Tigers, Taj and Temple Tours

Upon your arrival at New Delhi airport, our representative will meet and greet you. They will transfer you to the hotel, assist with the check-in process, and provide and explain all travel-related documents. Enjoy an overnight stay at the hotel.

After a relaxed breakfast, embark on a drive to Agra covering 220 kms, which typically takes around 4 hours. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. In the evening, visit Mehtab Bagh to witness the stunning sunset over the Taj Mahal. Mehtab Bagh is a charbagh complex located in Agra, North India. Situated north of the Taj Mahal complex and the Agra Fort, it is positioned on the opposite side of the Yamuna River, within the floodplains. This garden complex is square in shape, measuring about 300 by 300 meters, and offers a perfect alignment with the Taj Mahal on the opposite bank.

Enjoy an overnight stay at the hotel in Agra.

At sunrise, embark on a visit to the renowned white marble mausoleum, The Taj Mahal, built in the mid-17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Completed in 1652, this architectural masterpiece required the expertise of skilled craftsmen from Persia, Turkey, France, and Italy, along with the labor of some 20,000 workers over a span of 17 years.

After a leisurely breakfast, proceed to explore the red sandstone Agra Fort. This imposing structure, situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, is enclosed by formidable 20-meter high walls, with a 12-meter moat separating them. Constructed by three successive Mughal emperors – Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jahan – the fort showcases a blend of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. (Note: The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.) Check out from the hotel.

Later, embark on a 235-kilometer, 5-hour drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and enjoy an overnight stay.

In the morning, embark on an 11-kilometer drive to the outskirts of the city, stopping at Jal Mahal to visit the stunning Amber Fort, which served as the ancient capital of the state until 1728. Explore the Temple of Kali and the Hall of Victory, also known as Jai Mahal.

Later, visit the Observatory, the Palace of Winds, and the City Palace and Museum. The museum features an intriguing textile section showcasing dresses and costumes worn by former Maharajas and Maharanis of Jaipur. Jaipur is renowned for its beautiful carpets, enamelled ornaments, precious and semi-precious stones, brass ornaments, and various other arts and crafts. Spend some time exploring the bustling lanes and bylanes of the Pink City, engaging in haggling and souvenir-hunting. Return to the hotel for an overnight stay in Jaipur.

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to Jaipur airport to catch a flight to New Delhi at 0725 hrs, arriving in Delhi at 0825 hrs. From there, you will connect to a flight to Jabalpur at 1345 hrs, arriving at 1515 hrs. Upon arrival at Jabalpur airport, you will be met and driven to Bandhavgarh National Park, covering a distance of 180 kilometers, which typically takes around 4 hours. Check into the lodge upon arrival. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served at the lodge. Enjoy morning and afternoon jeep safaris to explore the national park.

Bandhavgarh: Bandhavgarh National Park is renowned for its dense tiger population and is where the famous White Tigers of Rewa were discovered. The park also boasts a variety of other wildlife, including leopards, blue bulls, Indian gaur (bison), chausingha (four-horned antelopes), spotted deer, sambar deer, wild boar, sloth bears, foxes, jackals, and wild dogs.

Bandhavgarh is home to at least 22 mammal species and about 250 bird species. Other animals found in the park include ratel, porcupine, small Indian civet, palm squirrel, lesser bandicoot rat, jungle cat, and shy hyenas. The reptile population includes cobras, kraits, vipers, rat snakes, pythons, monitor lizards, and turtles. Additionally, the park is inhabited by two primate species, the rhesus macaque and the Hanuman langur.

After your safaris, return to the resort for dinner and an overnight stay.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided at the lodge. Enjoy morning and afternoon jeep safaris in the national park.

Bandhavgarh has a rich history, with evidence of human activity and settlement dating back over 2000 years, as mentioned in ancient texts like the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva Purana.

The park’s oldest signs of habitation are caves carved into the sandstone north of the fort, some containing Brahmi inscriptions from the 1st century B.C. Over the centuries, various dynasties ruled the fort, including the Maghas from the 1st century A.D. and the Vakatakas from the 3rd century A.D. Bandhavgarh then passed through several dynasties, including the Chandela Kings.

Over time, Bandhavgarh became increasingly deserted until it was overrun by forest and became a royal hunting reserve. This unintentionally helped preserve the forest and its wildlife, although the Maharajas exercised their hunting rights. After independence, Bandhavgarh remained the private property of the Maharaja until he donated it to the state for the creation of the National Park in 1968. Following the park’s establishment, poaching and hunting were brought under control, leading to a significant increase in the animal population. The tiger population, in particular, thrived, and the 1986 extension provided additional forest area to accommodate them.

Enjoy an overnight stay at the resort.

Morning, embark on a jeep safari in the park, followed by breakfast. Then, drive to Khajuraho, covering a distance of 280 kms in approximately 6 hours. Check into your hotel and in the evening, attend the sound and light show at Khajuraho. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Khajuraho, a discovery by chance, is India’s second biggest single tourist attraction. It boasts the largest group of medieval temples adorned with numerous sculptures of extraordinary grace and delicacy, celebrating the stylized and refined courtly accomplishments of beauty, love, and creative arts. Once the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs, the temples in the city date back to 950-1050 AD. The entire area is enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. Originally, there were over 80 temples, of which only 22 are now remarkably preserved.

The temples at Khajuraho, celebrating Hindu religious thought in its mystifying variety, stand distinguished from the rest of the Hindu temples. They highlight the existential ethos in religion that venerates ‘Yoga’ and ‘Bhoga’. ‘Yoga’ represents the union of the self with the Almighty, while ‘Bhoga’ is the path to God through physical pleasure. These temples, dedicated to physical love and pleasure, are a testimony to this philosophy. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, Khajuraho is a prominent, must-see destination. Its temples are India’s unique gift to the world, capturing life in every form and mood in stone.

In the morning, visit the Eastern and Southern group of temples.

Later in the afternoon, transfer to the airport to board the flight for Varanasi by AI – 405 (1515 / 1610 hrs.). Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and assisted, and then transferred to the 

hotel.

Varanasi is one of India’s most important pilgrimage sites and the holiest of holy cities for Hindus. Known also as Kashi and Benaras, Varanasi is one of the world’s oldest living cities, having been a centre of learning and culture for well over 2000 years.

In the evening, visit the “Ghats” or bank of the Ganga River. This is a fascinating walk where you can experience the cultural ethos that guides the life of the pious. Witness the rituals that take place during the setting sun and the ablutions performed in the river. As boats float downstream, some carrying goods, fruits, and vegetables, you will see others carrying the pious who perform ceremonies along the river.

On the banks or “ghats”, you can see some absorbed in prayer and the chanting of hymns, while others are engaged in commerce or performing functions like hair-cutting, massaging, and even cleaning ears! Walk across to the Manikarnika Ghat, where you can witness cremation, performed with intense ritual – the process of sending the departed soul to the heavens. Hindus believe that the gateway to the Heavens and for the Re-incarnation of the Soul ‘in a better state’ is possible when life’s last journey is from Varanasi. Overnight in Varanasi.

Early in the morning, embark on a boat ride at dawn along the sacred river Ganges, which is a truly tranquil and breathtaking experience. Witness pilgrims standing waist-deep in the water, offering their prayers to the rising sun. Visit the famous Vishwanath Temple, known for its spires covered in gold, dedicated to Shiva, the presiding deity of the city. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Afterwards, visit Sarnath, located 13 kilometres northeast of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and Gomati rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Singhpur, a village approximately one kilometer away from the site, was the birthplace of Shreyansanath, the eleventh Tirthankara of Jainism, and a temple dedicated to him can be found there.

Later, return to the hotel for an overnight stay in Varanasi.

Enjoy a leisurely morning at your hotel. Later, check out and transfer to the airport for your flight to New Delhi. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel in New Delhi.

After an early breakfast at your hotel in New Delhi, you will be transferred to the New Delhi International Airport to board your onward flight or return home.