WELCOME TO INDIA – One Nation, countless destinations. A land of rich heritage that’s ancient. The mystique of India, its history of 5000 years, philosophy, religions, fabulous historical monuments all add to its bewildering diversity to create a unique and colorful mosaic. This is the wonder that is India, come, enjoy and experience it. This tour is designed to provide visitors with a unique insight into the vestiges of a colonial past. Destinations have been selected because of their colonial character or historical linkages with The British Raj in India.

Reception on arrival at International airport and transfer to hotel.

HOTEL CHECK-IN TIME 12 NOON.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from hotel to the Railway Station in time to board train for Kalka:

Leave: Delhi at 0740 hours by Shatabdi Express
Arrive: Kalka at 1200 hours
(Train operates daily except Saturday)

Reception on arrival at the Railway Station and drive to Shimla (80 kms/3 hours)
On arrival check-in at hotel.

Shimla - The capital of modern India’s mountainous State of Himachal Pradesh is known as the queen of India’s hill stations. Set at an elevation of 2213 m in the pine-forested Shivalik Hills, this was once the summer capital of the British administration in India from 1864 to 1939. This hill station still retains a very colonial character in its architecture, especially around the main street called The Mall.

Rest of the day at leisure.
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Full day at leisure to explore Shimla and surrounding areas.

Walk through the busy Mall road and visit the Church located in the heart of this quaint hill town. Take the elevator down from The Mall to the highway lower down the hill side and take in the panoramic views of the surroundings. The Mall is the main centre of the town’s activities where you may visit shops, cafes and restaurants or wander through ‘Lakkar Bazar’, the wooden handicrafts market. You can also walk to ‘Jakhu Mandir’, a Hindu temple dedicated to The Monkey God – Hanuman. The temple is home to hundreds of monkeys.

OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Take the narrow gauge “Toy Train” from Shimla to Kalka. This 5.5 hour journey takes you at an ambling pace winding through 110 tunnels and breath taking views of the surrounding hills. This historical railway line was built in 1903 and is an engineering marvel.

Departure 1025 hrs - Arrival Kalka – 1605 Hrs

From Kalka you will drive to Nalagarh (22 kms – 45 minutes)

On arrival check-in at Hotel Nalagarh Fort.

Nalagarh is a small hamlet tucked away in the foothills of the Aravali Hills. The Nalagarh Fort is situated on a hillock and was built in 1421 during the reign of Raja Bikram Chand. The Fort stands amid acres of greenery with a panoramic view of the Shivalik Hills. It is now a quaint heritage resort maintaining a homely touch, with air-conditioned rooms and facilities which include a swimming pool, a small gymnasium, an Ayurvedic massage centre and pitch and putt Golf area.

Rest of the day at leisure.
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning is at leisure.

Afternoon drive from Nalagarh to Ambala (90 kms/2 hours) Railway station in time to board train for Amritsar:

Leave: Ambala at 1646 hours by Delhi Amritsar Express
Arrive: Amritsar at 2125 hours

Reception on arrival and transfer from Railway Station to hotel.

Amritsar: The holiest city of the Sikhs, this city of The Punjab is over 400 years old. Amritsar is famous for its Golden Temple which is surrounded by a vast tank of holy water called “The Pool of Immortality”. The city was founded by the 4th Sikh Guru, Ram Dass, and the temple was built by Guru Arjun Dev and Maharaja Ranjit Singh – the Sikh ruler whose dominion incorporated this town in 1803.
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning- sightseeing tour of Amritsar: The tour begins from “The Golden Temple”, famous for its gold inlay works, which is the holiest shrine for the Sikh religion. Later proceed to Jallianwala Bagh with its “Flame of Liberty”, a red sand stone pillar commemorating the massacre of hundreds of unarmed civilians ordered by the British General Dyer, on 13th April’1919. The walls of this park still bear the bullet marks as a witness to this tragedy.

In the afternoon proceed for an excursion to the India-Pakistan border post at Wagah to witness the impressive border closing ceremony. This happens every evening and is conducted by the border guards of India and Pakistan. This historic border was created in 1947 at the time when India gained its independence from Britain and the country was ‘partitioned’ into India and Pakistan

OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning is at leisure.

Afternoon transfer from hotel to the Railway Station in time to board train for Delhi:

Leave: Amritsar at 1705 hours by SHATABDI EXP
Arrive: Delhi at 2250 hours

Reception on arrival and transfer from Railway Station to hotel.
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive from Delhi to Agra (203 kms/4.5 hours).

Agra – An ancient city, once the capital of Mughal Empire in the 16th and 17th century, Agra today depicts a gorgeous panorama of majestic architectural creations and a rich tradition of art and culture. Agra is home to one of The Seven Wonders of the World, the marble symphony of Emperor Shah Jahan - The Taj Mahal. Discover the dazzling creations of craftsmen in other architectural marvels in Agra, the quintessential Mughal city.

On arrival check-in at hotel.

Afternoon, proceed for a city tour where you will experience the TAJ MAHAL (closed on Fridays). An extravagant marble monument of love, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal. This beautiful mausoleum in pure white marble took 22 years and 22000 craftsmen to build. Continue your tour to the Agra Fort, the original red sandstone fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1565. The Fort’s maze of courtyards, its marble mosque and lavish private chambers reflect the grandeur of the Mughal Empire.
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive back to Delhi enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri. The drive will take approximately 6 hours due to the sight seeing halt at Fatehpur Sikri.

Morning drive from Agra to Jaipur (221 kms/6 hours) enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri. This deserted, red sandstone city, built by Emperor Akbar, between 1570 and 1585, now glows in its magnificent past. This was once the capital of the Moghul Empire for a short period but later abandoned due to scarcity of water. Here you will visit the Bulund Darwaza (The Gate of Victory), which is said to be the tallest gateway in the world. In the northern part of the courtyard is the superb white marble tomb of the famous Sufi saint - Shaik Salim Chishti. This tomb was built in 1570 and legend says that the Moghul Emperor Akbar did not have a male heir because of which he made a barefooted pilgrimage from Agra to seek the blessings of this saint. The saint foretold the birth of a son, and in gratitude Akbar named his son Salim, who later went on to be called by the title Jehangir and succeeded Akbar as emperor of Hindustan (India).

On arrival in Delhi, transfer to a city hotel where the clients can leave their luggage at the concierge.

No accommodation has been envisaged in Delhi – depending on the time of flight departure, wash and change rooms can be arranged for a supplementary charge.