Highlights tour to Rajasthan
| country: | India |
| location: | Rajasthan, The Golden Triangle |
| departures: | 2008: 1 Oct, 22 Oct, 12 Nov, 3 Dec, 24 Dec |
| price: | From £1595 (14 days) excluding flights. Single supplement £470. We can arrange flights from the UK. Deluxe option also available - please contact us for details. Maximum group size 15 people. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip is designed to offer you the best of vast, diverse India and showcases some of our favourite destinations. Take in India’s best known sites from the stunning Taj Mahal to the Pink City of Jaipur and the Holy City of Pushkar. Sample everything from ancient history, stunning Moghul architecture, camel rides and delicious food to wildlife and jungles on this all-encompassing trip.
We stay in hotels and a camel camp; travel is by modern air-conditioned vehicles and jeep. Cost includes some meals, tour leader and local English speaking guides but not entrance fees.
Highlights include:
We stay in hotels and a camel camp; travel is by modern air-conditioned vehicles and jeep. Cost includes some meals, tour leader and local English speaking guides but not entrance fees.
Highlights include:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Delhi. Arrive in vibrant and bustling Delhi and transfer to your hotel. Explore Delhi’s main sites including the Red Fort, Gandhi’s memorial and the Jama Masjid, Delhi’s impressive mosque. Later, admire the Lutyens architecture of India Gate as well as the huge Sikh temple of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. Enjoy an exhilarating rickshaw ride through the narrow and colourful lanes of Old Delhi before a little time at leisure to explore Connaught Place and its environs. |
| Day 3: | Agra & Taj Mahal. Travel by road to Agra, home to the world’s most famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Explore Agra including the impressive Fort on the banks of the Yamuna River and visit a workshop to learn about the painstakingly intricate marble inlay work that was done to decorate the Taj. Rise early the following day to see the Taj at sunrise, bathed in the pinkish dawn light and a sight you are never likely to forget. |
| Day 4-5: | Ranthambore National Park. Continue onto the famous national park of Ranthambore by road and by train, visiting the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri en route. Explore the beautiful park with its lush jungle foliage by vehicle at dawn and dusk, the best times for spotting the many types of wildlife which live here. If you are lucky, you may spot one of India’s last remaining tigers. |
| Day 6-7: | Jaipur. Explore the famous “Pink City” of Jaipur with its distinctive dusky painted buildings. With an afternoon city tour, you will be able to explore the City Palace as well as the famous Palace of Winds façade with some free time for purchasing some traditional Rajasthani handicrafts. Visit the imposing Amber Fort and the city’s Observatory built by Jai Singh, famed for his intelligence. |
| Day 8-9: | Nimaj and Osian. Visit the old white palace of Nimaj which dominates this traditional Rajasthani country town. Wander the bazaar and enjoy a delicious cooking demonstration. We head on to Osian and to the fantastic camel camp, located on top of the area’s highest sand dune and an incredible base for exploring the area by camel and by jeep. |
| Day 10-12: | Jodhpur. Drive to Jodhpur, one of Rajasthan’s most famous and lively cities. Often referred to as the ‘Blue City’, Jodhpur’s roofs are painted in this vibrant colour making for a great photo opportunity when viewed from the top of the impressive Meherangarh Fort which dominates the city’s skyline. After exploring the fort itself, visit the lively bazaar before enjoying a fun cookery lesson at the former royal residence of Rohet Garh, just outside Jodhpur. Enjoy some free time for shopping or relaxing before transferring to the airport for your onward travel – perhaps onto Southern India for our Spice of the South tour. |
| Day 13-14: | Ranakpur & Udaipur. Travel by road to reach the intricately-carved temples of Ranakpur for devotees of the Jain faith. Continue on to the famous lake city of Udaipur, with its attractive verdant mountainous backdrop, celebrated lakes and interesting network of alleys. Visit the City Palace which has been added to over the years by various Maharanas and learn about the dramatic history of this family. Take a boat cruise on Lake Pichola and use your free time to shop or explore the old town. |
Small group adventure holiday
These small group journeys have a maximum of 15 like-minded travellers which ensures that all travellers have an amazing overall experience with the destination and that they enjoy the flexibility that comes with the small group dynamic. On this trip you will stay at boutique accommodation with character. Our numbers are discreet enough for us to interact with local families in their homes and meet people in markets, bazaars and temples – something that’s just not possible when you arrive as part of a large tour group. Along with our unique combination of Western tour leader and local English-speaking guide this will ensure an unforgettable travel experience.how this holiday makes a difference
We believe that travel should entail an exchange of knowledge and perspectives, a sharing of wealth, and a genuine appreciation of India’s beautiful natural environment. This philosophy underpins the heart and soul of our style of travel. We recognise that poorly planned itineraries or poorly informed tourists contribute less to cross-cultural understanding and less to the livelihoods of local people. This journey shows you the highlights of this famed desert state. A stay at Osian Camel Camp is a key feature of this journey - it is situated atop the area’s highest sand dune and has wonderful views over the surrounding area.
The camp intensively employs local people and returns tourist revenues to local people during a monthly camel festival. On this journey our local guides are trained to share their knowledge of cultural and other local issues in a balanced, informative way; in this journey alone you are likely to meet several local guides from different areas in India. They share real experiences from their own lives and insights into their family life, influences and beliefs, thus providing our travellers with a deeper understanding of the places they visit. This is what motivates our guides, not shopping commissions.