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India & Shimla Extension

Resort:India & Shimla Extension
Operator: Riviera Travel
Destination: Asia, India
Price From: £2499.00

Overview

India, a unique country and civilisation, is a mindboggling potpourri of sights, sounds, colours and experiences as well as a culture-shock of astonishing contrasts. Immerse yourself in this tour and prepare for a revamp of any preconceptions towards one of the worlds must-see destinations!

The jewel of our tour is surely the Taj Mahal in the early morning, when its colours and ethereal beauty is at its most amazing. Built to house the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Emperor Jahans wife, it took 20,000 men 22 years to finish it. The end result transcends the extraordinary world monument it is. The tomb represents the ultimate expression of a pure and enduring love, a tangible expression of the unquantifiable. But theres more. Well see the real India, a subcontinent that covers the full gamut of evolution, from the natural world, including the nations unofficial symbol, the tiger, in Ranthambore, through the Rajasthan forts and palaces of the Moghul Empire, to the more recent Raj and British colonial influence.

Well stay for three nights in Rajasthan, regarded as Indias most colourful state, a region fringed by deserts, populated by a fiercely proud, warrior race and a plethora of forts and palaces. No area in all of India more clearly illustrates the paradox of ancient and modern which exist side by side.

We stay in Rajasthans capital city of Jaipur, known as the Pink City due to the colour of its walls and so many of its buildings, and we visit the Maharajahs City Palace as well as the great AmberFort, one of the masterpieces of Rajput architecture, guarding the northern approaches to the city.

We delve, ever deeper, into the culture and history of Rajasthan with our stay at the Alsisar Mahal,a restored fort, converted into one of the regions best heritage hotels. A wonderfully romantic setting where Belgian crystal chandeliers hang above exquisite marble floors, cut from the very quarries that supplied the builders of the Taj Mahal.

On selected departures our tour continues on to the hill-station of Shimla, effectively the summer capital of India during the Raj. At over 7,300ft, the cooler climate made this the ideal location to escape from the searing summer temperatures on the plains below. Dominated by the baronial splendour of the Viceregal Lodge, Shimla was, in those days, a microcosm of late Victorian English society. Surrounded by vast forests of teak and pine and located across a long ridge with steep mountainous terrain on all sides, Shimla was not the easiest place to get to. But Victorian engineers managed to build one of the marvels of Indian Railways, the 96-kilometre narrow-gauge line to Shimla, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Our journey clickety-clicks along those very tracks laid by those intrepid imperial engineers more than a century ago.

But India is not all history and architecture genuine Indian cuisine is far more varied and interesting that what we are used to at home. From a simple hot chapatti fresh from the oven, to the delicate spices of Kheer, a sweet rice pudding, a trip to India will change your view of Indian cookery and dont worry, many of the curries are quite mild! However, for the brave at heart, theres the gasket-blowing prospect of Phaal curry. Whichever culinary delight you choose, the one guarantee is that the Indian people are supremely hospitable and will go out of their way to ensure their visitors enjoy their stay.

From the flawless grandeur of the Taj Mahal, to the mighty fortresses of Rajasthan and from the reminders of past glories of the Raj in Delhi to the teeming markets of Jaipur, our India tour encompasses the very best of northern India, ensuring a lifetime of truly amazing memories.

Itinerary Details

DAY 1DEPARTURE

Airport check-in for your overnight flight to Delhi.

DAY 2ARRIVAL IN NEW DELHI

The city centre, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1911, is bisected by wide, tree-lined avenues, a hub which clearly reflects the Raj legacy and home to the former Viceroys Palace, now the Presidential Palace. Heading down the imposing Rajpath, we pass India Gate and the Parliament building. Well visit some of Delhis older monuments, including the Qutub Minaret, started in 1199, which is the tallest stone built tower in India.

Nearby is Humayuns tomb, an outstanding example of Moghul architecture and the first mausoleum of its type, pre-dating the more widely known Taj Mahal by nearly a century. Dinner is included tonight.

DAY 3OLD DELHI

This morning we continue our city tour, first visiting Old Delhi, starting with the Raj Ghat, a fittingly simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. We continue past the imposing walls and battlements of the great Red Fort before visiting the Jama Masjid, one of Asias largest mosques. We leave Delhi in the afternoon for our drive to Agra, arriving at our four-star Oberoi Trident hotel, in the late afternoon.

DAY 4TAJ MAHAL

We rise early to catch the sun rising over the Taj Mahal. In the soft morning light, as the mist rises from the Yamuna River behind it, the Taj Mahal seems to float, mirage-like, above the surrounding landscape. A combination of extraordinary beauty, symmetry and history makes this wonder of the world one of the most amazing monuments on the planet and you will have plenty of time to admire it from all angles. Moving on, we continue our tour with a visit to the vast red sandstone Agra Fort. Completed in 1573, it was the headquarters of the Moghul Empire, boasting vast size and opulence, its buildings make it more of a walled palace than a fort. In the evening you have the option of completing a wonderful day with another visit to the Taj Mahal, to witness the shrine at sunset.

DAY 5FATEHPUR SIKRI

Leaving Agra this morning we continue towards the ancient abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, built in 1571, as Emperor Akbars imperial capital. Although it was mysteriously abandoned just 15 years later, it remains in a remarkable state of preservation, with numerus palaces, wide courtyards and beautiful carvings.

Just 15 kilometres away is the Bagh Bharatpur, a luxury Heritage Hotel in Bharatpur where we stop for lunch (included) before going on to the railway station to catch the Shatabdi Express for our comfortable two and a half hour journey to Ranthambore National Park. Originally the private hunting preserve of Maharajahs, its 400 square kilometres of forested rolling hills, valleys and lakes form a unique ecosystem. Started in 1973, Indias famous Tiger Project was created to protect the countrys tiger population. Despite many difficulties, the tigers of Ranthambore have survived and numbers have stabilised.

Our hotel for the next two nights is the comfortable family-run three-star Ranthambore Regency on full board basis.

DAY 6RANTHAMBORE TIGER SAFARI

An early start this morning is worth the sacrifice as we head out to the park for our safari using specially built, 20-person, open-top four wheel drive vehicles known as canters. After many years of conservation, Ranthambore is now the best place to spot tigers in India, but the reserve is about more than tigers over 300 bird species have been counted including impressive crested eagles, painted stork and wild peacocks. The parks residents also include large numbers of sambars, the largest Asian antelope, as well as marsh crocodiles, wild boar and rare sloth bears and leopards. Look out for the playful troop of black-faced langur monkeys near the main entrance gate.

We return to our hotel in the late morning, with time to relax before and after lunch. In the afternoon we take our second trip into the park for another chance to spot the elusive tigers. Dinner is included this evening.

Tiger at Ranthambore National Park Tiger at Ranthambore National Park

DAY 7JAIPUR

Leaving Ranthambore after breakfast we head north to the Pink City of Jaipur. Our afternoon tour will cover all the major highlights of this ancient city. The famous Hawa Mahal, known as the Palace of Winds, is one of our first stops before we continue to the Astronomical Observatory constructed in 1726 and on to the City Palace, still home to the present Maharajah of Jaipur, where well view collections of costumes, carpets, paintings and the impressive armoury. Our hotel for the next two nights is the new four-star Hilton Jaipur.

DAY 8AMBER FORT

This morning another highlight, on a tour of highlights. Youll visit the immense Amber Fort, located in the hills just a short drive out of Jaipur. Sampling all the most fascinating sights, our guided tour includes the sections reserved for the Maharajahs wives and concubines as well as the remarkable hall of mirrors, with tiny delicate convex mirrors embedded like a mosaic in the walls and ceilings.

DAY 9RAJASTHAN

After breakfast, we bid goodbye to Jaipur and head north, deeper into the interior of rural Rajasthan. We pass numerous small villages and towns on our way to the Sekhawati region of the state and the village of Alsisar. This was once part of Indias Silk Road and over the years the merchants here grew very rich, building a large number of luxurious mansions known as havelis, to display their wealth through the magnificence of their frescoed walls. Although most of these have now been abandoned, the imposing and luxurious residence of the local kings has been lovingly restored into an amazing Heritage hotel, the Alsisar Mahal, where we stay for the night.Dinner is included tonight.

DAY 10NEW DELHI

After breakfast we head back to Delhi . Dinner is included this evening.

Delhi Market Stall Delhi Market Stall

DAY 11TRAIN TO SHIMLA

We take the morning express train from Delhi for our four hour journey north to Kalka. Our train reservations are in chair-class carriages, with comfortable seating, air-conditioning and large windows. At Kalka we change trains onto the Shimla narrow-gauge toy train for the last part of our journey. Although the carriages are smaller and not air-conditioned, the compensation is the increasingly spectacular scenery en-route. Inaugurated by Viceroy Lord Curzon back in 1903, this amazing railway encounters no less than 800 bridges and 102 tunnels on its 96 kilometre journey to Shimla. A packed lunch is included today.

We arrive in Shimlas small station in the late afternoon from where we are transferred straight to the towns haven of luxury, the Oberoi Cecil Hotel, where we stay for three nights, bed and breakfast. With its Burmese teak floors, magnificent atrium lobby, its excellent restaurant, indoor pool and Asian Spa, this is one of Indias best-known hotels. All the spacious rooms are air-conditioned, beautifully furnished and have views of the surrounding teak forests.

DAY 12SHIMLA

Today we explore the many reminders of British colonial life in Shimla. The most fascinating by far is the immense Viceregal Lodge and its beautiful botanical gardens, built in Scottish baronial style to house the Viceroy and his staff for the six months they were based in the town. Although some of the interior of the building is closed to the public, the areas that are open give an incredible glimpse into the not-so-distant past. Particularly touching is the large collection of photographs from the late Victorian era and the last years of the Raj. We also take a walk along the pedestrian-only Mall, from Scandal Point and Christ Church past the mock- Tudor Post Office, the Gaiety Theatre and the Town Hall. There are a huge number of shops and markets and Shimla is particularly known for the quality of its locally made pashmina shawls.

DAY 13FREE DAY IN SHIMLA

Enjoy a day at leisure in Shimla, relax at the hotel pool or spa, or maybe take another stroll along the mall and do some last minute bargain hunting in the markets. Alternatively, there are a number of short local treks that can be arranged in the surrounding hills. A sumptuous buffet dinner is included this evening.

DAY 14TRAIN TO DELHI

Today we say goodbye to Shimla and the Oberoi Hotel as we start our return journey to Delhi. This time we descend by car to Kalka from where we catch the train back to Delhi for our last night

DAY 15RETURN FLIGHT

We depart Delhi in the early afternoon on our flight home to the UK, arriving back the same day.