Day 1: Arrive to Dehli, India
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Arrival Airport: Delhi International Airport (DEL)
Your Expedition begins in Delhi, India’s capital city that sports a rich history spanning over 2,000 years. After a short briefing, head out on a tour of Old Delhi. You will then board the bus after the rickshaw ride, going past the Red Fort (photo stop), and we disembark at the Raj Ghat – a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, set within a beautiful park. On this day we will also pass the Presidential Palace, and explore the India Gate.
Our group will then gather with our guide to transport to Agra (approximately a 4 hour drive) - expecting to arrive in the late afternoon / evening.
Dinner: After a long day of travel, sit down for our first evening as a group as we dine on traditional Indian cuisine for an incredible welcome dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Overnight Stay in Agra
Day 2: Agra and the Taj Mahal
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Morning: Wake up early before setting out for the day’s adventure! Please note that this will be an early morning (we anticipate a 4:00am wakeup) in order to catch the Taj Mahal at sunrise (the best time to see this incredible World Heritage site).
The Taj Mahal is everything that has been said about it and more. Taking 22 years and 20,000 men to build, the white marble was quarried 200 miles away and was transported to the site by a fleet of 1000 elephants. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, in mid-17th century, the Taj Mahal is truly one of the wonders of the world. The Taj Mahal appears to be amazingly perfect from almost any angle and a close-up inspection of its marble inlay work will take your breath away. You will have ample time to view and be mesmerized by this outstanding piece of architecture.
Breakfast: After our tour of the Taj Mahal, return to the hotel for a hearty breakfast. We will have a bit of time to relax after breakfast and visiting the Taj Mahal, but please be ready to depart by the late morning for Jaipur.
Our guide will meet us in the lobby of our hotel to begin the drive to Jaipur (about a 7 hour drive). Along the way, we will make a stop to visit Fatehpur Sikri.
Afternoon: Fatehpur Sikri is a fort palace that was the onetime capital of the Mughal Empire and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. The deserted red sandstone city, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture built by the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century and abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity of water. We will also break for lunch during this stop before proceeding to Jaipur (we anticipate arriving in the late afternoon / early evening (depending on how long the group takes for lunch or stops at Fatehpur Sikri).
As we pull into Jaipur, take in this breathtaking city. Jaipur is the capital of India’s Rajasthan state and is now known as the “Pink City” for the trademark colors of the buildings. At the center of this city is the incredible colonnaded City Palace complex.
Dinner: We will arrive at our hotel accommodation and enjoy dinner together before having some time to relax and enjoy an evening at your hotel. We will be staying with one of Jonah’s close friend Atul.
Accommodation: Overnight Stay in Jaipur
Day 3: Jaipur
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Morning: We will enjoy breakfast as a group together before enjoying a rejuvenating day of ayurvedic medicinal treatments. In the morning each person in our group will take time to get a consultation to diagnose their personal health before beginning a day centered around holistic treatment and massage.
As you undergo your consultation, be mindful of how your body, spirit, and mind feel as you begin to promote good health in all three areas. Following the morning consultations and program - we will have a massage experience to conclude the ayurvedic treatments.
Afternoon: Following a refreshing and rejuvenating morning, we will enjoy lunch as a group. After lunch, we will go out to explore Jaipur with the rich insights of a local resident with Atul visiting some of the local nooks and crannies in the city. We’ll depart our accommodation by private vehicle to visit some of the most popular sights.
Dinner: Return to your accommodation for dinner and a relaxing evening to unwind from your adventures.
Accommodation: Overnight Stay in Jaipur
Day 4: Jaipur
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Breakfast: Wake up and enjoy another delicious breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Post breakfast, get ready for an amazing city tour! Visit Jantar Mantar, an observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh ll in the 18th century. The Maharajah, a scientist as well as an astronomer, had the principles of Euclid translated into Sanskrit. One of the most remarkable sites in Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar has fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses and tracking stars and planets.
Continue to the City Palace built within the fortified area of the original city, with one of the finest monumental entrances in India. The Palace is now principally a museum housing a collection of great treasures, including miniature paintings, carpets, royal garments and other interesting objects from Jaipur's intriguing past. The former royal family retains a part of the palace for their personal use.
Take a photo-stop at Hawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds). Five stories in height, and built of red and pink sandstone highlighted with white quicklime, it is thought that the women of the royal harem used the many casements to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.
Lunch: Ask your guide for recommendations on nearby restaurants and tuck in to a mouthwatering lunch packed with local flavor.
Afternoon: Take an afternoon excursion to Amber Fort. Jaipur’s Maharaja Man Singh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful General, started constructing Amber Fort in the 17th century. Before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur, Amber was the seat of power. The Fort is surrounded by fortified battlements and overlooks the Moat Lake. Once you are on top, stroll through the sprawling complex of courtyards and halls. Many of the rooms have delightful wall paintings, with precious stones and mirrors inlaid in the walls. Most fascinating, perhaps, is the Sheesh Mahal (hall of mirrors) where a single lamp light is reflected in the many mirrors, lighting up the room.
Dinner: Make a stop back at the hotel for dinner before spending the evening at your leisure for some shopping and relaxation. Your transportation will be at hand.
Accommodation: Overnight Stay in Jaipur
Day 5: Jaipur – Delhi
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Set out with your guide on a drive back to Delhi, arriving by late Morning: Wake up and enjoy another delicious breakfast at the hotel before setting out with your guide on a
drive back to Delhi, arriving by late afternoon.
Afternoon: On arrival, head to the Domestic Airport to catch your flight to Varanasi. As you arrive Varanasi you will be greeted by our representative at the airport who will transfer you to the hotel . Hotel check in time is 12:00 noon.
Varanasi, the 'eternal city' is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India and is located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges. It has been the center of learning & civilization for over two thousand years. The Ganges is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals. For the Sat Pious Hindu, the city has always been a special place, and it is considered a particularly auspicious place to die, ensuring an instant routing to Heaven.
Optional Activity: Bengali Tola Walk
Winding through the streets and popping out onto the riverside will give you an insider’s look at the symbiotic life of the riverside people of Varanasi. Eventually you will end up on Bengali Tola, the street of the Bengalis, visiting hidden Mother Goddess Kali shrines and the vistas of life along the riverside. The tour ends at the historic ritual bathing site called Dashashwamedh, the ten-horse sacrifice ghat. Bengalis have immigrated to Varanasi for hundreds of years and eventually a settlement of riverside priests and shopkeepers sprung up. They are immortalized in the Academy Award winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s Apu Sansar (The World of Apu). With few changes in these historic lanes over the years you too may slip into the world of Apu!
Later in the evening, watch the illuminated aarti ceremony performed at Dashashwamedh Ghat. The presiding priests stand on a wooden Chauki in the water. To the chant of Sanskrit mantras, and the clash of cymbals and drums, the river is worshipped with flowers, incense, sandalwood, milk ,and vermilion.
Dinner: Return to the hotel for an incredible burst of local flavor.
Accommodation: Overnight stay in Varanasi
Day 6: Varanasi
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Breakfast: Fill up on a delicious breakfast at the hotel before preparing for the day’s adventures!
Early this morning, take a boat ride on the sacred Ganges River. Hindus regard the Ganges as the elixir of life bringing purity to the living and salvation to the dead. Watch the wonderful colors of the sunrise as you meander along the sacred Ganges River in a boat. As part of their pilgrimage rites, the faithful walk down steps into the river to perform their religious ablutions. Watching the people worshipping at the ghats is an extraordinary experience. You may also witness a funeral pyre, an essential part of the traditional Hindu funeral ceremony.
Disembark the boat and walk through the narrow streets of Varanasi before returning to the hotel. This stroll will take you through an inextricable maze of small streets and alleyways. Hiding within this disorderly array are no less than 2,000 temples and shrines. Domes, pinnacles, towers and derelict 18th-century palaces dominate the left bank of the Ganges River. The streets are noisy, colour is rife. Varanasi is the religious capital of the Hindu faith since the dawn of history. Known as Kashi in the 7th century BC, it constitutes a microcosm of Indian life. Visit some of the more important temples such as the Bharat Mata Mandir and the Durga Temple. Go past the beautiful Tulsi Manas temple and take a walk down Vishwanath Ji Ki Gali -- the ancient alley which is home to some of the world’s most beautiful temples.
Afternoon: Following our time on the ganges, we will head to visit the International Chandramauli Charitable
Trust to visit Lucy and the children. This incredible facility is home to a number of incredible yogis - all of which are children! We will enjoy a fun afternoon at the Trust with the children and the group before returning to our hotel accommodation.
Dinner: Enjoy a delicious dinner back at the hotel
Accommodation: Overnight stay in Varanasi
Day 7: Varanasi – Delhi/ USA
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Breakfast: Enjoy one last breakfast at your hotel before packing up and preparing to leave.
Morning: Spend the last few hours in Varanasi at your leisure. Hotel check out time 12 noon. Meet up with your driver for transportation to the airport.
[Optional Activity] In the morning, visit the Buddhist city of Sarnath located just outside Varanasi. This is the renowned place where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon. Sarnath is as holy to the Buddhists as Varanasi is to the Hindus. Explore the ruins of a once flourishing Buddhist monastery and look around a museum with an interesting collection of Buddhist art and sculpture where you will also see the Ashoka pillar of Sarnath which is the national emblem of India.
Eat breakfast at the hotel before enjoying the morning at your leisure to relax or explore on your own.
After check out, your guide will transfer you to the airport to board a flight to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi, catch your connecting flight to your next destination.
Afternoon: Fly to Delhi (Please note, this connecting flight can be booked at an extra cost, luggage allowance on this flight is 15 kg checked in baggage and 7 kg hand luggage). Arrive Delhi and catch your connecting flight to your next destination.
📍Kyoto & Osaka, Japan
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