The India highlight tour will begin with a holiday in Maharashtra. Arrive in Mumbai on the first day of the tour and retire for the night in the cozy comfortable hotel room that has been pre-arranged for you.
On the 2nd day of the India highlight tour explore the attractions of Mumbai. The ideal way to begin would be a trip to the Elephanta Caves, located on the Elephanta Island. A short ferry ride till the island and then an exciting walking trail across the 7th century caves will more than make your day! The marvelous carvings on the cave walls truly depict the artistic talents of the artists of that era.
Post- lunch you can travel around Mumbai city including the Hanging Gardens, Prince of Wales Museum, and the Marine Drive especially in the evening.
In the morning on the 3rd day of the tour you will travel by air from Mumbai to Aurangabad. On arrival in the city you will be escorted by our representative to the hotel and from there till the first attraction in the city that you will visit. Ellora caves will be the first destination that you will head towards because no other place could give you a better start than these ancient caves, on your India highlight tour. Located at a distance of about 15 km from Aurangabad, the caves in Ellora depict the religious sensibilities of 3 distinct faiths - Hindu, Buddhism, and Jainism. The Kailash temple, carved out of a single stone, is the highlight and definitely worth a visit.
On the 4th day of the tour, embark on excursions to the Ajanta caves. Dating back to the 2nd century, the beauty of the Ajanta caves is to be seen to be believed. The paintings on the walls that have been partly lost to time and excavations still manage to awestruck the onlooker.
From Maharashtra travel northwards to Rajasthan and arrive in the first destination of the state- Udaipur. Udaipur is known as the city of lakes and still manages to retain the medieval aura through its magnificent forts and palaces. On arrival in the city, check into the hotel and refresh yourself. In the evening you can embark on walking tours that will take you around the vicinity of the hotel.
Reserve the 6th day of the tour to explore the beauty of Udaipur. Start off with Saheliyon-ki-Bari, an enchanting garden that was built as a meeting place for the maids in honor of the queen of Udaipur. Later in the day you can visit the Jagdish temple, the city palace complex, and end the day with a boat ride on the Pichola.
On the 7th day of the tour, proceed towards Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Housing a number of popular attractions like the Jantar Mantar, the Hawa Mahal, and the City Palace; Jaipur is one of the most exciting destinations to explore in the India Highlight tour. Overnight stay in Jaipur in the hotel that has been pre-booked for you.
From Jaipur, on the 8th day, you will travel towards the next destination in the circuit- Agra. However, on the way you will also visit the gloomy grandeur of the Amer Fort that is located just a few km from the Jaipur city.
After Amer, the next stopover for the day will be at Fatehpur Sikri a few km ahead of Agra. Fatehpur Sikri was once a Mughal capital and still houses a number of monuments dating back to the era. The Buland Darwaza, the Panch Mahal, and the tomb of Salim Chisti are a few of the most prominent names to mention here.
By evening you will arrive in Agra and you can retire for the day in the hotel room that has been pre-arranged for you.
Post-breakfast embark on city tours across Agra. Visit the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort, and the Itmad-ud-Daulah– all splendid monuments built by the Mughal kings. While the Taj Mahal epitomizes love between the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Agra fort is an imposing structure on red sandstone that was once a residence to Babur, Humayun, and Akbar. The Itmad-ud-Daulah on the other hand houses the tomb of Ghias-ud-din-Beg, the father of Nur Jahan.
On the 10th day of the tour you will travel from Agra to Varanasi for the next leg of the India Highlight tour.
The first destination that you will head to after reaching Varanasi is Sarnath. This is the place where Lord Buddha gave his first preaching after attaining enlightenment. Post your Sarnath visit, return back to Varanasi for the overnight stay.
The best time to capture the essence of Varanasi is in the morning. Therefore, embark on a boat ride along the Ganga River and witness sadhus taking a holy dip in the cool waters of the rivers, devotees chanting prayers, and descendants paying tributes to their dead ancestors. All these sights and much more wait to attract your attention in Varanasi. Later in the day, leave for the airport to catch the direct flight to Kolkata; your next destination in the tour.
Kolkata is known as the cultural center of India owing to its literary and artistic heritage. There are a number of places that will enable you a glimpse of the cultural heritage of the country. Some of the most significant attractions in the city are Victoria Memorial, Academy of Fine Arts, the Dakshineswar Kali temple, the Tipu Sultan Mosque, and the Vidyasagar Setu Bridge.
From Kolkata proceed towards Orissa, another major state owing to its cultural heritage. The various cities in this state offer the visitor an insight into the cultural heritage of India through its temples, its magnificent monuments, and through its rich repertoire of arts and crafts. The first destination that you will head to is Bhubaneswar. Known as the temple town in India, Bhubaneswar is best visited for the Lingaraj temple, Parashurameshwara temple, Vaital Deul, and the Mukteswar temple.
Embark on excursions to the tourist attractions located near Bhubaneswar - Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udayagiri. Housing Buddhist monasteries, these 3 places still manage to awe inspire the onlookers.
On the 16th day of the tour you will head towards Puri, a sacred city especially for the Hindus. Puri is located at a distance of about 145 km from Bhubaneswar, therefore to break the monotony of the journey halt at Konark. Konark is another very popular destination in Orissa mostly visited by tourists for the immaculate carvings displayed in the Sun Temple. Before you arrive in Puri, you can also make a quick tour through the Pipli village.
Puri is known for housing the Jagannath temple that millions of tourists and devotees throng to every year. After visiting the temple, you can spend the rest of the day in leisure, at the Puri beach.
The first destination that you will head to after reaching Varanasi is Sarnath. This is the place where Lord Buddha gave his first preaching after attaining enlightenment. Post your Sarnath visit, return back to Varanasi for the overnight stay.
