South India With Rajasthan Tour

Distant India Journeys representative will meet you on arrival at International airport and then transfer to your hotel.

Mumbai, formerly called Bombay, is a sprawling, densely populated city on India’s west coast. On the Mumbai Harbor waterfront stands the iconic Gateway of India stone arch, built by the British Raj in 1924. Offshore, nearby Elephanta Island holds ancient cave temples dedicated to Shiva.

Overnight will be in Mumbai.

In time transfer to the airport for your flight to Bangalore the Silicon Valley of India. On arrival check-in at your hotel and relax. In the afternoon, we visit the Vidhan Saudha, Government Secretariat, The Lal Bagh, botanical Garden opposite the Vidhan Saudha. Today you also see the Administrative buildings of this beautiful south Indian city. Also see the botanical gardens with 1000 different varieties of flowers. This garden was done up by Hyder Ali in the 18^th century.

Overnight will be in Bangalore.

In the morning drive to Mysore, enroute visit Srirangapatanam, the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan built in 1784 AD. Visit the Maharaja’s palace with ornate interiors suggests the rich and extravagant lifestyle of the rulers of this region. This palace holds a few mural paintings depicting life tales of Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali both a living terror to the British. Upon arrival visit Mysore Palace. Later we take an excursion to Chamundi hills to visit Sri Chamundeswari Temple.

Overnight will be in Mysore.

In the morning see the Brindavan Gardens. 19 kms North of Mysore is the famous reservoir Krishnarajasagara. This Dam is built across the river Cauvery.  Just below the Dam the beautiful Brindavan Gardens are laid out.  There are varieties of fountains, illuminated at night by colourful lights.  The Musical fountain is of special interest which has spectacular harmony of water, colours and music. The Keshava Temple, located 42 kms from Mysore, was built in 1268 as part of an agrahara (scholastic community) founded by the Hoysala General Somanatha Dandanayaka. The temple is famous for its elaborate detail. This beautiful temple is enclosed within a walled courtyard, which is entered through a gate and porch.  The temple is built on an elevated star shaped platform. The sides of the raised platform are richly adorned with carved freizes depicting rows of cavalry, elephants and stories from the epics.  Above these is a row of large images, mainly of Vishnu in various forms. The triple-shrined (Trikutachala) monument has three sanctums, of which the north sanctum bears the image of Janardhana, the south sanctum that of Venugopala. The main hall has beautifully turned pillars and ceiling panels.  Sadly the image of Keshava that was in the main hall is missing.

Overnight will be in Mysore.

Leave the Garden city of Mysore and reach Ooty the romancing hills of the Nilgiris in the south of India. Reach by afternoon. Free Time at leisure at the Misty Heights.

Overnight will be in Ooty.

Full day is for an excursion to Dodabetta peak and trekking in the jungle. It is lifetime experience. Evening is free to unwind.

Overnight will be in Ooty.

After breakfast, drive towards back to Bangalore. On arrival in Bangalore, check into your hotel and relax.

Overnight will be in Bangalore.

After breakfast, transfer to airport to board your flight for Trivandrum. On arrival at Trivandrum airport, you will be transferred to your pre-booked hotel in Kovalam which is just 11km away.

Overnight will be in Kovalam.

Relax on the beach. Overnight will be in Kovalam.

Relax on the beach. Overnight will be in Kovalam.

Relax on the beach. Overnight will be in Kovalam.

Relax on the beach. Overnight will be in Kovalam.

In time, transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival in Delhi, transfer to your hotel for check in. Rest of the day is free to relax.

Overnight will be in Delhi.

Start a full-day tour of Old and New Delhi after breakfast.

A sightseeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting the Raj Ghat   - the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India and the Red Fort - once the most opulent fort and palace of the Moghul Empire.

Enjoy the cycle rickshaw ride from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk.

An extensive sightseeing tour of New Delhi would include a visit to the Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutub Minar, a drive along the ceremonial avenue - Rajpath, past the imposing India Gate, Parliament House, the President’s Residence, and Lotus Temple & would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave.

Overnight will be in Delhi.

After breakfast drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival in Jaipur, check into your hotel and relax. Rest of the day is free to relax. Later in the evening, you will be taken to Chowki Dhani – An Ethnic Village Theme Restaurant located on the outskirts of Jaipur. Here you can enjoy the pure Rajasthani cuisine.

Return back to your hotel and relax.

Overnight will be in Jaipur.

In the morning visit the Amber fort in the morning; included is an elephant ride at the Amber fort. See the marvelous Shish Mahal built in the 17^th century in a fusion style of Hindu and Islamic art. Also see the hall of public audiences and Maharaja Man Singh’s Palace who had twelve queens.

After lunch set off to see the Pink city visiting the observatory Jantar Mantar built in 1727 by Sawai Maharaja Jai Singh II who was a mathematician, an astronomer an astrologer and a great musician of his era. He built five observatories throughout India – Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, Mathura and Delhi but only the one at Jaipur is functional. Then visit the City Palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur with a fabulous collection of robes and saris in cotton and silk with gold lattice work. The City Palace houses a collection of paintings also in the painting gallery and of course a collection of arms and ammunitions in the ammunition gallery.

Overnight will be in Jaipur.

In the morning leave for Mandawa en-route stop at Nawalgarh to see this beautiful village of Shekhawati that used to be an important caravanserai of the yesteryears. See the many havelis of this quaint little town built by the rich and the famous merchants of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. These havelis have been painted with activities of daily life and of deities to break the monotony of the desert life.

Overnight will be in Mandawa.

In the morning proceed towards Bikaner en route stop at Fatehpur to see the splendid havelis of the local merchants of Shekhawati. Reach Bikaner by early afternoon and see the Junagadh Fort, a royal museum that encompasses history of Bikaner from its days of construction that dates back to the 16^th century.

Later visit the camel breeding farm, a unique experience.

Overnight will be in Bikaner.

After breakfast we take our road across the Thar Desert to reach Pokaran. Visit the 15^th century fortress where the 3^rd Mughal emperor, Akbar the Great, was born in 1543. The bazaar in the middle of this village is very colorful and full of local flavors.

Continue towards Jaisalmer and arrive by evening in to your hotel.

Overnight will be in Jaisalmer.

Morning an exclusive visit of the Jain temples inside the Sonar Kila.. The Jains are a community that respects life and are pure vegetarians by religion. Visit the citadel’s palace that houses a museum with a huge collection of robes and artifacts from the royal family of Jaisalmer. Visit the Patwaon ki haveli with intricately designed latticed windows used by the ladies to view the external world. Also see the Gadisar Lake.

Later, we go to Sam or Khuri village. Here we have loads of excitement in store for you. Upon arrival in the village you will be taken to the nearby sunset point on the dunes to see the sunset by camel carts.

In the evening listen to the haunted tunes of the desert by the local artists and musicians along with dinner in the desert mud huts.

Overnight will be in Jaisalmer.

Today we reach Jodhpur the blue city by early afternoon and drive up to the majestic Mehrangarh fort museum. The Mehrangarh fort has been the stronghold of the Rathore princes from 1453AD. We see the superb collection of paintings and arms and ammunitions. The view of the city from the rampart walls is breath taking.

Post lunch session introduces you to the fabulous spice market of Jodhpur the 2^nd largest city in Rajasthan. Walk along the market to feel the odours of the spices filling the air around you

Then go to Mandore gardens the then capital of Marwar to view some of the fabulous cenotaphs and the hall of local heroes of the wars. Drive back to Jodhpur and see the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the present residence of the king of Jodhpur.

Overnight will be in Jodhpur.

Today we take you on a safari to discover the hidden beauty of the jungle life. Here you would be visiting the Bishnoi villages. Bishnois are a tribe that respects life in every form – animal’s trees and even dead branches. They are vegetarians and even in the villages they protect the animal life and don’t let anybody practice hunting in the vicinity of their villages. They live in a joint family system where the oldest member is generally the head of the family. Then we would like you to witness the opium ceremony with the Patels – a rich tribe. It is a ceremony prevalent in this part of Rajasthan where the youth offers opium to drink mixed with water to the elders of the family when they come back from work in the fields.

Overnight will be in Luni.

After breakfast at the hotel we drive through the arid Rajasthan to reach the the lone hill station in Rajasthan at a height of 1200mt where we take you for a tour of the temples for a few hours. Mount Abu is a true pilgrimage centre for the Jains as here we see the Dilwara Jain temple complexe with temples dating back to the 11^th century. Later see the Nakki Lake and then view the Sun going down the horizon from the sunset point.

Overnight will be in Mount Abu.

Leave Abu and reach Ranakpur another big pilgrimage centre for the Jains. Just four hours drive from Mount Abu is the eternal Jain pilgrimage centre of Ranakpur. Admire the workmanship from the 16^th century. The temples are built out of marble and the main shrine of Adinath with 1444 columns is awe inspiring and none of these are similar. Also see the sun temple and the other temples in the campus. Proceed towards Udaipur and on the way stop by the fields to see the local way of farming and irrigation. Walk into the villages to mingle with the locals around to know more about their lifestyle. Reach Udaipur by late evening and check into your hotel.

Overnight will be in Udaipur.

Visit the City Palace the richest palace museum in the entire Rajasthan. See the peacock square and the miniature painting school inside the palace premises. Udaipur has the prestige of housing the best miniature schools in the country under the royal patronage of the king of Udaipur. Later see the temples of Nagda and Eklingji.

The temple at Eklingji is a temple that belongs to the Maharana of Mewar (royal family) and he is often there to pray. The temple complexe of Nagda is a group of temples of which only two remain intact and those are that of Saas and Bahu; temples of Shiva and of Vishnu both from the 15th century.

Overnight will be in Udaipur.

Early in the morning leave Udaipur and proceed towards Ajmer and Pushkar.

Ajmer is the pious city for the Muslims. Visit the Durgah built in fond remembrance of Khwaja Muin ud Din Chisti where the Muslim pilgrims from all over India throng during the festival times. Later visit Mughal emperor Akbar’s Palace where his son Jahangir received Sir Thomas Roe to grant him the permission of trade to East India Company with India, that changed the history of India completely and slowly and steadily India became colony of the British Empire. Ajmer.

Later drive to Pushkar which happens to be the holiest places according to the Hindus as it is considered that Lord Brahma (the Creator) and his wife Saraswati (the goddess of learning and music) performed a ritual in the lake. Surprisingly both the cities are at distance of 11km from each other. Here we visit the only Brahma temple of the world before intermingling with the local colours in the local bazaar. Pushkar is the world famous for its cattle fair held each year in the month of October/November.

Overnight will be in Pushkar.

In the afternoon continue towards Samode and visit the local market where you will find people from all walks of life working to make a living for example you shall see vendors of legumes, some ironsmiths, a few goldsmiths, locksmiths etc…

Overnight will be in Samode.

Leave Samode after breakfast and reach Fatehpur Sikri by early afternoon. Visit this abandoned city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the second half of the 16^th century. Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar after his Hindu wife bore him the long awaited son who was born after the renowned Sufi saint Salim Chisti blessed Jodhabai Akbar’s Hindu wife with a son. Also visit Jodhabai’s palace the biggest palace in Fatehpur Sikri even bigger than the emperor’s palace himself as this was the queen who bore him his heir to the throne.

Continue towards Agra and reach Agra by early evening. Relax at your hotel or go to the local bazaar to see the lifestyle of the people.

Overnight will be in Agra.

Taj Mahal is awaiting your arrival today morning. A must see with the rising sun as the Taj Mahal is bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial that houses the tomb of his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design, balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen anywhere in the world.   

Then see the Agra Fort built by Akbar where Shahjehan was imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb.

Post lunch leave for Delhi en route visiting Itmad ud Daulah – it is the first Mughal building built out completely of marble. In many contexts it is referred to being the predecessor of the Taj Mahal. Then visit Sikandara the tomb of the great emperor Akbar.

Overnight will be in Agra.

In time, transfer to the Delhi international terminal for your onward journey.