Rajasthan Explorer - 16 days/15 nights
 
Delhi - Mandawa - Bikaner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Mt. Abu - Udaipur - Pushkar - Jaipur - Agra - Delhi
Starting in New Delhi, this tour takes you on an extensive tour to the palaces, forts, and ancient history of the Moghuls and Maharajas of India, including the Taj Mahal.
Privately-Guided! Whether you are a single person, a couple, or a group, you'll have your own guide and driver for all airport pickups, dropoffs, and daily excursions.
Choose Your Own Dates! This is not a fixed-departure-date tour. Just let us know the dates that work best for you and we will arrange everything.
Customizable! Need more time? Less time? Want to see or do something that isn't included? Just let us know, and we will arrange it for you and let you know the change in costs.
What Our Clients Say - Our clients can't wait to tell us how their trips went: Client Feedback
Trip Highlights
- The Taj Mahal
- Elephant ride to the Amber Fort
- City tour of Old and New Delhi
- The Red Fort
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi
Upon arrival in Delhi you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel. Stay overnight in Delhi. (Breakfast)
Day 2: Delhi to Mandawa
After breakfast, enjoy a half day city tour of Old Delhi’s most majestic sites including the beautiful Red Fort, Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, and Chandi Chowk and Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. After lunch, drive 4 hours to Mandawa. Overnight in Mandawa. (Breakfast)
Day 3: Mandawa to Bikaner
After breakfast, tour the Shekawati region, a region which in the 14th century was a major trading post. You will visit the famous painted havelis (houses) of the Shekawati region. In the afternoon, drive 2.5 hours to Bikaner. Overnight in Bikaner. (Breakfast)
Day 4: Bikaner to Jaisalmer
In the morning, take a city tour of Bikaner - a desert town constructed of a maze of walls and uneven streets. Visit the prominent Junagarh Fort and a unique Camel Breeding Farm. In the afternoon, drive 5 hours to Jaisalmer. Overnight in Jaisalmer. (Breakfast)
Day 5: Jaisalmer
Enjoy a morning tour of Jaisalmer. Visit the citadel – the Fort built by Rawal Jaisal where a fourth of the population lives. The fort also houses Jain temples of the 12th to 15th centuries and the Patwon-Ki Haveli, a five story mansion with carved pillars and murals. Also visit Gadsisar Lake which once supplied water to the city. In the late afternoon take an excursion 45 km outside the city to the desert sand dunes. Ride a camel on the dunes and witness a magnificent sunset. Return to Jaisalmer in the evening. Overnight in Jaisalmer. (Breakfast)
Day 6: Jaisalmer to Jodhpur
After breakfast, drive 4 hours to Jodhpur, stopping on the way to visit the Osian temple in a desert village. After checking into your hotel, take a city tour in the afternoon to the Clock Tower, see rare portraits of Jodhpur’s rulers at Jaswant Thada, visit the Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum and take a walk through the Mehrangarh Fort, home to a collection of musical instruments, palanquins, furniture, and cannons. Stay overnight in Jodhpur. (Breakfast)
Day 7: Jodhpur to Mount Abu
Enjoy breakfast, then drive 4 hours to Mount Abu. After checking into your hotel, embark on a city tour of Mount Abu which is the only hill station in the state of Rajasthan. Visit the Dilwara Jain temple, one of the finest examples of Jain architecture in India. The complex includes two temples dating back to 1031. Stay overnight in Mount Abu. (Breakfast)
Day 8: Mount Abu
Enjoy a free day to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of this hill station. Stay overnight in Mount Abu. (Breakfast)
Day 9: Mount Abu to Ranakpur to Udaipur
Drive 6-7 hours to Udaipur, stopping en-route to visit the Jain temples at Ranakpur. The cluster of temples, made of intricately sculpted white marble, is a marvelous feat of architecture. It would take anyone by surprise to learn that they were built in 1460 because they are so well preserved. The main temple is supported on 1,444 intricately carved pillars. After the visit, continue your drive to Udaipur. Arrive in Udaipur in the afternoon and check in to your hotel. Stay overnight in Udaipur. (Breakfast)
Day 10: Udaipur
After breakfast visit the romantic city of Udaipur including Jagdish temple, the Garden of the Maidens of Honor, and the City Palace, which is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Pichola. The afternoon is free to explore the small streets and interesting shops or to relax on a roof-top café overlooking the water. Stay overnight in Udaipur. (Breakfast)
Day 11: Udaipur to Chittorgarh to Pushkar
After breakfast, drive 5 hours to Pushkar stopping in Chittorgarh along the way. The hilltop fortress of Chittorgarh epitomizes the whole romantic ideal of Rajput chivalry. The fort was sacked 3 times from 1303 to 1568 by a stronger enemy and on each occasion, the end was "Jauhar". After the visit, continue driving to Pushkar. In the evening visit Pushkar Lake to witness a prayer ceremony at the Brahma temple. Stay overnight in Pushkar. (Breakfast)
Day 12: Pushkar to Jaipur
Start your tour of Pushkar at the lake which is surrounded by 52 bathing ghats. Pushkar has the only Brahma (creator of the universe) temple in India. The town is a maze of temples and hermitages, and is filled with ascetics and devotees. Watch a ceremony at the Brahma temple. Later drive 3 hours to Jaipur. Stay overnight in Jaipur. (Breakfast)
Day 13: Tour Jaipur
Tour the impressive Amber Fort, situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur City. At the foot of the hill ride an elephant for the slow climb up to the main gate. The Amber Fort has the famous Shish Mahal, or palace of mirrors. Also visit the main sites of Jaipur including the "Palace of the Winds," the open-air Jantar Mantar Observatory to see the vast astronomical instruments and the City Palace and museum. The palace is still the home of the Maharaja and the museum has an interesting textile section, which contains dresses and costumes of the former Maharajas and Maharanis of Jaipur. Your evening is free to explore the alleyways of the markets of Jaipur. Stay overnight in Jaipur. (Breakfast)
Day 14: Jaipur to Fatehpur Sikri to Agra
After breakfast, drive 4 hours to Agra stopping to visit the abandoned Moghul city of Fatehpur Sikri, the old capital of the Moghul. This city was built and then abandoned shortly after, due to scarcity of water. View the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal, and other palaces which are still well-preserved. Continue on to Agra. Stay overnight in Agra. (Breakfast)
Day 15: Agra
After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Agra. Visit the formidable Red Fort, built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 and Itmad-ud-Daulah Tomb, and the Jama Masjid - the mosque is reached by passing through the still-active Kinari Bazaar. Relax at your hotel during the afternoon, and then at sunset, savor the highlight – the Taj Mahal, which was built in the middle of the 17th century by the Moghul emperor Shah Jehan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Stay overnight in Agra. (Breakfast)
Day 16: Agra to Delhi
After breakfast, drive 4 hours to Delhi. After settling into your hotel, take an afternoon city tour of New Delhi to visit Humayun’s Tomb and the stone tower - Qutab Minar, India Gate, and Laxmi Narayan Temple. You will end your tour at Connaught Place, the heart of New Delhi, where you can shop and enjoy dinner. Stay overnight in Delhi. (Breakfast)
Day 17: Departure
Enjoy a free day in Delhi until your transfer to the airport for your flight home. (Breakfast)
Rates
Per Person Rates (based on double occupancy)
Prices good through March 31, 2010
Discounts available for groups!
4-star and Heritage Hotels: $2270
5-star and Deluxe Heritage Hotels (where available): $3950
Rates Include
- All airport transfers
- Transportation on all excursions beginning and ending at hotel by air conditioned car
- Meals as listed in above itinerary
- Hotel accommodation based on double occupancy inclusive of taxes and service charges
- Services of a local English speaking guide for all visits and excursions
- Boat ride on Lake Pichola, Udaipur
- Elephant ride at Amber Fort, Jaipur
Rates Do Not Include
- International airfare
- Visa fees
- Airport departure taxes
- Tips
- Personal expenses
To Book This Tour
- Download, print, and fill out the Reservation Form for each person.
- Fax the form to 206-529-4803, or mail it with your non-refundable $500 per person deposit to:
Red Lantern Journeys
1000 N. Northlake Way
Suite H Seattle, WA 98103
- Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure. If your reservation is made less than 75 days prior to departure, full payment will be due upon confirmation of hotels and flights.
Payments must be made by personal check, bank wire transfer, or credit card. Upon receipt of your deposit, we will initiate the reservations and send you a statement showing your payment. Approximately 4 weeks prior to your departure, we will send you a final confirmation package containing your itinerary and detailed information on the logistics of your trip.
Forms to Download (pdf file)
Reservation Form with Complete Terms and Conditions
Favorite memories and trip highlights from our clients:
"My goodness, what a nice surprise the flowers were yesterday. Thank you! A very nice touch to complete a wonderful trip. We had SUCH a great time.
I thank you for the well planned trip with dates and times that worked out great for such a very fast moving excursion. I blessed you often throughout the trip. The tour companies in India were very responsible and willing to provide their best. They did not miss a beat. We were greeted by their representatives on every occasion. The drivers cared for us (best they could in such crazy driving conditions) even had driver assistants on occasion, and the tour guides were not only informative but went out of their way to listen to any special request we had. Everyone really tried in every area. We were very well taken care of not to mention the superb accommodations. We have done a lot of traveling over the years and we put this trip up to being one of the best. "
- Kathie L. and family in Reno, Nevada [Dec, 2005]
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