Golden Triangle with Varanasi Tour

On arrival at New Delhi International Airport, you will be welcomed with flowers and transferred to the hotel. Overnight stay will be in Delhi hotel.

It is a day full of sightseeing and exploration that you were preparing for so long. After getting re-energized by having breakfast, you will discover many facets of Delhi. The morning program includes visit to Chandani Chowk, Red Fort and Jama Masjid. Then the exploration continues with a ride in a rickshaw through the old town. Thereafter, you will be visiting India Gate, Rashtrapati House and Parliament House and beholding the same from a distance. Post lunch, you will be visiting Akshardham Temple, one of the finest examples of Nagar style of temple architecture. Akshardham Temple and Red Fort remain closed on Monday. Thereafter, you will be visiting Qutub Minar, highest stone-built tower of India. During the course of sightseeing, you will have ample opportunity to explore local markets. Later return to Delhi hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will drive to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan . After 6 hours of drive, reach Jaipur. Jaipur is the city of the great warrior-astronomer, Maharajah Jai Sing II (1693-1743) who worked to maintain the good relations that his predecessors had established with the Mughal. Seeing the decline of the Mughal power, Jai Singh left his fortress built on the hillside at Amber to settle in the plain. He founded the city with its outer ramparts and rectangular blocks, according to the principles of Shilpa-Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. In 1728, he built the Jantar Mantar (Yantra Mandir), the remarkable observatory of Jaipur. In 1876, the maharajah Ram Singh painted the whole city in pink, the color of hospitality, to receive the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII).

On arrival at Jaipur, you shall be directly transferred to the hotel to relax, refresh, have breakfast and be prepared for sightseeing of Jaipur. The half day sightseeing will include a visit of City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds). Explore the colourful market also. Later, in the evening, attend deity worship ceremony- AARTI – in Govind Devji Temple. Later return to Delhi hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will go up to the Amber Fort on the back of an elephant. The fort remains untouched and will allow you to discover its labyrinths of courtyards, its gardens invaded by monkeys, its rooms filled with mirrors, its walls of mosaics or even its temple dedicated to Kali. Magnificent pink fortified fort-palace complex, Amber Fort is perched on the rocky slope, 11 Km from Jaipur. Amber (pronounced 'Amer') offers a superb example of Rajput architecture. Amber was once the capital of the state of Jaipur. The construction of the fort was undertaken in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, Rajput commander of Akbar's army. It was later enlarged by Jai Singh before they settled in Jaipur.

Hereinafter visit Jaigarh Palace, known for world’s largest cannon Ramvan, extraordinary water harvesting system and a museum of weapons. Then, proceed to visit Panna Meena Ka Kund. Situated near Anokhi Museum at Jaipur-Amer road, this beautiful place was constructed during sixteenth century. This Kund was designed by a Brahmin and constructed by craftsmen and engineers. The main fact about this place which is believed by locals is that nobody can use the same stairs to get down and go upstairs here which indicates that the same stairs can’t be utilized by the same person. This is an amazing mystery and all the visitors to this place try to do this. The place has stunning pattern of symmetrical stairs which can keep you stunned.

Return to Jaipur city to have lunch in a nice restaurant and again proceed for visiting Albert Hall or Central Museum and the Hindu Birla Temple, dedicated to the deities Vishnu and Lakshmi. Participate in AARTI ceremony here. Later, in the evening, return to Jaipur hotel for overnight stay.

Having taken breakfast at Jaipur hotel, you will be driven to Agra. For Abhaneri, you have to take a detour of 7 kms about 95 kms from Jaipur. The sleepy village of Abhaneri is famous for ancient temple of a goddess. The temple of Abhaneri displays ruins and pieces of sculpture of a high degree of craftsmanship. But, now-a-days, the prime tourist attraction is 10th century Baoris (step-well) which is the most fascinating one in Rajasthan. The well is an innovative and indigenous invention of the local people to collect and harvest rainwater. Abhaneri step-well has 13 levels and is fortified with flights of steps on the three sides. It is an interesting piece of architecture.

Having seen Abhaneri, continue to drive for Agra. On the way to Agra, there is a deserted town of Fatehpur Sikri, now a derelict village. Fatehpur Sikri, 40 km west of Agra, this magnificent fortified phantom city, was the capital of the Mughal kingdom from 1571 to 1585, during the reign of Akbar. Architecturally exceptional, but on an insufficiently irrigated site, the city was abandoned shortly after the death of Akbar. Wonderfully restored by the "Archaeological Survey of India", the palace complex and mosque, still active, are the main sites.

After visiting Fatehpur Sikri, proceed for Agra. There had been a settlement in Agra long before Babur made it his capital. It was Akbar who built the Agra Fort (which is still known as Akbarabad). On arrival at Agra, you will be received by our representative and taken to Agra hotel for leisurely overnight stay.

In 1501, Sultan Sikander Lodi made Agra his capital, but the city fell to the Mughal in 1526 when Babur challenged the last Lodi Sultan in Panipat, 80 km north of Delhi. The city reached its apogee between the middle of the 16th century and the middle of the 17th century, during the reigns of Akbar, Janangir and Shah Jahan. The long cherished visit to Taj Mahal is scheduled today. Taj Mahal looks most stunning at the time of sunrise. The Agra tour guide will collect you from the Agra hotel's lobby and take you to the monument known as 'epitome of love'-the Taj Mahal. You will be taken to the Taj Mahal on 'tonga'- a medieval mode of transportation. With Agra tour guide, your Taj Mahal viewing will be an informed visit.

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan to receive the body of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal , who died giving birth to his 14th child in 1631. His death broke the heart of the king whose hair would have become gray in a night. The construction of the Taj Mahal, begun in the same year, was not completed until 1653. A total of 20,000 workers took part. Experts were brought from Europe to design the delicate marble lace and the decorations in Pietra Dura, tiered of thousands of semi-precious stones embedded in the marble.

After watching the unparalleled beauty of Taj Mahal, return to Agra hotel for getting refreshed and relaxed. Have delicious breakfast in Agra hotel and move for visiting Agra Fort, Tomb of It-Mad-ud-Daula and Sikandara. The construction of imposing Agra Fort has been done of red sandstone on the banks of the Yamuna. Akbar initiated its construction in 1565. After visiting Agra Fort and having delicious lunch in a city restaurant, move on for visiting tomb of It-Mad-ud-Daula (known as Baby Taj) and tomb of Akbar at Sikandara. Later in the evening, you will be transferred to Agra railway station to board train for Varanasi.

The train will reach Varanasi, the cultural capital of India, in the morning. You will be received at the railway station and transferred to Varanasi hotel. After getting refreshed, proceed on for visiting Sarnath. Visit Sarnath (temple and museum), the Buddhist city which was a famous center of learning from the 6th to the 12th century. Finally, visit the museum and the temple.

After sightseeing tour of Sarnath, you will be driven to the ghats of Varanasi, stepped embankments on the western bank of river Ganga. Every evening a mesmerizingly enchanting "Ganga Aarti" (Worship Ceremony of the Ganges) takes place with religious piousness. The worship ceremony of the Ganges is depiction of inveterate reverence of the Hindus for river Ganga, treated as mother. Watch and experience the exotic aspects of Indian culture. After viewing Ganges worship ceremony at the ghat, return to Varanasi hotel for overnight stay.

Early in the morning, you will depart for a boat trip along the banks of the Ganges. Later we return to the hotel to have breakfast.

Varanasi, the city of Lord Shiva , is one of the most sacred cities of India. The Hindu pilgrims come to wash their peaches there in the Ganges, or even die there in order to realize the Moksha , break from the cycle of rebirths. Varanasi, once called Kashi (City of Light) and Benares, is the heart of the Hindu universe, a place of passage between the physical and spiritual worlds. The Ganges, a river of salvation with permanent flow, is an eternal symbol of hope for past, present and future generations.

Varanasi has been a center of education and civilization for more than 2000 years and is one of the oldest cities in the world. Mark Twain wrote thus: ' Benares is older than history, older than tradition, even older than legend; It seems twice as old as all this combined. '

Its history goes back to 1400 BC, but the city became important in the eighth century when Shankaracharya , a reformer of Hinduism, made the cult of Shiva the main Hindu sect. The Afghans destroyed Varanasi around 1300 AD, after ransacking Sarnath, then despicable Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, surpassing his predecessors, pillaged and razed practically all the temples. Despite the antique aspect of the old town, few buildings date back more than two centuries.

Now, proceed to visit famous temples of Varanasi. Though the temples of Varanasi are very famous and garner unfathomable faith but their antiquity is not as old as is claimed. Though the city of Varanasi is one of the oldest living city of the world but the temples are not as old. The ancient temples were razed by the Muslim invaders out of religious zeal and hatred, so the existing temples can be considered as of newer origin. The holy temples of Varanasi are amongst the most visited temples in India. Situated on the banks of holy river Ganges, Varanasi temples add to the religious value to Ganges.

The famous temples of Varanasi are Kashi Vishwanath temple, Durga temple, Sankat Mochan temple, Tulsi Manas temple and New Vishwanath temple. Also visit Benares Hindu University (B.H.U.). Tulsi Manas temple, built in 1964, stands adjacent to Durga Temple. The Tulsi Manas temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, is situated at the place where great poet and seer Tulsidas lived and wrote the great epic "Shri Ram Charit Manas".

After completing the sightseeing tour of Varanasi, drive to Varanasi airport to board flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi airport, internally change the terminal to board international flight for your onward destination. Golden Triangle with Varanasi Tour ends here.