TIGER TRAILS
A Safari in India

This tour covers Pench, Kanah & Bandhavgarh the three most exciting and amazing jungles in the Heart of India.These jungles are renowned all over the world to spot the Big Cats, Tigers in their Natural Habitat. Rudyard Kipling chose these jungles for his classic tale the Jungle Book. Visit to Hyderabad, Nagpur, Khajurow, Agra the city of TajMahal and Delhi are additional bonuses in this tour.

Tour Summary	Map
Day Place 01-02 Arrival Mumbai 03 Mumbai/Nagpur / Nagpur/ Pench 04 Pench 05 Pench/Kanha 06 Kanha 07 Kanha/Bandhavgarh 08 Bandhavgarh 09 Bandhavgarh/Panna National Park 10 Panna National Park 11 Panna/Orchha/Jhansi/Agra 12 Agra 13 Agra/Fatehpur Sikri/Bharatpur 14 Bharatpur/Delhi 15 Delhi 16 Delhi/Home	Incredible !ndia

Day 01: Arrival Mumbai
Namaste! We are warmly welcomed the traditional Indian way with hands clapped together. After immigration and custom formalities, we are transferred to our Hotel. Overnight: Hotel in Mumbai (2 nights)

Day 02: Mumbai
Our experience of Bombay or Mumbai starts with - Gateway of India- Mumbai's most famous monument; this is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, complete with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone.
From Gateway of India, we take a ferry ride to the world famous Elephanta Caves. Little is known about their origins, but they are thought to have been created between AD 450 and 750, when the island was known as Gharapuri (Place of Caves). The Portuguese renamed it Elephanta because of a large stone elephant near the shore.
Later we return back by ferry to Gateway of India, from here we continue our tour of Mumbai , by first visiting Prince of Wales Museum, followed by Mani Bhawan the former house of Mahatam Gandhi, Jain Temple, Hanging gardens and the bustling Crawford Market. Later we also visit the Dhobi Ghats - a vast outdoor laundry. We will pass by Haji Ali - Across a rocky path that meanders into the sea from Mahalaxmi Temple, you can see a cluster of ethereal white domes floating on the water. This is Haji Ali Dargah, the tomb of a wealthy Muslim merchant, who renounced all his worldly belongings before embarking on a pilgrimage to Mecca. We end our tour of Mumbai by visiting the famous Flora Fountain and & Victoria Terminus which is recently added to the world heritage site. This is a city's most exuberant Gothic building look more like a lavishly decorated palace or cathedral than something as mundane as a transport depot - don't wait until you have to catch a train to see it. It was designed by Frederick Stevens as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway Company and was completed in 1887; 34 years after the first train in India left this site on its way to nearby Thana. (B, D)

Day 03: Mumbai / Nagpur (Flight) / Nagpur / Pench (Drive 95 Kms/2 Hrs)
Today we are transferred to airport for our flight to Nagpur. On arrival at Nagpur we are met and taken on a short tour of Nagpur which includes Ramtek- Ramtek have a number of picturesque 600 year old temples surmounting the Hill of Rama. It is also famous as the place where the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa composed his epic "Meghdoot". The main attractions here are the Ram temple, which is more than 600 years old, as well as the Jain temple, which has some beautiful carvings and sculpture. And also visit Diksha Bhoomi - In the heart of the city lies a huge ground with structure of stupa built on it. This Diksha Bhoomi is the religious place for the Buddhists and neo- Buddhists, as this was the place where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, architect of the Indian Constitution, accepted Buddhism with lakhs of his followers, to get away from the Hindu caste barrier. From here we continue our journey to Pench National Park and check in to our Hotel.
Overnight: Hotel in Pench (2 Nights) (B, D)

Day 04: Pench
Pench National Park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hills is named after Pench river which flows from north to south through the Pench National Park. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh.

Recently in 1992, Pench has been included under the umbrella of "Project Tiger" as the 19th Project Tiger Reserve. In Pench, Cheetal, Sambar, nilgai are commonly seen grazing on the open sites on roadsides and banks of river & reservoir. Jackals can be seen in search of food anywhere in the Park. Packs up to 15 of wild dog can be seen near Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanala and Pyorthadi areas of the Reserve. Herds of gaur can be spotted near streams and bamboo patches commonly in summer months. Sloth beer occupy hilly, rocky out crops and favour mahul bel infested forest. Chnkara is present in very small numbers and is found in open areas around Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon villages.
Langoors are very common in Pench, whereas the Rhesus monkeys may be seen occasionally on the fringes. Pench boasts of, more than 210 species of birds that include several migratory ones also. Commonly seen are Peafowl, Red jungle fowl, Crow pheasant, Crimson breasted barbet, Redvented bulbul, Racket tailed drongo, Magpie robin and lesser whistling teal.  Morning and evening game drives into the park for tiger and other wild life sighting. (B, L, D)

Day 05: Pench / Kanha (Drive 200 Kms / 5 Hrs.)
Today morning we proceed to Kanha National Park. This is the place that has been described by RUDYARD KIPLING in his great book "The Jungle Book". This is located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. Kanha National Park is a tiger reserve that extends over an area of over 940 square km. On arrival in Kanha National Park, we check in our Resort. Rest of the day is free for Relaxation. Overnight: Hotel in Kanha (2 Nights) (B, L, D)

Day 06: Kanha
Morning and evening game drives into the park for tiger and other wild life sighting. (B, L, D)

Day 07: Kanha / Bandhavgarh (Drive 257 Kms / 6 Hrs.)
Today we drive to Bandhavgarh. Bandhavgarh is a new National Park with a very long history. Set among the Vindhya hills of Madhya Pradesh with an area of 168sq miles (437sq km) it contains a wide variety of habitats and a high density of game, including a large number of Tigers. This is also the White tiger country. These have been found in the old state of Rewa for Many years. Maharaja Martand Singh captured the last known in 1951. On arrival in Bhandavgarh we check in our Hotel. Later we explore the national Park. Overnight: Hotel in Bandhavgarh (2 Nights) (B, L, D)

Day 08: Bandhavgarh
Morning and evening game drives into the park for tiger and other wild life sighting. (B, L, D)

Day 09: Bandhavgarh / Panna National Park (Drive 271 Kms / 6 Hrs.)
Today we depart to Panna. Panna National Park is situated at a distance of around 57 km from Khajuraho. The region is home to some of the best wildlife species in India and is one of the most famous Tiger Reserves in the country. The park is known worldwide for its wild cats, including tigers as well as deer and antelope.
Overnight: Hotel in Panna (2 Nights) (B, L, D)

Day 10: Panna National Park
Morning and evening game drives into the park wild life sighting. Afternoon we take excursion to Khajuraho temples that have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples were built during the apogee of the Chandella dynasty between 950 and 1050 AD. Today only 20 temples remain and they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions - Hinduism and Jainism. Theses beautiful temples strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. The Kandariya is decorated with a profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.
The most important ones include the Mahadev Temple, Chitragupta or Bharatji Temple with a lovely image of 11 headed Vishnu, Vishvanath and Nandi Temples, Lakshmana Temple, Visha Temple that was dedicated to Shiva, which is the largest and most typical of temples. (B, L, D)

Day 11: Panna / Orchha / Jhansi / Agra (Train)
Today we drive to Jhansi and continue to visit Orchha, an amazing medieval fortress-city located on the shores of the Betwa River. After our visit to Orchha we proceed to the Railway Station in Jhansi to embark on the luxury first class train to Agra. This is a very comfortable train and it offers air-conditioned "business class airline" seating with meal services on board. We are welcomed in Agra and transferred to our Hotel.
Overnight: Hotel in Agra (2 Nights) (B,D)

Day 12: Agra
In the morning we visit historic monument Taj Mahal, best described as 'poetry in marble' because of its beauty, grace and exquisite workmanship, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1630 as a memorial to his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal.  Surely it is the greatest monument of love, and truly one of the wonders of the world. Next we visit Agra Fort, where Shah Jehan, in the later years of his life, was imprisoned by his son to prevent him from spending the family fortunes on a black echo of the Taj Mahal. (B,D)

Day 13: Agra / Fatehpur Sikri / Bharatpur (Drive 56 Kms – 1 Hr.)
Another highlight day as we visit, once again, two World Heritage Sites in one day. Marvel Fatehpur Sikri, the beautiful capital built in 1640 by the Moghul king Akbar the Great. It was later abandoned due to lack of water but still is a superb example of Moghul architecture standing perfectly and well preserved in the desert. We visit the artistically designed mausoleum of Salim Chisty, who is reputed to have prayed for a son for Akbar leading to the birth of Salim Jehangir, the builder of the Taj Mahal. We then proceed to a different heritage – the Keoladeo National Park, popularly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. One of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world, Shallow lakes, divided by a network of dikes and roads suitable for strolling, are home to more than 350 species of birds, including three types of herons, four of egrets, three of storks and two of cranes (including the rare Siberian crane, in winter months). We explore the Keoladeo Ghana National Park by walking, bike buggy or by cycle rickshaws.
Overnight: Hotel in Bharatpur (1 Night) (B)

Day 14: Bharatpur / Delhi (Drive 190 Km)
In the morning after breakfast we drive to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi we check in our Hotel. Rest of the day is free at leisure.
Overnight: Hotel in Delhi (2 Nights) (B)

Day 15: Delhi
The capital of India is a true reflection of the old and new of India. We visit the famous India Gate followed by the Houses of Parliament, Connaught Place and the Qutub Minar - a perfect minaret towering 102 m into the sky. New Delhi is an exotic blend of Mughal, Hindu, British and modern and independent India.
Our tour of Old Delhi takes us back to the reign of the Moghuls with the famous Red Fort. Built by Shah Jehan, this was once the most opulent fort of the Mughal Empire. Next we visit the majestic Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque, followed by the Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. We end our tour with a bazaar experience at Chandni Chowk, the street of silver and goldsmiths. (B)
Please Note: Red fort is closed on Monday.

Day 16: Delhi / Home
Today we are transferred to the airport for our flight back home. (B)

Tour Price

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