For Booking / Enquiry - Contact us

DAY 1. DELHI
Assistance . reception at the airport and transfer to hotel.

DAY 2.
Morning commence a unique tour of the "Bazaars of Delhi" ,where you are taken back to those times when the majority of the trading in Delhi was carried out from the huddled shops of these lively markets. Visit the" Chor Bazaar" behind the old ramparts of the Red fort and the "Kinari bazaar" where shops overflow with bridal finery, including garlands made of rupee notes, turbans for grooms, rosettes and other glistening tinsel used in marriage ceremonies of the Hindus. Visit the "Naya bazaar", the spice market on Khari Baoli, clouded with a thick dust of flour and spices, at the same time fragrant with their aroma. You can find any type and amount of spices and condiment,from aniseed, turmeric, pomegranate, dried mangoes, saffron, lotus seeds, pickles to reetha nuts, used for washing hair and edible leaves of silver paper used to coat sweets and cakes. A cycle rickshaw ride to the "Meena Bazaar", a distinctively Islamic bazaar of cramped shops clustered around the base of Jama Masjid, full of burqas, topis, dupattas, bangles and devotional pictures of shrines. Buffet lunch at the restaurant "Chor Bizarre" of Hotel Broad way where cold salads are laid out on a vintage Chevrolet car. Relish the delicacies of Mughal cuisine and sip your cocktails at the "Thugs bar". Post lunch, combined city tour of Old and New Delhi including the Red fort, Jama Masjid, Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate, Qutab Minar and Bahai temple. In the evening enjoy bar-be-que dinner and relax by a crackling bonfire in the sprawling lawns of a private farm house with professional performers from Rajasthan performing the characteristic "Ghoomar", "Kachhi Ghodi" and "Fire" dances. Ghoomar is basically a community dance for women where the ladies move gracefully in circles. Kachhi Ghodi is a dance performed on well decorated dummy horses by men in equally elaborate costumes, holding naked swords and moving rhythmically to the beating of drums and fifes The fire dance, performed by tribes of Bikaner, renowned for their tantrik powers, involves men jumping on to the fire, prepared with charcoal and live wood to the accompaniment of drum beats.

DAY 3. AGRA
Morning, drive to Agra, the multisplendoured city of "khushamadeed" as they say to joyous welcome, of "adaab" and gracious hospitality, of checkered history and discerning arts, of "thumbs" and "dum pukht" or the art of slow cooking, of fabled monuments and kite flying competitions and above all a land steeped in history and glory. One of the great Mughal cities of South Asia, with minor interruptions, Agra alternated with Delhi as the capital of their empire. Check into the hotel and commence the city tour with the imposing Taj Mahal, built in memory of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died after 17 years of marriage. It is a monument which has drawn upon the creativity and skills of engineers and craftsmen from many parts of the world. It is said that besides great craftsmen and workers from India, artisans came from Central Asia and even Europe. The Taj stands on the banks of the Yamuna river and is a monument that needs to be experienced and observed at different times of the day from far and near to get the feeling of the sheer beauty that it evokes.

Next, visit the Agra fort. It was conceived as a military structure when started, but by Shah Jahan's reign, it had become a palace. The fort is on the banks of the Yamuna river. The fort walls, stretching over 2.5km, are surrounded by a 10 Mtrs. wide moat. There are a number of important buildings within the fort which are worth exploring. Later visit the Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb built by Noor Jahan in memory of her father Ghias-ud-din Baig.

Drive back to your hotel for a brief rest after which enjoy a village fair theme dinner where a village setting is created with bamboo huts, benches and stalls.Villagers mingle with guests and display their traditional skills such as doll-making, puppet-making, pottery, "pichwai" painting and other crafts. Entertainment includes a "bandarwala" staging a monkey show, palmist, snake charmer, "kachi ghodi" and "dhamil" (a performance with a dummy horse, dancers and singers). After a splendid dinner, a fascinating display of fireworks brings another memorable evening to an end. Overnight Agra.

DAY 4. AGRA / KHAJURAHO
An early morning hot air balloon ride over the Taj Mahal and the fort. Board the afternoon flight to Khajuraho. Transfer to hotel. The temples of Khajuraho, among the world's top most tourist attractions, represent source of the most exquisite specimens of Hindu architecture and sculpture of medieval India. The Khajuraho temples were raised and sculpted elaborately to the finest of details about a thousand years back, between 900 and 1050 AD. Of all 85 temples built, only 22 remain today to speak of the grandeur of conception of the rulers and architects of that era, and the extraordinary creativity and skills of the times. The intimate scenes of the whole range of human emotions and relationships sculpted in graceful forms appear to represent the rulers' exultation in the richness of man-woman relationship. The temples are covered with carvings of griffins, nymphs, and humans in consummate passion. A visit to the western group of temples is arranged in the evening followed by the Royal Chandela theme dinner at the sprawling lawns of the Taj Chandela. The evening takes you back to the fabled world of the Chandela dynasty, with the appropriate decor, cuisine and entertainment, recreating the grandeur of the past. Hostesses clad in silk, shower flowers and "ittar" (perfume) in the traditional style and flamboyant folk dances herald a sumptuous spread of Chandela delicacies, served in a manner befitting royalty. Overnight Khajuraho.

DAY 5. KHAJURAHO / VARANASI
Morning tour of the eastern group of temples and then board the flight to Varanasi. Assistance at the airport and transfer to your five star hotel. Evening boat cruise on the Ganges to view the ghats. An experience which can astonish anyone. When temple bells begin pealing across the city by the Ghats on the river Ganga, the waters whisper slowly past, carrying garlands of marigold, earthen oil lamps long downed out by the waves, religious offerings, and those made in full faith. The chiming of bells rises to a crescendo and down the narrow lanes of Varanasi come marching the faithful. Those who will bathe here on the holy banks of the Ganga, where the boatmen sing haunting lyrics, where a nation bows its head in homage, and where the old choose to die and be cremated. Return to your hotel and enjoy a typical Brahmin theme dinner served in thalis. Men attired in a typical 'dhoti" complete with "janeu" and women in cotton sarees sit cross-legged on a "chowki" whilst relishing the totally vegetarian brahmin "thali" sans even the onion and garlic. Overnight Varanasi.

DAY 6. VARANASI / CALCUTTA
Board the flight to Calcutta. Meet at the airport and transfer to the hotel. The group is escorted for a half day sight-seeing tour of the city of Calcutta to include the Victoria Memorial. Built between 1906 and 1927, this gleaming white marble palace is a reminder of the might of the British Empire in India. Inside this garden laid monument, the finest collection of memorabilia relating to British India are contained under one roof. Later visit to Mother Teresa's mission. Return to the hotel for a brief rest to gear up for an evening at one of the city's famous nightclubs. Overnight Calcutta.

DAY 6. DEPARTURE CALCUTTA
Transfer in time to connect flight to international destination.

Options and Extensions
1) Extension to Kathmandu from Varanasi.
2) Extension to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
3) Day excursion to Sarnath from Varanasi.

Copyright New Star Tours
All Rights Reserved Powered by Web Designed India