Taj Mahal with Backwaters 10 Days

In a survey conducted by National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, the details of which are in the latest issue of 'Traveler' magazine, the beautiful backwaters of Kerala have been placed second, among the three selected from India. It is a remarkable achievement for Kerala, as it outclassed the world renowned destination of Taj Mahal, which according to the survey was granted the third spot with Rajasthan emerging as the number one in India.

According to the panel of judges behind the survey, the lakes, rivers and canals in Kerala, on which visitors ply aboard houseboats, present a unique travel and cultural experience. It is one of South India's well-kept secrets and the houseboats reflecting traditional style, allow travellers to have a very relaxed vacation, the judges observed.

The survey that rated the world's top 133 tourist places puts Rajasthan in the 19th place with backwaters of Kerala and Taj Mahal along with Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri at 23rd and 30th places respectively.

Itinerary Details

Destinations Covered : Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Delhi - Mumbai - Cochin - Alleppey - Cochin - Mumbai - Depart

Day: 01 - ARRIVAL DELHI
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport in Delhi late in the night or midnight. Transfer to your hotel. Relax.

DELHI: the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.
Overnight stay at Delhi.

Day: 02 - DELHI SIGHTSEEING
After breakfast our company guide will meet you at hotel lobby and proceed to sightseeing tour of New and Old Delhi,

Breakfast at Hotel

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

OLD DELHI - A sight-seeing 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.

NEW DELHI - An extensive sight-seeing 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 and would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave.

Evening Proceed to see the DANCES OF INDIA show in the evening,

Overnight will be at Delhi.

Day: 03 - DELHI - JAIPUR
After breakfast proceed to Jaipur by road,

JAIPUR: The origins of the beautiful city of Jaipur can be traced back to the eighteenth century, during the reign of Jai Singh II who ascended the Amber throne in 1699. Jaipur today, epitomizes the spirit of Rajputana. In-spite of growing into a bustling metropolis, it still retains its character and history - A beautiful fusion of the yesteryears and modernity. Jaipur is popularly known as the Pink City because of the extensive use of the locally abundant pink plastered stone, painted so in honor of the visit of the royal consort of Queen Victoria. Jaipur thrills the soul with its massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite temples and lush gardens.

Proceed for sightseeing tour of Jaipur visiting.

Overnight will be at Jaipur.

Day: 04 - JAIPUR
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel, Proceed for a morning excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant ride ascent to the fort.

AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds it's ultimate expression.

Continue sight-seeing.

CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.

JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.

HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. Their five-storey structures of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women.

Relax in the evening or visit the markets. Overnight will be at Jaipur.

Day: 05 - JAIPUR - FATEHPUR SIKRI - AGRA
Drive to Agra visiting Fatehpur Sikri en-route after breakfast.

Fatehpur Sikri: The deserted, red Sandstone City, Emperor Akbar built that as his capital and palace in the late 16th century is an exhilarating experience. It a veritable fairytale city and its "ruins" are in pristine condition ... it's not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its grandeur. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world.

Continue your drive to Agra and on arrival check-in at Hotel.

AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-al-Khalifa {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously.

Proceed for day sightseeing of Agra.

TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to 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.

AGRA FORT - Built by the famed Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.

Overnight will be at Agra.

Day: 06 - AGRA - DELHI - MUMBAI
Morning breakfast at hotel and proceed by road to delhi, on arrival delhi transfer to airport to catch flight to Mumbai,

MUMBAI:
Its young, its lively and a confluence of varied cultural currents and cross currents have given Mumbai a unique position of the most multi-ethnic city of India. The capital city of Maharashtra State formerly known as Bombay lies in the southwestern part of India and occupies a peninsular site originally composed of seven islets lying off the KONKAN COAST of western India. Oozing with the cocksure self-confidence of a maverick moneymaker and "Bindass" (carefree) attitude, Mumbai is also country's financial and commercial hub and has a principal port on the Arabian Sea.

Yet, there's another face of Mumbai too that is of the most densely populated cities in the world. Mumbai is located on a site of ancient settlement and took its name from the local Goddess "Mumba" - a form of Parvati, the consort of Shiva, one of the principal Gods of Hinduism - whose temple once stood in what is now the southeastern section of the Mumbai city.

Enjoy a local beach in the evening.

Overnight will be at Mumbai.

Day: 07 - MUMBAI SIGHTSEEING
Morning breakfast at hotel and proceed for sightseeing tour of Mumbai, visiting

Mumbai Fort: The area north of Colaba is known as Mumbai Fort, since the old British fort was once located here. There are a lot of impressive buildings from Mumbai's golden period here. St. John's church, dedicated to the soldiers, who laid down their lives in the Sindh campaign of 1838, and the first Afghan war of 1843, is also worth a visit.

Marine Drive in Mumbai: Marine Drive located in the central Mumbai, built in the 1920s and 30s on land reclaimed from the sea, is Mumbai's most famous thoroughfare. It is also referred to as the Queen's Necklace because of the dramatic line of street lamps lit up at night. Recently it has come to known as Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Road with Nariman Point on one end to Babulnath, at the foot of Walkeshwar on the other.

Gateway of India: Mumbai's principal landmark, the Gateway of India is a huge archway on the water's edge at Apollo Bunder. It is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. This famous monument was built to commemorate the visit of the first ever British Monarch, King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.

Flora Fountain / Hutama Chowk: This fountain situated in the heart of the city was erected in 1869 in honour of a British Governor of Bombay. Sir Brtle Frere. Flora Fountain marks a junction of five streets and known as the 'Picadilly Circus 'of Mumbai, which is decorated at its four corners with mythological figures, the Fountain is a structure in dull stone with a figure the Roman Goddess of flowers, at the top.

Victoria Terminus / Western Railway Station: At the site of the Koli's original temple to Mumba Devi now stands Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus - one of Mumbai's most prominent buildings and architecturally one of the finest stations in the world. It is built in a style that combines Gothic and Indian influences. It was completed in 1885. Designed by F.W. Stevens the building commenced in 1878. This Italian gothic Building has a frontage of over 15,00 feet. The administrative offices form three sides of a rectangle enclosing an ornamental garden, the entrance gate guarded by a massive stone Lion and Tiger. The most prominent feature of this building is the high 160 feet dome crowning the centre. On top of the giant dome is a figure of a women with a torch held aloft to symbolise progress.

Mumbai High court: An attractive building in early English Gothic style, situated next to the Oval Ground is well worth a visit for its impressive architecture. Statues representing Justice and Mercy surmount the Central structure.

Rajabai Clock tower: Rajabai Clock tower, situated at the gardens of the Bombay University building rises above the portion of the library section. Consisting of five elaborately decorated storeys the tower is 280ft.in height. The top of the cupola is ornamented with sixteen statues depicting various Indian castes.

Hanging Gardens in Mumbai: Also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, the Hanging Gardens were built in 1880 and renovated in 1921. These gardens are popularly known as Hanging Gardens, because of their location on the slope of a hill. The terrace garden looks south from Malabar Hill towards Colaba, and affords a panoramic view of the city or a breathtaking sunset. It is built over three reservoirs, which store 30 million gallons of water pumped here for cleaning before being supplied to the town.

Transfer to hotel and relax, Overnight stay at hotel,

Day: 08 - MUMBAI - COCHIN
On arrival transfer to hotel, check in hotel and relax,

Proceed for a sightseeing tour of FORT COCHIN. A few interesting sites included in the tour are the Chinese fishing nets along the Vasco Da Gama Square, Santa Cruz Basilica, St. Francis Church, VOC Gate, Bastion Bungalow, Jewish Synagogue, Mattancherry Palace, etc. Learn the operation of the interesting Chinese fishing nets erected on teak wood and bamboo poles which work on the principle of balance. Records say they were first set up here between AD 1350 and 1450. Vasco Da Gama Square, the narrow promenade that parallels the beach, is the best place to watch the nets being lowered and pulled out of the sea.

Feel the essence of Kerala in Kath kali Dance in evening. Overnight will be at Cochin.

Overnight will be in Cochin.

Day: 09 - COCHIN - ALLEPPEY (HOUSE BOAT)
After breakfast, drive to Alleppey, check in at houseboat; enjoy the backwater cruise by watching beautiful villages, paddy fields, small churches, temples and day-to-day life of village people. Your crew will cook you delicious meals on the boat.

Overnight stay at Houseboat

Day: 10 - ALLEPPEY - COCHIN - MUMBAI - DEPART
Morning breakfast at hotel and proceed by road to cochin,
On arrival cochin transfer to airport to catch flight to Mumbai, on arrival Mumbai transfer to Mumbai international airport to catch flight to home country with sweet memories of tour to India,

TOUR END