An unusual tour to catch many facets of North India: discover world scale cities like Delhi and Kolkata, holy places like Bodhgaya and Varanasi and enjoy tourism in historical sites like Jaipur and Agra.
Tourism Places : Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Lucknow - Varanasi - Bodhgaya - Kolkata
Duration : 15 Days
Day 01 : Delhi
Delhi sightseeing. Over the past millenniums, there have been at least 8 different cities in the site of the current Delhi. Many monuments display the intricate history of this area, reminding of the past times, the Mughal domination, the murder of Mahatma Gandhi… (Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Raj Ghat, Purana Qila, Humayoun's tomb, India Gate..)
Day
02-03: Tourism in Jaipur
Drive to Jaipur, the pink city. Discover the sandstone palaces (City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh). Elephant ride at Amber Fort. Shopping in the bazaars of the old city, a major center for handicrafts.
Day 04 : Fatehpur Sikri - Agra
Drive to Agra via the former Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri. Afternoon in Agra, visit Itmad-ud-Daulah and Agra Fort.
Day 05 : Agra
Enjoy the sunrise at Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Relaxed afternoon.
Day 06 : Lucknow
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Muslim nabobs have established their luxurious and debauched capital in Lucknow. They left behind sumptuous mausoleums such as Hussainabad, Shah Najaf, and Bara Imambara, with its astonishing labyrinth. Visit also the Residency, where the siege of Lucknow took place in 1857, during the mutineer against the British: 2,000 men, women and children were killed after months of siege.
Day 07-09 : Varanasi
Varanasi (Benaras) is the most venerated of the pilgrimage sites in India. The old city is a maze of narrow alleyways leading to the holy ghats where pilgrims take a purifying dip in the Ganges River.
The shimmering red and golden water of the Ganges when rays of dawn falls on them, the high banks, the temples, the Ashrams, the pavilions all are an experience in themselves. Take an early morning boat trip on the Ganges, have a massage in Dasaswamedh Ghat, and wander around.
Sightseeing: Vishwanath Temple, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple...
Day 10-11 : Bodhgaya
Bodhgaya has always been a major pilgrimage center for the Buddhist, since it is the site of Buddha's enlightment. Therefore you can enjoy the archeological monuments (remarkable Mahabodi Temple), but also learn more about Buddhism in the international monasteries, which organize meditation teachings.
Day 12-15 : Kolkata
Calcutta is far from the miserable cliché of slums we often evoke. Once the capital of British India, Kolkata has adapted to the modern trends and techniques of the world but has not shed the leisurely life style and the calm that it has accumulated since ages. It is a major center for Bengali culture (Poet Rabindranath Tagore and cineaste Satyajit Ray).
Visit Indian Museum, Asiatic Society, Birla Planetarium, Eden Gardens, Nakhoda Mosque...
Heritage North India
| Indian Images
| Tourism Jaipur to Calcutta
| Travel Road Ganges River
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