Iconic India
India is not a country but a continent and travelling through it is an experience like none other. Overwhelming in its chaos at first, it gradually unfolds unique delights. You may find it in its majestic forts, monuments and temples; in exquisite crafts; in traditional and contemporary arts; in the bustle of its colourful bazaars; in diverse cuisines; or in the unexpected beauty that filters through the chaos.
This program showcases the various facets of the country through some of the popular destinations that all first-time visitors to India must travel to. We have also included some interesting hideaways to get away from the crowds after all it is a vacation. The itinerary that has been envisaged takes you to the following destinations:
Delhi – Our entry and exit point. It is also a great amalgamation of various cultures and experiences from all over India.
Chambal – A beautiful river sanctuary for the protection of Gangetic dolphins and the endemic Gharial crocodiles. It is also a great destination for birding. A quaint destination. The region also is home to some lesser-known Hindu temples along with the annual cattle fair in the month of November (dates keep changing year to year).
Agra – No person traveling all the way to India for the first time would want to miss this wonder of the world.
Ramathra Fort – A beautiful fortress in the middle of the Aravali range (the oldest mountain range in India) that has been converted into a hotel. The owners of the place play host and it is a perfect holiday from your holiday.
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve – It is one of the most popular tiger reserves in the country and is visited by almost all the tourists traveling between Delhi – Agra – Jaipur. It can get crowded but is one of the best places to see the Bengal Tiger in the wild.
Jaipur – The pink city is home to forts and palaces, traditional markets, arts & crafts – primarily known for jewelry making and textiles along with blue pottery.
This program should be a great introduction to life, culture, cuisines, architecture, wildlife, and the rural countryside of North India.
Suggested Sample Itinerary
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6 & 7
Day 8,9 & 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Arrive in Delhi. You will be received at the airport by our representative who will accompany you to your hotel and ensure a speedy check-in. The remainder of the morning is at leisure to rest from the long flight. After lunch, you will begin your exploration of this fascinating country. A city expert who will spend some time giving you a background of the city before setting out into the city will meet you in your hotel. Explore the city with your city expert. This experience can be customized depending on guest interests. There are forts, palaces, old market places, museums, and art galleries along with architecture and heritage experiences.
Overnight will be in Delhi.
Your exploration of Delhi shall continue today as well. The center of Indian politics and now a throbbing metropolis, Delhi has all you are looking for — flamboyant restaurants and nightclubs, haute couture boulevards, upmarket shopping malls, polo grounds, and imperial gardens. The historic architecture of Delhi is one of its main tourist attractions. The majestic Red Fort, the towering Qutab Minar, the unique Jama Masjid, and the Rashtrapati Bhavan are some of the most popular monuments visited by tourists. However, it is along the wayside, within bazaars and at almost every curve in Delhi, that there are fascinating ruins of tombs, palaces, and mosques, unnamed and unmarked waiting to be explored.
Overnight will be at Delhi.
After an early breakfast, you will transfer to the railway station to catch a train to Agra. Train journeys in India are an experience in itself. Just observing different travelers from all over the country. Even though we will be visiting Agra on this tour today this is just the closest railhead to Chambal, which is a road journey of 1.5 hours from Agra. You should reach the lodge well before lunch. After lunch, one can do some birding with the lodge naturalist around the property or explore the surrounding farmland in a jeep safari in search of blackbuck antelope and blue bull antelope. Although rare the region is also is home to striped hyenas, Indian wolves, Indian fox, and jungle cats. Palm civets are often seen on lodge grounds themselves.
Overnight will be at Chambal Safari Lodge.
This morning we take a boat safari on the Chambal River. Chambal is excellent for viewing endemic Gharial crocodile, freshwater ‘mugger’ crocodile, Gangetic river dolphin, Indian skimmers, and many other riverine birds. We return to the lodge. This afternoon we explore Bateshwar temples.
Overnight will be at Chambal Safari Lodge.
After a round of birding around the lodge this morning we transfer by road to Agra. Agra is the city of love and longing - meticulously planned, built, and nurtured by three successive Mughal emperors – Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jahan, during the most glorious era of the Mughal Empire. Conversations about Agra usually begin with mentions of the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, containing India's finest pietra dura work inlaying the gleaming white marble with semi-precious stones. On a moonlit night, the view of the ethereally white Taj by the silently flowing Yamuna is a sight that can inspire poetry. Step into the Mehtab Bagh – a beautifully laid out garden on the other side of the Yamuna to be wowed by another spectacular view – by the fountain, directly in front of the entrance gate – many connoisseurs have concluded that this is the most memorable view of the Taj.
After lunch, you begin exploring the key sites of the city – Agra Fort, Taj Mahal, and time permitting Itmad-ud-daulah.
Overnight will be in Agra.
Having seen the wonder of the world we continue onwards to Ramathra Fort. The journey takes about 4.5 hours with the last 20-30 kilometers over a bumpy road, however; once you are there you get an insight into life in rural India. In the middle of Acacia and shrub forest lies a quaint village. The fort also has a lake nearby where one can take a boat ride or enjoy a picnic. Early mornings are excellent for a nature walk in the forest that surrounds the fort. It is a nice hike where you can see many bird species and if lucky a hyena or even a leopard. All the above-mentioned activities and more are provided by Ramathra Fort and one can opt for the activities they may like or are interested in. Please note that some of these activities are chargeable, this can be settled directly with the hotel.
A nature walk in the scrub forests in the Aravalis, visiting the local village and learning about the day to day lives of the people, a picnic by the nearby lake along with time spent on a beautiful Jacuzzi in one of the turrets of the fort overlooking the vast forested landscape is popular with many guests.
Overnight will be at Ramathra Fort.
A road journey of about 2.5 hours from Ramathra Fort brings you to the world famous Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. The park is divided into 10 zones, which can be explored by tourists. Due to its location it often gets quite crowded, having zones and limited one to a zone spreads out the crowd. In order to accommodate more tourists, the government allowed registered open jeeps along with larger format ‘Canters’. These are open top mini-bus, which can seat 20 guests. We always insist on opting for exclusive jeeps for a better experience. The forest department allows 2 safari options for tourists – a morning slot from 0600 to 1000 and an afternoon slot from 1430 to 1730 (the timings may vary from season to season depending on sunrise and sunset). This afternoon we take our first safari into the park in search for the Bengal Tiger.
We have planned two safaris on day 9 & 10 whereas on day 8 since you will be commuting in between two destinations there is only one safari in the afternoon. Alternately you can miss the safari on the 8th day instead explore Dastakar – a women empowerment organization that produces textiles and crafts handmade by village women. There is also another such organization called ‘Dhonk’ which is excellent. Time permitting visit Ranthambhore Fort and Ranthambhore school of Art.
Overnight will be in Ranthambhore
You take your last safari into the park this morning. After breakfast check out and transfer by road to Jaipur – a journey of 3.5 hours. You should arrive by 1400. After lunch and some rest begin exploring the pink city this evening. A city expert will once again meet you at your hotel lobby to give you an overview of the city before setting out to explore. Visit the old city market, the City palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory this evening.
Overnight will be in Jaipur.
This morning after breakfast explore Amer Fort. This is followed by a visit to a farm on the outskirts of the Amer called Dera Amer. We have organized an elephant interaction where one can bathe and feed these gentle giants while we learn about them. Lunch will be served at Dera Amer. In the afternoon we explore the arts & crafts of the city. This included block printing, tie & dye, blue pottery, and jewellery making. Return to your hotel. Later this evening visit the home of an Indian family. In this interactive experience not only do you meet the family and see how they live, you also get to learn about preparing an Indian meal. Should the guest want to try their hand at cooking they are welcome to participate. Enjoy the meal with the family before heading back to your hotel.
Overnight will be in Jaipur.
This morning we have at leisure. Should you be interested there is a beautiful wildlife sanctuary on the outskirts of Jaipur which you can explore. You can take an early morning safari into the park. The park is home to many leopards – which are the top predator here and there is a good chance of sighting them. Another interesting species to seek our is the striped hyena which too can be seen early morning along with the jungle cat and desert fox. The morning safari usually takes place at about 0600 for about 2.5hrs.
The remainder of the morning we have kept at leisure. In the evening you transfer to Jaipur airport and catch a flight to Delhi. In Delhi you connect on to your international flight back home.
End Of The Tour.