Golden Triangle & Holi
Golden Triangle & Holi
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Itinerary
DAY 01:
ARRIVE IN DELHI
After you clear Immigrations and Customs, you are met by our representative and assisted with your transfer to your hotel.
Delhi, a delightful paradox of the old and the new, quickly overwhelms the visitor with its myriad charms. Being a vibrant cultural melting pot and shaped by the influence of different powerful rulers over hundreds of years, the destination has acquired a character with many different shades for the traveller to explore and experience. If Old Delhi assails the senses with its age-old traditional bazaars and choc-a-block serpentine streets, New Delhi casts a spell with its pristine colonial-era landmarks and well-maintained monuments.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 02:
DELHI SIGHTSEEING
After breakfast, proceed for a sightseeing tour of Old Delhi.
You disembark at Red Fort and climb on board your waiting cycle rickshaws. Sitting in your cycle rickshaws, you will drive through the narrow lanes of the 300-year-old Chandni Chowk market. Originally, a canal ran through the middle of the street as a part of the water supply scheme. It is said that the moonlight reflecting on the canal, earned it its name, ‘Chandini’ (Moonlit) ‘Chowk’ (square). Today, it is a busy market selling an extraordinary variety of items – silver, jewelry, aromatic spices, leather, fruit and vegetables. Apothecaries sell home grown medicinal items, and roadside dentists display their bizarre array of equipment and false teeth. This is an excellent introduction to the organized chaos of India!
Note: today is Sunday so there will be a few streets that are closed. Rest assured, we would ensure you still get to experience the hustle and bustle of the market.
You disembark at the Jama Masjid. This mosque is believed to be Shah Jahan’s last architectural legacy. Begun in 1644, Jama Masjid was not completed until 1658. It has three great gateways, four angled towers and two minarets standing 40 meters high and constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble.
In the afternoon take a tour of New Delhi that will take you to Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb and drive past India Gate, Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhawan (President’s House).
Built and restored in phases by different rulers, the Qutub Minar is a soaring 73-metre tall minaret and one of the most stunning structures in the country. There are many other monuments as well in the Qutub Minar complex.
Humayun’s Tomb, which you visit next, is sublimely well proportioned, seeming to float above its symmetrical gardens. It’s thought to have inspired the Taj Mahal, which it predates by 60 years. Constructed for the Mughal emperor in the mid-16th century by Haji Begum, Humayun’s Persian-born wife, the tomb marries Persian and Mughal elements, with restrained decoration enhancing the architecture. The arched facade is inlaid with bands of white marble and red sandstone, and the building follows strict rules of Islamic geometry, with an emphasis on the number eight.
On your drive back to the hotel, you pass India Gate, an Arc-de-Triomphe style archway built as a war memorial in the honour of 60,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the Afghan wars and the First World War. High on Raisina Hill stands the Rashtrapati Bhawan or the erstwhile Viceroy’s House. It is larger than Versailles. The Presidential Palace is flanked by the identical Secretariat buildings ‘North’ and ‘South Blocks, which are colloquially called the corridors of power. The Parliament House, built in a circular coliseum design, is the place where the constitution of independent India was drafted.
The evening is at leisure.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 03:
DELHI-AGRA BY ROAD (204KMS/4HRS)
Post breakfast, check out and drive to Agra. On arrival, check in to the hotel.
A legacy of the Mughal dynasty, Agra is world famous for the romance of the world’s most celebrated ode to eternal love, the magnificent white marble Taj Mahal. Besides the glorious Mughal era, Agra has witnessed the rule of many other mighty dynasties as well. The likes of Sikandar Lodi, the Jats, the Marathas and finally the British have all influenced the city’s culture and history.
After lunch, you meet your guide and together you visit the Agra Fort. The now UNESCO World Heritage site of Agra Fort was built in 1571 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The walls of this mammoth red sandstone structure run for a length of almost three kilometres!
Next, drive to Taj Mahal.
Decorated with a mosaic of semi-precious stones and Persian calligraphy recreating verses from the Koran, this monument is the beautiful outcome of the grief-stricken Emperor Shah Jahan’s tribute to his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Built by Indian artisans and artisans from neighbouring Islamic countries, it is aptly described by the poet laureate Tagore as “A tear on the face of eternity”.
Stay at the Taj until sunset before returning to your hotel.
The evening is at leisure.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 04:
AGRA-JAIPUR BY ROAD (221KMS/5-6hrs)
Post breakfast, check out and drive to Jaipur. The drive is long but we break it up to make it interesting.
On the way, approximately 2 hrs outside of the city you stop at Fatehpur Sikri.
Built by Emperor Akbar in the honour of Sufi saint Salim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri (city of victory) was the Mughal capital for 13 years. It was the first planned city of the Mughals and the first one to be designed with an amalgamation of Indian, Persian and Islamic architectural styles.
After Sikri, a short distance away is your next stop; for lunch. Enjoy a hot meal and stretch your legs before resuming the drive to Jaipur.
Arrive by evening and transfer directly to your hotel.
The evening is at leisure.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 05:
IN JAIPUR
Start your sightseeing with a visit to Amber Fort.
The weather-beaten façade of the nearly 420-year old Amer Fort belies the elegant beauty of its majestic interiors. Some of the most spectacular structures of the fort are ‘Diwan-i-Aam’ (hall of public audience), ‘Sheesh Mahal’ (glass palace), and ‘Sukh Mahal’ (pleasure palace).
On the way to Amber Fort, there will be a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal. This five-storeyed palace strongly fascinates with its pyramidal shape and hundreds of jharokhas (windows). Hawa Mahal means ‘Palace of Winds’ and it truly lives up to its name as the palace stays breezy even during the blistering summers of Rajasthan.
This afternoon take a tour of Jantar Mantar. It is the world’s largest observatory carved in stone and marble. Many of the huge ancient instruments here are still in working condition.
Also on the itinerary is a visit to the Maharaja’s City Palace.
Built on the orders of Sawai Jai Sigh II, the City Palace is a blend of Mughal, Rajput and European architectural styles as it was built in parts by different succeeding rulers. The Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) here has been turned into a museum and has many interesting exhibits.
End the day with a stroll through the busy streets of Johri Bazaar.
It is a great fun experience. You cannot get the variety of silver jewellery, handmade footwear, or multi-coloured leheriya saris anywhere else in the country. Neither can you get the choice of cotton textiles, bangles, blue pottery, bags, cushion covers, bedspreads – the list is endless. In addition, haggling over prices with the shopkeeper simply adds to the experience!
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 06:
IN JAIPUR – HOLI DAY
After a relaxed breakfast, you change into a white kurta pyjamas (India attire it for men and women) which will be specially procured for you.
Holi (also called holaka) is an annual festival celebrated to welcome spring and to commemorate various events in Hindu mythology. Market places are abuzz with activity as frenzied shoppers start preparing for the festival. Heaps of various hues of gulal and a beer can be seen on the roadside days before and on the day of this very popular festival.
Your destination is Diggi Palace where we have arranged special festivities for you to participate in and celebrate the festival of Holi with the locals.
At Diggi Palace, you will be welcomed with chung, a traditional holi festival instrument and drummers will lead you to an exclusive venue which will be well stocked up with thalis (plates) of dry organic gulal (red) colour made from cornflower. There will also be drums of coloured water as well. Once you are done playing with dry and wet colours, you can wash & change before sitting down for lunch. There will be a live performance of music and dance as well that will keep you entertained.
Return to your hotel at your convenience and the remainder of the day is at leisure.
Your vehicle is available at your disposal.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 07:
JAIPUR-DELHI (271 KMS/ 5 hrs)
Checkout this morning after a leisurely breakfast.
The drive is comfortable and there are plenty of options in route for food and comfort stops.
Arrive into Delhi by late afternoon and transfer to your hotel.
Spend time at Dilli Haat, which is located opposite INA Market on Sri Aurobindo Marg established in 1994. Dilli Haat has permanent food stalls representing each state of India, giving a complete variety of tastes available all over India. There are also stalls of crafts from all over India, and from a variety of cultural traditions of India. Unlike the traditional weekly market, the village Haat, Dilli Haat is permanent. Some shops are permanent but other sellers are rotated, usually for fifteen days. Products offered may include rosewood and sandalwood carvings, embellished camel hide footwear, sophisticated fabric and drapery, gems, beads, brassware, metal crafts, and silk and wool fabrics.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 08:
DEPARTURE FROM DELHI
After breakfast, transfer to Delhi International airport, for your return flight.
