In the Land of the Rajputs

15 Days / 14 nights

Cities to visit: Delhi – Mandawa – Fatehpur – Bikaner – Ramdeora – Jaisalmer – Osiyan – Jodhpur – Jojawar – Ranakpur – Udaipur – Chittorgarh – Bundi – Pushkar – Jaipur – Abhaneri – Agra  – Sikendra – Delhi

Day 01 :- Delhi:
Arrival in Delhi in the evening at Delhi International Airport . Greeting by our representative to welcome you to India and transfer to the hotel.

Day 02 :- Delhi / Mandawa (257 km and 6 hours drive):

Departure for the Shekhawati region, famous for its havelis. Havelis are residences decorated with frescoes and various motifs, which belonged to wealthy merchants trading on the Silk Road between the Indus Valley and Central Asia. Installation in the village of Mandawa, an old haveli, a truly charming building. Departure for visiting the havelis of Mandawa and its market. Free evening at your hotel.

Day 03 :- Mandawa / Fatehpur / Bikaner (255km and 5h30 drive):

Departure for Bikaner. On the way, visit the Nadine Le Prince haveli, a haveli restored and returned to its original state by a French artist. Settling in Bikaner, the city founded by King Rao Bika in the 15th century on the edge of the Thar Desert. Visit the Junagarh fort of Bikaner, an impressive fort, which was previously called Chintamani and then renamed in the 20th century by Junagarh meaning the old fort. It is one of the rare forts in the region that is not built on a hill, but on the plain. We therefore get there on foot and not on the back of an elephant. The fort was built by the prime minister of Raja Rai Singhji, the governor of the city of Bikaner, who ruled between 1571 and 1611. In the late afternoon, visit the city of Bikaner, its havelis and its market.

Day 04 :- Bikaner / Ramdeora / Jaisalmer (331kms and 6 hours drive):

Departure for Jaisalmer. En route visit the temple of Baba Ramdeo, a local saint of the Marwar region. Settling in Jaisalmer. At the end of the day, visit the Bada Bagh (royal cenotaphs) at sunset. Bada Bagh, 6 km from Jaisalmer, includes cenotaphs of the maharajas of Jaisalmer. Under each dome supported by pillars, there is a marble stele. On the crest of the Bada Bagh hillock, the cenotaphs do not have domes but pointed roofs. They are the oldest. Below, an oasis recalls the time of the vegetable garden of Jaisalmer (bada bagh means “large garden”). Free evening to stroll around the city of Jaisalmer.

Day 05 :- Jaisalmer:

Visit the Golden Fort (Sonar Kila) also called, the Carcassonne of India erected in 1156 by the ruler RajputJaisal, visit the Patwa-ki-Haveli, Salim Singh-ki-Haveli, Nathmal-ki-Haveli and the Jain temple of the citadel. At the end of the morning visit Gadisar Lake, an old reservoir, it once provided the city’s water supply until the 1950s. Departure for a jeep ride in the Thar desert (Village of Khuri 40 km from the city). Evening hosted by the gypsies of Rajasthan with traditional dances and music and dinner and night on site.

Day 06 :- Jaisalmer / Osiyan / Jodhpur (307 km and 6 hours drive):

Departure for Jodhpur. On the way visit the temples of goddess Sachiya Mata and the Jain temple. Installation in Jodhpur. In the afternoon, departure for a visit to the Mehrangarh fortress, nicknamed the “magnificent fort”. overlooking the city from a height of 122 meters. Inside it is a richly decorated palace. Also visit the JaswantThada memorial dedicated to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II built in 1899. This monument is entirely constructed of finely carved and polished white marble. Then visit the Mandore garden and the cenotaphs of the kings of Jodhpur. In the evening, discovery of “the blue city” and its spice merchants.

Day 07 :- Jodhpur / Jojawar (125 km and 3 hours drive):

Departure for Jojawar, a small village between Jodhpur and Udaipur. Installation in Jojawar. Picturesque ride in the Aravalli Mountains on a small train, which will take you to the heart of the most beautiful forests and mountains of Rajasthan. This getaway is also an opportunity to come into contact with the local population, always curious to get to know visitors from far away. At the end of the afternoon, visit the village of Jojawar..

Day 08 :- Jojawar / Ranakpur / Udaipur (158 km and 4 hours drive):

Departure for Udaipur. On the way to the Jain temple of ChaumukhaMandir in Ranakpur which is one of the five major pilgrimages of Jainism. Dating from the 15th century, the construction forms a set of 29 white marble rooms, every centimeter of which is meticulously carved and ornamented. The temple is also called “Temple of Four Faces” because the cella houses a Tîrthankara (sculpture of Jain masters who have been deified) with four faces looking towards the four cardinal points. The building is believed to have a total of 1444 pillars all carved with different ornamentation. In the afternoon, visit the Saheliyon Ki Bari garden, the garden of the young ladies. In the evening, traditional dance and puppet show from Rajasthan at Bagoreki Haveli.

Day 10 :- Udaipur / Chittorgarh / Bundi (302 km and 6 hours drive):

Departure for Bundi. On the way visit Chittorgarh Fort, the largest fort in India. It bears traces of three Muslim invasions and testifies to the pride of Rajput warriors. Installation in Bundi. Visit the Bundi Palace then discover the “Raniji-ki-baori” well decorated with sculptures, the cenotaph with 84 pillars and the royal tombs. At the end of the afternoon, visit the town of Bundi.

Day 11 :- Bundi / Pushkar (190km and 5h30 drive):

Departure for Pushkar, a small town nestled around a sacred lake, this town arose where Brahma, the creator God of Hinduism, is said to have caused a lotus flower to fall . In the 1970s, it was an important crossing point for hippies from all over the world. Today, Pushkar is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus with its 400 temples and 52 ghats around the sacred lake. Installation in Pushkar. Visit to the sacred lake and its numerous temples including one dedicated to Brahma. At the end of the afternoon, discovery of the Pushkar market.

Day 12 :-Pushkar / Jaipur (150 km and 4 hours drive):

Departure for Jaipur. Settling in Jaipur. In the afternoon visit with the bazaars of the pink city, sculptors’ market (Bhindo Ka Rasta), fabric market (Khajane Walo Ka Rasta). In the evening Indian cooking class with a family. You will get into the kitchen for a local cooking class. Friendly family dinner where you will taste the different dishes prepared.

Day 13 :- Jaipur:

Departure for a visit to Amber Fort (passing in front of the Palace of Winds to visit it from the outside). Drive up to Amber Fort then visit this fortified palace which was the citadel of the Kachhwaha dynasty until 1727, when the capital was transferred to Jaipur. Successive rulers continued to visit there on special occasions, seeking the blessings of the family goddess, Shila Devi. The citadel was founded under the orders of Man Singh I in 1592, on the ruins of an old 11th century fort, but it is the various buildings added by Jai Singh I which form the magnificent central body. In the afternoon visit the City Palace (the palace of the king of Jaipur) and the Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory. Walk through the bazaars of the “pink city” and explore its historic districts.

Day 14 :- Jaipur / Abhaneri / Fatehpur Sikri / Agra (245 km and 5 hours drive):

Departure for Agra. On the way, visit Chandbori stepwell in Abhaneri. One of Rajasthan’s best kept secrets, the Chand Baori, a well named after and built at the request of King Chanda in the 11th century. Its 3,500 steps, of disconcerting symmetry, dig into the earth to reach a depth of 30 meters. In this region affected by drought, this initiative allowed a large number of people to fetch water, for daily needs and for sacred rituals. In the afternoon visit the fortified city Fatehpur Sikri. It was the imperial capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1584. Built by Emperor Akbar, perfectly preserved since its abandonment, it is a remarkable testimony to Indo-Islamic architecture of the 16th century. Settling in Agra. Visit the Mughal gardens of Mehtab Bagh to see the Taj Mahal at sunset. At the end of the afternoon, visit the Agra markets.

Day 15 :- Agra / Sikendra / Delhi (241km and 4 hours drive):

Early morning visit to the Taj Mahal with a French-speaking guide. Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. Built at the request of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in homage to his beloved, its construction mobilized more than 20,000 workers and craftsmen from all over the world. Return to the hotel for breakfast. At the end of the morning visit the Agra Fort, one of the most beautiful Mughal style forts built in 1565 by Akbar and enlarged by his grandson Shah Jahan. Then departure for Delhi. Settling in Delhi. Late afternoon, visit IndiaGate (from the outside), memorial to Indian soldiers who died during the First World War in the Indo-British army and the Anglo-Afghan wars.
( TajMahal Closed On Fridays)

Day 16 :- Delhi:

Delhi, capital of India, an ancient, medieval and modern city. Discovery of the city of Delhi visit to the largest mosque in India; the JamaMasjid mosque, and the bustling ChandniChowk markets of Old Delhi. Then visit the Sikh temple of BanglaSaheb, built in marble white, topped with a golden dome and decorated with a large basin for the ablutions of the faithful, it was built in the 18th century in memory of the visit of the eighth Guru Harkrishan, in 1664. Finally, do not miss the refectory specific to all the Sikh temples (or langar). At meal times, devotees sit on the ground in rows, and volunteers serve them dal and chapati. This common meal symbolizes the unity of the community and the theoretical absence of the notion of caste. In the afternoon visit the tomb of Humayun, the tomb of the second Mogul Emperor of India who inspired the architecture of the Taj Mahal. In the evening, transfer to Delhi international airport.

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