustling with activity. The walk would enable to us an opportunity to interact with local residence, skilled craftsmen and traditional traders. The idea is not only to bring to the visitor the history and tradition of the place, but, to also bring to you face to face with the people who have made it possible for this heritage to generate and sustain for centuries. The rulers of Jaipur were great patrons of crafts. It is for this reason that the city is considered the craft capital of India, where traditional crafts are still produced using techniques passed on through generations. Our walk also brings to us the opportunity to witness and sample (if willing) some of the most favorite street foods prepared and sold by vendors who have had this business for years. Some favorites would be – samosas, tikkis, chaat etc. Our walk also winds through the local artisan’s compounds and workshops. Jewelers and silver smiths, gold painters and the tie and dye artists.
Then, the unique art of enameling on metal (Meenakari) and traditional methods of gem setting (Kundan) offer unique insights into the crafts of the region. A special mention must be made of our walk along the bustling (Hanuman Ka Rasta) lane. This is a craft lover’s delight, where from wedding card manufactures to book binding and printing to gold and silver casters and gem stone traders are all to be found offering a delightful reminder of crafts of the bygone era. We would also visit a president’s award winning Meenakari craftsmen’s workshop, and, observe the brisk business undertaken by the gem stone traders on Gopalji Ka Rasta. A walk through ‘Ghee Walon Ka Rasta’ offers opportunities to find some of the traditional food in town. As our walk reaches Johari bazaar, you would notice money changes excitedly take stock of their collections of old coin – some of these coins could date back to more than 200 yrs. The last stop of our walk would see us mingle with perfumes and flower sellers. Thank you for walking with us on the trail of time where history, traditions, crafts and above all traditional hospitality came to life.
Overnight at ITC Rajputana, Jaipur (Executive Club)(B)
Day 04: Jaipur
After breakfast, we will proceed for a tour of Galta Temple. Known by locals and rickshaw-wallahs simply as Monkey Temple, GalwarBagh is a popular pilgrimage site and temple complex on the outskirts of town. The temple itself is called GultaJiMandir it’s a 30-minute walk from the ceremonial gate called Gulta Pol, located at the far eastern edge of the city, off Ajmer Road—about five minutes from the Muslim quarter. The walk leads you over a small mountain pass and past, inevitably, at least a few Hindu sadhus (holy men) and small temples. Jaipuri Hindus believe that at the site of the GultaJiMandir, a local saint named Gala Rishi—nicknamed GultaJi—brought forth a spring of holy water from the Ganges and filled a tank (water reservoir 18 feet deep. The waters here are said to be spiritually connected to the Ganges—if you bathe here, you get the same benefits as a pilgrimage to the Ganges. The temple, which venerates Lord Brahma, Creator of the Universe, is in violation of a curse by Brahma’s wife Savatri; she confined his temples to Pushkar. We will visit the Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds, a five-storied structure of pink sandstone with semi-octagonal and delicately honeycombed windows overlooking the main street of the old city. It was built in 1799 so that veiled royal women could peer down unseen by the world through its 593 stone screens. Next, we will visit Amber Fort, the former capital of the royal Jaipurs. Few fail to be moved by the dramatic Rajput grandeur of this hilltop fortress-palace 11 km north of Jaipur. Set on the dry wrinkled Aravali Hills, and surrounded by fortified battlements, the palace straddles two sepia-hued tundra hills overlooking Maota Lake, and its sprawling crenellated walls lattice the surrounding hills. We will ride up to this hilltop palace on a Jeep. Our guide will elaborate on the history of this architectural masterpiece with its mirror-studded alcoves, dazzling mosaics and water-cooled swings that delight today’s visitors as they did their former royal residents.
Later, we will visit the Panna Meena ka Kund. This beautiful place was constructed during sixteenth century. The place was mainly utilized as a place of social meetings. People from nearby places come here for getting water, swimming or just to hang out with their loved ones. During ancient times, this place was utilized mainly as water protects pool. This beautiful Kund has a unique architecture and styling. This Kund was designed by a Brahmin and constructed by craftsmen and engineers. We would also stop at Jal Mahal palace for photos. (From Outside Only) Then, we will proceed on a tour Of the City Palace & Observatory. The City Palace in the heart of the old city is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the whole central grid. The fortified wall has seven gates and was built for protection from invading armies and animals that lived in jungles, which surrounded the wall that time. Next, we visit the Solar Observatory – an astronomical treasure house, with solar device that give accurate predictions till date. We will also visit Nahargarh Fort to achieve sunset views. Nahagarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the pink city of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The view of the city from the fort is breath taking. Along with Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort it formed a strong defense ring for the city. During the Sepoy revolt of 1857 Nahagarh served as a refuge for Europeans fleeing from the havoc created by mutineers in neighboring states.
Overnight at ITC Rajputana, Jaipur (Executive Club)(B)
Day 05: Jaipur / Fatehpur Sikri / Agra (243 Kms) (06 Hrs Drive)
After breakfast, we will drive to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri. We will stop at the deserted capital city of Fatehpur Sikri. This abandoned capital of the Mughals is a perfectly preserved city at the height of the empire’s splendor. The city divided into religious and secular parts has interesting well-sculpted buildings. Following the visit, we will continue driving to Agra Upon arrival, we will check in to hotel, ITC Mughal. Evening, we proceed for a special food tour in Agra. Our food tour is a journey, not just of taste, but of knowledge, as passionate people tell you about how this food has ended up on your plate. This tour is approximately 2 to 3 hours foodie exploration of the City of Agra meant for those who think from the Stomach. In the tour, we take you to the oldest and most popular food joints for tasting of a variety of Indian cuisine and chaat and show you a wholly different site of Agra, which you may not see being on any of the other tour Stop 1 – Rambabu Paratha Bhandar – This shop was started in the year 1930 by Mr. Rambabu Khandelwal, after whom the shop has got its name. With almost 85 years of experience, today the third generation is running the shop and offers around 16 varieties of Parathas served with two types of curries, chutney and pickles. Stop 2 – Mama Franky House – Mama Franky is also situated in SadarBazaar, just a few steps away from Chaat Gali. Mama Chicken & Franky House, also known as the paradise for kebabs lovers has live barbeque stations. One can see the cooking demonstration of Rumali Roti (also known as the flying bread), Butter Naan, Chicken Tikka, Mutton Seekh Kebab, Soya Chaapand many more. Himanshu Sachdeva, the owner of Mama Franky House started up with a single joint, but now because of its popularity & increased demand, has more than 7 joints in the same place. Stop 3 – Chaat Gali – Chat Gali in Sadar Bazaar is a paradise for Indian food lovers. This street serves a whole range of North Indian dishes all round the year. People fight for space in some of these areas. One can see people of all age groups eating at famous food joints.
Rajesh Chaurasia, who runs Agra Chaat House, one of the most famous chaat shops in the street, says,. Street food at Sadar is one of the main attractions for visitors to Agra. Few of the offerings of the Chaat Galiare are Aloo Tikki, Dahi Gunjiya, Moong ki Dal ka Cheela, Golgappe, Aloo Chaat, Bhel Puri, Badam Pista Kulfi etc. If you have never tasted the famous chaat of Agra before, Agra Food Tour is here to fulfil your gastronomical desires. Stop 4 – Deviram Restaurant – Deviram is around 70 years old sweet shop, known for its taste and quality of food. The old shop is situated at the Pratapura Circle, near Sadar Bazaar. It was founded by Mr. Deviram Prasad. Amongst the very famous food items of Agra is Bedai, a variant of Kachori, served with spicy potato curry and curd (yoghurt) along with Jalebi. It is the staple breakfast for city residents who gather at sweet shops and local vendors for their share every morning. Another famous delicacy offered by Deviram are it’s Samosas. One can see a large number of people enjoying delicious Samosas in the evening after a hectic day at work. Samosas are made up of white flour covering and stuffed potatoes and are deep fried to get that mouth-watering taste, which it is worldwide famous for. Stop 5 – Panchhi Petha – For sweet-tooth-travellers , PanchhiPetha store offers a wide variety of Petha Sweets and Namkeen. It is the most reckoned Manufacturer, Exporter and Supplier of huge assortment of Petha, Petha Gulab Ladoo, Kancha Petha, Kesar Angoori Petha, Kesar Petha, Dry Cherry Petha, Lal Petha, Coconut Petha, Pan Petha, Rasbhari Petha, Sandwich Petha Santra Petha, Dry Petha, Doda Petha, Chocolate Petha, Cherry Mango Petha, Angoori Petha. The other products of this world-known Petha brand are dal moth and gajak, which are also appreciated for their lip-smacking taste. Made with high quality raw ingredients, the offered sweets are sure to allure everyone with their irresistible appearance and tempting flavor.
Overnight at ITC Mughal, Agra (Mughal Room)(B & D)
Day 06: Agra / Delhi (241 Kms) (04 ½ Hrs Drive) Delhi / Departure
Agra is the city of the Taj Mahal, perhaps the most photographed monument in the world. However, there is a degree of enigma about the Taj. Once you hear about a building so much and once you see so many pictures of a building your expectations are real high; and this is the enigma about the Taj Mahal. No matter how many pictures you have seen or no matter how high your expectations are the Taj never lets you down – the unparalleled glory and beauty of the building surpasses beyond all human imaginations. At sunrise we visit one of the greatest sights of one’s lifetime – Taj Mahal. A dawn visit to the fabled Taj Mahal to witness the magical effects caused by the reflections of the changing colours of the rising Sun on this brilliant white marble building. Following, we return to our hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we ride to the massive Agra Fort. The elegant buildings inside reflect an interesting synthesis of Hindu and Central Asian architectural styles, built by Emperor Akbar, the maze of the courtyards, mosques & private chambers of the fort echo the story of the Mughal Empire. Following the tour, we will drive to Delhi airport for our onward flight.
NO HOTEL QUOTED FOR THIS DAY (B)
We do hope the flavor of India will remain on your taste buds for all times to come and
hopefully would kindle an indelible fondness for the country and her people; Thank you for being our guest, and as we say in India ‘Please come back soon”
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you!!
END OF SERVICES
TOUR INCLUSIONS:
– Accommodation based on Twin Sharing Basis
– Meals as per the itinerary only (B – Breakfast & D – Dinner)
– All journeys as per itinerary in a fine air conditioned Sedan car
– Local English speaking guides
– Entrances fees to the monument as per itinerary
– GST Levy, Toll, and Parking
– All driver expenses
– Bottled drinking water for road journeys
TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDES:
– Camera & video fee to monuments
– Meals other than mention above
– Expenses of personal nature such as laundry, drinks, tips, telephone calls etc
– Credit Card Transaction Fees