Cultural Heritage Of Rajasthan Tour

Arrival at Delhi airport, welcome by our representative and transfer to Delhi hotel. Rest of the day is free for leisure. Depending on your arrival time, you can rest after your international flight or explore the city at your own pace.

As you have the opportunity and you decide to walk by yourself, Delhi will be your first contact with India. Crossed by the river Yamuna, the city is divided into five municipal administrations, including New Delhi, the capital of India. Delhi is full of ancient vestiges testifying to a continuous human presence since the 6th century BC. When one travels through the city, one discovers its past which evokes the first Hindu cities that composed it. It later became the sultanate of Delhi. One goes back in time circulating through the exceptional monuments dating from the Mughal Empire. One plunges into the atmosphere of the East India Company of Great Britain, a period during which Delhi wanted to be the testimony of the power of the British Empire. Finally, one visits modern India, become independent in 1947, a country in full expansion and constantly changing. Delhi is the economic center of North India, the capital with the densest road network of India, a city of more than 17 million inhabitants. A gigantic agglomeration where business districts coexist with popular dwellings and where upscale shops share the street with traditional markets. Overnight stay is scheduled in Delhi hotel.

After breakfast, your driver accompanies you to Delhi airport to board your flight to Leh. As you arrive at Ladakh airport, you will be welcomed by our representative to be transferred to pre-booked Leh hotel. Your first day is relatively relaxed. Leh being located at an altitude of 3500 m, it is advisable to observe a period of adaptation to avoid suffering from mountain sickness. Post-lunch, your guide and driver will take you to the monastery of Sankar. This relatively modern gompa is home to about twenty monks from the Gelugpa school, also known as the Yellow Caps. While most Ladakh monasteries are built on top of a hill, the monastery of Sankar hides behind poplars in a labyrinth of lanes lined with traditional houses. The interior of the gompa has beautiful Buddhist frescoes and few rooms of prayers. Later, drive to the Tibetan district of Leh and visit its market. After meandering through the stalls of this lively place, take the road back to your hotel. Overnight stay has been scheduled at Leh hotel.

After breakfast in early morning, depart on 4 hours travel drive that separates you from Bikaner. The city is the administrative headquarters of the region. It was once the capital of a princely state. Bikaner, founded by Rao Bika in 1488, is the fourth largest city in Rajasthan. It is surrounded by a crenellated rampart and was once an important stop on the route of the caravans. On arrival at Bikaner, you will be transferred to the pre-booked hotel to check in, relax and have lunch. In the afternoon, visit the fort of Junagarh. It was built between 1588 and 1593. It is encircled by a rampart counting about 37 bastions and measuring nearly one kilometer in length. The interior of the fort is accessed by the Suraj Pol, which means the "Gate of the Sun". The fort contains many palaces and temples forming courtyards, balconies and kiosks. Your city walk also takes you to the foot of the downtown havelis, as well as to a Jain temple. If time permits, you can visit Camel Breeding Research Centre. Overnight stay is scheduled in Bikaner hotel.

After breakfast, during the day, take a long drive through the Thar desert towards Jaisalmer. Your journey takes about 7 hours, an en-route stop is provided for your lunch at a local restaurant. Arrive at the end of the day in the city of Jaisalmer, also called "Cité Dorée" in French language, due to the color of the yellow sandstone used for its construction. Jaisalmer is a thriving old trading city in the Thar desert. It is dominated by a splendid and imposing citadel. It was founded in 1156 by the Maharaja Jaisal Singh and retains many testimonies of its past splendor. Check in at the hotel, spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay.

Full day tour of Jaisalmer is scheduled today. Begin with your sightseeing tour of Jaisalmer, the citadel city which is surrounded by a 5 km rampart with 99 bastions and corner towers. This majestic fortified city owes its historical importance and its richness to its strategic location on a caravan route between India and Persia, Arabia and the West. The city is famous for its havelis, built by members of Baniya/ Vaishya (merchant) caste in the eighteenth century. Your discovery continues in the direction of a Jain temple and then its bazaar. Depending on the sightseeing schedule, a stop at a local restaurant is provided for your lunch. At the end of the day, you take part in a camel ride to the Sam sanddunes to watch the sunset over the Thar Desert. In the evening you will join a camp set up in the dunes. Dinner will be served while you are attending a traditional dance show. Later, return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After early breakfast, depart by road to Jodhpur, known as the "Blue City". It is located on the edge of the Thar Desert. Jodhpur is the largest city of Rajasthan after Jaipur. It was built in 1459 by the chief of the Rajput clan of the Rathores. It is surrounded by a 10 km long rampart and takes its name from the Indigo color of the houses of the old town. The blue color, once reserved to the caste of the Brahmans, is nowadays used by all.

Stop en route for your lunch at a local restaurant. You will arrive at Jodhpur in the middle of the afternoon to visit Mehrangarh Fort. It is owned by the Maharaja of Jodphur and certainly one of the most impressive fortresses of Rajasthan. Perched atop its hill, 125 meters above sea level, the fort offers a sublime panorama of the old town, where you can see the Clock Tower which marks the entrance to the bazaar. It houses several successive palaces and courses as well as a sacred place, the Chamunda Devi Temple. From the fort you can see the Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial dedicated to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Check-in at the hotel, spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay therein.

After breakfast, leave Jodhpur in the morning to head to Rohet, a town about 1 hour drive away. Upon arrival, board a 4x4 vehicle to visit a village inhabited by a Bishnoi community. This population lives mainly in Rajasthan. They are Hindus. The Bishnoi have adapted religion by assiduously following 29 fundamental principles. The term Bishnoi is also the literal translation of the number 29. The basic precepts that accompany their culture are linked to vegetarianism, non-violence, respect for nature or certain precise clothing customs. Nowadays, some Bishnoi live in the city. However, the majority of these people still scrupulously respect & follow their beliefs and then live in lonely villages in the countryside. During the day, visit the village, meet the Bishnois, discover their way of life and all the precepts that condition their social organization. During the day, have lunch in a local restaurant. You will return to Rohet in the late afternoon to reach your hotel. Check-in at the hotel, spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay therein.

Have breakfast at the hotel and drive towards Udaipur. The journey takes about 5 hours. A few kilometers before reaching Udaipur, you first reach the Aravalli mountain range. In this region, the deep, wooded valleys hide a place of Jain pilgrimage built in the 15th century. Constructed entirely of white marble, its architecture is spectacular as much by its dimensions as by the fine sculptures that cover it. The visit of this site is remarkable. The main building, the Chaumukha temple, consists of 29 rooms, presenting 80 cupolas and 420 different pillars. Photography inside the building is not allowed. Thereafter, on the way to Udaipur, visit the temples of Eklingi and Nagda, whose foundations date back to the 10th century. On arrival at Udaipur, check-in at the hotel, spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay therein.

Udaipur is located on the banks of Lake Pichola. Some see it as the most romantic city in Northwestern India. Former capital of the Mewar state, it was the only stronghold to defend its Hindu allegiance against the Muslim invasion. At the end of the 16th century, peace reignited the arts and encouraged the construction of palaces on the shores of the lake and in particular the City Palace, one of the largest palaces in the world. In the center of the lake stands the Lake Palace and the Jag Mandir. These symbols of Udaipur were the refuge of Mughal rebel Shah Jahan, who later built the incomparable Taj Mahal. This day is dedicated to the discovery of the city. Begin your walk in the center by taking the direction of the City Palace, a majestic white palace overlooking the lake. Together fortified, its main entrance, erected in 1725, presents a triple arc called "Tripolia". You will also discover the Suraj Gokhada, which is also of great interest. Continue towards the Sahelion Bi Bari or the Garden of Bridesmaids. It has many fountains, multiple kiosks and a nice lotus pond. It was here that the ladies of the royal family strolled away from the prying eyes and tumults of the city. At the end of the day, and if the water level of Lake Pichola allows, you will go for a boat ride to take a closer look at the famous Lake Palace and the Jag Mandir. Later return to the hotel for leisure and overnight stay.

After breakfast, depart for Jaipur. After 7 hours long drive, arrive at Jaipur to be checked in at the pre-booked hotel. Capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is known as the "Pink City" in reference to the color of its palaces, its havelis and its forts constructed of pink sandstone. Jaipur means "the city of victory". It was built in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh-II. Surrounded by steep hills on three sides, the whole of the city is surrounded by a fortified enclosure, guarded by seven gates. The rest of the day is left free for your leisure. Overnight stay is scheduled in Jaipur hotel.

Have breakfast and drive to the immediate vicinity of Jaipur to explore the Amber Fort. This sumptuous fortified palace is made up of courtyards and rooms, most of which are painted with frescoes or encrusted with semi-precious stones and mirrors. More fascinating is the Sheesh Mahal where the illumination of the room of mirrors is done by the reflection of a single lamp in the game of mirrors. You will enjoy an elephant ride at Amber Fort. Thereafter, return to the city centre of Jaipur. Your day continues by visiting the City Palace and then taking the direction of the Hawa Mahal, the famous Palace of Winds.. It shelters behind a five-storey red sandstone facade, adorned with 593 windows and balconies finely chiselled and openwork, making the construction much more important than it actually is. It was used as a screen for ladies of the royal family who sheltered there to attend the street show without being seen by passers-by. Your day ends with a walk in the Jantar Mantar Observatory. Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it is the most famous of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh in India. He was a patron and a great admirer of advances in research in the fields of science and technology. The precision of the instruments astonishes and arouses admiration, like the gigantic sundial whose main room is 27 meters high. The rest of the day is left free for your leisure. Overnight stay is scheduled in Jaipur hotel.

After breakfast in early morning, leave for Agra. Your journey takes about 5 hours. Upon arrival in town, have lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you visit one of the biggest symbols of India, the Taj Mahal. On the bank of the Yamunâ, Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal to perpetuate the memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. This true jewel of Indo-Persian art is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took 22 years and 20,000 men to build this masterpiece of white marble encrusted with semi-precious stones. The marble was extracted more than 300 kilometers away from the city and transported by more than 1,000 elephants. The minarets that flank the building are purely decorative, the Taj Mahal not being a mosque. The rectangular basin bordered by cypress trees reflects the monument with enchanting magic charm. Under the dome, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz rest united for eternity (closed on Friday). Depending on the time available, you can complete your discovery of Agra by a quick visit to the Red Fort. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is built on a promontory overlooking the Yamunâ River. This Mughal fort contains palaces with refined decorations but also a maze of buildings that make it a city within the city. The present structure owes its origins to Akbar. He built its walls and gates in 1565, as well as the first buildings on the banks of the Yamunâ River. Shah Jahan added Moti Masjid, also known as "Pearl Mosque". It is considered by some to be the most beautiful in the subcontinent. Check-in at the hotel, spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay therein.

After early morning breakfast, drive to Delhi. On arrival at Delhi, take part in a walk through New Delhi and Old Delhi. The first monument to visit is Qutub Minar. This famous 73 m high minaret is the best preserved vestige of the first Muslim city. Pass through the Royal Way called Raj Path and stop in front of the India Gate. This war memorial was erected between 1921 and 1931 in memory of Indian soldiers of the British Indian Army who fell during the First World War and during the Afghan wars. Pass through the presidential palace and the government buildings. Continue to Old Delhi and visit the Red Fort. Built in red sandstone, this imposing citadel extends over 2 km. The fortified city is established to the east. The entrance is via the impressive Lahore Gate. It leads to the Chatta Chowk, a shopping mall of handicrafts and antiques. Your day ends at the foot of Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. It has 2 minarets 40 m high, its inner courtyard can hold up to 25 000 people. Check-in at the hotel, spend evening in leisure and have overnight stay therein.

Free day before your transfer to the airport. If your flight takes off at night, your room is available until the early evening (9 pm).