Alok Tiwari’s Signature Tour

Colorful & Cultural Tour  – 11 Nights / 12 Days :

Day 01 : Arrival Delhi

On arrival at New Delhi International airport, on completion with immigration, custom clearance and luggage collection please proceed to the exit gate of arrival hall. Here you will be met by the TPI representative and transferred to your hotel – THE TRIDENT GURGAON (5 Star).

Day 02 : Delhi Sightseeing – Buffet Breakfast at the hotel. At 9:30 AM, you will be picked up from the hotel for an interesting tour of Delhi. Visit the Qutab Minar, the tall and ever attractive monument of Delhi. The minaret is 238 feet high and the highest individual tower in the world. The minar was completed in 1230 A.D and since then the tall structure has been there upright and ever beautiful keeping an eye to Delhi just like a sentry. Qutab Minar is another great masterpiece of Mughal architecture. It has a number of floors or storeys which has beautiful carvings like the one on the tomb of Iltutmish. There are inscriptions all-round the tower and these inscriptions reveal that Iltutmish finished the tower. The structure of the wall is made as such that it widens from top to bottom, just to make the minar stronger. Visit the Humayun’s tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun’s first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum, in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad, Persian architects chosen by her. Drive along Rajpath to photograph the Parliament House, President’s Palace (Rashtrapati Bhawan) and India Gate, a memorial to India’s soldiers. Also visit the Gandhi Smriti, housed in the Old Birla House on 5, Tees January Marg, New Delhi, is the sacred place where Mahatma Gandhi’s epic Life ended on 30 January 1948.

Day 03 – Delhi to Agra by Surface (approx. 3-4 hrs drive) – After breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Agra. Arrive and check in to your hotel – THE TRIDENT AGRA (5 Star). Visit the Agra Fort, (spread over a sprawling 94 acres, this massive red sandstone fort lies parallel to the Yamuna River and is situated 2 kms northwest of the Taj Mahal. The Agra Fort was originally occupied by Sikarwar Rajputs and was later captured by Lodi rulers of Delhi. In 1526, after the Lodis were defeated in the Battle of Panipat, the victor Emperor Babur took over the fort. After losing the fort briefly to the Suri rulers, it was eventually reclaimed by Akbar who made Agra his capital. Akbar carried out extensive renovation of the dilapidated fort using red sandstone, which took over 4,000 workers and eight years to complete. Agra Fort is known for its majestic gates with the most impressive being the Delhi Gate and Lahore Gate. Another majestic gate is the Elephant Gate, which is situated between two red sandstone towers. Despite the magnificence of these gates, currently, only the Amar Singh Gate is open to visitors). At sunset, visit the Taj Mahal (built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his deceased wife Mumtaz, the Taj Mahal is emblematic of the emperor’s deep love for his wife and the grief he experience at her passing. A landmark monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taj Mahal is one of the most admired Mughal masterpieces in the world and is nothing short of poetry crafted in marble. The architect of the Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmed Lahauri and the design is representative of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles of architecture. It took 21 years for the Taj Mahal to be constructed (from 1632 to 1652) with over 20,000 laborers working night and day).

Day 04 – Agra to Jaipur by surface (approx. 5-6 hrs drive) – After breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Jaipur. En-route visit the Chand Baori Step Wells (no guide here) is a stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village. It is one of the largest stepwells in the world and also one of the most beautiful ones, it was built by King Chanda somewhere in the 9^th century. Stepwells, also called bawdi or baori, are unique to this nation.  The wells have steps built into the sides that lead down to the water. Chand Baori one was built during the 8^th and 9^th centuries and has 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry, which descend 20m to the bottom of the well. Arrive and check in to your hotel – THE TRIDENT JAIPUR (5 Star). In evening, enjoy an interesting Sound & Light show at the Amber Fort.

Jaipur Fort, Architectural Photographical Tour – Picture courtesy Gaurav Sharma

Day 05 – Jaipur Sightseeing – Buffet breakfast at the hotel. At 8:30 AM, enjoy a guided tour of Jaipur visiting the fairy tale like Amber Fort, as you ascend the hill like a Maharaja on the back of an Elephant. Amber Fort is the iconic attraction of Jaipur and a must on your itinerary. Suraj Pole, the sun facing royal entrance to the fort, is one of the classic blends of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Marvels like Ganesh Pol, Sila Devi Temple, Sheesh Mahal, Magic Flower Fresco and Man Singh Palace await you in the interiors of Amber Fort. Afternoon enjoy a tour of Jaipur city visiting the City Palace of the Jaipur Maharaja, a rich museum, the main citadel of Jaipur’s City Palace is a marriage of Mughal and Rajput architecture. The Palace complex is home to historical attractions like Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Diwan-I-Khas, Diwan-I-Aam and Maharani Palace), the honey-comb designed Hawa Mahal also known as the “Palace of Wind” (built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh for royal women to view the busy streets of Johari Bazaar, while staying veiled behind the jharokhas. Go atop the five-storey building to take in that view). Also visit the amazingly accurate Jantar Mantar (an amalgam of science, art and religion; there are a total of 5 such structures in India. However, Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is by far the largest and the best sundial in the world apart from being listed as a World Heritage Site. This unique structure houses many architectural and astrological instruments that provide exact time measurement, sun declination, constellation positions and other data pertaining to astronomy).

Day 06 – Jaipur to Udaipur by Surface (approx. 6-7 hrs drive) – After leisurely breakfast at the, you will be driven to Udaipur. Arrive and check in to your hotel – THE TRIDENT UDAIPUR (5 Star).

Day 07 – Udaipur Sightseeing – After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy an interesting tour of Udaipur includes the City Palace (A palace complex built by Maharana Udai Singh, the City Palace is grandeur personified. A conglomeration of several buildings with towers, balconies and cupolas built all over, the City Palace also houses a crystal gallery, which boasts of royal artifacts and the world’s largest private collection of crystal. It is one of Rajasthan’s largest palaces and offers splendid views of Lake Pichola). Saheliyon Ki Bari (built by Maharana Bhopal Singh for a group of 48 young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. With its lush greenery, flowers, beautiful fountains, lotus pools, and marble artifacts and pavilions). Jagdish Temple (one of the most popular temple and its located in the City Palace complex. Representing the true Indo-Aryan style of architecture, this temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu). Afternoon, visit the EkLingji Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the most famous temples of Rajasthan. The Temple is very grand and magnificent in conception and perfect in execution. The 50 ft. high Shikhar of the temple has a circumference of 60 ft. The sanctum sanctorum has four doors in all the four directions and on each gate there is a statue of Nandi (bull) facing the idol. It has a five-faced Shiva Lingam made of black stone. The ancient temple, 1300 years old has a wide sprawling campus, with as many as 72 holy spots such as Samadhis, maths and temples.

Day 08 – Udaipur – Kumbhalgarh & Ranakpur – Udaipur – After breakfast at the hotel, full day excursion to Kumbhalgarh Fort & Ranakpur Jain Temples. From here, you will head towards the Kumbhalgarh Fort. This fort is of huge significance as it marks the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great ruler and warrior of Mewar (Rajasthan). Also, this fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that represents the glory of the golden Rajput era. Also, it is said to have around 360 temples within its complex – 300 Jain temples and 60 Hindu temples. Nonetheless, the walls of this fort are believed to be the 2nd largest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. Reaching the Kumbhalgarh Fort can be quite a climb, so don’t forget to carry your sport shoes along! After visit to the Kumbhalgarh Fort, you will drive to Ranakpur. En route, you will settle in for lunch at a local restaurant. On reaching Ranakpur, you will visit the world-famous Jain temples of Ranakpur. This marble wonder, built by a Dharma Shah – a rich Jain businessman, is dedicated to Lord Adinath – first Tiranthkar in Jainism. It is said that this temple took around 65 years to build and the scriptures, carved motifs and geometric patterns of this temple are so perfect that you just can’t take eyes off them. The main prayer hall of this temple boasts two huge colossal bells of 108 kg each that produce a melodious sound. In its main courtyard, the idol of Adi Nath is designed with four faces facing in different directions, signifying that he rules the main four directions of the world.After a splendid experience at the Jain Temple in Ranakpur, you will return to your Hotel.

Day 09 – Udaipur to Ahmedabad – approx. 5-6 hrs drive) – After breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Ahmedabad. En route stop at Patan – the spectacular Rani ni Vav stepwell which lay buried under earth until 1986, when it was cleared and restored. It is entirely an underground structure, with seven storeys, each carved with amazing sculptures of gods and goddesses. Modhera is about 2.5hrs northwest from Ahmedabad. It is famous for its spectacular Sun Temple, built in the early 11th century by the Solanki dynasty. Solanki rule is said to be the golden period of Gujarati architecture, during which several masterpieces were constructed. The Sun Temple is unique in that it has three separate but integrated elements, all aligned to a central axis – Surya Kund, Sabha Mandap & Garbha Griha. Arrive and check in to your hotel – FORTUNE LANDMARK AHMEDABAD (4 Star Plus).

Day 10 – Ahmedabad – Statue of Unity – Ahmedabad – After breakfast at the hotel, full day excursion to Statue of Unity, situated 199 kms from Ahmedabad. The statue has been built as an ode to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India. He was responsible for uniting all 562 princely states of the country to build the Republic of India. On Oct 31^st, 2018, marked the inauguration of the world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity, against the backdrop of the dramatic Satpura and Vindhyachal hills in Kevadia, Gujarat. The 182-metre (600 feet approx.) statue is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of independent India. The colossal monument towers over River Narmada, a tribute to India ‘from the people of Gujarat’ to the leader who placed people’s welfare first. The Statue of Unity overlooks the vast surrounds and the river basin of the Narmada River and the sprawling Sardar Sarovar dam. It stands on the Sadhu Bet hillock, connected by a 300-metre bridge, which offers access from the mainland to the statue. As a part of an outreach programme for the project, the state government had asked Indian farmers to donate their used farming equipment to collect iron needed for the statue of Sardar Patel. Eventually, about 5000 tonnes of iron is believed to be collected. Details of the construction and history of the leader can be seen in an in-house museum, inside the statue.

Day 11 – Ahmedabad Sightseeing – After breakfast at the hotel, the group will visit the Sabarmati Ashram also known as Gandhi Ashram and Satyagraha Ashram, is located right on the banks of the Sabarmati River, in the Sabarmati suburb of Ahmedabad. Mahatama Gandhi lived 12 years of his life in the ashram with his wife Kasturba. It was from the Sabarmati Ashram that Gandhi led the Dandi Salt March also popularly known as the Salt Satyagraha. Visit the Adalaj Stepwell (built in the year 1499 by Queen Rudabai, this stepwell served as a place for relaxation for pilgrims and caravans in the earlier years. Boasting Indo-Islamic architecture, it was constructed with the belief that villagers would visit the vav to collect water, offer their prayers to deities carved on the walls and rest for some time). The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, popularly known as Sidi Saiyyid ni Jali locally, built in 1572-73 AD, is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad. 

Day 12 – Ahmedabad Departure

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. In time, you will be transferred to the Ahmedabad airport to board the flight to back home. Tour Ends here…

NOTE: As per the hotel policy check-in is at 2 PM and check out is at 12 PM….

* Return Home with the beautiful memories of your tour *