Best of North & Central India

Day 01 Arrive Delhi

Arrive Delhi Met on arrival and transferred to your hotel for two nights

Day 02 Delhi

Enjoy a sightseeing of Old Delhi in the morning.(Including Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the bazaars of Chandni Chowk)

Old Delhi pulses with the energy and colour, the hustle and bustle of thronged bazaars and is laced by a maze of narrow lanes which twist and turn between tall, leaning houses full of the sights, sounds and aromas of the Indian sub-continent. In Old Delhi you will see the famous Red Fort surrounded by shops, and bazaars (built by the Emperor Shah Jehan – the builder of Taj Mahal), the Jama Masjid mosque with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes, Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi's business nerve center), the hustle-bustle of everyday Indian life all around you and chattering voices.

Enjoy a sightseeing of New Delhi in the afternoon.(Including Qutub Minar, Humayun's tomb and Lutyen's buildings)

New Delhi stands in formal splendour, like a lone sentry guarding an outpost of a long-gone empire. It is a city of wide boulevards, which offers ever-changing perspec¬tives of Lutyen's landscaped city. It is a city rich with formal parks and you will see the magnificent Parliament Building and the Rashtrapati Bhawan (the official residence of the President of India in the 330 acres of land and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens), once the awe-inspiring residence of the British Viceroys and now the Presidential Palace, India Gate (a majestic 42-mts high arch, built as a memorial to the Indian Soldiers killed in World War I), Qutub Minar (the 72.5 mts high tower dating back to 13th century and one of the greatest bequests of Islamic Culture), Humayun's Tomb (built in the 16th century and architecturally the fore runner of the Taj Mahal, has Mughal Architecture at its graceful best).

Day 03 Delhi – Agra (210 Kms / 5 Hours)

Drive to Agra.
Arrive Agra and transfer to your hotel. After noon visit to Agra fort & Taj mahal at Sunset.
AGRA : Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the visitor to the wafting aroma ofMughlai cuisine

Proceed for sightseeing

AGRA FORT - Built by the famed Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.

Overrnight will be at Agra

Day 04 Agra - Gwalior (100 kms / 2 Hours)

Drive to Gwalior. Arrive Agra and transfer to your hotel.
Later enjoy the city tour of Gwalior.

GWALIOR
Gwalior's history is traced back to a legend. In 8 A.D., a chieftain called Suraj Sen was stricken by a deadly disease. The city was named after a hermit saint, Gwalipa, who had given Suraj Sen a new life by curing him of the disease. The new city of Gwalior became, over the years, the cradle of great dynasties and with each, it gained new dimensions. Surrounded by beautiful hills on three sides, Gwalior is studded with numerous monuments.

The Fort: Standing on a steep mass of sandstone, Gwalior Fort dominates the city and is its most magnificent monument. It has been the scene of momentous events: imprisonments, battles and jauhars.
Gujari Mahal: The 15th century Gujari Mahal is a monument to the love of Raja Mansingh Tomar for his intrepid Gujar Queen, Mrignayani.

Man Mandir Palace: The Palace was built between 1486 and 1517 by Raja Mansingh. The titles that once adorned its exterior have not survived, but at the entrance, traces of these still remain. A superbly mounted Son-et-Lumiere at the palace brings alive every evening a poignant ambience of those days of chivalry and heroism, which still seems to linger in the silent chambers.

Other places of interest include Suraj Kund, Teli Ka Mandir, Sas Bahu Ka Mandir, Jaivilas Palace & Museum, Tansen's Tomb and Ghaus Mohammed's Tomb. The Jaivilas Museum houses the largest carpet in Asia, which was made in the Gwalior Jail.

Day 05 Gwalior – Bhopal

Transfer to Gwalior rail station to board the train 2002 Shatabdi Express to Bhopal.
Air-conditioned chair car – 0932:1410 hours.
Met on arrival and transferred to your hotel for two nights
Rest of the day is at leisure to explore the city

Bhopal was founded by the legendary Raja Bhoj and was known as Bhojpal. The mythological Pandavas are said to have visited the surrounding areas during their exile. Now capital of Madhya Pradesh, India's largest state, Bhopal is located right in the centre of India. It is a vibrant city, full of lakes, mountainsides and flanked by forests on three sides. Bhopal is an important tourist center for Buddhist and special interest travellers. The city is developing industrially at a very fast pace.

Capital of Madhya Pradesh, combines scenic beauty, historically and modern urban planning. It is situated on the site of an 11th century city, Bhojpal, founded by Raja Bhoj. The two lakes of Bhopal still dominate the city, and are indeed its nucleus. Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile. Some ornaments.

Day 06 Bhopal

Enjoy a morning excursion to the Bhimbetka Caves.
Here, in vivid, panoramic detail, paintings in over 500 caves depict the life of the prehistoric cave dwellers, making the Bhimbetka group an archaeological treasure, an invaluable chronicle in the history of man. The scenes usually depict hunting, dancing, music, horse and elephant riders, and animal fighting. Honey collection, decoration of bodies, disguises, marking and household scenes. The drawings and paintings can be classified under seven different periods.
Visit Bhojpur temple in the afternoon

Bhojpur temple has earned the nomenclature of the Somnath of the East, is known as the Bhojeshwar Temple. The temple was never completed and the earthen ramp used to raise it to dome-level still stands. Had it been completed, it would have had very few rivals. As it is, even with the ravages of time, it remains one of the best examples of temple architecture of the 11th - 13th centuries.

Day 07 Bhopal – Indore

Morning enjoy a visit to Sanchi
Sanchi is known for its Stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating from the 3rd century B.C to the 12th century A.D. The world-renowned stupa of Sanchi in M.P designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site for its archaeological and historical monuments.
Later drive to Indore via Ujjain (about 5 hours drive)
Check in at hotel for one night

Built by the famous Ahilya Bai, Indore is situated on the banks of river Saraswati and Khan. Indore has a sizable textile industry and is a centre for trading activities.

Indore is more known as a starting point for excursions to lot of nearby tourist attractions. A huge statue of Lord Ganesha installed in the main street in Malharganj area is quite famous. Apart from this Chhatri Bagh has the cenotaphs of the erstwhile Holkar rulers of Indore. The Kanch Mandir or Hukum Chand's Temple is a Jain shrine with its walls, roof and floors inlaid with glass, multi coloured beads and mother of pearl.
Rest of the day is at leisure

Day 08 Indore – Maheshwar

Drive to Maheshwar via Omkareshwar (about 1 ½ hours drive)
Check in at your hotel for three nights
Rest of the day is at leisure

Day 09 Maheshwar

Visit the sights of Mandu.
Mandu, known as the 'city of joy' founded as a fortress and retreat in the 10th century and came under the sway of the Delhi's Sultan in the early 14th century It became a pleasure resort in 1534, its lakes and palaces the scenes of magnificent festivities.

Jahaj Mahal – The ship Palace is probably the most famous building in Mandu. There is Taveli Mahal just south of the Jahaj Mahal is now the Archaeological Survey of India. A churchlike hall i.e. Hindola Mahal is known as the swing Palace since the inward slope of the walls is supposed to create the impression that the wall are swaying. Some other places of interest are Champa Baoli, Jama Masjid, Hoshang's Tomb, Ashrafi Mahal, Nil Kanth Palace, Palace of Baz Bahadur, Rupmati's pavillion, Darya Khan's tomb and Hathi Mahal.

Day 10 Maheshwar

Day is at leisure

Day 11 Maheshwar – Aurangabad

Drive to Aurangabad (about 8-9 hours drive)
Check in at your hotel for three nights
The city was named after Aurangazeb but earlier in history it was known as Khadke. Square shaped, stone homes with smooth edges lone the street in small sections of town. Thousands of travellers tromp to Aurangabad using it as abase for exploring the caves at nearby Ajanta and Ellora. As a result of this constant influx, the tourist infrastructure is better developed in this city than in most throughout the state. Though it has been renamed as Sambhaji Nagar by the right wing Shiva Sena city councilors, their efforts like most of their kind however seem an ineffectual charade of semantics; few use the new name, Sambhajinagar and the city's Muslim flavor endures amid the tourist boom and the economic development typical of Mumbai's hinterland.

Day 12 Aurangabad

Enjoy a full day excursion to Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

Ajanta Caves Nestling in an inner fold of the Sahyadri hills, 100 kms from the city of Aurangabad in the shape of a mammoth horseshoe are the 30 rock-hewn caves of Ajanta, dating from 2nd century B.C. Discovered in 1819, by a group of British Officers, these startling achievements took around 600 years to create. Carved with little more than a hammer and chisel, Ajanta, once the retreat of the Buddhist monastic orders features several "Chaityas" and Viharas. The exquisite paintings and sculptures of Buddha's life belong to the Mahayana period.

Ellora Caves Impressive in their own right are the rock-hewn temples and monasteries of Ellora that lie just 30 kms away from Aurangabad city is meeting point of the Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. In all, there are 34 cave temples - 12 Mahayana Buddhist caves (550-750 A.D.) and 17 Hindu caves (600-875 A.D.) and five caves of the Jain faith (800-1000 A.D.) 22 more caves, dedicated to Shiva, have been recently discovered.

Day 13 Aurangabad

Enjoy an excursion to Daulatabad Fort.

Day14 Aurangabad – Mumbai

Transfer to Aurangabad airport for flight to Mumbai .
Met on arrival and transferred to your hotel for two nights
Enjoy a sightseeing of the city in the afternoon
(Including the Prince of Wales Museum, Crawford Market & Dhobi Talao)
The sightseeing of Mumbai includes a visit to the Gateway of India, The Prince of Wales Museum, the Victoria Terminus, Dhobi Ghats and the hanging gardens. The Gateway of India was built during period 1924-1927 to commem¬orate the visit to India of King George V of England in 1911. It's the most enduring symbol of the city. Next to the Gateway of India is the Prince of Wales Museum built in 1911 - one of the biggest museum in the country. The Victoria Terminus, popularly known as VT is the major railway station and is considered the most beautiful edifice in the city. From Nariman Point to Malabar Hill is a winding stretch of road along the sea with tall build¬ings on one side, known as the Marine Drive.

Day 15 Mumbai

Enjoy a cruise to the Elephanta caves in the morning.
The island of Elephanta is about 10 km of Apollo Bunder in Mumbai. The main tourist attraction, the four rock-cut temples are believed to be cut between 450 and 750 AD. The motor launch takes about one hour to reach the Island and the caves are reached by a stairway up to the hillside from the ferry landing. Most of the temples relate to Lord Shiva, the most famous of them being the Maheshmurti (trimurti) or the three headed Siva. The other figures depict the wedding of Siva with Parvati, Ardhanari and Siva dancing the Tandava.

Afternoon is at leisure

Day 16 Mumbai – Onward Destination.

Transfer to Mumbai international airport for flight back to London