The Camel Fair & Holy Ganges

Depart Canada for India. Your international flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment.

Welcome to Incredible India! On your arrival at Indira Gandhi International airport, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel. Time to relax after your journey.

After a late breakfast, we will discover Gandhi Smriti, (formerly Birla House) the museum dedicated to Gandhi, Father of the Nation. Then we drive past the imposing India Gate war memorial, then on to a Sikh temple locally called Gurduwara Bangla Sahib. We will visit this spiritual Sikh temple with its shining golden dome dominating the skyline. We will discover the kitchen where you can see how the food is prepared for devotees. Later we will proceed with our lunch in Connaught Place, which is the hub of central Delhi.
After Lunch – We will visit Humayun’s Tomb. Emperor Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor of India. The tomb was built by his widow, Biga Begum (Hajji Begum), in 1569-70, 14 years after his death, at a cost of 1.5 million rupees. It was later used for the burial of various members of the ruling family and contains some 150 graves. It has aptly been described as the necropolis of the Mughal dynasty. After our visit, we will return back to our hotel for a small break before we leave for our welcome dinner.

After breakfast, we will start our morning tour with a visit to 17th century Old Delhi. Visit the Jama Mosque, the royal mosque built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in 1656. We will travel by bicycle rickshaw through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, the spine of Old Delhi that houses the spice market and jeweler’s lane and then drive past Red Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Later visit Raj Ghat, the memorial site of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation in 1948. In black marble, surrounded by lawn and with an eternal flame burning, Raj Ghat remembers the man who is known as the Father of India. Later we will proceed with our lunch.

After lunch, we will visit the UNESCO world heritage site, Qutab Minar. Located in the district of South Delhi, this magnificent monument in red and buff sandstone is the highest tower in India. Built in the early 13th century, the surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwatu’l-Islam, the oldest in northern India, built of materials reused from some 20 Brahman temples.

In the morning, transfer from the hotel to the airport for your flight to Udaipur. Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your luxury romantic palace hotel. Travel and Leisure Magazine rated the Taj Lake Palace one of the best hotels in the world. After settling in, take in the magnificent views of the City Palace and Jag Mandir from the hotel’s balconies. This will be followed by a hot lunch.

Taj Lake Palace, which was built in the 17th century. When it was transformed into a hotel, its grand interiors drew the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and the King of Nepal. Occupying a four-acre island in Pichola Lake, Cypress-shaded courtyards, gardens, and fountains dot the graceful white marble complex, which was built facing the east so that residents could pray to the sun god at dawn.

Later this afternoon, we will spend an interesting, educational and social evening with Jyoti an Indian cuisine expert, and housewife. She and her husband serve to love and hospitality along with food to their guests. She will host an interesting cooking class for us featuring with some great ingredients that are used for the preparation of authentic Indian cuisine. Jyoti has her own style of cooking and specific choices for the utensils to be used for different preparations. The taste of freshly prepared and cooked ingredients will be great and round off the complete experience.

This morning, we will enjoy a sightseeing tour of the City Palace, a conglomeration of buildings added by various Maharanas; the palace manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design. Then we head to the Crystal Gallery, which features a rare collection of Osler’s crystal ordered from England by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1877. Next, we will visit the Garden of the Maids of Honor locally called Saheliyon ki Bari, which has retained all its traditional charm. It was designed in the early 18th Century specifically for ladies.

After lunch, we will return back to our hotel for leisure time or an opportunity to you use the spa or pool facilities before we leave for our evening activity.

In the early evening embark on a boat cruise on the placid, mystical waters of Lake Pichola with the sun setting behind the hills. Later dinner at the open air Sunset Terrace at the Fateh Prakash Palace, which is over 400 years old.

After breakfast we will proceed to Pushkar. Along the way you will experience the country with an opportunity to feast your eyes on camel carts, trucks, cows, buffalos and more. Arrive and check in your hotel. Later this afternoon we will visit the local market of Pushkar and along the way we will also visit one of the major thriving temples of Lord Brahma, which can be identified by it red spire and by the image of Hans (the swan considered sacred to Lord Brahma). This temple built with marble is decorated with silver coins. This evening’s dinner will be at the camp site followed by a Rajasthani traditional dance performance.

Today we will take a part in the Pushkar Camel festival. We will watch village people buying and selling their livestock, which includes camels, cows, sheep and goats. The women go to the stalls, full of bracelets, clothes, textiles and fabrics.

Pushkar Festival, an annual 6-day camel and livestock fair and one of the world’s largest camel fairs. Thousands of people attend the festival each year. Livestock is bought and sold and stalls abound with jewelers and textiles. The festival begins each year with a camel race followed by music and exhibitions.

After a leisurely start, we drive to Jaipur. The city of Jaipur owes its names, foundation and its careful planning to the great warrior, astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. In 1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai Singh decided to move down from his hillside fortress at nearby Amber to a new site on the plains. He laid out the city, with its surrounding walls and six rectangular blocks, according to the principles of town planning set down in Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. Arrive and check in at your hotel.
After lunch, the afternoon is free for you to spend at your leisure.

Evening Elephant Safari & Dinner – In the land of Maharajas at Dera Amer, we are greeted at the sprawling lawns by a Royal Military Brass Band. An exclusive elephant safari in the jungle followed by a Rajasthani music and home-cooked dinner at a valley camp situated behind the hills of the famous Amer Fort surrounded by the wilderness of a reserved forest with no urban civilization and main occupation in this area is farming.

In the morning after breakfast, enjoy an excursion to Amber Fort including an elephant ride ascent to the fort. Along the way, we will have a photo stop at Hawa Mahal, the ornamental facade of the “Palace of Winds” which is a prominent landmark in Jaipur.
Amber Fort 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 its ultimate expression. Next visit 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. Also, visit 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. The observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.

After lunch, visit Jaipur’s flourishing gem industry area, which is as old as the city itself. Jaipur is world-famous for its precious and semi-precious stones. Of course, no trip to Jaipur would be complete without a visit to Jewels Emporium. Here we will visit the factory and witness jewelry making. Afternoon free for your personal activities.

After breakfast, we will leave for Ranthambore a National Park, the true den of tigers, near the confluence of the lakes namely Padam Talab, Raj Bagh Talab and Milak Talab. Apart from the Bengal Tiger, other animals that inhabit the park are Sloth Bears, Jackals, Marsh Crocodiles, Leopards, Gazelles, Indian Hares, Porcupines, Jungle Cats, Sambhars, Chinkaras, Mongoose, Nilgais, Wild Boar and Monitor Lizards. Birds can also be seen in huge numbers here. Arrive and enjoy your lunch. The afternoon is free to be spent as you wish.
The Ranthambore National Park is equally rich in flora. Trees like Banyan, Dhok, Mango, and Pipal are in abundance. Shallow lakes, gentle slopes, and plateaus dominate the landscape of the park.

Your day will begin with pre-dawn coffee and biscuits before setting off on an early morning game drive in search of the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger. After, return to the hotel for your breakfast. Later we will discover a craft village. It is an intrinsic part of the socio-cultural landscape and offers an insightful peek into life, as it exists in Ranthambore. Return to hotel for lunch. In the late afternoon, we will return to the park for another game drive, ending our day just before sunset. Dinner at the hotel.

After early breakfast, we are transferred to the train station to board our first Indian railway trip to Bharatpur.

Indian Railway, the largest employer in the world, employees nearly 1.5 million people. The history of Indian Railway in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. The core of the pressure for building railways in India came from London. In 1848, there was not a single kilometer of railway line in India. A British engineer, Robert

Maitland Brereton, was responsible for the expansion of the railways from 1857 onwards. Arrive in Bharat, transfer to our coach and drive to Agra. On our way, we will visit Fatehpur Sikri, built by Emperor Akbar in 1569. This was the old capital of the Moghuls, which was abandoned after 15 years due to the scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal & other palaces that are still preserved in their original glory. Later continue to Agra and check in at your hotel followed by lunch.

After lunch, enjoy some time at your leisure to relax before we leave for our evening activity.

In the evening enjoy a fascinating play that depicts the saga of love and a memorable journey into the history of Taj Mahal. The drama portrays the Mughal era in the 16th century. It is series of plays depicting the true and immortal love of Shahjahan for Mumtaz Mahal, his beautiful wife;
the lavish lifestyle of Mughal era; and the hardship of the artisans who worked for 22 years to create the most precious specimen of craftsmanship. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.

We will start our day at sunrise with a visit to one of the most incredible monuments ever built in the world. The Taj Mahal is a monument of love built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.
After breakfast, we will visit Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site with imposing walls of red sandstone. The fort is almost two miles long and contains palaces, audience halls, and mosques.

After lunch, we will visit a renowned marble factory to experience the making of fine inlaid stonework and the translucent marble of the region. The craftsmen of Agra are still renowned for the exquisite marble-inlay work that has made Agra’s monuments famous. Dinner at the hotel.

Drive Agra to Delhi and board your afternoon flight to the holy city of Varanasi. Varanasi is formerly known as Kashi, the city that illuminates. It is the religious capital of Hinduism and one of the oldest living cities in the world. Arrive and transfer to our hotel. In the early evening, we will go to the banks of the Ganges to witness the devotional ceremony of Aarti performed by devout Hindus. Back to hotel.

Early morning – we will leave for a boat ride on the Ganges to see the bathing Ghats (river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise on the riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting sight. Life on the Ghats is bound in an endless string of rituals; ever-changing aspects of the river & the wide landscape across have fascinated visitors from all over the world. We will also pay a quick visit to Mother Teresa’s missionary. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

In the afternoon visit Sarnath, the site where Buddha preached his first sermon. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gayathe, Buddha went to Sarnath and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the ‘Wheel of the Dharma’. It is one of the holiest sites as in this place, the stream of the Buddha’s teaching first flowed. Sarnath was a renowned school of learning from 16th century BC to 12th century AD. Visit the ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temple & the museum.
In the early evening, we will go to the banks of the Ganges to witness the devotional ceremony of Aarti performed by devout Hindus. Back to the hotel.

We leave after breakfast to the airport for our flight to Delhi. Arrive and transfer to your hotel until your flight departure for home.

You will be transferred to Delhi International Airport for your International flight connection to Canada. All good things should come to an end, so does your holiday too. This incredible Journey to India would have filled your mind with too many good memories to be cherished for a life time.