| |
Pre Tour Agra-Delhi
|
NEW DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED FOR THE TOURS. PLEASE CHECK BACK.
Agra & Delhi 3 nights / 4 days
Welcome to an opulent trip that takes in no less than five World Heritage Sites -- the Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, the incomparable Taj Mahal, Humayun´s Tomb & Qutub Minar. See the cultural, historical and architectural magnificence of the cities of Mughals.
|
Day 1
|
Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel.
Overnight at hotel
|
|
Day 2
|
- Breakfast.
- Drive to Agra.
- Visit Taj Mahal.
- Visit local bazaar / shopping (optional).
- Overnight at Agra.
|
| 07h30 : |
Leave for Agra by surface. |
| 11h00 : |
En-route break at Hodal / Kosi. Light snacks served (buffet, included). |
| 13h00 : |
Arrival at Agra. Check-in to the hotel. Lunch (not included). Time to relax & unwind. |
| 15h30 : |
Visit the Taj Mahal - The Taj Mahal is synonymous with beauty, love and grandeur. This white marble mausoleum, built on the banks of river Yamuna, epitomizes Shah Jahan´s love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Designed by a local architect, Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the entire complex, with gardens, gateway structures, and mosque, was completed in 1643. More than three centuries later, the monument retains its romantic aura. Set like a jewel within gardens whose four-fold design echoes the Islamic idea of paradise, its millions of visitors marvel at the play of light on its marble dome which seems to turn from rose to pearl with the passage of the sun. There is much to see - the exquisite calligraphy, the lyrical floral motifs of the pietra dura decorations which form a mosaic of colour; and the fountains and canals of the gardens which reflect the monument in a series of ethereal images.
A visit to a local bazaar / shopping (optional). |
 |
| 19h30 : |
Return to Hotel. |
Dinner (not included) & overnight stay at Agra.
|
|
Day 3
|
- Visit Agra Fort.
- Visit Fatehpur Sikri.
- Drive back to Delhi.
- Overnight at Delhi
|
| 08h30 : |
Check-out of the hotel after breakfast (included) & visit the magnificent Agra Fort. Agra Fort is a treasure trove of the Mughal architectural tradition that represents the assimilation of different cultures. Emperor Akbar began the construction of this massive red sandstone fort on the banks of River Yamuna in 1565, and it was ready by 1571 though additions were made until the rule of Shahjahan, Akbar's grandson. The Fort contains splendid palaces both in red sandstone and white marble; an outstanding example is the Jehangiri Palace, a blend of Islamic (Persian), Central Asian and different local Hindu styles, which speaks of an adventurous and eclectic approach to architecture. Irregularly triangular in plan, it is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone replete with graceful curves and lofty bastions. |
 |
| 10h30 : |
Proceed to Fetehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar´s City of Victory, lies on a hill top almost 40 kms from Agra. It has two different complexes- the royal enclosure of the palaces with the harem and official buildings; and the dargah of the Sufi saint, Salim Chisti with a mosque and gateway. To wander around the red sandstone courtyards of this World Heritage Site is to travel back in time to an Imperial splendour. The buildings at Fatehpur Sikri belong to a composite style of architecture with the predominating Islamic style cleverly blended with local Rajasthani and Gujarati styles, a melting pot of cultures. In its heyday, the city was a large and magnificent township; this is clearly visible even today, centuries after it was abandoned. |
| 13h00 : |
Lunch at a restaurant. |
| 13h45 : |
Proceed to Delhi. |
| 16h00 : |
En-route break at Hodal / Kosi. Snacks (buffet, included). |
| 19h00 : |
Arrive at Delhi. Check-into the hotel. |
Dinner (not included) & overnight stay at Delhi
|
|
Day 4
|
- Watch ceremonial changing of guards at the President´s house.
- Visit Qutub Minar.
- Visit Humayun´s Tomb.
- Transfer to IGI International airport for departure.
|
| 07h15 : |
Leave hotel for South Block opposite the President´s House to witness the Ceremonial Changing of Guards - a 40-minute traditional ceremony in which Infantry Army Guards and the President's Bodyguard, in spectacular red, riding well-bred horses, change guard with clock-work precision, demonstrating time-honoured military ethos and discipline of both animal and man. This ceremony takes place every Saturday and can be watched from pavement outside the South Block. (Schedule and visit subject to change without notice)
Return back to hotel for Breakfast at the hotel (included). |
 |
| 10h30 : |
Check-out of the hotel after lunch (not included). |
| 10h45 : |
Half-day sightseeing of New Delhi. The tour to New Delhi starts with a visit to the Qutab Minar, the tallest stone tower in India. Built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutub Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwatu'l-Islam, the oldest in northern India, built of materials reused from some 20 Brahman temples.
Then visit Humayun's Tomb, built by the widow of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun, it is an outstanding monument in the Indo-Persian style This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.
Later visit the famous Bahai Temple of Delhi, also known as Lotus temple it is made up of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It welcomes people from all walks of life and sects and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility. The temple is built in the shape of a lotus as this flower is the symbol of purity and peace. It represents the Bahai faith, - an independent world religion; divine in origin, all embracing in scope, broad in its outlook, scientific in its method, humanitarian in its principles, and dynamic in the influence |
 |
| 15h30 : |
Transfer to airport. |
| 17h05 : |
Board flight 9W 825 for Hyderabad. |
| 19h15 : |
Arrival at Hyderabad. Transfer to Hotel. |
| Tour Ends. |
|
Tour Cost:
| Occupancy |
LUXURY HOTELS
The Oberoi at Delhi & Amar Vilas at Agra |
DELUXE HOTELS
Grand InterContinental at Delhi & ITC Mughal at Agra |
| Twin / double |
INR 49,500 per person |
INR 35,500 per person |
| Single |
INR 82,500 per person |
INR 54,500 per person |
Additional:
| Airfare: Economy Class for Delhi-Hyderabad or vice versa |
INR 8375 per person one way. |
(Airfare / timings currently applicable and subject to change without notice)
The tour cost includes:
- Arrival/Departure transfers, sightseeing, excursion as per programme by an air-conditioned coach with services of an English speaking guide for city tour.
- Hotel accommodation at the hotels envisaged above or similar per respective combinations in standard room, with breakfast.
- Monument entrance fee wherever applicable.
The tour cost does not include:
- Meals (except those specified above).
- Personal expenses like laundry, extras at the hotel, phone etc.
- Any other services does not specified above.
- Govt. Service tax - currently @ 3.09%. The tax prevailing at the time of billing will be charged.
|
| |
|
|
|
Newspaper:A Multi-media,
Growth Business
62nd World Newspaper Congress
Doing more with less:
the new newsroom challenge
16th World Editors Forum
 |
