Itinerary
- Day 1
Delhi
You'll get picked up from central Delhi and head to your hotel to settle in. Once you've freshened up, the day focuses on Old Delhi's busy streets where you'll take a rickshaw through Chandi Chowk, walk through Kinari Bazar's wedding market, see the 400-year-old Jama Masjid, and wander the aromatic Khari Baoli spice market before checking out Red Fort. Later you'll head to New Delhi to see India Gate, Parliament House, and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, ending with a walk through the New Delhi centre area.
Included Activities
- Rickshaw ride through Chandi Chowk in Old Delhi
- Visit Kinari Bazar (wedding market)
- Jama Masjid sightseeing
- Khari Baoli spice market visit
- Red Fort photo stop
- Cremation place of Mahatma Gandhi visit
- India Gate sightseeing
- Gurudwara Bangla Sahib temple visit
- New Delhi centre walk
Landmarks/POIs Jama Masjid Red Fort India Gate Parliament House Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Khari Baoli Kinari Bazar Raj Path Secretariat Buildings Mahatma Gandhi cremation site - Day 2
Delhi
After breakfast, you continue exploring Delhi with a focus on UNESCO heritage sites. The day includes Qutub Minar, the world's tallest brick minaret, then Humayun's Tomb which inspired the Taj Mahal's architecture. You'll visit the Lotus Temple, open to people of all faiths, and later take a drive along Lodhi Road to Lodhi Garden where you'll see Bara Gumbad and various royal tombs throughout the grounds.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Qutub Minar sightseeing
- Humayun's Tomb visit
- Lotus Temple visit
- Lodhi Garden sightseeing
Landmarks/POIs Qutub Minar Humayun's Tomb Lotus Temple Lodhi Garden Bara Gumbad Shisha Gumbad - Day 3
Delhi to Jaipur
You'll have breakfast and then travel to Jaipur, known as the Pink City. After checking into your hotel, you explore local sights including Galta Gi, a monkey temple in the hills where different monkey species live among the temple structures. The afternoon is more relaxed as you get oriented to the city and the area around your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Galta Gi monkey temple visit
Landmarks/POIs Galta Gi - Day 4
Jaipur
Following breakfast, you meet your guide for a full day of Jaipur sightseeing. This includes the hilltop Amber Fort Palace, the City Palace complex with its displays, Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory, and royal tombs at Gaitor. You'll stop for photos at Jal Mahal palace on the water and the Hawa Mahal with its thousand small windows. The day ends with shopping at Bapu Bazar local market (75°F/24°C).
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Amber Fort sightseeing
- Amber Fort vehicle transport
- City Palace sightseeing
- Jantar Mantar visit
- Gaitor tombs sightseeing
- Jal Mahal photo stop
- Hawa Mahal visit
- Bapu Bazar shopping
Optional Activities
- Nahargarh Fort sightseeing (available on request, with landscape views of Jaipur)
Landmarks/POIs Amber Fort City Palace Jantar Mantar Gaitor tombs Jal Mahal Hawa Mahal Bapu Bazar Nahargarh Fort - Day 5
Jaipur to Agra
After breakfast, you journey to Agra with stops along the way. You'll explore Fatehpur Sikri's royal and sacred sections, then see the Abhaneri step well, one of India's largest. By evening you arrive in Agra and meet your guide to check out the UNESCO-listed Agra Fort, one of the country's most notable forts. You'll have time to rest before dinner at your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Fatehpur Sikri sightseeing
- Abhaneri step well visit
- Agra Fort sightseeing
Landmarks/POIs Fatehpur Sikri Abhaneri step well Agra Fort Taj Mahal - Day 6
Agra to Varanasi
Early dawn you visit the Taj Mahal with your guide to see this symbol of eternal love in the soft morning light. After breakfast, you drive back to Delhi to catch a domestic flight to Varanasi. Once you arrive and get to your hotel, you rest for a bit. Later in the afternoon, you explore Varanasi with an English-speaking guide, attending the evening Aarti ceremony at the ghats and taking an evening boat ride on the sacred Ganges River.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Taj Mahal sightseeing at dawn
- Aarti ceremony at Varanasi ghats
- Evening boat ride on Ganges River
Landmarks/POIs Taj Mahal Varanasi Ghats Ganges River - Day 7
Varanasi
You start early with a boat ride on the sacred Ganges River to experience Varanasi's spiritual essence at the religious ghats, particularly near Dashashwamedh Ghat and Vishwanath Temple. After breakfast, you travel 6 km to Sarnath, the sacred Buddhist site where Buddha delivered his first sermon after enlightenment. You visit Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath Museum, and Chaukhandi Stupa at the confluence of two rivers. Later you return to Varanasi to visit Alamgir Mosque, Dashashwamedh Ghat again, and Bharat Mata Temple.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Early morning Ganges River boat ride
- Dashashwamedh Ghat visit
- Sarnath visit
- Dhamek Stupa sightseeing
- Sarnath Museum visit
- Chaukhandi Stupa visit
- Alamgir Mosque visit
- Bharat Mata Temple visit
Landmarks/POIs Ganges River Dashashwamedh Ghat Vishwanath Temple Sarnath Dhamek Stupa Sarnath Museum Chaukhandi Stupa Alamgir Mosque Bharat Mata Temple - Day 8
Varanasi to Delhi
After breakfast, you get transferred to Varanasi Airport to catch your domestic flight back to Delhi. This wraps up your tour through India's most iconic destinations, ending the journey where it began.
- Meals
- Breakfast
