India Moghul highlights holiday

country:	India
location:	Golden Triangle in India
departures:	Departures most Sundays from January to April, and end of July to December. Additional departures in October.
price:	From £1085 - £1379 (9 days) including flights from the UK. Single room option from £180. This trip can also be booked without flights

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the amazing things you'll be doing

A short but exhilarating holiday based on hotels throughout and designed for those who want to see the masterpieces of Moghul art and architecture in Northern India - Humayun's tomb in Delhi, the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri, the fabled Taj Mahal at Agra and the wonderful 'Pink City' of Jaipur. One of the country's best National Parks is also included and experience village life in rural Karauli.

Special highlights:

Delhi. Half-day guided tours of Old and New Delhi.
Agra. Guided visit to Taj Mahal & Agra Fort.
Fatehpur Sikri. Explore Akbar the Great's famous deserted city.
Bharatpur National Park. Visit Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary.
Karauli. Holy town with a spectacular Fort and temple.
Amber Fort Visit fortified hill top fortress.
Jaipur. Half-day guided tour of city.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Join tour Delhi; City tour of New Delhi. Arrive Delhi and check into hotel. This afternoon we include a city tour of the sights of New Delhi. The Indian capital has long been a phoenix rising again and again out of its own ruins. New Delhi was the creation of the British Raj of the 30's and includes the Lok Sabha (Parliament), India Gate, the Rajpath, Qutb Minar and, Humayun’s Tomb. Overnight hotel H+.
Day 2:	City tour of Old Delhi; drive to Agra. Compared to New Delhi the Old City is much closer to the image conjured up by Rudyard Kipling. This morning we include a guided visit to Old Delhi by metro and on foot with its hub at Chandni Chowk Bazaar, a jamboree of deafening barter. A short cycle rickshaw ride then takes us to the Jami Masjid mosque and we pass by the Red Fort also. There will be an opportunity for some free time in Old Delhi before an afternoon drive to Agra. 2 nights hotel H+ (included meals: B).
Day 3:	Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. We visit the Taj Mahal, the world's most perfect and poetic building, at sunrise. Over 300 years have elapsed since its construction, yet it stands today unscarred by age, its beauty and symmetry seemingly beyond man, time and space. Created by Shah Jahan as a funerary monument to his favourite wife, Mumtaz, it took 22 years to build (1630-52). The Great Moghul lies beside his beloved under the white marble dome. Inlaid with precious gems, the building cost a fortune and later Shah Jahan moved his capital to Delhi before being overthrown by his son, Aurangzeb. We'll also visit the Agra Fort, built by Akbar the Great, which contains the incomparable Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque). Rest of the day is free in Agra and you may choose to visit the "Babt Taj" on the east bank of the river or re-visit the Taj (optional). (Included meals: B).
Day 4:	Drive to Bharatpur via Fatehpur Sikri. We continue our journey west and soon come upon the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. Founded in 1569 and abandoned scarcely 16 years later, it is a perfectly intact example of Akbar's imperial court. Among the many note worthy buildings is the 5-storied Panch Mahal, probably a pleasure pavilion for the ladies of the harem. In the centre of the courtyard is the Pachisi Board where the emperor played a game like chess with dancing slave girls as pieces. Perhaps the finest structure of all is the lotus shaped carved central pillar of the Diwan-i-Khas (Hallof Private Audience), its extraordinary capital supporting a vaulted roof. Later in the afternoon we reach the Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Bharatpur. Formerly a royal duck-shooting reserve and now an ornithologist's paradise, the park is best visited either at dusk or dawn. Covering 12square miles, some 7000 acres are underwater: the lakes and marshlands offer a safe habitat for large numbers of breeding waterbirds and migrants. More than 300 species have been sighted, among them herons, storks, geese and the huge and rare Siberian crane. Overnight hotel H+ (included meals: B, D).
Day 5:	Drive to Karauli via Mahuwa & Hindaun. Leaving Bharatpur we continue to Karauli via Mahuwa and Hindaun. Karauli is a holy town famous for the pale red sandstone wall which surrounds it. Earlier called Kalyanpuri, after the local deity Kalyanji, Karauli was founded in 1348 AD and was strongly fortified by its rulers. Legend has it that the ruling family were descendants of Lord Krishna, one of the most loved gods of Hindu mythology. After arriving and checking into our hotel, we hope to be able to ride on carts drawn by camels from our hotel to the 600 year old fort which forms the imposing highlight of this town. Used as a residence by the royal family until 1950, the fort has now been abandoned by them. There are a good number of monkeys and geese in the fort. It is said that geese have been here since the days when they were used as a warning system against any intruders. We will visit the fort and, if time allows, we may also be able to explore other points of interest in the town such as the Madan Mohanji Temple. Karauli plays host to a large cattle fair in February and 2 famous religious festivals – one at the beginning of April and the other at the beginning of October. Overnight hotel H+ (included meals: B, D).
Day 6:	Drive to Jaipur via Gangapur & Dausa. Today we will make an early start and head to Jaipur via Gangapur and Dausa. Sometimes called the Pink City, Jaipur was first painted terracotta pink by Maharajah Sawai Ram Singh to celebrate the visit of Prince Albert in 1853. On arrival, we'll take a sightseeing tour including a visit to the lavish and well preserved City Palace with its fine collection of textiles, costumes and armoury. Jai Singh, the great Maharajah-astronomer, built his extraordinary (and very accurate) star-gazing Observatory (Jantra) here and we will also have time to visit it this afternoon. The Old City has several fine gates set into the pink walls, and there are many chances for photos and shopping. 2 nights hotel H+(included meals: B).
Day 7:	In Jaipur; Visit Amber Fort. Today we will visit the Palace of the Winds, a 5-storied facade (built about 1760) which has been the subject of countless Indian posters. Afterwards, we will drive to the Amber Fort. This impressive hill top fortress possesses what must be the world's finest Chamber of Mirrors and affords glorious views of the surrounding. (Included meals: B).
Day 8:	Train to Delhi. Today, we take the train back to Delhi. Rest of the day is free. Overnight hotel H+(included meals: B).
Day 9:	Tour ends Delhi.

small group cultural tours

Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.

award winner

This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

On this tour we use knowledgeable Indian tour leaders with a strong love for their own countries, their rich cultures and traditions, and a desire to share the wonders of their country with you. As an investment both in their future and ours, we run an annual dedicated training course for them, a strong focus of which is to raise their awareness of responsible tourism practices so they can ensure that our tours run in accordance with our code of practice. For example, at the start of each trip they are able to provide guidance concerning local customs and culture so as to ensure that local sensibilities are respected.

Where possible, we use independently run and locally-owned accommodation to ensure that the income generated from our visit is spread amongst the community. In Karauli we stay in the home of the Maharaja, part of which has been converted to accommodate guests, whilst our hotel in Jaipur is a converted merchant’s house known as a haveli. Our support of these businesses is helping to preserve part of India’s rich historical heritage.

This tour is operated through a small family-run Delhi based agency with whom we have been working for over 20 years. They have been instrumental in helping us set up our association with Hope Worldwide India through which we sponsor a school in South India and where our donation has paid for a teacher for a year. They are also actively involved in promoting our work with the TOFT –Travel Operators for Tigers - campaign which works together with suppliers in India's wildlife reserves to ensure the environmental and business practice of all proactively supports conservation and motivates the local community to protect the tiger.

As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide, which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation and Send a Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies, which promote best practice in responsible tourism such as the Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy.

We offset the emissions of all our customer and staff flights through Climate Care.

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'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

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