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Tours
By Region |
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 "THE
MAHARAJA" - DELHI TO GOA
A cultural tour of India
There
are many ways of seeing India. Probably the most unique
experience is on a luxurious train rightfully called
the "The Indian Maharaja". This is
an exclusive 7 days train journey which is part of this
11-day trip taking us from the capital city of Delhi
to the beach resort and historical town of Goa. This
is royalty at it’s best – The Maharaja way!
|
Tour
Summary
|
Map |
Day
|
Place
|
| 01 |
Arrival
Delhi |
| 02 |
Delhi |
| 03 |
Agra |
| 04 |
Jaipur |
| 05 |
Sawai
Madhopur |
| 06 |
Udaipur |
| 07 |
Ahmedabad |
| 08 |
Aurangabad |
| 09 |
Arrival
Mumbai - Fly to Goa |
| 10 |
Goa |
| 11 |
Goa
/ Mumbai Departure |
|
|
Day 01: (TUE) Arrive Delhi
Namaste! We are warmly welcomed the traditional Indian
way with hands clapped together. After immigration and
custom formalities, we are transferred to our Hotel in
Delhi. Amidst the fast spiraling skyscrapers the remnants
of a bygone time in the form of its many monuments stand
as silent reminders to the region’s ancient legacy.
The first impressions for any visitor traveling in from
the airport are of a specious, garden city, tree-lined
with a number of beautiful parks. Evening we test and
taste the grandeur Maharaja treatment that we will receive
in this tour as we are welcomed to a sumptuous Indian
dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight: Hotel in, Delhi (1 night) (D)
 Day
02: (WED) Delhi
We start our Delhi sightseeing with a visit of Old Delhi
where we start with the Raj Ghat, a simple memorial to
Mahatma Gandhi; drive past the Red Fort – a world
heritage site, we continue to the Jama Masjid, - the largest
mosque in India, accommodating up to 25,000 worshippers
at one time. The tour of Imperial Delhi includes visit
to the Qutub Minar, the tallest stone tower in India.
The tour also includes a photo stop at the imposing India
Gate, the Parliament building and the Rastrapathi Bhawan,
the President’s residence. Evening we proceed to
the railway station to board the "The Indian
Maharaja" which will be our home for the next
seven days.
Overnight: onboard Maharaja train (7nights) (B,
L, D)
Day 03: (THU) Agra
We rail to Agra visiting Fatehpur Sikri enroute. Fatehpur
Sikri - the deserted red sandstone city, built by the
Great Mughal Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in
the late 16th century where the remains of 300 years old
Capital with its palaces and mosques are still intact.
From here we proceed to Agra and see the architectural
wonders that the Moghuls built.
The Taj Mahal is everything that has been said about it
and more. It took 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 in mid
17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression
of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is
truly The wonder of the world.
Agra Fort, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture.
It was the seat and stronghold of the Mughals and owes
its origins to Akbar who erected the walls and gates and
the first buildings on the eastern banks of Yamuna River.
Shah Jehan added the impressive quarters and the mosque
while Aurangzeb added the outer ramparts.
Overnight on board the train (B, L, D)
Day 04: (FRI) Jaipur
The city of victory, Jaipur presides over the fascinating
desert state of Rajasthan well known for its charming,
elegant and friendly people. Jaipur is surrounded by rugged
hills, each crowned by a formidable forts, beautiful palaces
with huge mansions and gardens dotted throughout its precincts.
The palaces and forts of yesteryear that were witness
to royal processions and splendor are now living monuments,
accepted quite naturally into the lifestyles of the people
of the "pink city". Except for the busy traffic
of bicycles, cars and buses, little seems to have changed.
We start with a visit to the fabulous Amber Fort. Maharaja
Mansingh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful
General, started the construction of Amber Fort in the
17th century. We are treated like royalty of yesteryear
as we take an elephant ride to the intriguing Amber Palace,
a distinguished example of 17th Century Rajput 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. Traveling
back to the main city, we see the `Palace of Winds’,
otherwise known as Hawa Mahal. It is really an elaborate
facade behind which the ladies of the court used to watch
the daily goings on in the street below. It is extremely
intricate in its pink sandstone carving. The cool wind
blows through its facade of windows and latticed screens
through which the queens of the court once viewed the
streets of the city.
Afternoon we visit the City Palace, which is an overwhelming
complex of exquisite palaces, gardens and courtyards,
decorative art and carved doorways. The palace museum
houses collections of rare manuscripts, armoury, costumes,
carpets and miniature paintings. Walk to the adjacent
Jantar Mantar or Astronomical Observatory made by the
Maharaja of Jaipur, built in 1726 and is one of the five
such astronomical wonders which makes accurate predictions
even to this day.
Overnight: Train leaves for Sawai Madhopur on
overnight journey (B, L, D)
Day 05: (SAT) Sawai Madhopur
Early morning we proceed on a Jungle Safari in Ranthambhore
National Park - an outstanding example of Project Tiger’s
efforts at conservation in the country. The forests around
the Ranthambhore Fort were once, the private grounds of
the Maharajas of Jaipur. As a result of the stringent
efforts in conservation, tigers, the prime assets of the
Park, have become more and more active during the day.
More than in any other park or sanctuary in India, tigers
are easily spotted here in daylight. Very easy to chance
upon a tiger lolling around lazily in the sun, or feverishly
hunting down Sambhar around the lakes.
Overnight: Train leaves for Udaipur on an overnight
journey (B, L, D)
 Day
06: (SUN) Udaipur
Set on the shores of Lake Pichola and surrounded by hills,
Udaipur grew in complete contrast to the harsh deserts
of the rest of Rajasthan. We tour the capital of the old
Mewar State. From the late 16th C, peace brought about
an era of renaissance in the arts and encouraged the building
of beautiful palaces around the romantic lack setting
surrounding the gleaming white Lake Palace and the Jag
Mandir, a refuge of the rebel Mughal prince, Shah Jahan.
Visit the vast and exquisite City Palace, a well-fortified,
majestic white monument and the the Crystal Gallery.
Drive past Fateh Sagar Lake; visit Sahelion-ki-Bari, the
Garden of the Maids-of-Honor. The garden brings to the
fore the unique lifestyle of the royal ladies, who once
strolled through these gardens. Continue to visit Jagdish
Temple, a 16th-century temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu,
In the evening we take a cruise on Lake Pichola to visit
Jag Mandir Palace, which covers almost four acres and
is noted for its marble pavilion and an imposing dome
followed by a dinner at the City Hotel.
Overnight: Train leaves for Ahmadabad on an overnight
journey (B, L, D)
Day 07: (MON) Ahmedabad
This is now Gujarat. Ahmadabad, one time capital of the
state, is a dusty, noisy, chaotic city. It is also very
beautiful, with mosques marked with delightful minarets,
elaborate tracery and infinite attention to detail. First
visit Teen Darwaza - a triple gateway 37 feet high built
by Sultan Ahmed. From here the Sultans watched the processions
from the palace to the Jama Masjid, which is one of the
biggest and oldest mosques. Built in 1423, the mosque
is situated in the centre of the old city and is one of
the finest mosques in India with 260 pillars supporting
15 domes at different elevations. We also visit the striking
Shaking minarets & the famous Jain Temple.
Overnight: Train leaves for Jalgaon on an overnight
journey. (B, L, D)
Day 08: (TUE) Aurangabad
Early morning we arrive Jalgaon. After breakfast we depart
by coach
to visit the incredible World Heritage Sites of Ajanta.
The Ajanta group of caves, located deep within the Sahyadri
hills tell the story of Buddhism from 200 BC to 650 AD.
The Caves were carved in the 2nd century BC out of a horse
shoe shaped cliff along the Waghora River. They were used
by Buddhist monks as prayer halls (chaitya grihas) and
monasteries (viharas) for about nine centuries, then abruptly
abandoned. They fell into oblivion until they were rediscovered
in 1819. After lunch at a local restaurant we proceed
on a tour of Aurangabad visiting the Bibi Ka Maqbara -
Modelled on the Taj Mahal, the Mughal gardens built by
Prince Azam Khan in memory of his mother, Begum Rabia
Daurani the engineering marvel called the Panchakki, the
water mill. We also visit Aurangzeb’s Tome &
Mosque a very simple Tomb for a Mughal Emperor.
Overnight: Train leaves for Mumbai on an overnight
journey (B, L, D)
Day 09: (WED) Arrive Mumbai fly to Goa
Morning we arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai
– more popularly known Victoria Terminal –
a world heritage site. Enjoy the breakfast on board as
the sun rises over the commercial capital of India. We
bid farewell to our train and their staff and are transferred
to the domestic airport for flight to Goa.
Goa offers much more than just the hedonism of sun, sand
and sea. Despite four decades of liberation from Portuguese
rule, Roman Catholicism remains a major religion, skirts
far outnumbers saris, and Goans display an easygoing tropical
indulgence, humor and civility. White washed churches,
paddy fields, coconut -palm groves and crumbling forts
guarding rocky capes make up the Goan landscape. Markets
are lively, colorful affairs, siesta is widely observed
during the hot afternoons, and there are feasts and festivities
throughout the year. Upon arrival we are met and transferred
to hotel.
Overnight: Goa Hotel (2 nights) (B)
 Day
10: (THU) Goa
After breakfast proceed on a half day tour of Goa our
tour includes visit to the World Heritage Site of the
churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the
Portuguese Indies. Of particular interest is the Church
of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier,
a great illustration of the evangelization of Asia. These
monuments were influential in spreading forms of Manueline,
Mannerist and Baroque art to all the countries of Asia
where missions were established. We culminate the tour
with visits of the beautiful beaches. Afternoon is free
to enjoy Goa. (B)
Day 11: (FRI) Goa/Mumbai departure
Morning
free. Late afternoon we are transferred to the airport
to Mumbai to connect with international flight take our
flight. (B)
Departure
Dates |
2010
English
Speaking Departures
Jan 26, Feb 16,
Mar 02, 16, Apr 18,
Oct 12, Nov
16 & Dec 07, 28
2011
English Speaking Departures
Jan 18, Feb 08, Mar 01, 22 |
Inclusions |
| Tour
Price Includes |
Tour
Price Does Not Include |
| Accommodation
as mentioned. click
here for more info |
International
& Domestic airfare & taxes |
Daily buffet breakfast as per the itinerary
(B = Breakfast, L
= Lunch, D = Dinner) |
Insurance / Visas |
| Personal
Cabin on private luxurius train |
|
| All
sightseeing and transfers |
|
| Services
of local English speaking guide |
|
Entrances
to museums and sites included in the itinerary |
|
|
Tour
Price |
|
| We
accept payment in US $ (US Dollars),
CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent
EURO (for clients outside North America).
Bestway
Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection.
Once full payment has been received, and no
modification has been made to the tour itinerary,
we will honour that rate.
For
complete payment procedures, please download
 Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf
Note: to read this file you must have Adobe
Acrobat. |
| Hotel
Category |
Double
Occupancy |
Single
Occupancy |
| Silver |
US $ 4450 |
US $ 5925 |
| Gold |
US $ 5550 |
US $ 7250 |
| Platinum |
US $ 7975 |
US $ 9925 |
Mumbai - Goa Return airfare
Economy Class US $510
Business Class US $ 620
Hotels/Accommodation
City |
Silver |
Gold |
Platinum |
Delhi
(1 Night) |
Lalit
Hotel
(Deluxe Room) |
Taj
Mahal Hotel
(Supirior Room) |
Aman
Hotel
(Aman Room) |
Maharaja
Train
(7 Nights) |
Deluxe
cabin + group transfers, sightseeing and
other excursions. |
Deluxe
cabin + Individual Guide,transfers + Sightseeing
and Excursions |
Presidential
suite + Individual Guide,transfers, Sightseeing
and Excursions |
Goa
(2 Nights) |
Taj
Fort Aguda Beach Resort
(Superior Room) |
Taj
Holiday Village
(Garden view Cottage) |
Taj
Exotica
(Garden Villa) |
|
Estimated
International Airfare - International
airfare is NOT included in this tour |
| Canada
- West Coast |
N/A |
USA
- West Coast |
US
$ 1600 |
| Canada
- East Coast |
N/A |
USA
- East Coast |
US
$ 1400 |
|
Participants |
| N/A |
Notes
|
Customised
Itinerary
If you would like to have a tour on dates
other than the above ones or with a customised
itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy
to work out an exclusive program for you.
Foreign Language Departures
Please contact us for information on French,
German,
Italian and Spanish
speaking departures.
You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com
or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of
U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844. |
|
|
|
| © Copyright 1999-2009 Bestway
Tours & Safaris |
Site last updated Dec 29,
2009 |
| Photographs by Peter
Langer & Mahmood
Poonja |
Website © 1999-2009 Powered
by BTS |
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