Khajuraho Varanasi GTT Tour

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01 : Arrival Delhi
Arrive Delhi, meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 02 : Delhi
After breakfast proceed for sightseeing tour of Old & 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.

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 would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 03 : Delhi - Jaipur
Early morning drive to Jaipur. Arrive Jaipur and transfer to hotel. Over night in hotel.

Day 04 : Jaipur
After a relaxed breakfast 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.

Jaigarh Fort - The Western skyline is dominated by the extensive parkotas (Walls), watch-towers and gateways of Jaigarh. It is one of the few military structures of medieval India preserved almost intact containing palaces, gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a grannary, an armoury, a well planned cannon foundry, several temples, a tall tower and a giant mounted cannon the Jai Ban the largest in the Country.

Laxmi Narayan Temple - Situated in the south of Jaipur, Laxmi Narayan Temple is one of the many such temples built by wealthy Birla family in India, thus it is also known as Birla Mandir. The temple is a great reminder of the secular traditions India has shown over the centuries. The temple has been constructed in white marble and has three domes, each portraying the different approaches to religion.

The temple is situated at the foot of Moti Doongri Fort, converted as a small palace by Ram Singh II for his wife Gayatri Devi. Evening enjoy an authentic Rajasthani dinner at Chokhi Dhani Village Resort.

Night stay in Jaipur.

Later sight seeing tour of Jaipur covering:

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. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day 05 : Jaipur - Agra (By Car)
After breakfast drive to Agra enroute visiting 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 drive to Agra and transfer to hotel. Evening free to explore the rich handicrafts of Agra. Night stay in Agra.

Day 06 : Agra
Early morning at sunrise visit TAJ MAHAL- the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, built it in 1631 in the memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Behrampur in a campaign to crush a rebellion, after giving birth to their 14th child. Her death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months. When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. An Iranian architect designed it and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a "symbol of eternal love".

Also visit Agra Fort-the rusty and majestic red-sandstone fort of Agra stands on the banks of the river Yamuna and the construction was started by Emperor Akbar in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Am (hall of public audience), a colonnaded hall of red-sandstone with a throne alcove of inlaid marble at the back, the Emperor heard public petitions. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) where marble pavilions with floral inlays lend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat on his gem-studded Peacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and rulers of friendly kingdoms. Night stay in Agra.

Day 07 : Agra- Jhansi - Khajuraho
Today morning transfer to railway station to board the train to Jhansi. Meeting and assistance upon arrival and proceed directly to Orchha.

Orchha, overlooked by the modern era, this beautiful medieval town, was once the capital of Bundela Kings. Built along the banks of the river Betwa, flowing through a rugged countryside, it still retains the captivating air of a bygone era. Amongst the various imposing edifices, of particular interest are the Jehangiri Mahal, built by Raja Bir Singh Deo to commemorate the visit of Moghul Emperor Jehangir, the Raj Mahal and the Laxminarayan temple, both noted for their fine Frescoes and Mural paintings.

After lunch drive to Khajuraho (170 kms/ 4 hrs).

Khajuraho, Built around 1000 A.D., the temples of Khajuraho (Kha-ju-ra-ho) are India's immortal gift of sensual love to the world. Their divine sculptures are a tribute to life itself, embodying its colorful, joyous, and yet sublime essence. Their playful murals portray diverse erotic possibilities and celebrate the essential sensuality of human nature Randing from the majesty of Lord Shiva's lingum (phallus) to the postural enticements of the apsaraas (heavenly maidens), the art of these temples is a tingling paradise for the senses of psyche and soma alike. Extending its keen regard of the erotic to the no less sensual realm of food, Khajuraho, the restaurant, offers Indian cuisine replete with mouth-watering aroma, exotic spices and fabled culinary mysteries

Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 08 : Khajuraho – Varanasi
Today enjoy city tour of Eastern / Western group of temples which includes Laxmi & Varha temples Kandariya Mahadev, Devi Jagdamba temples etc.

Khajuraho temple complex site is one the most popular places both foreign and Indian tourists. Temples of Khajuraho hold the attention of a visitor with their sculptural art, which is so exquisite and intricate, that one cannot even dream of cloning it now. The artist's creative instincts have beautifully captured various facets and moods of life in stone. The temples at Khajuraho are divided into different broad groups:

The Western Group
It is the largest, compact and centrally located group in Khajuraho, includes some of the most prominent monuments, built by the Chandela rulers. The Lakshmana Temple, the Matangesvara Temple and the Varaha Temple form one complex and the Visvanatha and Nandi temples are not far from this complex.

The Eastern Group
It comprises of five detached sub-groups in and around the present village of Khajuraho. The eastern group of monuments, situated in close proximity to the Khajuraho village, includes three Brahmanical temples known as Brahma, Vamana and Javari and three Jain temples, the Ghantai, Adinath and Parsvanath

Later you will be transferred to airport to board the flight for Varanasi. On arrival in Varanasi transfer to Hotel.

Day 09 : Varanasi
Today early morning boat ride on rive Ganges later we shall take an excursion to Buddhist town of Sarnath - The hallowed spot where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment. In the afternoon city tour of Varanasi covering - Alamgir Mosque or Beni Madhav Ka Darera, Dasaswamedh Ghat, & The Bharat Mata Temple. Overnight hotel.

Day 10 : Varanasi - Delhi
Morning you will be transferred to airport to board the flight for Delhi. On arrival in Delhi transfer to Hotel.

Day 11 : Delhi – Departure
On time transfer to international airport to board the flight for onward journey.