Uncover India: Delhi to Kerala
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Uncover India: Delhi to Kerala Your itinerary Start Location Visited Location Plane End Location Cruise Train Over night Ferry Day 1 Join your fellow travellers for an enchanting cultural dance show, followed by Welcome to Delhi dinner. India's vibrant capital extends a lively welcome, launching an unforgettable Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner journey through India's most exquisite sights. On arrival in Delhi, you'll be Day 11 transferred to your hotel where you'll meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception with drinks and local appetisers this evening. Journey to Udaipur Royalty behind, romance ahead. Your next stop is Udaipur, the City of Lakes. The Hotel - Le Meridien New Delhi historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur is dazzling with its many palaces, temples and Havelis (mansions). After lunch at a local restaurant, take a Included Meals - Welcome Reception sunset cruise on Lake Pichola and admire the golden hues glinting off lakeside Day 2 façades. Located at the heart of Udaipur, Lake Pichola and the beautiful Aravali Discover the Delights of Old Delhi Hills provide a mesmerising backdrop for yet another glorious day in Rajasthan. There's no better way to end the day than on the water. Savour the scents of spice as you embark on an exhilarating rickshaw ride, navigating the busy streets of Old Delhi. See the Red Fort, a sandstone fortress Hotel - Fateh Niwas which once housed the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for centuries. Next, ride through the colourful Chandni Chowk market and watch it come to life as the Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch day's trading begins amidst the sounds of enthusiastic salesmen and endless Day 12 traffic. Visit Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. Admire its ornate façades before boarding a waiting vehicle to drive to Raj Ghat, a memorial Uncover Udaipur's Treasures dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Pay tribute to this beloved figurehead, who led Discover the history of the Mewar dynasty this morning when you visit Udaipur's the campaign for India's independence from Britain. You'll come face-to-face with exquisite City Palace. Admire the panoramic views of the city and Lake Pichola the site where he was cremated following his assassination in 1948. Today the from the palace's ornate façades. No expense was spared in its construction. Its simple square platform of black marble is surrounded by a tranquil park, befitting balconies, towers and cupolas are adorned with marble, murals, silver-work and of its status as a place of contemplation. Your next stop is Agrasen Ki Baoli, one of coloured glass befitting of the building's stature as the home of the Maharanas for the most noteworthy stepwells in Delhi. Hidden amidst the cacophony of Delhi's many centuries. Take a leisurely walk past the 17th-century Jagdish Temple next, streets and business towers, this ancient water reservoir rises from the depths of then find sanctuary in the Garden of the Maids, said to have been designed by the earth to stand atop 103 stone steps. Spend a few moments of serenity amidst Rana Sangram Singh himself to provide a tranquil space for his queen and her 48 its centuries-old ornate arches before returning to your hotel for an afternoon of maids. This garden is dotted with lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant- leisure or consider one of our Optional Experiences. shaped fountains. This makes it the perfect space to centre yourself for a 'Dive Into Culture' encounter with the city's lively markets and bazaars. Jostle for your Included Meals - Breakfast spot in the liveliness of the locals' day to day. Day 3 Included Meals - Breakfast See the Sights of Delhi Day 13 Dive Into Culture this morning and join a guided walking tour run by one of the rehabilitated street children who were taken in by the Salaam Baalak Trust in Fly to Mumbai and Set Sail to Elephanta Delhi. Your visit is a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and supports this non- Island profit organisation and the street children for whom it cares. Later, walk through Say a fond farewell to Rajasthan and board your early morning flight to Mumbai, Paharganj Bazaar, rubbing shoulders with the locals who flock to the market to India's largest city. There's nothing subtle or serene about this cosmopolitan shop every day. Escape the noise and head to New Delhi, designed and built by metropolis. Expect larger than life, loud and high-spirited as you spend the next the British in the 1920s. Your first stop here is a visit to the UNESCO-listed day discovering all it has to offer. But first, embark on a cruise across Mumbai Humayun's Tomb, the earliest example of Mughal architecture in India. Recently Harbour to see the centuries-old rock-cut temples on Elephanta Island. This renovated with the gardens restored to their former glory, you’ll see first-hand UNESCO-listed labyrinth of caves features ancient temple carvings, dedicated to why it served as the inspiration for the design of the famous Taj Mahal. Enjoy local Lord Shiva. Return to your hotel later for dinner and some free time. flavours for lunch at a local restaurant near India Gate, then head to the Qutub Minar complex, also a UNESCO listed site. This fluted ‘Victory Tower’ is decorated Hotel - President - IHCL SeleQtions with elaborate inscriptions, geometric carvings and elegant balconies. Returning your hotel later, you’ll drive past Lutyens' Delhi to view the elegant colonial Included Meals - Breakfast, Dinner façades leading British architect Edwin Lutyens left behind on the cityscape. You'll have the rest of the afternoon free, or perhaps join one of our Optional Day 14 Experiences. Explore Mumbai's Metropolis Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch Embrace the magnetism of Mumbai, starting with a visit to the iconic Gateway of India, an iconic archway on the water's edge that welcomed the first-ever visit to Day 4 India of a British Monarch in 1911. Afterwards, visit Dhobi Ghat where you'll 'Dive Sunset at the Taj Mahal Into Culture' exploring the world's largest outdoor laundry. Here thousands of kilograms of clothes are brought from all over the city each day for washing. See It's time to leave Delhi behind, bound for the Uttar Pradesh city of Agra. While the UNESCO-listed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a historic railway station built to there are many reasons to love Agra, its own 'monument to love', the Taj Mahal is commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Then, continue to perhaps the most captivating. You'll have an opportunity to see its sun-kissed Churchgate Station and see the Dabbawallas (Tiffin Carriers) who have been white marble façades just before sunset, watching as its elegant walls glow with ferrying hot lunch boxes by bike across the city to office workers for over a rose and golden hues. Admire this well-preserved landmark from all sides. Step century. Later, visit Mani Bhavan, a museum and historical building which was away from your fellow travellers for a minute and contemplate the magnificence once Mahatma Gandhi's residence during his stay in Mumbai. You'll have some of this man-made wonder before re-joining your group. This evening, you could free time this afternoon to relax or considering joining an optional Bollywood choose to end a memorable day at an optional sound and light show prior to Tour to uncover the captivating world of film-making in India. dinner. Included Meals - Breakfast, Dinner Hotel - Double Tree by Hilton Day 15 Included Meals - Breakfast, Dinner Fly to Kochi Day 5 Dip more than your toes in the bountiful backwaters of Kerala, 'God's own From the Taj to the Tigers country'. This slice of southern India is a lush garden filled with spices, brilliant colours and the enchanting sounds of nature. Relax on the tranquil shores of the There's more to Agra than the Taj Mahal as you'll come to discover the morning Arabian Sea, let the freshest seafood melt in your mouth and sink into a more during your visit to the UNESCO-listed Agra Fort. Stroll through the chambers of a straightforward way of life - one where nature sets the pace for the day. But first, royal residence that was built in the 16th century and served as the principal take and your flight from Mumbai and on arrival at Kochi Airport, you'll be residence of four generations of the influential Mughal emperors until the capital transferred to your hotel. Later, join your local Travel Director and fellow travellers was moved to Delhi. Continue on to the long-deserted 'Ghost Town' of Fatehpur for a Welcome Reception with local appetisers. Sikri, which was built at great expense by Emperor Akbar in 1569 only to be abandoned soon afterwards because of a lack of water. The city remains Hotel - Le Meridien Kochi beautifully preserved, albeit with an air of melancholy - a rusty-red sandstone masterpiece without a population. Later, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Included Meals - Breakfast, Welcome Reception Bharatpur. Then experience first-hand a quintessential experience of getting around in India when you board a train bound for Ranthambore where you'll stay Day 16 for the next two nights. Nature and Wildlife in Periyar National Hotel - Anuraga Palace Park Your love affair with Kerala's lush landscapes begins today. Head to Periyar, Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner named after Kerala's longest river which winds its way deep through the Periyar Day 6 Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park. Choose to spend the afternoon either Roam Ranthambore in Search of Tigers relaxing at your stunning resort hotel or soaking up the sounds of nature during an optional immersive Nature Walk with an expert 'Local Specialist'.