A Taste of India

When you arrive in Delhi you will be collected by a private driver, taken to your hotel and begin your independent India itinerary. You can choose from either a hotel situated about half an hour’s drive from the airport or a charming hotel in Central Delhi, and ideal base to explore both the spice markets of Chandi Chowk and the modern bars of Connaught Place. Here, you can catch your breath and rest after your flight. In both hotels, you’ll have a comfortable room with a private en-suite bathroom.
 

Today you'll be transferred to Jaipur by air-conditioned car and continue on your Independent India itinerary. The Delhi to Jaipur journey takes around 5hours. The Pink City is a fantastic place to kick off a trip in India and during your two nights here you can relax, acclimatise, and explore. There is so much to see in this elegant and astonishing city that you could spend weeks here without getting bored. Jaipur centre is a lively mass of saris, saddhus, holy cows, spice markets, street vendors, camel carts, elephants, beggars, rickshaws, temples, forts and palaces.

In Jaipur, you’ll spend the next 2 nights of your Independent India itinerary in a cosy family hotel for a firsthand experience of typical Indian hospitality. Breakfast is served in the romantic English tea garden and the family will go out of their way to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. The rooms here are tastefully furnished in traditional Indian-style and several have four-poster beds.

Today you will have the whole day to explore Jaipur on your Independent India itinerary. First of all you will have a guided tour of this remarkable city, visiting the City Palace, the Observatory and the fairy-tale Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal). In the afternoon, you’ll visit the imposing Amber Fort that lies just outside the city limits. From the battlements of the Amber Fort, you’ll have a wonderful view of the rocky hills and the smaller walls and forts constructed by the Rajputs and the Mughals in the area.

The City Palace and the Palace of the Winds both stand in the ancient quarter of the city. The City Palace has several beautiful museums with fascinating collections. If you see the flag flying, it means that the Maharaja is in residence. The Palace of the Winds is a world-famous, pyramid-shaped building with dozens of windows. This is where the women of the royal harem could watch the processions in the street below, unseen by the masses.

 

This morning, you'll leave Jaipur and head east towards Galta, a secluded mystical spot that will leave a lasting impression on you. The Monkey Temple here is a pilgrimage site that attracts flocks of brightly-robed devotees every day. The stream that trickles out of the rocks here is reputed to be water from the holy River Ganges, although this is geographically impossible. 

After Galta, you’ll continue on your independent India itinerary and drive for another three hours before arriving in Bharatpur. This is a fascinating waterworld, criss-crossed by all sorts of dykes. Maharajas of the historic Singh family used this region as their hunting grounds, and the scenery is breathtaking. If you like, you can pedal through Bharatpur on a ‘sturdy’ Indian bike (cycle hire costs around $4).

There are hundreds of rare birds in the Bharatpur wetlands, such as the rare Siberian crane. Currently, there are several tigers here, originally from Ranthambore National Park, which pounce on the waterfowl as they doze. It’s unlikely that you’ll see this in action, but keep your eyes peeled all the same.

A few kilometres further on your Independent India itinerary and you’ll come to stunning Fatehpur Sikri. The great ruler Akbar set up his capital here, and built a grand city, but after only 40 years the water supply became too difficult to maintain in this dry area, so all of the inhabitants packed up and moved on. They left behind a phenomenal collection of grand temples and palaces, with the ruins of old houses standing between them. Now it is an atmospheric ghost city, full of green parrots and monkeys.We’ll arrange for a guide to lead you through the forgotten city, and tell you the stories behind the monuments.

After visiting Fatehpur Sikri, you’ll drive on to Agra, where you’ll arrive at your hotel near to the centre of Agra. The hotel will be comfortable, with a restaurant and other creature comforts that you might need.

You'll have breakfast this morning and afterwards, you’ll set off your independent India itinerary and visit another two breathtaking sites. In the early morning, you’ll be taken to the Taj Mahal, a highlight of any trip to India. Standing serenely in the first light of the morning, we are sure that this stunning building will surpass all your expectations. It is one of the few buildings in the world that has the ability to move people. It was built by Shah Jahan as a token of his love for his deceased wife, and is undoubtedly the most romantic burial site in the world. After this, you’ll head for Agra Fort. This huge but restrained structure seems to be immersed in a dreamy atmosphere when it’s bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, which slants through the pillars and galleries. From its majestic walls and through its arches, you can see the Taj Mahal, just as Shah Jahan would have done centuries ago, when he was imprisoned here by his son. You'll return to your hotel by lunchtime and the rest of the afternoon is completely free.
 

This evening, we will arrange a transfer from your hotel in Agra to the railway station, for the overnight train to Varanasi. Boarding the train is a unique experience on this independent India itinerary as the station platform will be a chaotic jumble of businessman, suitcases, children, monkeys and dogs. At every stop, station vendors will wander through the train at every station, shouting loudly as they sell samosas, pakoras, and sweet masala chai. You’ll be immediately popular with the locals, who love speaking to foreigners and will happily offer you any food that they have brought aboard. It is an eye-opening and rewarding experience that really will immerse you in the true India.

After a night on the sleeper train, you’ll arrive in the holy city of Varanasi where you'll continue your Independent India itinerary. Here, you’ll be collected by your driver at the station and taken to your hotel; a quirky and comfortable heritage hotel on the banks of the Ganges. This hotel has well furnished rooms, each with local style and a different personality. With Indian art on the walls, the hotel offers a basement breakfast room and a small roof top restaurant where you can eat good local dishes and observe life on the riverside ghats below.

This morning you will continue on your Independent India itinerary with a very early start to take a boat trip on the Ganges at dawn. This is an extremely special experience and you cannot help but soak up the intensely spiritual atmosphere. You will drift past pilgrims of all ages and classes as they perform their ritual bathing just before sunrise. After the boat trip, there's a guided walk through the old centre of Varanasi. Watch out for the holy cows in the narrow alleyways.



 

Today you have the whole day to explore your independent India itinerary on your own. You could choose to visit the Bharat Mata Temple and Varanasi University, or simply to relax. At the end of the day, you will be transferred to the railway station for the overnight train to Delhi.