Luxury India Golden Triangle with worlds oldest city Varanasi extension

Day 1 - ARRIVAL IN DELHI
We welcome you to the capital city of India, for a journey across the fascinating history-markers of medieval north India. Wars were fought and rulers changed in Delhi but ordinary lives were lived in relative continuity. Glimpses of these can be seen even today as the character of the city underwent massive changes in the last decades. In the lands fabled to have seen seven cities, signs of the old are continuously jostling with the new, presenting an ever-fascinating panorama. We welcome you to its chaos and stability, into its steadfastness and its impatience, and into a delightful rainbow of amalgamation, producing a world completely its own. Arrive at Delhi airport by flight, meeting, and assistance at the airport and transfer to the hotel for check-in.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 2 - DELHI SIGHTSEEING
Delhi is often distinguished as the old and new, the old referring to the pre –British habitations and the new is Lutyen’s Delhi, built to suit British sensibilities and the rapidly expanding city of independent India. However as we walk you through this city which has fascinated one and all for centuries, you will see that these demarcations are fluid with an intermixing of the old and new Delhi’s producing a supremely fascinating pulse to its city life. This morning after breakfast proceed for sightseeing of Old & New Delhi Old Delhi - Old Delhi is the 300-year-old walled city built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in 1648 as his capital. The focus of the city is the magnificent Jama Mosque built of red sandstone. Drive past the Red Fort from where the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on India’s Independence Day. Visit Jama Masjid, the most elegant mosque in India that stands high on a hillock in between and around these two focal points of the 17th-century city is a thriving modern city in a medieval setting. This area once had a tree-lined broad central avenue, with a canal dividing the thoroughfare. Visit Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s shrine. New Delhi - New Delhi in the early 20th-century British capital designed by Sir Edward Lutyen and Herbert Baker. Drive past the President’s House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the two flanking Secretariat buildings – the nerve center of government activity. Driving down this hillock is the India Gate, the great memorial arch built to commemorate the slain heroes of World War-I and the Indo-Afghan War. Around India Gate are palaces of some of the erstwhile Indian princely states that are now public offices and museums.Visit the precursor to the Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb built in 1565 AD by the widow of the second Mughal emperor Haji Begum. In the vicinity of Humayun’s Tomb is the grave of Delhi’s most revered Sufi Saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin. Humayun’s Tomb is a garden tomb and stands as a high point of early Mughal architecture and technology. The gardens of the Humayun’s Tomb have recently been restored and revitalized to their former glory by the Aga Khan Foundation for Culture. Later drive to Delhi’s most recognized symbol, the 12th century Qutub Minar, standing 72 meters high, and Delhi’s first mosque Quwat-ul-Islam (Light of Islam) Mosque. Also standing in this complex are buildings that were built by successive Islamic rulers and British. We end the day by visiting the Hindu heritage of the city, Lakshmi Narayan temple built by one of India’s premier industrial families, the Birla’s.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 3 - DRIVE FROM DELHI TO JAIPUR (265 KMS / 06 HRS)
This morning after breakfast leave Delhi and drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival check-in at the hotel.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 4 - JAIPUR SIGHTSEEING
Morning After breakfast excursion to Amber fort. Amber is a classic, romantic Rajasthani Fort Palace. The rugged, time-ravaged walls of the Fort may not look beautiful from the outside, but the interior is a virtual paradise. Miniatures painted on the walls depict hunting and war scenes, apart from festivals. Precious stones and mirrors are embedded into the plaster. Inside the Jag Mandir, is the famed Sheesh Mahal - a room with all four walls and ceiling completely embedded with glittering mirror pieces, which were specially imported from Belgium during that period. En route to Amber Fort, you will have a brief photography stop at Hawa Mahal - the Palace of Winds. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Jaipur city visiting Maharaja's City Palace, the former Royal residence, part of it converted into a museum. A small portion is still used by the Royal family of Jaipur. Built-in the style of a fortified campus, the palace covers almost one-seventh of the area of the city. One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion known as Armoury Museum housing an impressive array of weaponry-pistols, blunderbusses, flintlocks, swords, rifles, and daggers. The royal families of Jaipur once used most of these weapons. Later visit the Jantar Mantar, which is the largest stone and marble-crafted observatory in the world. Situated near the gate of the city palace, the observatory has 17 large instruments, many of them still in working condition. Take a Rickshaw Ride in the local market to feel the pulse of Rajasthan.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 5 - DRIVE JAIPUR TO AGRA VIA FATEHPUR SIKRI (245 KMS / 04 ½ HRS)
This morning after breakfast leave Jaipur and drive to Agra en-route visiting Fatehpur Sikri The deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, in honor of the great Saint Sheikh Salim Chisti who blessed Akbar and prophesized the birth of three sons to the heirless Emperor. Akbar used Fatehpur Sikri as his capital and the city was fully occupied for 14 years but slowly became deserted and ruined after Akbar left the city. The scarcity of water was the prime factor for the abandonment of this beautiful city. Visit the remarkably well-preserved, graceful buildings within the 'Ghost City' including the Jama Masjid, tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal Palace, and other palaces that speak of the grandeur and splendor of the Mughal empire at the height of its power. After the visit to Fatehpur Sikri drive to Agra. Upon arrival check-in at the hotel.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 6 - AGRA
The morning after breakfast proceed for sightseeing of Agra Visit Agra Fort - behind its forbidding red sandstone battlements lie palaces that tell the story of the Moghul Empire. The most impressive part of the Fort is the Diwan-e-Am, where the Emperor sat on his throne to dispense to his subjects and the Diwan-e-Khas where he received foreign dignitaries. Visit the Taj Mahal -built by Shah Jahan in 1560 in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. This architectural marvel is a perfectly proportioned masterpiece fashioned from white marble that stands testimony to the skill of 20,000 craftsmen brought together from Persia, Turkey, France, and Italy and who took 17 years to complete this ' Love Poem in marble'. (Taj Mahal remains closed on Friday).
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 7 - AGRA TO DELHI BY DRIVE (4 hrs drive ) TO BOARD FLIGHT FOR VARANASI
Today morning drive from Agra to Delhi to board a flight for Varanasi. Transfer to Delhi airport to board a flight to Varanasi. Upon arrival meet & assistance and transfer to hotel. Evening visits the Ganges to witness the Aarti ceremony. Aarti is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. In the traditional Aarti ceremony, the flower represents the earth (solidity), the water and accompanying handkerchief correspond with the water element (liquidity), the lamp or candle represents the fire component (heat), the peacock fan conveys the precious quality of air (movement), and the yak-tail fan represents the subtle form of ether (space). The incense represents a purified state of mind, and one’s "intelligence" is offered through the adherence to rules of timing and order of offerings. Thus, one’s entire existence and all facets of material creation are symbolically offered to the Lord via the Aarti ceremony.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 8 - VARANASI SIGHTSEEING
Early morning boat ride on river Ganges. The ride gives you an unforgettable experience seeing the bathing and cremation sites. The boat ride takes you till Manikarnika Ghat- the cremation ghat and back. After the boat ride, take a small walking tour through narrow lanes of Varanasi passing by Vishwanath temple- also called The Golden temple because of the gold-plating on its roof and Durga temple ((Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple). Later return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast excursion to Sarnath Buddha preached his first sermon to five disciples at the Deer Park here, enshrining the principles of his teaching into laws. The Dhamek Stupa Marks the location of a once resplendent monastery a large complex of ruined monasteries covers the area north of the stupas some of the buildings belong to the Kushan and Gupta period. The first monk communities probably settled here in the 3rd century BC. Near the Dhamek Stupa is a new Monastery built by the Buddhist Mahabodhi Society. The major events of Buddha’s life are depicted here in wall paintings by a Japanese artist. Sarnath has an interesting archaeological museum that has preserved the famous Sarnath pillar whose capital forms India’s national emblem. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 9 - FLIGHT FROM VARANASI TO DELHI
Today in time transfer to Varanasi airport to board the flight to Delhi. Meeting & Assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel for check-in.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 10 - LEAVE DELHI
Today in time transfer to Delhi airport to board the flight for back home.