WILDLIFE & CULTURAL INDIA TOUR
Duration: 9 Nights / 10 Days
Places to Visit: Delhi - Sariska - Ranthambore - Jaipur
- Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Delhi
Day 1: Abroad / Delhi 
Arrive late night at New Delhi International airport. On arrival the guest will
be met by our representative and transferred to hotel. Upon arrival at hotel
the guests will be provided with the traditional Indian welcome consisting of
aarti-tikka and garlands. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: New Delhi
Morning sightseeing tour of Old Delhi. This morning you will be taken to visit
Old Delhi - Former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments,
narrow streets and bustling bazaars. Visit the vast Red Fort, built in 1648,
the Jama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah
Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to
Mahatma Gandhi. Afternoon sightseeing tour of New Delhi - drive past the stately
government buildings of the British Era designed by Lutyens, including the India
Gate & the Presidential Palace. Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb
of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world famous Taj Mahal. End the tour
at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: Delhi - Sariska
After breakfast drive to Sariska (180 kms) On arrival in Sariska - check into
the hotel. Sariska Palace - built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar, at the turn
of the century, the Sariska
Palace was a royal hunting lodge or Palace de Nature. Silhouetted against the
nurturing arms of the Aravali range, this legacy of Maharaja, now a heritage
hotel, is located right inside the Tiger Reserve. Hard tennis courts with a
viewing pavilion and a swimming pool give that zestful touch to a quiet holiday.
Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon, an exciting jeep drive to the Sariska sanctuary
to view wildlife. Set among valleys, hills and deep forests that change colour
with the seasons. It is the home to an exotic variety of wild animals and beautiful
birds. Here, herds of golden deer dart and pirouette gracefully, playing hide
and seek with their shadow, and the big wild cat, the tiger, roams free. Overnight
at hotel.
Day 4: Sariska - Ranthambore
After breakfast drive to Ranthambore (240 kms) On arrival in Ranthambore - check
into the hotel. Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary - Rajasthan's most renowned wildlife
sanctuary, it is 400 sq kms of dry deciduous forest, perfect natural habitat
for tigers, and is set in the Aravalli and Vindhya hills, dotted with pavillions
and dominated by a hilltop fort. Ranthambore was one of the hunting preserves
of the former rulers of Jaipur and because of this the Maharajas ensured the
environment was preserved and the forest and their inhabitants well protected.
It has a good population of tiger and their prey species, and has been declared
a "Project Tiger" reserve. Wildlife includes blue bull, black buck,
spotted deer or cheetal, wild boar, a large variety of bird species and, if
very lucky, the rarely seen leopard. This afternoon you will be escorted on
a game viewing inside the sanctuary by jeeps. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5: Ranthambore
Early morning and late afternoon, game viewing in the sanctuary by jeeps. Overnight
at hotel.
Day 6: Ranthambore - Jaipur
After breakfast drive to Jaipur (156 kms) On arrival in Jaipur - check into
the hotel Lunch at the hotel Afternoon, tour of the "Pink City" is
spectacularly set within surrounding rugged hills, dotted with ancient ruined
fortresses. Your tour will include the imposing City Palace, still home to the
Maharaja although several of the rooms are now open to the public. Many antiques
and artefacts belonging to the ruling family are housed here, including a collection
of weaponry. You will also visit the Hawa Mahal "Palace of the Winds",
and the open-air Jantar Mantar Observatory to see the vast astronomical instruments.
Enjoy a stroll through the colourful bazaar before returning to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 7: Jaipur - Bharatpur 
Morning visit Amber Fort Afternoon drive to Bharatpur The famous Keoladeo Ghana
Bird Sanctuary which is a wonder of the natural world and no less worth seeing
than the marble mausoleum of the Taj. Here over 350 species of birds find refuge
in the 29sq kms of shallow lakes & wood lands of the park. A third of them
are migrants many of whom spend winter in Bharatpur before returning to their
breeding grounds as far away as Siberia and Central Asia. This sanctuary is
the creation of the Maharaja of Bharatpur in the late 19th century, who recognized
the area's potential and augmented the water supply by diverting water from
a nearby irrigation canal. He also constructed small dams, dykes and shooting
butts & in a few years the new ecosystem so flourished that it was able
to support thousands of water birds. The maharaja celebrated his success in
style, with extravagant shooting parties for the dignitaries of princely India.
Their exploits are recorded to this day on a sandstone inscription in the park.
There are many good paths & trails through the dense park, but a ride with
your expert rickshaw driver will be a rewarding experience as he has been trained
to recognise the different species of birds. Afternoon, cycle-rickshaw ride.
Day 8: Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra
After breakfast drive to Agra (56 kms) enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur
Sikri - drive to the impressive sandstone fortress of Fatehpur Sikri. The fort
was built in the
16th
century and only occupied for a few years before being abandoned, leaving the
buildings in virtually perfect conditions. On arrival in Agra - check into the
hotel Lunch at the hotel Afternoon, visit the Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of
Empress Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved spouse of Shah Jahan, who died in 1630. The
Taj complex comprises a forecourt, a lofty entrance, a charming formal Mughal
garden with canals and a central tank with a series of fountains, the tomb proper,
and an attached mosque on the west and its symmetrical counterpart on the east.
The Taj is remarkable for its perfect proportion and rich pietra dura, with
minute details executed with great skill. The building, often styled "a
dream in marble" is said to have taken at least 22 years (1631-1653) to
build. Overnight at hotel.
Day 9: Agra - Delhi
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Red Fort built by three generations of Mughal
Emperors starting from Akbar the Great in 1565 AD, which is a masterpiece of
design and construction. It housed both the residential Palaces of the Royal
family, and the military quarters. Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon drive to Delhi
(203 kms/ 5 hrs) Upon arrival transfer to the international airport for onward
flight.
Day 10: Delhi - Abroad
Leave Delhi for Abroad.
Wildlife & Cultural India Tour Reservation Form
