8D7N Golden India With Varanasi

Exceptional Experiences:

• Make A Visit to India's most famous monument, Taj Mahal: It is also a sublime shrine to eternal love. Built from between 1632 and 1647 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal was dedicated to Jahan's favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

• Visit the large 16th-century fortress, Agra Fort: Also called Red Fort, it is located on the Yamuna River in the historic city of Agra. The fort complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983

• The Amber Fort: In the Pink City of Jaipur, cradled on the top of the Aravali Hill lies, one of the most magnificent palaces in India. This majestic building with its maze-like passages and serpentine staircases is an architectural masterpiece and with significant importance in Indian history.

• The Jantar Mantar: The Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. This is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India's historic observatories. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Visit the place where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life before he was assassinated on 30 January 1948. This place is named Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum (Gandhi Smriti) formerly known as Birla House or Birla Bhavan.

• Qutab Minar: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built-in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Itinerary:

DAY 1: SINGAPORE – DELHI - VARANASI (Lunch/Dinner)

Depart from Singapore Changi Airport for your flight to Varanasi via Delhi.

Upon arrival in Delhi, meet your friendly English speaking guide and driver. Then, make your way to check in to your hotel to freshen up before heading out on a guided walking tour of the Old City.

Set along the banks of the holy Ganges River, Varanasi is the ultimate destination for Hindu pilgrims who travel from far and wide to experience this spiritual city. It’s a unique experience to navigate through Varanasi's maze of narrow alleyways packed full of small shops, stalls and lumbering cows. See pilgrims performing rituals unchanged for hundreds of years.

After dinner,  return to your hotel.

Accommodation: Radisson Hotel Varanasi or similar

DAY 2: VARANASI - DELHI (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Rise and shine! Start your day early today and make your way and board your sunrise boat ride on the Ganges. See the early morning riverside rituals performed on the Ganges, which is a special experience.

Observe the locals - that will pray, wash and do their laundry. You may also get a glimpse of a Hindu traditional rite of passage for the departed.

After the boat ride, take a short walking tour of the back alleyways of the old city to visit the Hindus holiest temple-Kashi Vishwanath.

Then, return to your hotel to have breakfast before proceeding to visit Dhamekh Stupa and the monastery ruins. This is the place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon.

Thereafter, visit the Archaeological Museum. This fully modernized 100-year-old sandstone museum houses wonderfully displayed ancient treasures from the 3rd-century BC.

After lunch, transfer to airport for your domestic flight to Delhi. Upon arrival at Delhi, transfer to restaurant for dinner.

Accommodation: The Leela Palace New Delhi or similar

The Leela Palace New Delhi is located at the very heart of the capital’s prestigious Diplomatic Enclave. Earning a distinction of having the largest sized rooms in the capital, the hotel has a total of 254 luxurious guest rooms and suites. Each room is equipped with the finest amenities, promising high-end luxury and the comfort of modern technology.

Exclusive Amenities for your stay

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• A complimentary dinner for up to two people per room once during the stay, excluding alcohol, taxes and gratuities (3 course menus, at any of their Signature Restaurants).
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi 

DAY 3: DELHI – AGRA (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

This morning, after your breakfast, meet your guide in the lobby and transfer to the Arga. Your first stop for the day is a visit to the famed UNESCO World Heritage Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a testament for his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. This World Heritage site is an architectural masterpiece and the most remarkable legacy of the Mughal Empire.

Next, continue to visit Mehtab Bagh, just north of Taj Mahal, on the opposite side of the Yamuna River. The lush charbagh complex, also known as Mehtab Bagh or Moonlight Garden offers the best view of Taj Mahal.

Then, make your way to another UNESCO World Heritage Site Agra Fort, built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. As you explore this magnificent World Heritage site you will learn of its history and of the golden era of art, literature and architecture in India.

Before dinner, you might want to jump on a cycle-rickshaw for a rustic ride to the walled city by own expense.

Accommodation: The Oberoi Amarvilas or similar

The Oberoi Amarvilas: Only 600 meters from the Taj Mahal stands the Oberoi Group's luxury resort, travellers can now appreciate the fabulous Taj Mahal while enjoying world-class luxury. The resort has 102 exquisitely appointed rooms and suites, each with an uninterrupted view of the Taj Mahal. Each room has a spacious marble bathroom with separate shower stall, walk-in closet, personal bar, satellite television, compact disc and digital video player, in-room safe and two-line telephones with data ports.

Exclusive Amenities for your stay

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Complimentary lunch for two people, once during stay, excluding alcohol, taxes and gratuities
• Early check-in/ late check-out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi 

DAY 4: AGRA – JAIPUR (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

After breakfast, meet your guide in the lobby and drive to Jaipur, the capital city of the state of Rajasthan, also known as the "Pink City”.

En-route, visit the Chand Baori, a stepwell situated in the village of Abhaneri. Walk around the amazing Chand Baori, a tenth-century water tank that's an impressive 6.1m (20 ft) deep. Learn about ancient Indian environmentalism—a "baori" is a unique Indian invention for harvesting rainwater.

Arrive Jaipur around noon and have lunch in the vicinity. After lunch, proceed to go for a walking tour of the bazaar. Stroll through the labyrinth of colourful alleys where artisans make puppets, bangles, and other local handicrafts. The streets are redolent of spices-turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and more.

In the evening, don't miss the opportunity to see a Bollywood film at the famous Art Deco Raj Mandir cinema at your own expense.

Accommodation: Rambagh Palace, Jaipur or similar
Rambagh Palace, Jaipur: Immerse yourself in the splendour and tradition of kings and princes at Rambagh Palace, ‘The Jewel of Jaipur’. The masterfully restored heritage Taj hotel offers you 33 grand suites and 45 rooms. The romance of Rajasthan comes alive at Rambagh Palace. A destination palace resort spread over 47 acres of tranquil, landscaped gardens, Rambagh Palace is Jaipur’s foremost Royal Palace residence. Rambagh Palace is a living legend in Jaipur. A palace veiled in the mists of time to narrate an interesting story.

Exclusive Amenities for your stay:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• A complimentary lunch or dinner for two people once during stay, excluding alcohol, taxes and gratuities (3 course set menu fixed meal for a couple once during the stay at Rajput Room, excluding Gala Dinner on Dec 24th & Dec 31st)
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

DAY 5: JAIPUR (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

After breakfast, meet your guide and driver in the lobby and start exploring the Pink City. Proceed to the Hindu and Muslim architecture of the beautiful Amber Fort. Wander through the halls, courtyards, and palaces inside and admire the intricate details.

Next, make a quick stop at Hawa Mahal, or "Palace of the Winds," which is named for the cool breeze that comes through the structure and keeps it comfortable, even in the hot Jaipur summers. Don't forget to snap some Instagram worthy shots here to share with your friends and family.

Then, enjoy a visit to the Jal Mahal, also known as Water Palace, built in the centre of a lake. Continue your journey to the Jantar Mantar observatory to see how people looked at the stars and planets in ancient India. Explore the collection of astronomical instruments housed there, some dating back to 1727.

Accommodation: Rambagh Palace, Jaipur or similar

DAY 6: JAIPUR – DELHI (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

This morning after breakfast, meet your guide in the lobby and return to Delhi. Proceed to visit the Archaeological Park is spread over 200 acres and houses about 100 historically significant monuments built over five centuries.

In the forest, the time-ravaged tombs of Balban and Quli Khan, his son, and the Jamali Khamali mosque, attached to the tomb of the Sufi poet Jamali are an impressive sight to witness.

To the west is the 16th-century Rajon ki Baoli, Delhi's finest step-well. Head to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum (Gandhi Smriti) formerly known as Birla House or Birla Bhavan. It is the location where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life and was assassinated on 30 January 1948.

Accommodation: The Leela Palace New Delhi or similar

DAY 7: DELHI (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

This morning, meet your guide in the lobby and spend a full day exploring the walled city called Old Delhi and the cosmopolitan New Delhi.

Walkthrough Chandni Chowk, one of India’s oldest and busiest markets, and learn the history of the Sikh religion at Gurdwara. Make a quick stop for photos at the colourful market before finishing at Connaught Place, one of the most prominent architectural remnants of British rule.

In the afternoon explore New Delhi, it is a city known for its formal parks, magnificent Parliament Building, the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the official residence of the President of India designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen.

Then, visit India Gate, at the centre of New Delhi stands the 42 m high, an "Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway in the middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French counterpart, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I.

End the day at UNESCO World Heritage Qutub Minar, a soaring 73-meter-high tower with each level made of either sandstone or marble.

Accommodation: The Leela Palace New Delhi or similar

DAY 8: DELHI - SINGAPORE (Breakfast)

After breakfast, enjoy some retail therapy at one of the famous shopping mall with many international and national brands to choose from. After dinner, transfer to the airport for the flight home.

Package Includes:

• 2 ways domestic flight
• Tour as per itinerary with local vehicles most of SUV or MPV
• 7-nights luxury 5* hotel accommodation
• Tour as per itinerary with professional private English-Speaking guide
• Tour and meal as per itinerary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please note: This itinerary is designed to give you an idea of what to expect on the tour but is not set in stone. What we actually do on a given day is flexible and can be tailored based on the interests of the group.

This itinerary and its package inclusions might be changed later in time, subject to availability.

ENQUIRE