Day 01 :-

Arrive Delhi. Transfer to hotel. Check-in and check-out timings are always 1200 hrs noon.

Morning visit Raj Ghat & Shanti Vana - the cremation sites of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, Jama Masjid and drive past Red Fort and Chandni Chowk.

Afternoon visit Qutab Minar built by Qutub-ud-Din Aibek in 1199, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate (War Memorial Arch), Lakshmi Narayan Temple - a modern Hindu Temple. Also drive past President's House, Parliament House, Government Secretariat Buildings and Connaught Place shopping centre. Overnight Delhi.

Day 02 :-

Drive to Agra. Transfer to hotel. Afternoon visit the world famous Taj Mahal built by the Moghul Emperor Shahjehan in 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. Later visit the Agra Fort containing the Pearl Mosque, the Halls of Public and Private Audience. Also visit the Tomb of Itmad- ud-Daullah built by Empress Noorjehan in memory of her father. Overnight in Agra.
TAJ MAHAL IS CLOSED ON FRIDAY FOR VISITORS.

Day 03 :-

Drive to Jaipur enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri - is 40 kms from Agra and built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other Palaces. Arrive Jaipur & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Jaipur.

Day 04 :-

Morning visit Amber Fort was the ancient capital of the State. Visit the Sheesh Mahal or the Hall of Victory glittering with mirrors. Ascend the Fort on Elephant back. Overnight in Jaipur.

Day 05 :-

Transfer to airport to board flight for Bombay. Arrive Bombay & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Bombay.

Day 06 :-

Morning visit Kamla Nehru Park, Hanging Gardens situated on the slopes of Malabar Hill offering a panoramic view of Marine Drive, Chowpatty Beach, Prince of Wales Museum, Mani Bhawan, Dhobi Ghat, Gateway of India & drive through the Crawford Market, Marine Drive & Flora Fountain. Overnight in Bombay

Day 07 :-

Transfer to airport to board flight for Bangalore. Arrive Bangalore & drive to Mysore & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Mysore.

Day 08 :-

Morning visit the palace of the Maharaja built in 1911-12. The palace is of harmonious syntheses of the hindu and saracenic styles of architecture with archways, domes, turrets, colonnades and sculptures which are magnificent. Visit the Art Gallery; drive upto Chamundi hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple and a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way back, see the Nandi Bull. Overnight in Mysore.

Day 09 :-

Drive to Bangalore airport to board flight to Cochin, Arrive & transfer to hotel.

Day 10 :-

Morning visit -Cochin is the natural harbour created by the famed underwater Malabar mud-banks whose quality ensures that the rougher the seas are outside the calmer the waters are within the Harbour. Vasco-de-Gama placed it on the world map. It has a Jewish synagogue, Portuguese churches, mosques and Hindu temples. Watch the Chinese Fishing Nets. Overnight in Cochin.

Day 11 :-

Visit the earliest sanctuary to be set up in 1934, it extends to 777 square kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges, the Western Ghats. Wild life can be seen while cruising on Periyar Lake in a motor boat. Amongst the animals which can be seen are elephants, wild boar, sambar, tiger, leopard, wild dog, langur monkeys, etc. Overnight in Periyar.

Day 12 :-

Drive to Madurai. Arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Madurai.

Day 13 :-

Morning visit the great Meenakshi Temple dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva with its towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding country side). Later, visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace - A gracious building in the Indo saracenic style, famous for the Stucco work on its domes & arches. Also visit the Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran Rock temple.

Day 14 :-

Drive to Tanjore & arrive transfer to hotel.
Afternoon visit the beautiful Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara is capped by a monolithic
cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by the Egyptians for building pyramids. Its bronzes and handicrafts make Tanjore one of the highlights of a visit to South India. Overnight in Tanjore.

Day 15 :-

Drive to Pondicherry, arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Pondicherry.

Day 16 :-

Morning visit the capital of French India before independence, Pondicherry traces its origin to Saint Agasthya, the revered sage of the south & excavations near-by reveal that a Roman settlement existed here 2000 years ago. It was the theatre of many a battle between the British.

Afterrnoon drive to Mahabalipuram & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Mahabalipuram.

Day 17 :-

Morning visit the city of Mahabalipuram is famous for the seven pagodas. Here on the seashore is an interesting group of ancient rock hewn temples which are the examples of Dravidian style of Architecture. Overnight in Mahabalipuram.

Day 18 :-

Morning visit Kanchipuram (64 kms from Madras) is the ancient capital of the Pallavas famous as a city of 1000 Temples and still has 124 shrines. The first temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century and has paintings on the walls. Temples of Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also famous for its silks. Later drive to Chennai. Arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Chennai.

Day 19 :-

Morning visit the museum to see the Art and Bronze Gallery. (Closed on Fridays and Public holidays). Drive through the Flower and Fruit market, High court, Fort museum, Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral and snake park. Overnight in Chennai.

Day 20 :-

Transfer to airport to board flight for Calcutta. Arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Calcutta.

Day 21 :-

Morning visit the Jain Temple, Zoological Gardens, Victoria Memorial & drive past Howrah Bridge, Dalhousie Square, Fort Williams, Secretariat Building and Old Court House Street. Later transfer to railway station to board the train for Varanansi. Night in train.

Day 22 :-

Morning visit Varanasi - Hindus holiest city and one of the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi was already old when Rome was founded, a flourishing tradecentre when the Buddha came to Sarnath to preach his first sermon. It was a city of great wealth and religious importance when the Chinese travelers Hiuen Tsang visited in the 7thcentury. Half day, sightseeing tour of the city visiting the Bharat Mata Temple with a big relief map of India in marble, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Banaras Hindu University which has an Art Gallery and the Mosque of Moghul Emperor Aurangazeb built on the site of an ancient Hindu Temple.

Day 23 :-

Morning boat excursion on the river Ganges, a ferry pilgrimage from ghat to ghat. People bathe early in the morning to offer the prayers to the rising sun. The two cremation ghats are Manikarnika & Harishchandra where funeral pyre burns day and night. Every pious Hindu believes that to die in Kashi and to be cremated on banks of the Ganges is to attain release from the cycle of birth and death. Transfer to airport to board flight for Delhi. Arrive & departure for onward journey.