INCREDIBLE TAJ AND ROMANTIC GOA

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Day 03 Delhi
After a leisurely morning, embark on a combined tour of New Delhi and Old Delhi.
Today you can visit the Places Rashtrapati Bhavan - Formerly the Vice-Regal Palace, it is the official residence of the President of India. This 340-room palace and its gardens cover an area of 330 acres. Special permission has to be obtained in advance to visit the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

Qutub Minar - The emblem of Delhi, the 72.55 meter high Qutub Minar was erected in the 13th century by Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak. Within the complex is an Iron pillar, which has never rusted. This five-storied tower is visible from a distance of several kilometers. Which means that you could be visiting a lot of places in Delhi and the Qutub Minar stays with you.


Rajpath – Rajpath is worth a visit. Every January 26, the grand Republic Day Parade is held there. At one end, is the India Gate where the eternal flame burns to commemorate India's war heroes. At the other end is the Presidential Palace, the Rashtrapati Bhavan. On some days in early spring, visitors are allowed to wander around the building's famed Mughal Gardens.

Jantar Mantar - Jantar Mantar is an observatory. About 300 years old, it can measure the movement of the earth and the stars. It is also a very peaceful park in the centre of town.

India Gate - This massive 42m tall structure was built as a memorial to the 90,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. The structure has the names of the soldiers engraved on it. An eternal flame burns here in commemoration of the brave soldiers.

Lodi Gardens - These beautiful gardens have majestic domed tombs of many Sayyid and Lodi Sultans. The well-kept gardens with fountains, ponds, flowering trees, blossoming shrubs and bushes are ideal places for joggers and those who seek solitude.


Humayun's Tomb - Haji Begum, the senior wife of Emperor Humayun built this mausoleum in the mid 16th century. The tomb is situated amidst avenues of trees, watercourses and flowerbeds. A magnificent example of refined early Mughal architecture, the structure harmoniously blends with nature.
Connaught Place - Connaught Place is an upmarket shopping area designed by Edwin Lutyens who also designed the whole of New Delhi.

Jama Masjid - Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India was built by Shah Jahan. The Masjid overlooks the old markets of the city that are massed around Chandni Chowk and stretches till the great Red Fort. Walking through this area can prove to be a trip down the times, where the flavor of old Mughal charm still lingers.

Purana Qila- This is the sixth city of Delhi. Located south-east of India Gate, it is one of the most prominent monuments in Delhi. Humayun started the fort's construction but Sher Shah, who drove him out from Delhi, completed the city during his own reign (1538-1545). The massive walls and huge gates were constructed by Humayun. The octagonal Shermandal and the Quila-i-Kuhran Masjid were built by Sher Shah.

Red Fort- Also called the Lal Qila, the Red Fort is laid out along the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon. It is surrounded by a wall of about 2.4 kms in circumference and is built of red sandstone. The Mughal ruler Shah Jahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and after nine years, the fort was completed in 1648. The fort has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate.

Day 04 Delhi – Agra (by surface 210 kms time taken 4 ½ hrs)
After breakfast leave by surface for Agra. Agra was the chosen city of the Mughal emperors during the early years. It was here that the founder of the dynasty, Babar, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the River Yamuna. Here, Akbar, his grandson, raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort. Within its walls, Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens. Shah Jehan embellished it with marbled mosques, palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble. At Sikandra, on the outskirts of Agra, Akbar built his own garden mausoleum. And at Fatehpur Sikri he created a whole new city - a leap of the imagination that made real a unique concept of planning and design and gave expression to a style of architecture that was a perfect blend of Islamic spatial concepts and the Hindu genius for decorative sculpture. Across the river, Jehangir's gifted queen, Noor Jehan, designed an exquisite marble-inlaid tomb for her parents. But Agra's crowning glory remains the Taj Mahal, a monument to love built by Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Afternoon proceed for the city tour of Agra visiting the Agra Fort - Few forts in the world have a more fascinating story to tell than the Great Fort of Agra. Originally planned as an impregnable military structure by Akbar, the Agra Fort, over a period of time, acquired all the elegance, lavishness and majesty of an imperial palace. Situated 3 km upstream of the Taj Mahal on the right bank of the Yamuna, the Agra Fort was built under the direction of Akbar, by Mohammed Quasim Khan, his Commander-in-Chief and Governor of Kabul. It took eight years to complete and entailed an expenditure of three and a half million rupees. Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb - About 4 km north of the Taj, on the left bank of the Yamuna, is the perfectly proportioned marble mausoleum of ltmad-ud-Daulah. Noor Jehan constructed this splendid marble monument in her father's memory. This double-storied marble tomb is replete with mosaic, inlaid with semi-precious stones.

Day 06 Jaipur
Today morning we visit

Amber Fort - in the Aravali Hills, which is a super example of Rajput (medieval Hindu) style Architecture.
City Palace - A magnificent structure, the palace occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur and is a wonderful blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture. Constructions and additions to the palace continued until twentieth century. The palace houses an extensive collection of rare manuscripts, Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures, Mughal carpets, costumes and textiles, arms and weapons, objects of art and royal paraphernalia.

Hawa Mahal - The enchanting Hawa Mahal is a multi-layered palace, with a profusion of windows and stone screens.

Jantar Mantar -Jantar Mantar, one of the five observatories built by Maharaj Jai Singh, in 1718. He was an avid Astronomer and loved to study the movements of stars. It is the one of largest and the best preserved observatories today. A collection of complex astronomical instruments chiselled out of stone - most of which continue to provide fairly accurate information to this day - is the highlight of the observatory. Constructed with
stone and marble, its complex instruments whose setting and shapes are precisely and scientifically designed represent the high -points of Medieval Indian astronomy.

Day 08 Delhi – Goa (by flight).
You are transferred to Delhi airport to board flight for Goa. Upon arrival in Goa you are met and transferred to your pre booked Hotel.

Goa - Silver sands, sparkling blue waters, the sky mirroring the sea below, white churches resting against green paddy fields and coconut trees lining the coastal streets. Goa - a place you can fall in love with at first glance, is also home to India's finest beach resorts. There's much more to Goa than sun, sand and sea. The allure of Goa is that it remains quite distinct from the rest of India and is small enough to be grasped and explored in a way that other Indian states are not. Goa became one of the youngest Indian states after 451 years of colonial rule and 26 years as Union territory. Its history dates back to the 3rd century when it belonged to the Mauryas, followed by the rule of the Satvahanas, Chalukyas, the Shilharas and Kadambas. In 1312, Goa fell into the hands of the Muslims. The Portuguese took over in 1510, ending the Muslim rule. Apart from a brief spell during the Napoleonic wars, when the British briefly occupied Goa, the Portuguese were the masters of Goa till 1961, when they were finally driven out. 450 years under Portuguese domination produced a unique blend of East and West that is both exotic and strangely familiar. Christmas and Carnival are celebrated as enthusiastically as Diwali and Durga Puja. The state's separate identity is also visible in its Latinate architecture and preference for a fish- and meat-rich cuisine. Another marked difference is the prevalence of alcohol, which is cheap in the state and is widely available.

Day 10 Goa
Day at leisure

Day 11 Goa
Day at leisure

Day 12 Goa
Day at leisure

Day 13 Goa
Day at leisure

Day 14 Goa
Day at leisure

Day 15 Goa – Bombay (by flight)
You are transferred to Goa airport to board flight for Bombay. Upon arrival in Bombay you are transferred to Bombay domestic to International airport to board flight for onward Journey.

COST
Per Person on Twin / Double Room Basis
Sterling Pounds 1850 (Inclusive of International Air Fare)
( Single Room Supplement Sterling Pounds 690 )