Camps and Palaces

Day 1

Arrive Delhi, the capital city of India.

Arrive in India, for your Camps and Palaces Tour

PM:

• Arrive Delhi
• Welcome at airport
• Transfer to hotel

Day 2

Day in Delhi

Discover the first city of your Camps and Palaces Tour, pacing through Delhi, the city which is as historic as modern, like 2 sides of the same coin!

AM: Sightseeing tour of Old Delhi, includes a visit to

• Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India
• Chandani Chownk, ‘silver street’, one of the largest trading centres of India
• Drive past Red Fort, the place that marked the announcement of India’s freedom from the British Raj
• Raj Ghat, cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi

PM: Sightseeing tour of New Delhi, includes a visit to

• Qutab Minar, a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture and the worlds tallest minaret.
• Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, the largest Sikh temple of Delhi, with a gold tomb, still in active worship
• Photo stop at India Gate, the war memorial arch built in honour of the soldiers who died in the second world war
• Drive past President's House, Parliament House and other Government Secretariat Buildings, the most imposing features of Lutyen’s Delhi

Day 3

Drive to Agra, land of the Taj Mahal (205 KMs / 4 Hrs)

Continue to the second highlight of your Camps and Palaces Tour, discovering the Mughal city of Agra, home to the beautiful wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal

AM:

• Drive to Agra, enroute visit Sikandra, the tomb of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
• Afternoon at leisure.

PM:

• Optional: watch a fantastic show “Mohabbat the Taj – The saga of love”, staging the largest replica of the Taj Mahal, and presenting the Taj in its various shades and seasons.
  

Day 4

Day in Agra

Enjoy the epitome of your Camps and Palaces Tour, with a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal

AM:

• Rise early to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the eternal symbol of love, the Taj Mahal. Often referred to as a poem in white marble, Taj Mahal displays the saga of love between Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
• Visit Agra fort, which is built in red sandstone and has magnificent palaces, halls of public and private audience and beautiful gardens.

PM:

• Visit marble inlay workshops – watch artisans creating magical beauty with marble and indulge in exquisite shopping in this historic city of Agra. 

Day 5

Drive to Jaipur, the pink capital city of Rajasthan (240 Kms / 5 Hrs).

Experience the richness and warmth of your Camps and Palaces Tour, with a visit to Jaipur in Rajasthan

AM:

• Drive to Jaipur, enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri, the crowning glory of Emperor Akbar's architectural legacy. Built in red sandstone, its numerous palaces, halls, and structures exemplify the creativity of erstwhile Mughal emperors.
• Enjoy a spectacular view of 7th – 8th century Abhaneri Stepwells

PM:

• Enjoy a heritage walk in the old city of Jaipur, seeing life along the small alleys and by-lanes. Interact with the local artisans enamelling jewels with local ‘meenakari’ work, along with goldsmiths and silversmiths of the region.
• Visit gems, jewels and carpet weaving factories – watch artisans creating unique masterpieces and enjoy haggling for souvenirs in colourful bazaars of Jaipur.
   

Day 6

Day in Jaipur

Cherish the splendour of your Camps and Palaces Tour, with a tour of this princely city of Jaipur, which is built in 9 rectangular sectors symbolising 9 divisions of the universe, as per Indian cosmology

AM:

• Visit the splendid Amber fort, which was built in the 16th century.  An elephant ride (subject to availability) will help you ascend to this hilltop fort. Alternatively, you could choose to walk or drive up to the fort.

PM:

• Photo stop at Hawa Mahal, the palace of winds. This palace consists of long corridors and a decorated facade with its innumerable windows and screened balconies, especially built for the royal women to view processions along the cities main street.
• Visit the City Palace complex, reflecting the architectural exuberance of Jaipur. The complex consists of a variety of museums and a part of the palace is still the royal residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur
• Visit Jantar Mantar, the ancient astronomical observatory.

Day 7

Drive to Wilderness Camp, tented accommodation in the sand dunes of Thar Desert (335 Kms / 7 Hrs)

Proceed to the first desert camp stop on your Camps and Palaces Tour, visiting Wilderness Camp, luxurious tented accommodation located in the peaceful Thar desert of Rajasthan

AM:

• Drive to Wilderness Camps, the ultimate romantic desert retreat, located 17km west of Rohet. The idyllically remote and peaceful location, the luxurious facilities with beautiful Rajasthani interiors make this a perfect place to experience the calmness of the deserts.

PM:

• Enjoy a night of traditional folk dance and music complete with filling local Rajasthani meal.

Day 8

Discover Jodhpur and nearby village settlements.

Experience the magnificence of your Camps and Palaces Tour, discovering Jodhpur, home to one of the largest forts of India, the Mehrangarh Fort.

AM:  Enjoy a city tour of Jodhpur, visiting

• The majestic Mehrangarh Fort that has fine views over the city.
• Jaswant Thada, the white marble memorial of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II
• The fascinating museum at Umaid Bhawan Palace

PM :

• Enjoy a jeep safari to Bishnoi villages, to get a feel for the local lifestyle of Rajasthani villagers. Bishnoi’s are a village community of Rajasthan who are famous for their cultural lifestyle and their love for nature and animals. You get an opportunity to observe the village lifestyle and interact with villagers, shepherds, farmers and weavers of the region.

Day 9

Drive to Udaipur, the serene lake city of Rajasthan (220 Kms / 5 Hrs)

Feel the serenity of your Camps and Palaces Tour, with a visit to Udaipur, the lake city of Rajasthan

AM:

• Drive to Udaipur, a romantic city nestled in the scenic valley of Aravali hills, surrounded by three lakes: Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar and Udai Sagar.
•  En route, stop at Ranakpur, to visit the famous Jain temples, known for their grand structures and exquisite sculptures. The main temple in the complex, Chaumukha Temple (Four Faced Temple), has 29 halls supported by 1444 intricately carved pillars, no two alike!

PM:

• Arrive Udaipur, check in at your hotel.
• Enjoy an evening at leisure.

Day 10

Day in Udaipur

Discover Udaipur, on your Camps and Palaces Tour

AM: Enjoy a city tour of Udaipur, visiting

• The City Palace, one of the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, which is now a museum, royal residence and luxury hotel.
• Saheliyon-Ki-Bari, the beautiful garden of the maids of honour.
• Jagdish Temple, showcasing fine examples of sculpted images and ornamented interiors

PM:

• Enjoy a boat cruise at Lake Pichola (subject to water level), viewing the sparkling white marble Lake Palace. 

Day 11

Drive to Dungarpur, the beautiful heritage town of Rajasthan (110 Kms / 2 Hrs)

Discover unexplored heritage in your Camps & Palaces Tours ,with a visit to Dungarpur, the seat of the one of the branches of the Sisodia clans of Rajputs.

AM:

• Drive to Dungarpur, a town of Rajasthan rich in heritage as well a treasure of exquisite flora and fauna.

PM:

• Visit the Juna Mahal Palace, a seven storeyed place resembling a fortress.

Day 12

Drive to Mt Abu, a famous hill resort in the deserts of Rajasthan (210 Kms / 4.5 Hrs)

Delight yourself in the beauty of Camps and Palaces Tour, with a visit to Mt Abu, the hill resort of Rajasthan.

AM:

• Drive to Mt Abu, a lovely hill station and home to the famous Dilwara Jain Temples.

PM: 

• Visit the Dilwara temple complex at Mt Abu. Dillwara Jain temples is the most famous Jain temple In India. It is a complex of five temples, each dedicated to the five Trithankaras of Jains.  Built completely in white marble, the intricately carved interiors of the temples and its detailed architecture is a perfect display of the fine craftsmanship of Indian artists.

Day 13

Drive to Ahmedabad, the textile capital of India (240 Kms / 5 Hrs)

Experience the Gujarati charm in your Camps and Palaces Tour with a visit to Ahmedabad, a major textile hub of India.

AM:

• Drive to Ahmedabad, one of the main cities of Gujarat, famous for its textile industry.

PM:

•  Visit the Adalaj step wells in Ahmedabad
•  Visit the utensils museum at Vishala followed by a traditional Gujarati meal at the Vishala restaurant.

Day 14

Day in Ahmedabad

Discover Ahmedabad on your Camps and Palaces Tour with a visit to the textile museum,the Gandhi Ashram and other local sights of Ahmedabad

AM:

• Visit the Calico Textile museum, which has a rich collection of textiles of Indian origin collected from all over the world.

PM:  Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Ahmedabad, visiting

• Ammi Masjid, a beautiful mosque built by King Ahmed Shah
•  Siddhis Bashir mosque famous for its shaking minarets
• Rani Rupmati’s mosque, the mosque dedicated to the Hindu queen of King Ahmed Shah
• Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati.

Day 15

Drive to Bhavnagar, a major industrial town of Gujarat (170 Kms / 4 Hrs)

Today, your Camps and Palaces Tour takes you to Bhavnagar, en-route experiencing the glory of Jainism

AM:

• Drive to Bhavnagar visiting the Jain temples at Palitana enroute. The Palitana Jain temple is among the important pilgrimage sites of the Jains. Situated atop a hill, it takes more that 3000 steps to climb up to the temple. Palanquins (human carriers) can be hired for the climb.

PM:

• Arrive Bhavnagar, check-in at hotel.
• Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 16

Drive to Sasan Gir, home to the famous Asiatic Lions (255 Kms / 6 Hrs)

Enjoy the thrill of your Camps and Palaces Tour with a visit to Gir national park, the last abode of the Asiatic lions in India, where you will enjoy a camp stay in the wilderness

AM:

• Drive to Sasan Gir, famous for the Gir National Park. The Gir national park is the only sanctuary in India where you can spot the famous Asiatic lion in its natural habitat. Apart from these Royal animals, the park also has good concentration of leopards, sambars, deers, marsh crocodiles etc. The park is also  a paradise for bird watchers with frequent sightings of changeable hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, Bonneli's eagle, Peregrine falcon, black-hooded and golden oriels, marshall's and common iora

PM:

• Enjoy a jeep safari in the national park
  

Day 17

Day in Gir

Continue the thrill of your Camps and Palaces Tour, enjoying game drives in the national park.

AM:

• Enjoy a morning jeep safari in the park spotting the wild animals going about their daily chores.

PM:

• Enjoy an afternoon game drive in the park.
• Return to your wilderness camp for night stay
  

Day 18

Drive to Bhuj, the Gateway to the Katchh and the handicrafts centre of Gujarat (400 Kms / 8 Hrs)

Encounter rural India in your Camps & Palaces Tour by visiting Bhuj, one of the main centres of handicrafts in Gujarat.

AM:

• Enjoy an early morning game drive in Gir National Park, your last chance to photograph animals in the wilderness.

PM:

• Drive to Bhuj, the headquarters of Katchh district, the second largest district in India. Bhuj is famous as the shopping destination of local handicrafts of Gujarat. The villages around Bhuj specialise in different form of handicrafts like cotton weaving, tie & dye work, block printing etc. Bhuj can also be made a base for visiting the wild Ass Sanctuary at the Rann of Katchh .

Day 19

Day in Bhuj

Cherish rural charm in your Camps and Palaces Tour by visiting local villages in Bhuj.

AM/PM:

• Visit the nearby villages around Bhuj to see the local craftsmans at work. Each village in the Katchh region specialises in different form of handicrafts with almost every household in the village engageged in a specialist form of art.
  

Day 20

DEPARTURE

Bid goodbye to India, as you reach the finale of your Camps and Palaces Tour

AM:

• Drive to Bhuj Airport, to catch your flight to onward destination.