Colonial Cities & Golden Triangle Tour Of India 12 days

Day 1 Arrive Mumbai

On arrival at Mumbai airport, assistance & transfer to the hotel (check in/out time 12 pm). Mumbai is disciplined by no time frame, neither day nor night. Dazzling shopping arcades, exciting sports activities, nightclubs & discotheques, theatre, music & gourmet restaurants offer visitors a heady mix of all this and more. Rest time is free for personal activities. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 Mumbai (B)

City tour of Mumbai. Drive via Marine Drive, one of the most beautifully laid boulevards in the city, to reach the Gateway of India. Board a ferry from here to reach Elephanta Caves (Monday closed). A flight of 100 steps takes you to the top of the hill where the caves are located. Afterwards, cruise back to the Gateway of India and then city tour. Drive past CST & Parliament House. Visit Dhobhi Ghat to see the city's famous open-air laundry in action. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, a grade I Heritage Building of the city counted amongst one of the most prominent museums of India. The complex exhibits a myriad collection of ancient artefacts, artwork and sculptures of the country, which give a unique insight into our past. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 Mumbai - Chennai (B)

Transfer to the airport to board the flight for Chennai. On arrival, assistance and transfer hotel for check-in. Later visit Fort St. George & St Mary`s Church inside the fort, built by the British East India Company in 1640 AD. Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a holy shrine of Lord Shiva, originally built by the mighty Pallavas and rebuilt in the 16th century by the Vijayanagar kings. Vadapalani Murugan Temple is one of the most frequented places of worship for Hindus in Chennai. The Government Museum, built in the Indo-Sarcenic style it houses a rich collection of works of Raja Ravi Varma. Dakshinachitra Museum, one of the living-history museums. Santhome Cathedral is a historical and ancient pilgrim centre, which was built during the 14th to the 15th century AD by the then reigning Portuguese. Drive past Marina Beach, a 13 km long natural urban beach along the Bay of Bengal. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 Chennai - Pondicherry (250kms) (B)

Drive to Pondicherry via visiting Kanchipuram, an ancient city famous as the city of a thousand temples. And in Mahabalipuram, visit Monolithic Temples, Five Rathas, an excellent example of the evolution of Dravidian style architecture. Krishna's Butterball is a gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline. 7th century Cave Temples cut and decorated with panels in the Mamalla style. Shore Temple was built with blocks of granite in the 7th century during the rule of King Narsimha-Varman II Rajasimha. The temple complex consists of two Siva temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The Arjuna`s Penance is an enormous rock-cut relief, one of the largest in the world. On arrival, check in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 Pondicherry - Chennai (165kms)/ Kolkata (B)

Visit Auroville, an experimental community founded in 1968 by the spiritual leader Mirra Alfassa as a town where people from all over the world could live in harmony. Its focal point is the Matrimandir, a futuristic, spherical temple covered in gold discs. Pondicherry Museum houses a fantastic collection of bronze sculptures of gods and goddesses, a wide range of temple lamps, handicrafts and art. Drive past or walk through stunning French Quarters, charming mustard streets, colonial villas and vibrant Tamil settlements. Besides a very picturesque view of the lovely alleys and narrow lanes, you can also marvel at the gorgeous architecture of the French colonial settlements, which include the French consulate, Raj Nivas, Government Square, Churches & French schools. Later, drive to Chennai airport to board the flight for Kolkata. On arrival at transfer to the hotel. Check in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 Kolkata (B)

City tour of Kolkata. Visit Fort William, one of the most enduring Raj-era edifices built during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India, on the eastern banks of the River Hooghly. Victoria Memorial is an immaculate white memorial bounded by verdant greenery and broad roads dedicated to Queen Victoria. Inside the memorial, there is a museum where you can see the dresses of the queen as well as different kinds of weapons used during that era. Netaji Bhawan is a building maintained as a memorial and research centre to the life of the Indian nationalist Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The house, built by Bose`s father in 1909, is owned and managed by the Netaji Research Bureau and includes a museum, archives and library. Howrah Bridge is one of the most popular bridges of India, built on the river Hooghly. It is one of the major Kolkata attractions, and people from different parts of the country come here especially to witness this amazingly structured bridge. Dakshineswar Kali Temple is one of the major pilgrimage centres dedicated to Goddess Kali. Located on the bank of the River Hoogly, the temple compound maintains a large courtyard with rooms along the boundary walls, twelve shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, a bathing ghat on the river and a shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 Kolkata - Delhi (B)

Transfer to the airport to board the flight for Delhi. On arrival, assistance & transfer to the hotel for check-in. Rest time is free to relax. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 Delhi (B)

City tour of Delhi. In Old Delhi, visit the majestic Red Fort (closed on Monday), the residence of the Mughal emperor for nearly 200 years until 1857. Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in the world built by Shah Jahan. Cycle Rickshaw ride in Chandni Chowk & Khari Baoli Spice Market, a busy shopping area with markets full of spices, dried fruit, silver jewellery and vivid saris, while the narrow side streets are crowded with tiny shops selling essential oils, stationery and traditional Indian sweets. Raj Gath is the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, where he was cremated after his assassination. In New Delhi, visit Humayun Tomb, the first garden-tomb in the Indian subcontinent and an early example of Mughal architecture, commissioned by Humayun`s first wife, Empress Bega Begum, in 1569-70. Qutab Minar, a 73-metre tall minaret that forms part of the Qutb complex a fine example of Afghan architecture. The Lotus Temple, a Bahai House of Worship notable for its flower-like shape. Also, drive past the President's House, Parliament & India Gate, etc. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9 Delhi - Agra (204kms) (B)

Drive to Agra, check in at the hotel. Later, visit the Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. Agra Fort was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638. And Itmad-ud-Daula Tomb was commissioned by Nur Jahan for her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 Agra - Jaipur (245kms) (B)

Drive to Jaipur via visiting Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned city predominantly a red sandstone construction sprawling over a huge area. See the graceful buildings including Diwan-E-Khas hall, Jodha Bai Palace, Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal & Buland Darwaza. Next visit Abhaneri, a small village popular for India`s deepest, largest and amazing stepwell & a Hindu Temple. Continue driving to Jaipur, check in at the hotel. Evening, explore the local market of Pink City. Overnight at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 Jaipur (B)

City tour of Jaipur, the first planned city of India. Established in 1727 by Jai Singh II, the king of Amber, when he shifted his capital from Amber to the new city because of the rapidly growing population and increasing water scarcity. Noted architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya used the established principles of Vastu Shastra to build the city. In 1876, the Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, and the entire city was painted pink, the symbolic colours of hospitality to welcome him. Jaipur rises majestically against the backdrop of the forts Nahargarh, Jaigarh and Garh Ganesh Temple. In the morning, visit Amber Fort, followed by Jaigarh Fort. Later visit City Palace, Observatory, Hawa Mahal, Sisodia Rani Garden & Birla temple. Explore the famous bazaars of Pink City, its rich history and heritage exude an amazing mix of royalty and art. Overnight at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 12 Jaipur - Mumbai/Delhi (B)

Transfer to the airport to board the flight for Mumbai. Or drive to Delhi to board the departure flight.