Signature Tour 2019 - The Culture and Forts of India

Day 1/ Saturday 26th October 2019
New Delhi
Meals included: None

Namaste! Welcome to India!

On arrival at the airport you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. There will be a Welcome
Meeting in the hotel at 6pm on Day 1 outlining the itinerary and covering many aspects of travelling in India. Please bring your passport, travel insurance documents and next of kin information to this meeting.
You can use any free time before the meeting to explore this excitingly chaotic capital city. Filled with historical sites from different eras, museums and galleries, shops and endless bazaars, there’s much to see and you will be briefed on sightseeing options.
Arrival Transfer
Included
Accommodation: Jaypee Siddharth

Day 2/ Sunday 27th October 2019
Old Delhi
Meals included: Breakfast

This morning start the day with an excursion into the sights and sounds of Old Delhi   set off on the city's modern metro system, then get a taste of India's famed public transport with an option for a cycle rickshaw ride through chaotic streets, such as the famous Chandni Chowk.

Make a visit to the Jama Masjid, Delhi's oldest mosque and one of its most impressive buildings, then visit the Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) to learn about the Sikh religion.
Included Activities
Old Delhi Walking Tour
Jama Masjid
Sheeshaganj Gurudwara

Day 3/ Monday 28th October 2019
Delhi - Agra
Meals included: Breakfast
Travel to the Mughal city of Agra (approximately 4 hours) by private vehicle. After arriving you'll visit the spectacular Agra Fort.
Built by Emperor Akbar on the west bank of the river Yamuna and beautified with palaces and gardens by Jehangir, Agra Fort today dominates the center of the city.
This afternoon take in the majestical Taj Mahal, visit the Monument of Love and a flawless architectural creation.

Taking 22 years and 20,000 men to build, the white marble was quarried 200 miles away and transported by a fleet of 1,000 elephants.
Ponder the beauty of this 17th-century masterpiece of white marble set amid beautiful formal gardens. You'll learn more about its history as you explore the site with your local guide.
Included Activities
Taj Mahal
Agra Fort

Day 4/ Tuesday 29th October 2019
Agra - Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri
Meals included: Breakfast
This morning take a drive to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri, once Mughal empire, its stunning mosque displays both Persian and Hindu design and is secured by a 54-metre high entrance
Continue your travels to Jaipur, the pink city and the capital of the state of Rajasthan. Here traditionally dressed Rajput men wear colorful turbans and sport magnificent moustaches.

Take in the scene  as locals make their way through crowded streets packed with
cars, camel carts, rickshaws, trucks, and bicycles.

You will also find bustling, brightly-coloured bazaars filled with hand-crafted
textiles, folk art and semi-precious stones (the local specialty). This evening you get the chance to see a traiditional Bollywood
Movie at the most famous cinema in India.
Included Activities Bollywood Movie (Raj Mandir Cinema)
Fatehpur Sikri guided tour
 

This morning transfer to the Amber Fort parking to board jeeps which will take you to the entrance gate of the Fort. On arrival proceed to visit of an ancient capital of Amber to see the fabulous Amber Fort.

Maharaja Mansingh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful General, started the construction of Amber Fort in the 17th century.

Before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur, Amber was the seat of power. You will also get the chance to visit Sheesh Mahal in the Amber Fort.
In the afternoon, it's time to see more of the city of Jaipir on a sightseeing tour. Take in the City Palace, now converted into a museum, except a small portion that is still used by the royal family of Jaipur.

Built in the fortified campus style, the palace covers almost one-seventh part of the city. Next stop is the Jantar Mantar or observatory, constructed between 1727 and 1734
by Maharajah Jai Singh II of Jaipur and is one of the five observatories in India. You will also get to see the Hawa Mahal or more
commonly known as the Palace of the Winds.
Included Activities
Amber Fort
City Palace & Hawa Mahal
Jantar Mantar
Optional Activities
Hot Air Balloon experience - USD 260

Day 6/ Thursday 31st October 2019
Jaipur - Mandawa via Nawalgarh
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today you will drive from Jaipur to the Shekhawati region (approximately 5 hours). Mandawa is a remote town in the center of the region, an old trading outpost between the Middle East and China. Our lunch stop today will be in Nawalgarh.

On arrival in Mandawa, check into our first Heritage Property stay of the trip.

Castle Mandawa is a heritage and luxury property that will be one of many highlights of your trip!

Day 7/ Friday 1st November 2019
Mandawa
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy a day of exploring this amazing town, which is often referred to as an outdoor museum. Mandawa is famous for its ornate havelis (private residences). You'll notice that some are faithfully restored, and others are crumbling. The havelis of this part of India are recognized around the country for their lavishly painted walls and art.

Perhaps unwind at the day's end with a cold beer then sample some of the spicy local North Indian fare together for our included dinner. Stay again in our Heritage Property
tonight.
Included Activities
Mandawa - Haveli tour

Day 8/ Saturday 2nd November 2019
Mandawa - Bikaner
Meals included: Breakfast
Travel deeper into the Thar Desert to the fortified town of Bikaner (approximately 5 hours). Bikaner was an important staging post on some of the great caravan routes, and thus houses a multitude of bazaars along with an impressive fort and palace. We continue to Junagarh Fort. Another beautiful Heritage property welcomes you tonight that tells the story of the reigning Maharaja of Bikaner, His Highness Narendra Singhji. Unconventionally curated, it is composed of Narendra Singhji's memories from his travels to destinations near and far.

Be sure to take some time to explore this amazing property.

Included Activities
Bikaner – Junagarh Fort

Day 9/ Sunday 3rd November 2019
Bikaner - Jaisalmer
Meals included: Breakfast
Today you will journey along a remote desert road to the yellow sandstone citadel of Jaisalmer (approximately 7 hours). Watch as it rears its head in the arid, flat desert like a scene from 'One Thousand and One Nights'. Explore the snaking alleyways of Jaisalmer which are filled with markets and intricately carved houses. Located on the banks of Garsisar Lake in the Mehar Bagh
Garden is the Jaisalmer Folklore Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Included Activities
Jaisalmer – City tour

Day 10/ Monday 4th November 2019
Jaisalmer
Meals included: Breakfast dinner
Enjoy further time exploring the immense Jaisalmer fort today. Within the fort itself is a maze of houses, temples, shops and restaurants, not to mention some 3,000 permanent residents. Track down some dazzling Rajasthani fabrics, marvel at the spectacular facades of the Patwa ki Haveli and Salim Singh-ki-Haveli. Or you may wish to simply wander the labyrinthine paths and soak up the atmosphere. A home-cooked dinner awaits us tonight in the home of some local friends.
Included
Home-cooked local dinner

Day 11/ Tuesday 5th November 2019
Jaisalmer (Thar Desert)
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
No trip to Jaisalmer is complete without a desert safari, so today you'll experience one of the main highlights of your adventure. Your camel safari (approximately 3 hours) out to the pristine sand dunes of the Thar Desert is an adventure you're not likely to forget.

Visiting some small villages (dhanis) along your travels, your day culminates with a relaxing dinner by the campfire. Cap it off by camping out under the stars, falling asleep to the desert ambience in your comfortable permanent tent.
Included Activities
Jaisalmer - Camel Safari & Overnight Desert Camp

Day 12/ Wednesday 6th November 2019
Jaisalmer - Jodhpur
Meals included: Breakfast
Today you drive across the desert to discover Rajasthan's second-largest city, the frenetic Jodhpur (approximately 6 hours).
Jodhpur abounds in antique shops and, according to many a traveller, has the best lassi in India. It's also where the famous Jodhpur trousers originated.

While you are here you will explore the colossal Mehrangarth Fort. A highlight of the fort is the
expansive views from its ramparts. In your free time you can visit India's last great palace, the Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Thepalace was built in the years between 1929 and 1944 and named for Maharaja Umaid Singhji. His successors still reside there.
A palm reading is another informative, or at the very least entertaining, optional activity.
Included Activities
Jodhpur – Meherangarh Fort

Day 13/ Thursday 7th November 2019
Jodhpur - Ranakpur
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
From Jodhpur you will travel through the beautiful hamlet of Ranakpur (approximately 3 hours). Ranakpur is the home of a host of beautifully carved white marble Jain temples. These staggering complex temples attract Jain pilgrims from all over India,
making Ranakpur one of the most important pilgrim destinations for Jains in India. We enjoy a local lunch at a temple today.
Included Activities
Ranakpur – Jain Temples
 

Day 14/ Friday 8th November 2019
Ranakpur - Udaipur
Meals included: Breakfast
Today proceed for Udaipur, the Lake City. You will also visit the City Palace while you're here, one of the largest royal palaces in India. This structure took 400 years to build and hosts a range of treasures and antiquities, from vivid murals to royal utensils.
Spend your free time today exploring the streets as you please, or perhaps venture further afield into the rolling hills. A Boat Ride across the water is a great way to see this impossibly charming towns cape from another angle.
For the next two nights, you have the opportunity to stay in the magnificent Taj Lake Palace. A 5-star palace directly on the lake, will take your breath away.

Formally the palace of young prince, Maharana Jagat Singh II of Udaipur, built in 1746. It's most
world renowned for it's feature in the James Bond film ‘Octopussy’.
Included Activities
Udaipur – City Palace
Udaipur – City walk
Udaipur – Lake Pichola boat ride

Day 15/ Saturday 9th November 2019
Udaipur
Meals included: Breakfast
Today’s options include a visit to Sajjan Garh (Monsoon Palace). Perched atop a hill overlooking Lake Pichola and built in 1884, the palace was named after Maharana Sajjan Singh of the Mewar Dynasty.

You might like to join a trip to the nearby rural arts and crafts village of Shilpgram, where mud huts, artistic performances and traditional rural ways of life can be observed.

Back in Udaipur, enjoy a concert combining seven traditional Rajasthani folk dances.
Optional Activities
Udaipur - Cultural dance show - INR150
Udaipur - Monsoon Palace - INR300
Udaipur - Shilpgram craft village - INR25

Today at the appropriate time you will transfer to airport where you will farewell your guide.

** Optional  extension to Kerala **