Tour program for Ms. Savannah Miller - Quotation 1

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival / Delhi, Tuesday 5-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Flight, arranged on your own
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: Welcome to India! Upon arrival at India Gandhi International Airport, you are greeted by our representative. Transferred to hotel where our representative helps you check in and briefs you about the following tours. Have some free time on your own to adjust to the new time zone.

Note:
Kindly note the check in time is 14:00 hrs. If your international flight arrives at the midnight or early morning, room on immediate occupation on the previous day might be needed as early check in is not guaranteed.

Day 2 Delhi, Wednesday 6-Jul-2016

• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast, start your tour today with the visit to Old Delhi to see Jama Masjid and then a unique glance at local life by an exploration to the bustling local bazaar of Chandni Chowk on rickshaw.
  Pass by Red Fort before drive to New Delhi for Qutub Minar. Continue to Raj Ghat, drive along the city landmark of India Gate, President's House, Parliament House & Government Secretariat Buildings and stop for photo opportunity there. Finish today with an insight into the local religion at a colorful Hindu Temple- Laxmi Narayan Temple.

Jama Masjid: India's largest mosque and the centerpiece of Old Delhi, this colossal place of worship was commissioned by Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, in India’s largest mosque and the centerpiece of Old Delhi, in the mid-17th century. Capable of holding some 85,000 worshippers, the view from the mosque's minaret (open to the public) is one of the finest available of the chaos of Old Delhi.

Chandni Chowk: The largest trading center of North India, it is also known by the name of moonlit square. There are a number of by-lanes in Chandni Chowk Market, each specializing in a particular field. For example, the parathewali gali is famous for its delicious parathas, the textile lane for its textiles and so on.

Raj Ghat: a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi is a simple black marble platform that marks the spot of his cremation on 31 January 1948. It is left open to the sky while an eternal flame burns perpetually at one end.

Qutub Minar: Built in the early 13th Century, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Qutab-ud-Din Aibak, Muhammad Ghori's chief general and Turkish slave laid the foundation of the world's tallest brick minaret with a height of 72.5 meters (237.8 ft). It tapers from 2.75 meters in diameter at its peak to 14.32 meters at its base.

Laxminarayan Temple: Also known as the Birla Mandir, it is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan in Delhi, India. Laxminarayan usually refers to Vishnu, Preserver in the Trimurti, also known as Narayan, when he is with his consort Lakshmi. The temple, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, was made built by B. R. Birla and Jugal Kishore Birla from 1933 and 1939. The side temples are dedicated to Shiva, Krishna and Buddha.

Day 3 Delhi/ Varanasi, Thursday 7-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Flight, economy class, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After a breakfast drive to Delhi airport to board flight to Varanasi. Arrive Varanasi, and our representative in Varanasi will greet you at airport and help you settle down at hotel. Evening witness the thousand-year-old Aarti Ceremony during which worshippers pray near the water by the light of candles and lanterns.

Aarti Ceremony: Aarti Ceremony is a highly choreographed ceremony wihich takes place every sunset at holy Dasaswamedh Ghat. It's usually made in the form of a lit lamp, and in the case of the Ganges River, a small diya with a candle and flowers that's floated down the river. pilgrims make their sin-cleansing dip in the holy river and on which bodies are cremated. The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga , also affectionately referred to as Maa Ganga, goddess of the most holy river in India.

Day 4 Varanasi, Friday 8-Jul-2016

• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: Wake up earlier for a sunrise boat cruise on the Ganges River, vivid picture of devoted Hindus bathe in the river offering the prayers against morning sunlight make the journey quite rewarding.
  Return to the hotel for breakfast followed by a brief city tour to Banaras Hindu University, Golden Temple and Bharat Mata Temple which is dedicated to Mother India.
  
  

Note:
Sarnath Museum is closed on Friday.

A sunrise boat cruise on the Ganges River: A boat ride on the Ganges at dawn, when it is full of pilgrims, is an amazing experience, and your guide can explain to you the various rituals taking place.

Bharat Mata Temple: The Bharat Mata Temple is dedicated to the Bharat Mata (Mother India). The statue of the Mother India is made up of the marble and looks like a model which symbolizes the entire India, represents mountain, plains and oceans of the India. The Bharat Mata temple does not have a traditional statue of Gods or Goddess but it has a real map of the Mother India.

Banaras Hindu University: It is a public central university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Established in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, BHU is one of the largest residential universities in Asia, with over 20,000 students.

Day 5 Varanasi/ Delhi/ Agra, Saturday 9-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Flight, economy class, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  Private vehicle, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: Today, you will be escorted to airport for the flight to Delhi and you will be driven to Agra as soon as you are landed. Check in your hotel and rest in Agra.
• Optional: Optional Taj Mahal at Sunset USD 18 per person, No guide service

Optional Taj Mahal at Sunset: Upon Agra arrival, you can have an optional visit to Taj Mahal and see the magnificent mable masterpiece bathing in the sun and beautiful colors set by the sunset light. Please note that there is no guide service provided for this visit, and you need to settle the entrance fee directly there.

Day 6 Agra, Sunday 10-Jul-2016

• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: Today you start from an sunrise visit to Taj Mahal (closed on Friday) and visit Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-daulah (Baby Taj Mahal) after breakfast.
  Rest of the day at leisure, vehicle with driver is at your disposal.

Note:
Taj Mahal is closed on Friday.

Taj Mahal : As one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is the epitome of Mughal art and one of the most famous buildings in the world. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. This grandeur of white marble changes colors at different time as it reflects sunlight. The best time to visit Taj Mahal is at sunset and sunrise time.

Taj Mahal at Sunrise: Today you start from an early morning visit to Taj Mahal (closed on Friday) which frees you from the crowds and heat in daytime. This white-marble world wonder was built by a great emperor in memory of his beloved.

Agra Fort: This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Itmad-ud-daulah (Baby Taj): Often described as 'jewel box', sometimes called the 'Baby Taj', the tomb of I'timad-ud-Daulah is often regarded as a draft of the Taj Mahal. The tomb, built between 1622 and 1628 represents a transition between the first phase of monumental Mughal architecture - primarily built from red sandstone with marble decorations, to its second phase, based on white marble and pietra dura inlay, most elegantly realized in the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who had been given the title of I'timad-ud-Daulah (pillar of the state).

Day 7 Agra/ Jaipur, Monday 11-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Private vehicle, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast head west to Jaipur by private A/C car (5 hours), en-route visit the former royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, Arrive Jaipur and transfer to hotel.
  

Fatehpur Sikri: Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. It is one of the finest examples of Mughal architectural splendor at its height.

Day 8 Jaipur, Tuesday 12-Jul-2016

• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast, visit hillside Amber Fort with unique elephant ride (or take a jeep ride for alternation), inside also visit the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors).
  Drive back to Jaipur and visit the famous Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). Continue to the City Palace Museum & Jantar Mantar-the largest stone observatory in the world. Drive through the pink rose residential & business areas before you are escorted back to the hotel.
  

Amber Fort (with one way elephant ride): considered as one of the best hilltops fort in India which makes it a major tourist spot in India,this fort is a typical example for Rajput's life style in Rajasthan and it has a unique artistic style which combines both Hindu and Muslim elements. A unique elephant ride (or Jeep ride for alternation) ascent to the fort is full of unbeatable view and fun.

Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace): It is the most famous and beautiful part of Amber Fort. The Walls and ceiling of this hall is carved with beautiful paintings and flowers and that too made with pure glass. The reason behind why this hall was made by glass because in ancient days the queen was not allowed to sleep in open air but she loved to see the stars shining. So the king ordered his architects to make something which could solve the purpose. The most stunning thing about this hall is that if someone burns two candles, then the reflection converts that small light into thousand of stars.

Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace): Also called "Palace of Winds", it is an example of beautiful ancient architecture that is situated in Jaipur.

City Palace Museum: Built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the early 18th century, the monolithic City Palace is an architectural feather in the delightful cap of Jaipur. A haunt where the Royal family had stayed for centuries, the palace today is a much visited tourist spot in the region.

Jantar Mantar: It is the largest stone observatory in world that still in service today. It is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India's historic observatories. UNESCO transcribed the site to the World Heritage List in 2010.

Day 9 Jaipur/ Pushkar, Wednesday 13-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Private vehicle, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast, drive to the desert oasis of Pushkar, a town that clings to the side of the beautiful Pushkar Lake, Then explore the only Brahma Temple.

Pushkar Lake: Dominating the Pushkar city center, the holy lake is a sacred lake of the Hindus. The Hindu scriptures describe as it as "Tirtha-Raj" – the king of pilgrimage sites related to a water-body and relate it to the mythology of the creator-god Brahma, whose most prominent temple stands in Pushkar. It is said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus flower.

Brahma Temple: one of very few existing temples dedicated to the Hindu creator-god Brahma in India and remains the most prominent among them. Although the present temple structure dates to the 14th century, the temple is believed to be 2000 years old.

Day 10 Pushkar/ Udaipur, Thursday 14-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Private vehicle, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast drive to Uaipur. The rest of the day is free at leisure.

Day 11 Udaipur, Friday 15-Jul-2016

• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: This morning, you first wander through the markets and bazaars to visit the Jagdish Temple. Followed by a visit to the City Palace. Then relax on a one hour long shared motor boat ride on Lake Pichola. Afterwards you will head to Garden of the Maids of Honour and Folk Art Museum. You finish your tour by driving past Fatehsagar Lake.

City Palace: Udaipur City Palace is one of the architectural marvels of Rajasthan, located peacefully on the banks of Lake Pichola. This majestic City Palace is the most-visited tourist attraction of Udaipur and often distinguished as the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Initially, Maharana Udai Singh built this superb wonder, but the present form of the Palace is the result of subsequent additions by his successors.

Lake Pichola: Limpid and large, the lake reflects the cool grey-blue mountains on its rippling mirror-like surface. It was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, following his foundation of the city , by flooding Picholi village, which gave the lake its name. It is a perfect place to immerse in the amazing view of the Palace against sunset sunlight.

Garden of the Maids of Honour: Also called "Saheliyon Ki Bari". This small, quaint ornamental garden was laid out for the enjoyment of 48 women attendants who came as part of a princess' dowry and has beautiful, wll-maintained fountains, kiosks, marble elephants and a delightful lotus pool.

Folk Art Museum: The highlight of a visit to this small but charming museum is a brief demonstration of puppetry, an ancient tradition of storytelling in this area of Rajasthan. Puppets in vibrantly colored clothing are skillfully manipulated by expert puppeteers to act out the rich mythology of the region. The rest of the museum is devoted to folk art from the region. Folk dance performances and puppet shows are performed daily around 6pm in the evening.

Day 12 Udaipur/ Ranakpur/ Jodhpur, Saturday 16-Jul-2016

• Transfer via: Private vehicle, arranged by Odyssey Tours
  
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast drive to Jodhpur, Stop en route to visit Ranakpur. You finish the day in Jodhpur where you check into your hotel.

Ranakpur Jain Temple: It is one of India's biggest and most important Jain templecomplexes. The main Temple, the Chaumukhamandir (Four-Faced Temple), is dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain tirthankar (depicted in the many Buddha-like images in the temple), and was built in the 15th CE in milkwhite marble. An incredible feat of Jain devotion, this is a complicated series of 29 halls, 80 domes and 1444 individually engraved pillars. Also exquistely carved and well worth inspecting are two other Jain temples, dedicated to Neminath (22nd tirthankar) and Parasnath (23rd tirthankar), both within the complex, and a nearby Sun Temple. About 1km from the main complex is the Amba Mata Temple.

Day 13 Jodhpur, Sunday 17-Jul-2016

• Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodations: Booked on your own,
• Activities for today: After breakfast proceed to visit Meherangarh Fort. Then visit The clock tower & Market. Afternoon at leisure to explore city on your own and visit places of your interest. you will be tranferred to your hotel whtenthe tour ends. End of service.

Meherangarh Fort: Meherangarh Fort is situated on a 150 m high hill where can see the panoramic view of Jodhpur. In fact, it is the most magnificent fort in the whole Rajasthan. The fort is amongst the popular tourist places in India.

Jaswant Thada: Jaswant Thada is a royal cenotaph built in 1899 in commemoration of Maharaja Jaswant Singh, who was the 33rd king of Jodhpur. Jaswant Thada is an architectural marvel, built with expertly carved sheets of white marble. The marbles are very thin and polished and carved in such a way that the outside surface emits a glow during day time.

Clock Tower & Markets: The century-old clock tower is an old city landmark surrounded by the vibrant sounds, sights and smells of Sardar Market, which is marked by triple gateways at its north and south ends. The narrow, winding lanes of the old city spread out in all directions from here. Westward, you plunge into the old city's commercial heart, with crowded alleys and bazaars seeling vegetables, spices, sweets, silver and handicrafts.

Quotation