Introduction to Indian Culture for First Time Visitor

Day 1: Arrival at Delhi

Our representatives will be at the Delhi international airport to welcome you. From there you are escorted to the hotel, where you can relax for the day. Delhi, the capital city of India is as colourful as the other parts of the country and can aptly be called the crown of the country. Hence, it is a great start of the journey when you start with Delhi. There is an overnight stay at Delhi.

Day 2: Delhi

After a traditional breakfast, we start our tour of Delhi. We start with a visit to the Old Delhi. It consists of the memorial of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, known by the name of Rajghat. We tour the largest mosque of Asia, the Jama Masjid via the traditional cycle rickshaw. The next visit is to the great Mughal architecture of red sandstone, the Red Fort.

After a walk on the old streets of Delhi, we ride to New Delhi. Here you get to see the unique, 73m high iron pillar, the Qutub Minar. Your tour is next to the ministerial house of India, the Parliament House and the Rashtrapati Bhawan. You also get to see the India Gate, which commemorates the sacrifice of Indian soldiers in the First World War.

We also plan to show you the beautiful, marble structure of Lotus temple, the religious structure of the Bahai religion. It is an amazing piece of architecture shaped in the form of a lotus.

Day 3: Delhi – Varanasi

After the breakfast at hotel, we proceed to the airport for a flight to Varanasi. You get the feel of Hindu culture and tradition at Varanasi. It is considered as the oldest living city of the country. The city derives its name from the two rivers of Varuna and Assi. It is one of the famous pilgrimage sites in India and is believed to be created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Enjoy the dawn at the Ghats of the sacred River Ganges with the air filled with the sweet smell of incense and the sound of the temple bells. It is also a city of ancient Indian art, music and education.

You are next taken to the seat of another great religion, Buddhism at Sarnath as a part of one day excursion tour. With many Stupas and Buddhist monks moving around, it can aptly be called the Land of Buddhism. It was here that Lord Buddha preached his first Sermon in 590 BC.You visit the various Stupas which are rich in Buddhist sculptures and literature. The Sarnath Museum is your next visit, which is a treasure of Buddhist art, literature and sculpture.At evening, you enjoy the worship of the River Ganges sitting at the Ghats. The light of hundreds of pradeep on the water creates a blissful atmosphere. Night stay is at Varanasi.

Day 4: Varanasi

We start an early day with a visit to one of the 5 known Hindu pilgrimages, the Dashashwamedha Ghat. We reach the Ghat almost at 5 am, so that you can get a view of the mesmerizing sun rise at the holy river.We sail from the famous Ghats of Man Mandir to Lalita and to the shrine of Goddess Shitala on a traditional boat.

After visiting the temples and witnessing the astonishing architectural beauty and the Hindu customs, on the return trip you visit the famous Kashi Viswanath Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered to be the first Jyotirlinga.
The next part of the tour starts with a visit to the Bharat Mata Temple, which has a huge relief map of Mother India engraved on it. Our next visit is to the ancient Durga Mata Temple which is believed to be built in the 18th century. The place is also unique due to the huge number of monkeys that reside here; the shrine is also sometimes referred to as the Monkey Temple.

Our next tour is to the Tulsi Manas Temple, which is a marble structure with all its walls featuring the complete story of the Great Indian Epic, Ramayana.

The tour of Varanasi is incomplete without a visit to the Banaras Hindu University. It is the largest residential university of Asia. There is an art gallery and a mosque built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb within the campus. There is an overnight stay at the city.

Day 5: Varanasi – Khajuraho

After the breakfast, you can vist the local markets of Varanasi, which is known for its Banarasi saris, the hand weaved carpets, bangles and last not the least, great delicacies. We take an Train or Flight to Khajuraho.

The temples of Khajuraho is under the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is an amazing piece of architecture. The dance festival of the place is also known worldwide. The temple derives its name from the palm trees that surround the area. The temple is carved with erotic figures, showing love, various moods, postures and beauty of womanhood. There are also several carvings of celestial bodies, musicians playing music, daily activities, elephant fights, hunting, dances and many more. The temple walls seems to consist of frozen movements.

At afternoon, you reach Khajuraho and visit the Eastern group of temples, where is located the Jain temple of Parswanath. At evening, you enjoy the beautiful show of sounds and lights at the temple complex. There is an overnight stay at Khajuraho.

Day 6: Khajuraho – Jhansi

After breakfast, we trip to the Khajuraho temples of the western group. These temples are the largest of all the three groups.The Khandariya Mahadeva temple is the largest temple of the same where every carved figure seems to be live.

Our next trip is to the historical city of Orchha. It was the centre of the Bundela kingdom on the banks of the Betwa River. With some beautiful palaces, like the Jahangir Mahal and the Raj Mahal, the city is known for the architecture with delicate chattris and work of trellis.

Enjoy some great delicacies of Madhya Pradesh at the city. After that we complete the tour of shrines, like the Chaturbhuj temple and Ram Raja temple. We reach Agra at evening by the deluxe train.

Agra:

You cannot miss Agra while exploring the best cultural features of India. this small village grew up to be one of the most popular sites to view masterpieces of architecture, under the patronage of the Mughal Emperors, Akbar and Shah Jahan. Along with beautiful buildings, the city is attractive with its Mughal delicacies. The night stay is at Agra.

Day 7: Agra

After a relaxing breakfast at the hotel, you proceed to a tour of the historical city. Your first visit is to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. This marble structure is located within lush green gardens with the River Yamuna on one side. It is an epitome of love, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal. As you step in the premises, you can feel love in the air.

Your next tour is the Agra Fort, built by the Mughal emperor, Akbar. Within the complex of this red sandstone building, are located several exquisitely beautiful buildings, like the Moti Masjid, Shish Mahal or the palace of glass, Khash Mahal, Jahangir’s Palace and others. We also visit the Itimad-ud-daula’s tomb, also known as Baby Taj, another marble structure built in the Persian style by Emperor Jahangir.Travelogy India There is an overnight stay at Agra.

Day 8: Agra – Jaipur By Road 221 km in 5 hr

After breakfast at hotel, we drive to Jaipur. On our way, we stop to witness the famous Fatehpur Sikri, built by Mughal Emperor, Akbar. It is made of red sandstone with Indo-Muslim architectural style. It consists of hanging balconies, known as Jharokas, consists of delicate chattris and numerous pillars and ornamental arches.

After the visit, we continue our drive to Jaipur, the Pink city of Rajasthan. This is a colourful city with lush green meadows in the desert state. The city can be considered as a paradise for shoppers. The capital city of Rajasthan is known for its apparels with unique prints and designs, known as Jaipuri prints. The mehendi designs are beautiful. You can enjoy popular Rajasthani cuisines here. Last but not the least, the music and the puppet shows are the popular form of entertainment here.

Day 9: Jaipur

There is an early breakfast at the hotel. You start your journey of Jaipur with a visit to the Amber Fort on an elephant ride.
Amber Fort Palace-This beautiful fort was built by Raja Man Singh and consists of several palaces, like the Shish Mahal, Diwan-i-Aam and the Sukh Mahal. The Magic Flower of the fort is famous for its beauty; it is a fresco which had been carved out of marble.
City Palace- this regal architecture is richly decorated and is influenced by the Rajput, European and Mughal architectural style. It consists of four gateways with the Govind Devji Temple, Chandra Mahal, Diwan-I-Khas and Mubarak Mahal.

Jantar Mantar- This is one of the largest observatory of the world, which also consists of the largest sun dial of the world. It also consists of 14 major geometric devices, which is used to measure time, used to measure the orbits round the sun and also are being used to track the constellations.

Hawa Mahal – Built by red and pink sandstone, this beautiful five storeyed building is believed to be built in the form of Lord Krishna’s crown. The building consists of 953 windows and numerous designed Jharokas which were used by the women to view the life outside.

At afternoon, you can enjoy shopping at the bustling shops, with saris, bangles and jewelleries. There will be an overnight stay at Jaipur.

Day 10: Jaipur – Jodhpur By Road 250 km in 6 hr

After the breakfast at hotel, we drive to Jodhpur. On our way, we visit the sacred Pushkar Lake. It consists of several ancient shrines. The Brahma temple is the most famous temple of the town, believed to be the only Brahma temple in the world. Jodhpur can be viewed as an oasis in the midst of the Great Thar Desert. It is one of the best cities of the state to experience the life style, tradition and culture of the people.

Day 11: Jodhpur

We have breakfast at the hotel.

We start our tour with a visit to the Mehrangarh Fort. It is located on the top of a hill and consists of several palaces, galleries, a museum and shrine within its premises. The site is known for its miniature paintings and cradle room.

Umaid Bhavan Temple is another magnificent structure of the city which was constructed by Maharaja Umaid Singh.
We drive to the Bhisnoi villages in the afternoon to check out the rural life style of the state. We stay at Jodhpur for the night.

Day 12: Jodhpur – Udaipur: By Road 250 km in 6 hr

We drive to Udaipur. While on the way, we stop to check out the beautiful shrines of Ranakpur. The famous temples of the city is the Jain group of temples. It is a picturesque place encircled by the Aravali Hills. Lunch is done at the village restaurant of Fateh Bagh Palace and proceed to the city of Udaipur. We reach Udaipur and check in the hotel. It is also known as the Lake City, enjoying the bliss of nature. We relax for the night at Udaipur.

Day 13: Udaipur

You have the breakfast at the hotel and head towards the city. The first site you are taken to be the City Palace, located on the banks of the Pichola Lake. You can get a wonderful view of the lake from the palace balconies a part of the palace has been turned into a museum.

It also consists of some beautiful palaces, like the Ruby Palace, the Moti Palace and a beautiful peacock courtyard. You are also taken to the Sahelion ki Bari Gardens, the Jagdish temple and also to the local folk museum. You can enjoy a cool moroe cruise ride on the Lake Pichola at the evening. The evening can also be enjoyed checking out the local dance shows. There will also be an overnight stay at Udaipur.

Day 14: Udaipur – Mumbai By Flight

After the breakfast at the hotel, you head to the airport for a flight to Mumbai. You reach Mumbai and our representative take you to the nearest hotel to the airport. Mumbai is the commercial capital of the country. It has a both historical and modern value added in its life style. We reach the city of Aurangabad and you relax at the hotel for the night.

Day 15: Aurangabad

After breakfast, you are taken to the World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora caves. These re the rock cut caves known for carvings of human figures and beautiful wall paintings. These caves also consist of valuable Buddhist inscriptions. Your next tour is to the Daulatabad Fort. This 12th century fort is located on the top of a hill and is known for the high 30 m Char Minar. Time has not been able to destroy the sharp features of this powerful fort. There is an overnight stay at Aurnagabad.

Day 16: Aurangabad – Mumbai

Breakfast, your second day tour of the Ajanta Ellora caves begin.The caves consists of Buddhist caves, Jain caves and Hindu caves.
The Aurangabad caves are also known for its inscriptions and paintings. You can gain huge knowledge about Jainism and Buddhism from these rock cut caves. After that, you proceed to the airport for a flight to Mumbai. This capital city of Maharashtra has lot in store for you.

From historical buildings to sea food delicacies, you can never have enough of the city. We reach Mumbai and check in the hotel and rest for the night.

Day 17: Mumbai

You head to the tour of the city after an early breakfast at the hotel. Our tour starts at the Mumbai Fort, located at Colaba. This British influenced structure consists of the St. John’s Church. We next drive to the Marine Drive. This beautiful place looks like a queen’s necklace, when the street lamps light at the evening.

Visit the beach at the heart of the city, the Chowpatty Beach. The Flora fountain, located at the juncture of five main streets of Mumbai is also known as the Piccadilly Circus. It is beautiful man-made fountain encircled with mythological figures, like that of a Roman God. The hanging gardens at the slope of the hill is the best place to view an enchanting sunset and sun rise. The Victoria terminus is your next visit; it is a railway station of Mumbai, featured with a lush green garden, a lion and tiger stone figure at the entrance. The dome of the building is 160 feet high. The Mumbai High court and the Rajabhai clock Tower are some of the other must visits of the city. After enjoying a traditional breakfast at the hotel, we proceed to the airport for a flight to Madurai. After check in at the hotel, we explore the second largest city of Tamil Nadu.

Day 18: Madurai

Madurai is an energetic, ancient city on the Vaigai River in the South India. Its skyline is dominated by the 14 colourful Gopurams (gateway towers) of Meenakshi Amman Temple. Covered in bright carvings of Hindu gods, the Dravidian-style temple is a major pilgrimage site. Millions attend the processions and ceremonies of April’s Chithirai Festival celebrating Meenakshi and Lord Vishnu.
At evening while returning to the hotel, we will visit the twin temple structure of the Meenakshi Temple constructed on the banks of a lotus pond. It consists of a unique thousand pillared hall. The pillars look straight, seen from any angle and when tapped, creates musical notes. The evening Aarti at the temple is a must watch. We stay at Madurai for the night.

Day 19 Madurai – Periyar (by Surface approx 140 kms / 3 hrs)

After breakfast, we drive to Periyar. After a fascinating journey over the Lake Periyar via motorboat we reach the tiger reserve of Periyar. This forest reserve is known for the conservation of various species of wild life, like the bison, deer, leopard and over 260 species of birds. It is also famous for its rich bio diversity.

It is a real thrill to witness the wild life in their natural habitat at the wild terrain of the Western Ghats. There is an overnight stay at Periyar.

Day 20: Periyar – Kumarakom (by Surface approx 132 kms / 4 hrs)

This is the day to visit the island village of Kumarakom. It is a cluster of islands where you can chill out on the beautifully decorated houseboats. The scenic beauty of the place is breath taking with lush greenery, tall coconut trees and the placid waters.Explore the Kumarakom bird sanctuary here, where you can check out the various migratory birds, like the egrets, water fowls, teals, cuckoos and many more. The sharp contrast between the hectic city life and the serene village life of South India can be experienced here.

Day 21: Kumarakom – Alleppey – Cochin (by surface 85 Kms / 2 hrs)

We start an early morning today to visit the backwaters of Alleppey via boat ride. The back waters of this place is famous with its mirrored lagoons, beautiful house boats, boat racing and unique fishing techniques.

After that we head towards Cochin. After check in at the hotel, you can enjoy rest of the day at the beaches of the Arabian Sea, enjoying the sun set and the unique fishing technique via the Chinese nets.

We enjoy the night at Cochin, enjoying the local delicacies and the various sea food cuisines.

Day 22: Cochin (Departure)

Morning sightseeing tour of Cochin. Later transfer to the airport in time for afternoon flight to back home.