Highlights
- Visit the extraordinary Golden Temple of Amritsar, a Sikh holy shrine and one of India's most awe-inspiring sights, plus see the poignant site of the Amritsar Massacre
- Experience the breathtaking Taj Mahal in the early morning, the simple purity of its white marble and exquisite workmanship of its inlay work
- Stay in Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’, and explore its teeming markets, amazing City Palace, remarkable 18th-century Astronomical Observatory and iconic Palace of the Winds
- Tour Agra and its stunning 16th-century fort with a guide
- Enjoy a guided tour of the Amber Fort in Jaipur, including the area reserved for the Maharaja’s wives and concubines and the amazing hall of mirrors
- Explore Pushkar and see the rare Brahma temple, the local market, the sacred lake and bathing ghats
- Take a city tour of Delhi seeing all the famous landmarks such as the Humayun’s Tomb and the Qutub Minaret
- Visit UNESCO-listed Nagaur Fort, displaying a unique merging of Rajput and Moghul architecture.
- Discover Jodhpur, the ‘Blue City’, with its vast and imposing fortress and walk through the open-air Clocktower Market
- See Udaipur, India's most romantic city of lakes and palaces
- Stay at the Khimsar Fort, one of Rajasthan's best-known Heritage Hotels
- Experience the fascinating 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony on the Indo-Pakistani border
- Stay in hand-picked three-star to five-star accommodation, with daily breakfast and four dinners
- The Signature Tour option includes all of the above as well as:
- Experience the vibrant streets of Old Delhi in the company of former street children whose lives have been turned around by a transformative charity
- Admire a superb collection of classic and vintage cars, still in the ownership of the Maharana of Mewar
- Relax aboard a private boat for a sunset cruise across the shimmering waters of Lake Pichola and dine on classic Rajasthani cuisine in the elegant surroundings of an historic palace hotel
Inclusions
- The price of this holiday is per person, based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms available at the relevant supplement. The price includes:
- Thirteen nights’ accommodation in three, four and five-star hotels
- Daily breakfast, one lunch and five dinners
- Scheduled flights to/from Delhi
- Domestic flights to/ from Amritsar and from Udaipur
- All transfers
- All local accommodation taxes
- All local transport as described
- Hotel porterage of one item of luggage per person
- The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager
- Included excursions are: guided tours of Amritsar, Agra and the Taj Mahal, Jaipur city tour, visit to Amber Fort, city tour of Pushkar, Jodhpur and Mehrangarh Forts, visit to Nagaur Fort, Ranakpur temple, Udaipur city tour Delhi city tour
- Visa not included.
1
Arrive for your overnight flight direct to Delhi.
2
On arrival in Delhi, we stay for one night at the four-star superior The Cnnaught Hotel. We drive through the city’s wide, tree-lined avenues designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and tour the best sights of New Delhi, including the Qutub Minaret and poignant reminders of the British Raj, before an evening at leisure. Signature Experience: Salaam Baalak Trust, a non-profit organisation, provides protection to the street children of Delhi with a programme of residential care, education and talent building activities. In the company of these remarkable young locals experience the sights and sounds of the narrow alleys and thronging markets of Old Delhi. You are sure to be entertained with stories of the Mughal era and enlightened with more personal accounts of life today. Round off this experience with a rickshaw ride through the vibrant streets where the fragrance of local spices fills the air.
3
This morning we are immersed in Old Delhi, starting with an exciting rickshaw ride through the bustling streets. See the vast Red Fort, Chandni Chowk market, the memorial to Gandhi and Humayun’s Tomb. After lunch we continue by road to Agra and the Taj Mahal, arriving in the late afternoon. We stay for one night at the centrally located, four-star Taj Gateway Hotel. Dinner is included tonight.
4
In the soft morning light, as the mist rises from the Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal seems to float, miragelike, above the surrounding landscape. A combination of extraordinary beauty, symmetry and history makes this wonder of the world one of the planet’s most amazing monuments and you have plenty of time to admire it from all angles. Then, in stunning contrast, you visit the vast red sandstone 16thcentury Agra Fort, once the headquarters of the vast Moghul Empire. This afternoon we continue to Jaipur, staying for two nights at the four-star Jaipur Marriott Hotel.
5
Jaipur is a fascinating place, its pink-coloured buildings contrasting beautifully with the kaleidoscope of striking reds, saffron and deep violets of hundreds of traditional saris whose countless sequins reflect the midday sun. Welcome to Rajasthan, India’s most colourful state! Our first stop is the Amber Fort, located in an amazingly scenic location in the nearby hills. Our tour includes sections reserved for the Maharaja’s wives and concubines and the amazing hall of mirrors. We have a photo stop outside the pink sandstone Palace of the Winds, an incredible honeycomb of windows from which the royal household’s ladies watched the street life and processions below. Next, we visit the City Palace, home to the present Maharaja of Jaipur, viewing the superb collection of formal robes, intricate carpets, fine paintings and an impressive armoury. Finally we see the outstanding 18th-century Jantar Mantar open-air observatory, a collection of early yet extremely accurate astronomical instruments.
6
This morning we leave Jaipur and experience one of India’s greatest institutions, the iconic railway system. We board the comfortable ‘chair-class’ carriages of the Shatabdi Express, travelling to Ajmer. From here we drive to Pushkar, the sacred Hindu town, home to the world’s largest camel fair. A gathering of as many as 160,000 dealers and coinciding with the full-moon in November, business often takes a back seat to musicians, snake-charmers and dancers on hot coals. After checking in to the family-run three-star superior Pushkar Resort, it’s time to explore the town. We visit its rare Brahma temple, the only place in the world where it is permitted to worship the creator-God of the Hindu religion, continuing through the small market to visit the sacred lake and bathing ghats at the town’s heart. A buffet dinner at your hotel is included tonight.
7
Leaving Pushkar, we continue towards Nagaur Fort, a little-known fort-cum-palace complex displaying a unique merging of Rajput and Moghul architecture. With its 800-year history and careful restoration, it well deserves its UNESCO recognition. Driving through pleasant country roads, through an arid landscape of sand dunes, we are off the beaten track, surrounded by the rural India of ox carts and small villages before seeing the astonishing Khimsar Fort, where we stay for two nights. Nothing prepares you for the sight of this grand, 16th century edifice of towers, domes and ramparts, in the same family for 21 generations, now a charming heritage hotel. The rooms are all different and spread out within the walls. There’s a bar, restaurant, tea room and spa, plus a lovely pool. Dinner is included tonight, either set out within the picturesque ruins of one of the buildings or along the battlements.
8
Today we have a free day enjoying our peaceful surroundings, with the option of a jeep drive into the local ‘bush’ hopefully spotting blackbuck and bluebuck, two of the local antelope species, then a walk experiencing colourful village life. There’s plenty of time to relax or explore and enjoy this delightful hotel. Marvel at its extensive ramparts, stroll through the lush green gardens watching peacocks, before taking tea on the veranda. This afternoon perhaps enjoy a drive to the dunes and a short camel cart ride before halting at the desert’s edge to experience that magical moment when the sun sinks slowly in a fiery glow. This evening, there’s a delightful Kalbelia dance troupe, a typical Rajasthani puppet show and traditional musicians.
9
This morning we take the short drive to Jodhpur, the ‘Blue City’, so named after the colourwash of its ‘old city’ which is totally dominated by the imposing Mehrangarh Fort towering above. Few sights can match this for pure grandeur, a gigantic mass of stonework seemingly growing from the huge hill on which it stands. Its museum houses Emperor Akbar’s sword, plus numerous howdahs and antique belongings of the Maharajas. This afternoon we walk through Jodhpur’s fascinating open-air Clocktower Market, crammed with orange and red turbaned vendors selling absolutely everything and a real photo opportunity. Tonight we stay at the four-star WelcomHotel Jodhpur.
10
Today we leave Jodhpur and the plains of Rajasthan behind us, driving east to the Aravali Hills. Here the landscape changes to smooth bare hilltops interspersed with lush green narrow valleys, in one of which lies Ranakpur and arguably India’s finest Jain temple. Beautifully constructed entirely from white marble and completely covered by some of the world’s finest intricate carvings, no two of its 1,444 columns are identical. After an included lunch, we continue to Udaipur, where we stay two nights at the four-star Oberoi Trident Hotel. You may also upgrade your stay to the utterly sumptuous five-star Taj Lake Palace, one of the world’s finest hotels and an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience. Also available are upgrades to the award-winning five-star Oberoi Udaivilas, renowned as one of the very best hotels on the Indian subcontinent.
11
Udaipur, the City of Lakes with its backdrop of green-covered hills, has a stunningly romantic setting which never fails to impress. The stage for countless Bollywood films and James Bond’s ‘Octopussy’, Udaipur’s most famous sight is the astonishing white marble Lake Palace, seemingly floating on the calm waters of Lake Pichola. Overlooking this is the vast complex of the City Palace, where we’ll see the Maharani’s amazingly decorated private apartments, courtyards, pleasure gardens and a host of miniature paintings, palanquins and armaments. We’ll also see the great Durbar Hall and the Crystal Gallery, lined with thousands of unique items of crystal, all produced in Birmingham in 1877. This afternoon you are free to explore as you wish. Signature Experiences: Step back to another era as we delve into the Maharana of Mewar’s incredible collection of classic and vintage cars. Pause to admire these motoring masterpieces, all have been painstakingly restored, and reflect on times gone by when these would have been the only motor vehicles gracing the streets of Udaipur. The cars are now housed in the original garage which comes complete with original Shell petrol pump, remarkably still in working order. End your day in style with a magical sunset cruise on Lake Pichola. Float across the shimmering lake in a private boat as the sun comes to rest on the horizon and gaze in wonder at the pristine palaces and elegant mansions which line the shores. Then discover the opulent Jagat Niwas Palace, an elegant 17th century ‘Haveli’, today a palace hotel. Step into the cool marble courtyards and admire the stunning lake views from the dazzling white balconies and ornate windows before dining on Rajasthani cuisine in these most historic surroundings.
12
Today we take a domestic flight to the Sikh holy city of Amritsar (via Delhi). Our hotel for the next two nights is the five-star Hyatt Amritsar.
13
The Golden Temple is quite extraordinary, with this magical building alluringly reflected in its huge sacred pool, surrounded by marble colonnaded arcades. Once inside, the richly gilded inlay work is a revelation - wood panels decorated with gold and silver plus ivory carvings, all under a brilliant dome containing 100kg of pure gold. In accordance with Sikh custom anyone is offered sustenance free of charge, with the resultant kitchens capable of feeding 6,000 people per hour – we see their huge vats of dhal (lentils) and an ancient machine producing a constant stream of hot chapattis! We also see the site of the Amritsar Massacre, where in 1919 a nationalist demonstration of unarmed locals was fired upon by the British authorities, without warning. This pivotal event had a profound effect on Gandhi, who then initiated his ultimately successful ‘civil disobedience’ campaign. In the afternoon, we take the short drive to the nearby Bagh Border post with Pakistan to see the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony. Over the years a lighthearted, rather bizarre competition has developed as to which country has the most flamboyant marching style and vociferous supporters, with thousands coming to see this event daily. It’s a typically Indian concoction, a blend of open-air theatre, party and military parade. Finally, both border gates are ceremoniously closed and the respective flags lowered for the night. Dinner is included tonight.
14
We fly back to Delhi for our final night at The Connaught, New Delhi Hotel, with dinner, located close to the airport.
15
Transfer to the airport for the return flight to London.
5* Jaipur Marriott Hotel - Jaipur
This modern hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and spa, the hotel has 2 restaurants offering a selection of international and local fishes, a café/bakery and a bar serving drinks and snacks. The 374 modern stylish air-conditioned rooms all have bath, shower, hairdryer, minibar, safe, iron/board, cable TV, tea/coffee-maker and Wi-Fi. Swimming pools in India: most outside pools are not heated and may not be usable in the winter months.
Tajview Agra-ihcl Seleqtions
The five-star superior Tajview Hotel is managed by Taj Hotels and is situated in the centre of town overlooking six acres of lush, well-tended gardens and an outdoor pool. The hotel has a lobby lounge, an all-day restaurant serving Indian & continental buffets as well as a la carte menus, plus an Indian restaurant and bar. The 100 comfortable rooms are all air-conditioned, with en-suite bathroom, hairdryer, TV, minibar, wireless internet (extra charge), safe and tea/coffee-maker. Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and may not be usable during the winter months.
4* Superior The Connaught - New Delhi
Located near to India Gate, in Connaught Place which is an experience itself with an array of dining options to choose from and simply to take in the heart of New Delhi, the four-star superior Connaught is a cosy retro retreat. Perfect after exploring the sights and sounds of Delhi to enjoy a sundowner at The Hub Bar, where the restaurant is also located. Other hotel facilities include a fitness room and a temperature controlled indoor plunge pool. The 104 rooms include an en-suite shower room, air-conditioning, minibar (extra charge) safe, TV, tea/coffee making facilities, complimentary newspaper and wi-fi. 24 hour in-room dining is available (extra charge). (Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and some may not be usable during the winter months).
3* Superior Clarks Safari Pushkar - Pushkar
The family-run three-star superior Clarks Safari Pushkar is located in a quiet rural location just outside the town. The one and two-storey bungalows are spread out over 15 acres of well-tended grounds and the property has a lovely open-air pool with plenty of sunbathing areas. The 40 rooms are simply furnished and include air-conditioning, ceiling fan, en-suite shower/wc and TV. Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and may not be usable during the winter months.
5* Welcomhotel Jodhpur - Jodhpur
The five-star Welcomhotel Jodhpur is set on the edge of the Thar Desert, set against the somber and arid landscape of Rajasthan is – WelcomHotel Jodhpur. The hotel offers a range of elegantly appointed rooms and suites, all with Room controlled air conditioning and heating, In-room tea and coffee making facilities, Minibar, High-speed internet access, Safe with capacity to hold laptop, Iron / ironing board on request and Hair Dryer. There are multiple dining options giving the discerning traveler a choice ranging from European, Regional Indian & Asian cuisines to specialty Rajasthani cuisines.Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and may not be usable during the winter months.
5* Taj Lake Palace - Udaipur
The five-star Taj Lake Palace is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s most outstanding hotels and since it opened as a hotel in 1963 it has welcomed Royalty, world leaders and the cream of international society. There are numerous dining options: Jharokha is the hotel’s informal all-day dining venue which serves both Indian and continental dishes with a Mediterranean or Asian theme. Neel Kamal, or the Blue Lotus, overlooks the lily pond at the centre of the hotel and is known for is excellent royal Mewar cuisine. The Bhairo restaurant serves contemporary European cuisine on the rooftop of the Lake Palace and offers some superb views across the water to the City Palace. The lounge bar is the hotel’s social hub and is also the ideal place for High Tea or for light snacks throughout the day. You may also dine literally on the lake itself, on the hotel’s pontoon or royal barge. Leisure facilities include an open-air pool overlooking the lake and the hotel’s excellent Jiva Spa. All 83 rooms and suites come with 24-hour butler service and are all beautifully and individually furnished, with air-conditioning, luxury bathroom, hairdryer, satellite TV, wireless internet (extra charge), safe, minibar and tea/coffee-maker.Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and may not be usable during the winter months.
4* Oberoi Trident Hotel - Udaipur
The four-star Oberoi Trident Hotel is located in extensive and beautifully landscaped gardens close to Lake Pichola. There is an outdoor pool with plenty of sunbathing areas and views of the surrounding hills. The main restaurant serves both buffet and a la carte meals with Indian and western options, whilst the terrace is the ideal place for an Indian dinner under stars. There is also an air-conditioned lounge bar, fitness room and beauty salon. All 141 air-conditioned rooms are comfortably furnished and have shower, hairdryer, safe, minibar, satellite TV, tea/coffee-maker, free WiFi and garden view.Udaipur Lake Palace Upgrade from £349 per person.Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and may not be usable during the winter months.
5* Hyatt Amritsar - Amritsar
The five-star Hyatt Amritsar is located minutes’ drive from main market Hall Bazar & Katra Jaimal Singh and several iconic local attractions. It offers 248 elegantly appointed guestrooms including suites which are on the highest floor of the hotel to ensure panoramic views of the city. Rooms have a sleek contemporary design and the highest levels of comfort with 24-hour room service, Coffee maker, Cable/satellite TV channels, Minibar High-speed Internet access, Individual air conditioning control and In-room safe. An exceptional dining experience awaits you at our 5 star restaurants in Amritsar at Hyatt. From authentic Thai, Italian, Chinese and Teppanyaki grills to healthy menus enjoy unique culinary journeys with intimate private dining areas.Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and may not be usable during the winter months.
4* Khimsar Fort - Khimsar
A heritage hotel within the walls of an Old Fort established in the 15th Century by Rao Karamsji, 8th son of the founder of Jodhpur. Khimsar Fort is a historic well-preserved fine example of a Royal Manor. Spread within an area of eleven acres of orchards, open lawns all amidst open countryside. Other facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, spa (extra charge), sauna and steam room (extra charge), fitness room. Dining options comprise of all day finger food at the poolside bar to traditional Rajasthan cuisine, Italian specialities or for a special experience an outdoor candle lit dinner amidst the ancient fort (extra charge). The 68 rooms include an en-suite shower room, (shower amenities upon request), hair dryer, air-conditioning, minibar (extra charge), safe, iron/board, TV, tea/coffee making facilities, complimentary wifi. (Swimming pools in India: are generally not heated and some may not be usable during the winter months).
5* Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
The five-star Oberoi Udaivilas is located on fifty acres of landscaped gardens on the banks of Lake Pichola. The property once belonged to the Maharana of Mewar and offers unrivalled views across the lake towards the city and its palaces. Built in traditional style and crowned by a multitude of domes and cupolas, this multi-award-winning resort is considered one of the very best hotels on the Indian subcontinent. The hotel offers a variety of dining options including the Suryamahal which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy al fresco dining under the stars on the Chandni terrace or at the candlelit Udaimahal restaurant with its live Indian music and known for its unique and fascinating cuisine. Personalised dining experiences can also be arranged. The bar is the social hub of the resort, with its comfortable sofas and views across the lake and gardens. As you would expect, the hotel’s spa is simply superb, with numerous treatments available. Our spacious premier pool view rooms face the lawns and wide courtyard in the middle of the resort, with the pool at its centre. The rooms boast luxurious king-size beds, a choice of pillows, 24-hour butler service, a sitting area, TV & DVD player, safe, minibar, espresso machine and complimentary wifi. The white marble bathroom features a standalone claw-footed bathtub, separate shower, exclusive organic toiletries, hairdryer and bathrobes.