Temples Tour in India

Day 01 : Arrive Mumbai
Upon arrival to Mumbai (Bombay) airport, transfer to the hotel for overnight stay.


Day 02 : Mumbai sightseeing
After breakfast travel by boat to the tranquil, forested island of Elephanta, one of the most atmospheric spots in India. We will enter a unique cave temple to view a massive Trimurti, or three-faced Shiva. A glorious example of Hindu architecture, the 8th century cave is reached by climbing more than one hundred steps to the top of the hill. Inside, walk past massive columns carved from solid rock to inspect several extraordinary carved panels covered with scenes depicting Hindu sagas. Upon return to Mumbai enjoy a short city tour. Overnight stay in the hotel.


Day 03 : Mumbai - Aurangabad (flight)
Breakfast will be in the hotel and morning free to explore the beautiful city on the water. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for flight to Aurangabad. Overnight stay in the hotel.


Day 04 : Excursion to Ajanta & Ellora
After breakfast, leave for a full day excursion to Ajanta. Here, hewn from the near-vertical sides of a horseshoe-shaped ravine are caves carved from the rock containing spectacular artwork. Less than two centuries ago this remote spot was practically unknown. The shadowy entrances had been abandoned under a thick blanket of rainforest. In 1819 a small group of British troops were led to the spot, and upon closer inspection saw the façade of a cave protruding through the dense foliage. Ultimately a total of 28 cavern shrines were found, many with interiors adorned with a swirling profusion of vibrant multicolored murals - paintings that rank among India's most beautiful treasures. These Buddhist caves predate Ellora and span a period of 800 years. Return to Aurangabad hotel for night stay.


Day 05 : Aurangabad - Delhi (Flight)
After breakfast drive to Ellora caves, lying north of Aurangabad, the caves at Ellora are over ten centuries old and among the most important historical monuments in India. Here, thirty-four caves are carved out of the rock into the slope of a hill, many with intricately carved facades and containing a wealth of sculpture. Located on a busy caravan route, this spot became the focus of intense religious and artistic activity about the time that Ajanta was abandoned in the 6th century. Three religions - Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jain - are represented here. The Buddhist caves, filled with rows of restrained Buddhas, gives way to Hindu cave-temples throbbing with vitality. Huge bas-reliefs line the walls, writhing with dynamic scenes from the scriptures. The Hindu cave architecture culminated in the 10th century with magnificent Kailash Temple, Ellora's masterpiece. Carved from the living rock to become completely freestanding, the temple is a giant replica of the Sacred Mountain and the divine axis between heaven and earth. Return to Aurangabad in time for flight to Delhi. On arrival to Delhi transfer for overnight stay in the hotel.

Day 06 : Delhi sightseeing
Breakfast will be in the hotel and sightseeing of India's captivating combination of ancient and modern capital city, Delhi. Visit the Red Fort, or Lal Quila, that once housed the legendary Peacock Throne and Koh-i-noor diamond later stolen by Persian forces. This immense fortress, built out of red sandstone by a Mughal emperor in 1648, contains elaborate gardens, the harem, and the palace. The Qutab Minar is a high tower engraved with verses from the Koran; it was built in the 13th century by the first Muslim sultan of Delhi to celebrate his victory over the Hindu kings. Spend the afternoon in the National Museum to gain an overview of Indian culture and history as we view the impressive artifacts housed within, including a carved Buddhist gateway from Sanchi. Evening back to the hotel for night stay.


Day 07 : Delhi - Varanasi (Flight)
After breakfast, morning flight to Varanasi. Upon arrival drive to Sarnath. In a quiet grove here in the sixth century BC Siddhartha Gautama gave his first sermon that put into motion the Wheel of Law, the Dharmachakra. Siddhartha ultimately became known as the Buddha, the Awakened One, and he and his followers continued to return to Sarnath to rest from their rounds of teaching. Over the centuries, this became a place of pilgrimage, and the richness of the monasteries, temples, and shrines bear witness to the holiness of the site. Most impressive is the Dhamekh Stupa, composed of a cylindrical tower ornamented with decorative bas-reliefs. Overnight stay in the hotel in Varanasi.


Day 08 : Varanasi sightseeing
Early this morning, board a private boat to ride on the Ganges River to watch the sunrise over the city. The great river banks at Varnasi, built high with 18th- and 19th-century pavilions and palaces, temples and terraces, are lined with an endless chain of stone steps known as ghats, literally landings, where thousands of pilgrims and residents come for their daily ritual ablutions. Later sightseeing of the holy city of Varanasi visiting Hindu temples, the great city of Varanasi stretches along a crescent of the holy river Ganges, and is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Located next to a ford on an ancient trade route, Varanasi is among the holiest of all tirthas, or crossing places, and stands at the center of the Hindu universe.. Night stay in the hotel.


Day 09 : Varanasi - Khajuraho (Flight)
After breakfast walk down narrow winding alleys to see several ghats, temples, and shrines. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for the flight to Khajuraho. On arrival transfer to the hotel for night stay.


Day 10 : Khajuraho sightseeing
Breakfast in the hotel. Later day tour to the magnificent Khajuraho, the religious and political capital of the Chandela dynasty during 9th- to 13th-century. The resplendent Hindu temples here are famed for the delicate sensuality and eroticism of their sculpture. Much of the ornate carving that adorns the walls of the sanctuaries is almost three-dimensional, with shades of pink in the stone imbuing the figures with gentle flesh-like tones. Every square inch of these temples is covered with incised human and divine forms in every aspect of life. Evening back to the hotel for night stay.

Day 11 : Khajuraho - Agra (Train)
After breakfast transfer to the Jhansi railway station to board your train to Agra. Visit the magnificent tomb, Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan to enshrine the body of his favorite wife, Arjumand Bann Begum, who died in 1631 shortly after giving birth to her 14th child. 20,000 workmen took 22 years to complete the mausoleum, quite literally one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Continue to Agra Fort, the majestic 16th-century citadel that was the stronghold of the Moghul Empire for generations. The red-sandstone fortress guards a bend in the Yamuna River and is encircled by ramparts and entered through massive, decorated gates. Clustered around a high terrace overlooking the waterway, the royal pavilions were designed to catch the cool breeze. The fort also contains the royal palaces. Overnight stay in the hotel.


Day 12 : Agra - Jaipur (257 kms/5 hrs.)
After breakfast visit to Sikandra Fort a high battlement walls pierced on each side by four gateways built of red sandstone enclose Sikandra - the mausoleum of Akbar, placed at the centre of a huge garden. Crowning each corner of the gateway are four marble minarets. The burial chamber is reached by a corridor, which leads deep into the heart of the building. Later drive to the pink city of Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri. This magnificent fortified ghost city was the capital of Mughal empire between 1571 and 1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar. It was built by the emperor to commemorate the birth of his son Jahangir. Fatehpur Sikri was thereafter quickly abandoned, but till date it remains a perfectly preserved example of Mughal architecture. Night stay in the hotel at Jaipur.


Day 13 : Jaipur sightseeing
Breakfast in the hotel and drive into the city for sightseeing. The pink city of Jaipur is the picturesque capital of Rajasthan and a colorful showcase of Rajashani architecture. Glorious palaces and temples are scattered throughout the town in an assortment of styles that span the centuries. After a stop at the ashwamedh, or horse-sacrifice pillar, begin the day at the Amber Fort, the former seat of the Rajput rulers of Jaipur. As royalty, we will ascend to the fortress seated on the back of an elephant. Fortified by natural hills and high ramparts, Amber's magnificent palace is distinctly Rajput. The walls of the royal apartments are completely covered with intricate mosaics of mirrors and colored glasses. After our exploration of the fortress, return to Jaipur. Raja Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur, was no ordinary man. He was a scholar and an astronomer, and a formidable general who tempered power with wisdom. In building Jaipur, Jai Singh's vision took him beyond architectural beauty, for he gave India its first planned city. High walls enclose the old city, and the seven sections within are laid out in a planned pattern, as dictated by the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient architectural treatise. We will enter the open-air royal observatory, Jantar Mantar, with its gigantic, astronomical instruments; this is the largest of Jai Singh's five remarkable observatories. From here, enter the City Palace, an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. Now housing the Sawai Man Singh Museum, it is encircled by high walls and situated among lush gardens. The museum contains a select collection of various types of Rajasthani dresses, a fascinating armory of Mughal and Rajput weapons, and spectacular swords, some encrusted with jewels and encased in bold and magnificent scabbards. In the center of the compound with balconies and windows studding its seven-story façade, Chandra Mahal is still the residence of the royal family. Stop by Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds. It was built in 1799 to enable the women of the court to watch street processions while remaining in a strict state of purdah. Its five-story façade contains 593 finely screened windows and balconies. Night stay in the hotel at Jaipur.

Day 14 : Jaipur / Mumbai (Flight)
Today you will be transferred to the airport to board your flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival in Mumbai you will be transferred to the International airport to board your flight back to home.