North India: Golden Triangle, Khajuraho and Varanasi

After completing immigration and customs formalities, meet Far & High representative at the arrival gate. After introductions, you will be transferred by our van to the hotel.

Take rest to recover travel fatigue.

After breakfast, with your guide and driver, set out to explore the attractions of Delhi. We first visit Old Delhi which is the former center of Mughal power offering ancient monuments, narrow streets, and bustling markets. Begin from Raj Ghat which is a shrine built in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi who is considered to be the father of India. Continue to the Red Fort which was built in 1648 by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who is famous for his grand edifice of love, the Taj Mahal. Also, see the biggest mosque in India the Jama Masjid, constructed by Shah Jahan in 1658 and can accommodate 20,000 devotees at one time. You will take a cycle-rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk to see the vibrant markets.

In the afternoon, we visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, situated in the heart of New Delhi's Connaught Place area. It is one of the essential Sikh temples. Initially, the bungalow of Raja Jai Singh of the 17th century, the Gurdwara and its pool (also called Sarovar) are now a place of great worship for Sikhs. Next, we visit the Laxmi Narayan Temple dedicated to Lord Bishnu. As the industrialist J.K. Birla built the temple, the temple is also famously known as Birla Temple, and it's the first significant Hindu Temple that allows admission to the so-called "untouchable" class of people.

The last stop of the day will be at Akshardham Temple Complex which is the latest addition to the attractions of Delhi, opened in 2005. The complex features a pavilion for cleansing ritual, a water show, a thematic garden, three exhibitions. The temple rises 141-foot high, spans 316-foot wide, and extends 356-foot long. Intricately carved with flora, fauna, dancers, musicians, and deities, the temple is an extravaganza work of 7000 artisans and 3000 volunteers!

Following breakfast, we will leave for Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan state.

About 82 miles from Delhi, we will take a short break and take a chance to visit the Neemrana Fort Palace which has been converted to a hotel now. We will have our lunch here (included). They also have a zip lining if you are an adventure enthusiast and want to try.

Upon arrival in Jaipur, check into your accommodation and the rest of the day is open for rest. If time permits, you can ask your driver to drop you off in the market to get the feel of the city.

After breakfast, we set out for the exploration of Jaipur.

We begin from Amber Fort- an ancient citadel- situated atop of a high hill above the village. It served as the capital of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber from 1037 to 1727 AD. The fort is an artistic blend of Hindu and Mughal elements. The fort can be reached on foot through stairways, by a 4WD vehicle, or you can take a ride on an elephant's back if available! Once on top, you will be amazed by the massive structure and the exquisite paintings on the walls depicting the temperament of the Rajputs, who were adventurous, revolutionary and self-indulgent. There are intricate carvings on the walls and ceilings and minute mirror work to the grand appearance and royalty of the halls. We will spend a reasonable amount of time exploring the fort, the grand entrances, courtyards, the chambers of the King, their Queens, and concubines, and the secret pathways; each piece of architecture carries the heroic stories of the battles they fought, friendship and rivalry, and the love and romance. Overwhelmed by the massiveness of the fort and its stories, we will descend to the parking and continue remaining sightseeing.

We retrace our drive back to the city and on the way, stop at Hawa Mahal - known for its high screen facade through which the women of the palace could gaze out in the street without being seen by the outsiders! The castle-built of red and pink sandstone is one of the most photographed architectures of Jaipur.

Our next destination is the City Palace - a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The place is now a museum except for one section where still reside the erstwhile royal family. Nearby is the Jantar Mantar -an observatory with a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments.

In the evening, enjoy your free time exploring the markets of Jaipur. Jaipur is a shopper's paradise and known for jewelry, garments, rugs and other arts and crafts.

(235km/147 miles, 5 hrs.)

We have a long day today; so we have an early start. About 60 miles from Jaipur city, we will take a detour of Chand Bawdi, an ancient step well, built in between 800 and 900 A.D. The land of Rajasthan is extremely dry, and drinking water was always scarce. So, the king Chanda ordered the construction of the step well that could conserve water as much as possible for his people.

The step well consists of 3,500 small steps over 13 stories and extends 100 ft deep into the ground. It's one of the fascinating architecture of India and worth visiting.

Our next stop will be at the abandoned capital of Fatehpur Sikri that lies 25 miles before Agra. Built by the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar during 1570 and 1585, the citadel is one of the most excellent examples of the culmination of Hindu and Muslim architecture. Shortly after its completion, as the small, spring-fed lake that supplied the city with water dried, and probably its border with the Rajputana areas in the North-West, which were increasingly in chaos, the emperor abandoned Fatehpur Sikri, moving his capital to Lahore, currently in Pakistan.

We will arrive in Agra late afternoon. Check into your rooms and the rest of the time is at leisure.

Wake up early morning before dawn to visit the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal at sunrise is charming, and since there will be less traffic in this hour, it will be quieter. As you approach the mausoleum, it appears as if it is floating on the horizon, overwhelming, spectacular, and incredibly beautiful! As the day breaks, the tomb bathes in the golden glow of the rising sun; the beauty of the Taj Mahal holds your gaze and will make you speechless! Built in the mid-17th century by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it took 22 years and labor of 20,000 men to build. The white marble was transported by a fleet of 1000 elephants from 200 miles away. The Taj Mahal is truly one of the wonders of the world. You will spend about 2 hours at this fantastic creation and then return to the hotel for breakfast.

You will start the late morning for Agra Fort which is another example of impressive Mughal architecture that became the base of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. Initiated by Emperor Akbar who erected the walls and gates and the first buildings on the eastern banks of Yamuna River and other significant constructions were done by Emperor Shah Jahan. The Agra Fort is a vast fortified city extended in 94-acres (380,000 m2) of land, with its chord lying parallel to the Yamuna River and its walls seventy feet high. It's ironic that towards the end of his life, Shah Jahan, who built Taj Mahal, was imprisoned in the fort by his son and left to die while looking at the Taj Mahal for the remainder of his days.

The balance of the day is for you to pursue our interest. Take rest in the comfort of your hotel or take a rickshaw ride through the alleys to see the lives of locals there or engage in bargaining for the marble artifacts or leather protects. You can visit the marble workshops to watch the artisans create beautiful quality marble inlay pieces.

Following an early morning breakfast, you are transferred to Agra Cantt station. Board the air-conditioned chair car of Shatabdi Express train that usually departs at 8:17 a.m. and reaches Jhansi at 10:47 a.m.

Upon arrival, you will meet your driver and then take a short drive (11 miles, 30 minutes) to the picturesque town of Orchha which was once the capital of the Bundelkhand region. Visit the historical monuments of Orchha which still retain their natural charm and narrate stories of war, peace, love, and destruction over hundreds of years. You will visit Jahangir Mahal which is the most admired palaces of Orchha, built by Bir Sing Deo in honor of the state visit of Emperor Jahangir in the 17th century. The Taj Mahal, an earlier building, is adorned by colorful murals and numerous temples in the complex.

Now, continue to Khajuraho ( 108 miles, 4.5 hours) which is the city of Kama Sutra temples. You will arrive at Khajuraho late in the afternoon (180 km/ 113 miles from Orchha). Check into the hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

You have a full day to explore the temple town of Khajuraho which oozes with passion, arts of love, eroticism, dance, music, and other creative arts depicted in the sandstone sculptures it the temples. The temples here are to celebrate love and romance rather than any religious rituals and rites. The temples were built in the span of 9th to the 12th century and are the testament of the architectural genius during the times of the Chandela dynasty. Of the total 85 temples, only 22 of them still exist, and they are in three groups: the western, southern, and eastern group of temples. Begin the day from the eastern group of temples (1.5 miles from the city) where you will visit: The Parsvanath, Adinath, Shantinath, and Ghantai temples which belong to the Jains and the Vamana, Javari, and Brahma are Hindu temples.

In the afternoon, we take a flight to Varanasi. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. After wash and change, proceed to the Dasaswamedh Ghat (one of the banks of Ganges River close to Kashi Vishwanath Temple) to witness Ganga Aarti (evening prayer). The priests sway the oil lamps in apparently choreographed movements and perform rituals with incense, camphor, flowers, and earthen lamps. Later, the thousands of lamps are released to float in the waters of the holy Ganges which creates quite a divine scene at dusk.

Also known as Banaras and Kashi, this city is the mecca of Hindus. The city is on the bank of the Holy Ganges River where Hindus take a dip to clean the sins of all their past lives! The deceased is cremated on its ghats to ensure their reservation in heaven! Ancient Hindu scriptures such as the Skanda Purana and the Mahabharata indicate that Varanasi city is 3000 years old and is probably the oldest city in India.

Just before dawn as the eastern horizon starts turning from dark to orange, we will take you for the famed boating trip on the River Ganges. The boatman slowly rows the boat to the middle of the river as we wait for the sunrise. As the sun rises and moves upwards, we will see more and more people coming out and taking a dip in the Ganges, praying to the Sun and performing morning rituals and meditation. We will see Yogis sitting cross-legged with rudraksha mala (a kind of prayer beads necklace). The river banks also have cremation sites for Hindus. (Warning: Those who don’t want to see the corpses should not take this trip).

We return to the hotel for breakfast, and after that, we drive to Sarnath (10 km/6 miles from the city). It was where Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining enlightenment thus making Sarnath one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in the world. At Sarnath, the attractions in spotlight are the Ashoka Pillar that was erected by Emperor Ashoka to commemorate the site of first preaching of Buddha, also the symbol of India, the Chaukhandi Stupa which was initially a terraced temple and later modified to an octagonal tower and the ruins of Dharmarajika Stupa that enshrines the relics of Lord Buddha. Then we visit other attractions such as Kashi Vishwanath Temple-dedicated to Lord Shiva and the most sacred shrine in Varanasi.

We continue to Banaras Hindu University, established in 1916 by philanthropist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya to see the fabulous collection of over 1,000,000 ancient artifacts at Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum. The university is believed to be the largest residential university in all of Asia! Time permitting, you can visit the Mata Annapurna Temple, dedicated to mother of the Three Worlds which is illustrated by a mural showing the deity feeding Lord Shiva. Also, visit the Sankatmochan Temple of Lord Hanuman, who is the disciple of Lord Rama.

After a leisurely breakfast, our guide and driver will transfer us to the airport for flight to Delhi. Upon arrival at Delhi airport, we meet our local driver and transfer to the hotel. The balance of the day is for rest, or if you wish, you can take a late night flight back home.

Service ends today with departure transfer to the airport.