Explore India Journeys 1-877-900-2797 exploreindia.ca 1
Pre India Land Tour Program 22-29 April 2018 India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only. Mark Twain. Exploring- Delhi Agra Jaipur & Mumbai Departure Canada April 21st 2018 2 Explore India Journeys 1-877-900-2797 exploreindia.ca
April 22, 2018: Arrive In India (New Delhi) Welcome to Delhi, a city that bridges two different worlds. Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes lined with crumbling havelis and formidable mosques. In contrast, the imperial city of New Delhi, created by the British Raj, is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings. You ll meet an Explore India representative at the airport and then head to the hotel. Overnight stay in Delhi. Meal: None April 23, 2018: Old Delhi Rickshaw Ride Jama Mosque & Hindu Temple We begin exploring Old Delhi by visiting the Jama Mosque, built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in 1656. Then, we ll be whisked through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, the spine of Old Delhi, by our bicycle rickshaws. There, we ll visit the spice market and jeweller s lane before driving past Red Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). We also visit Rajghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi s final journey. Later, we will visit a Hindu temple followed by a welcome dinner in Connaught place. Overnight stay in Delhi. April 24, 2018: New Delhi Sikh Temple, Humayun s Tomb & Qutab Minar After breakfast, we start our tour with a visit to India Gate (the war memorial dedicated to the martyrs of World War I), The President s Palace formerly Viceroy s Palace, the Parliament House and the Secretariat buildings an interesting blend of Victorian and 20th century architecture, later we tour Humayun s Tomb, Qutab Minar and Bangla Sahib. Overnight stay in Delhi. Explore India Journeys 1-877-900-2797 exploreindia.ca 3
April 25, 2018: Delhi - Agra Visit to Agra Fort After breakfast we will drive to Agra, and check into our hotel. Enjoy some leisure time and lunch before beginning our Agra sightseeing tour. We ll visit Agra Fort, built by Emperor Akbar in 1565. Later emperors built structural additions until the time of Akbar s grandson, Shah Jahan. The Fort contains the Hall of Public and Private Audiences and many other beautiful structures. Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure. April 26, 2018: Agra Sunrise visit to Mesmerizing Taj Mahal Sikri & Village Jaipur After breakfast we will wait for the sun to rise over one of the most incredible monuments ever built in the world, The Taj Mahal, which is a mausoleum made of white marble, a monument of love. It was built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. The Taj Mahal is the crown jewel of Muslim art in India and a universally admired World Heritage masterpiece. In the evening we ll view a live performance depicting the saga of love, and a memorable journey into the history of Taj Mahal. These series of plays depict the immortal love of Shah Jahan for Mumtaz Mahal, his beautiful wife; the lavish lifestyle of Mughal era; and the hardship of the artisans who worked for 22 years to craft the Taj Mahal, one of the world s most precious architectural structures. Dinner and overnight stay in Agra. We ll then start our journey to Jaipur. On the way, we will visit Fatehpur Sikri, built by Emperor Akbar in 1569. This was the old capital of the Mughals, which was abandoned after 15 years because of scarcity of water. We ll also visit a local village to experience the day-to-day beauty of rural India. You can take this opportunity to chat with the locals, who may barely be able to suppress their delight and surprise at sitting next to a foreigner from far-away lands. After visiting the village, we will have lunch and continue on to Jaipur to check in at our hotel. Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, will amaze you with the architecture and planning of both its old and new cities. You ll be able to experience a kaleidoscope of colour and sound on every street corner. Jaipur is an excellent place to shop for textiles, rugs and designer jewellery. 4 Explore India Journeys 1-877-900-2797 exploreindia.ca
In the evening, enjoy an authentic Rajasthani dinner and cultural Rajasthani dance and music. Dinner and overnight stay in Jaipur. April 27, 2018: Jaipur Amber Fort Ride an Elephant & City Palace In the morning, we ll visit the magnificent Amber Fort, in the outskirts of Jaipur. Once there, we ll ride uphill to the fort by elephant. Later, we ll visit the city and stop for a photo at the Hawa Mahal, the Palace of the Winds. It was built to allow the royal ladies of the palace to discretely watch the grand processions along the main street. Next, we visit the City Palace Museum, which has a priceless collection of Mughal and Rajput antiques, costumes and armory: including swords of different shapes and sizes with chiseled handles. Finally we ll visit the Jantar Mantar Observatory which was built in the early 1700s by Maharaja Jai Singh II, the great warrior-astronomer to which this city owes its name. We ll then return to our hotel for the evening. Overnight stay in Jaipur. April 28, 2018: Jaipur Mumbai After early breakfast you ll head to Jaipur airport to board a flight to Mumbai. Your guide will meet you at the airport before giving you a guided tour of Mumbai Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) is a densely populated city on India s West Coast. As the financial centre, it s India s largest city. We ll be able to see the iconic Gateway of India stone arch which stands on the Mumbai Harbour waterfront. The arch was built by the British Raj in 1924. Offshore, nearby Elephanta Island holds ancient cave temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The city s also famous as the heart of the Bollywood film industry. In the afternoon, you ll visit the Gateway of India, Mumbai s principle landmark, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, the Hanging Gardens on the slopes of Malabar Hills which offers a panoramic view of Marine Lines and Chowpati Beach, Kamla Nehru Park, Mani Bhawan (the house where the Father of the Nation stayed on his early visits to the city) and Dhobi Ghat. Also drive past Afghan Church, Flora Fountain (the city s nerve-centre), colourful Crawford Market and Marine Drive, the seafront boulevard also known as the Queen s Necklace before boarding your cruise ship. Transfer to board your Cruise. Explore India Journeys 1-877-900-2797 exploreindia.ca 5
COST OF THIS PACKAGE: $2,599 CAD per person Includes Domestic airfare to tour destinations Accommodation Travel Insurance (Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption) Escorted transfers (airport to hotel, hotel to airport) Daily breakfast, lunch & dinner throughout the tour Services of an accompanying Explore India tour director Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees Elephant Ride at Amber Fort in Jaipur Air-conditioned transportation throughout your trip Bottled water available during all sightseeing tours Excludes Personal expenses, laundry, bar bills, phone bills, etc. Sightseeing that is not included in the tour itinerary Any services not included above Gratuities gratuities are an additional $15.00 CAD per person / per day and must be paid upon arrival in India directly to your tour director. These basic gratuities will cover tour escorts, luggage handling, porters, restaurants, drivers and other services during your tour. Travel Insurance (Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption) is group insurance arranged by Cruise Connections/Explore Indai and provided by Travel Guard (AIG). The cost of the insurance is included in the price of the cruise, and the price cannot be reduced for those who do not qualify. Travel Insurance included is not available to residents of Quebec, Washington State and New York State, USA. Medical Coverage is available at additional cost. Cruise line reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice, including on fully paid bookings. All offers, rates & sailings subject to change & availability at time of booking. Promotion is capacity controlled and may be pulled out at any time without prior notice. Certain restrictions apply. Cruise Connections/Explore India reserves the right to correct errors & omissions. BPCPA #28364 6 Explore India Journeys 1-877-900-2797 exploreindia.ca