Incredible India tour

Delhi, Jaipur, Tordi, Agra, Bharatpur

Our 9-day Incredible India takes you north, as we explore the Golden Triangle route of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and includes unique activities and experiences to give you an authentic Indian holiday. We'll start in India's capital city of New Delhi, which is home to an unforgettable collage of all the cultures, religions and languages. We'll also visit Old Delhi - which served as the home of the Mughal Empire centuries ago. You'll be mesmerised by Old Delhi's rich history, exquisite architecture and its tasty street cuisine, in contrast to the modern architecture and way of life in New Delhi. We'll also stop at the 'Pink City' of Jaipur, the capital of India's Rajasthan state. We'll explore it's highlights such as Amber Fort, City Palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory, whilst also taking in the beautiful craft and produce markets dotted all around us. While we're in Rajasthan, we'll also visit the village of Tordi - staying in a converted palace and exploring its remote village, which will give you great insight into the daily lives of the locals who call this rural area home. We'll visit the massive stepwell at Abanheri, which boasts approximately 3,500 steps and 13 stories, before heading to Bharatpur for a guided cycle rickshaw ride in the Keoladeo National Park, exploring its wide variety of birdlife and other wildlife. Next on the agenda is a tour of Fatehpur Sikri, a small, deserted city in northern India, just west of Agra. Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal Empire. A local villager will take us on a Mughal Heritage Walk through villages and farmland on the bank of the Yamuna River, giving us a stunning view of the Taj Mahal. That won't be the only view you'll get of the Taj Mahal, as we take you on a sunrise tour of this spectacular monument before we head to Agra's Red Fort. We'll make one more stop, to a visit to the Akshardham temple to watch a spectacular multimedia water show. We'll stay in comfortable mid-range modern-style hotels in Delhi and Agra, mixed with heritage hotels converted from Havelis and Palaces in Jaipur and Tordi, and a resort on the edge of Keoladeo National Park.

Day 1, Welcome to Delhi, transfer to hotel included Once you arrive in Delhi, you'll be met by one of our local staff, who will transfer your hotel. Once you're settled in, we'll run through the tour itinerary for the next few days, brief you on the local area and arrange a time to collect you tomorrow. | OVERNIGHT: Delhi hotel | EXTRAS: Single room supplement, Extra day in Delhi - pre-tour Day 2, Sightseeing tour of Old and New Delhi Your day starts with a morning tour of India's capital, New Delhi. Built on the banks of the Yamuna river, New Delhi is a beautiful blend of a historical past and a vibrant present. We start at India Gate in the centre of New Delhi, a 42-metre high "Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway, a war memorial built to commemorate the 82,000 soldiers who partook in the undivided Indian Army. We’ll drive past various government buildings such as the President's Palace and the Parliament of India, before passing Humayun's Tomb - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Bangla Sahab Gurudwara Sikh Temple. We'll stop at Connaught Place Station and join the locals on the metro to Old Delhi where we'll walk through one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk, before exploring the narrow streets of Chawri Bazar which specialises in selling brass, copper and paper products. Throughout the afternoon our guide will also introduce you to the wide range of street food snacks and delicacies so you can get your first authentic taste of the delicious and varied Indian cuisine. Our walking tour will also take in a rickshaw ride and the Jama Masjid mosque, one of the largest in India. | OVERNIGHT: Delhi hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 3, Jaipur and a visit to Amber Fort Today we head to Jaipur, the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan in Western India. We'll stop to visit Amber Fort, the jewel in Jaipur's crown - an ancient fortress built on a hilltop in the 16th century dedicated to the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber. Be mesmerised by this majestic architectural wonder, with its pink sandstone and marble palace shining in the sun. It's massive fortress walls sprawls across the hills, with many seeing a resemblance of the Great Wall of China. We'll also stop for a Lassi tasting at MI Road - a popular traditional yoghurt-based drink made with a blend of yoghurt, water, spices and sometimes fruit, before checking in at your accommodation for the night. A fun option this evening is to head out and watch a Bollywood movie at the Raj Mandir cinema. | OVERNIGHT: Jaipur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 4, Exploring the city of Jaipur You have an option of going on an early morning hot air balloon ride over Jaipur, flying over its palaces, forts and lakes - a truly mesmerising experience. If you chose to sleep a little later, your morning starts with a sightseeing tour of Jaipur, as we visit the strange Jantar Mantar monument, a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II between 1724 and 1730. Jaipur was the first planned city of medieval India and we'll also explore its City Palace. Built by Raja Man Singh during 1729-1732 AD, the City Palace was once the seat of kings as it was from here that they ruled the region. This tangle of courtyards, manicured gardens and exceptionally crafted mahals is one of the most revered attractions in India. After lunch, we spend the afternoon walking in the walled city to discover some of Jaipur's famous crafts markets and craftsmen in action such as jewellers, silversmiths, textile workshops and bangle makers. We'll also visit markets for vegetable, fruits and spices. | OVERNIGHT: Jaipur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Hot air balloon in Jaipur Day 5, Meet the locals at Tordi Garh, optional activities available Today we leave the region's popular tourist areas and head into the heart of rural Rajasthan to the village of Tordi. In the 16th century, Th. Akhey Singh, one of the descendants of Khangar Singh (the founder of Khangarot clan) overthrew the regional chief and built a hilltop fortress here, the ruins of which can still be seen today. The family still lives in the palace and fort built later in the plains below and we'll stay in a wing of the palace which has been converted for guests. The afternoon sees us exploring the village, visiting a temple, school and a potter's house before interacting with the local villagers, getting invaluable insight into seeing their way of life. You can also take some optional activities arranged by the family at the palace. These include camel cart rides to the sand dunes and a jeep safari to a 300-year old step well, a shepherd's village, local farm and sunset at the Tordi Sagar Dam or at the dunes. You can also hike to the 400-year old Tordi Fort and enjoy snacks and drinks there for sunset or sunrise. Those keen can also try some horse riding or have some henna hand art applied. | OVERNIGHT: Tordi Garh hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 6, Birdwatching and the world's largest step well Today we'll head to Bharatpur and the bird watcher's paradise that is the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Enroute, we'll visit the Abhaneri step well, the largest and deepest step well in the world, which boasts 3500 steps and is 13 stories deep. You may recognise this as the place that Sonny tried to express his feelings for Sunaina in the recent movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Once you've checked into your accommodation for the day, we'll take a guided cycle rickshaw ride through the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Originally a duck hunting reserve of the local Maharajas, the park is now a World Heritage Site, with over 360 species of birds recorded here. Its strategic location on the Central Asian migratory flyway makes it an internationally important site for wintering water birds, and it is especially famous for the endangered Siberian Crane and its huge heronry which in good years can host more than 20,000 nesting birds of various species. As well as the extensive birdlife, the park is home to wild boar, black buck, sambar, chital, mongoose, porcupine, several different wild cats, and some huge pythons. | OVERNIGHT: Bharatpur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 7, Fatephur Sikri, and a first view of the Taj Mahal We head to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri, a fortified ancient city which was the short-lived capital of the Mughal empire between 1572 and 1585. This sprawling and well-preserved site is fascinating to explore. Once you’ve checked in into your hotel, we'll spend the afternoon on a Mughal Heritage Walk through the ancient village of Kachhpura and surrounding farmland on the banks of the Yamuna River across from the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. This walk has been designed by a local NGO and helps support the local community through employment and new infrastructure. During the walk one of the villagers will give a guide to their village life, the layout of their homes, with living, cooking & religious areas, the farming done, and the local cottage industry for leather shoe making which helps Agra export shoes all over the world. You'll also see some lesser known but important Mughal era monuments. Finally today we'll stroll around the park at Mehtab Bagh - originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna River's east bank, before taking in the magnificent sight of the Taj Mahal at sunset. A special evening option is available today, where you can join a Hindu family for a Vegetarian Thali cooking lesson and meal. | OVERNIGHT: Agra hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Cook with a Hindu family in Agra Day 8, A Taj Mahal sunrise and a multimedia water show We start today early for our tour of the Taj Mahal. Truly one of the wonders of the world this elaborate monument to love was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and took over twenty-two years to complete. Sunrise is a great time to visit as the light changes gradually with the colours of the Taj changing too. After breakfast, we visit Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a huge complex with a fascinating history, being the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. After lunch, we'll drive to Delhi, and on arrival visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham New Delhi, a Hindu mandir and a spiritual-cultural campus, home to millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture and architecture. It's one of India's most popular tourist attractions, in fact, it's estimated that it draws in 70% of all visitors who explore Delhi. We'll be mesmerized by the Sahaj Anand water show - a multimedia water exhibition, which makes use of multicoloured lasers, under-water flames, video projection, water jets combine to provide a captivating experience which tells the story of Kena Upanishad - a Vedic Sanskrit text. | OVERNIGHT: Delhi hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Extra day in Delhi - post-tour Day 9, Bon voyage! Airport transfer included You have some free time to buy any gifts for your loved ones back home before we transfer you to the airport to catch your flight back home. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Extra day in Delhi - post-tour