Country(ies): India
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 12
Accommodation: 3 to 4-star hotels, homestay and heritage properties
Meals:
Transport: A/C minivan/minibus and sleeper train
Highlights: Old and New Delhi, Lakeside Udaipur, Ranakpur Jain temples, Fort and blue streets of Jodhpur, Holy town of Pushkar, Pink city of Jaipur, Tordi Garh, Abhaneri step well, Keoladeo NP, Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort
This 14-day tour of Rajasthan explores one of India's most popular and interesting states, famous for its hilltop forts, camel fairs and colourful saris and stays in some lovely heritage hotels converted from old havelis and palaces. We start the trip by exploring the contrasting sides to India's capital with tours of both New and Old Delhi, before boarding a southbound overnight sleeper train to the lakeside city of Udaipur - one of Rajasthan's most attractive cities. Here, we'll visit its top attractions, such as the city palace, gardens and a boat trip on Lake Pichola. We'll also visit some less known temples at Eklingii and Nagda.
We'll then head to Jodhpur to see the beautiful white marble Jain temples at Ranakhpur. Jodhpur itself is a classic Rajasthani town, with a large fort dominating a hill overlooking the town, but it is especially famous for its blue painted houses and streets. On the agenda is also a visit to the lakeside town of Pushkar, the home to the only Brahman Temples on the planet.
We'll also have the opportunity to explore the Rajasthan's capital of Jaipur, before heading to the remote rural village of Tordi where we have an enjoyable night staying in another converted palace. Our next stop is a visit to the world's largest stepwell in Abhaneri, before visiting the Keoladeo National Park, here we take a cycle rickshaw into the park to see the huge variety of birdlife the park is famous for.
The Taj Mahal in Agra is our next highlight. This monument to love is a spectacular building with a tragically romantic story behind its construction. We’ll visit it at sunrise, and also from an unusual vantage point on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River where we take a walk through farm fields and homesteads with a local village guide. We'll then return to Delhi to finish the tour, visiting the huge and impressive temple complex at Akshardham when we arrive, staying long enough to enjoy a spectacular water and light show just after sunset before returning to our hotel.
Accommodation is in a mix of comfortable mid-range modern and heritage hotels.
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Restoration of the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, one of India's most iconic structures, is getting a much need facelift. The almost-four-century-old Taj Mahal is finally showing signs of ageing. Air pollution is unfortunately turning its ivory-white complexion - yellow. Adding to the colouration problems, the Yamuna River, with which the Taj Mahal shares a river bank, is contaminated and the insects that breed in its waters are leaving patches of green residue on its marble. In order to restore the Taj Mahal's glistening white marble, mud-pack therapy is being used. If you're worried that it might affect your India tour, this handy Taj restoration guide will tell you everything you need to know.
This tour is also available for booking privately for travel anytime through the year, and we can also customise the itinerary to fit your personal requirements. Please contact us for details and prices.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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