Proceed for sightseeing after breakfast.

Raj Ghat is the famous memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. The shrine bears testimony to the simplicity of the man who changed the world with the power of ideas. A simple black stone structure with an eternal flame burning at one end.

Jama Masjid is one of Asia’s largest mosques. We shall view this magnificent structure from outside, its lofty and highly ornate domes and minarets reminiscent of a scene from the Arabian Nights. A short distance away lie the bustling markets of Chandni Chowk, “Moonlit Square,” the celebrated 17th century market complex, where sweetshops from the 1790s still do roaring business .

Proceed to New Delhi for further sightseeing.

New Delhi was built by the British in the 1930s as their imperial capital. Majestic government and administrative buildings line the wide, tree-lined avenues of what is also known as Lutyen’s Delhi after Sir Edwin Lutyens who was commissioned to design the city in 1911.

Start at India Gate, the red sandstone arch erected in memory of Indian and British soldiers who laid down their lives in World War I. Close by are the majestic Parliament House, the seat of the world’s largest democracy and the Rastrapathi Bhawan, the Indian President’s official residence. Inside are the famed Mughal Gardens with its ornate fountains and manicured lawns. Mughal Gardens are open to the public during spring.

The stately Humanyun’s Tomb is perhaps the first example of the Mughal style of architecture, inspired by Persian styles, more examples of which may be seen in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.

The structure was erected in memory of Emperor Humayun, father of the illustrious Emperor Akbar, by his widow Hamida Banu Begum. An avid scholar who died an untimely death after falling down the steps of his library, Humayun himself was an architecture enthusiast and well-versed in the Persian style of building. It is said that he himself drew up the blueprint of his tomb in his lifetime, but there is no documented evidence to that effect.

Further south lies the Qutub Minar. Built by Qutubuddin Aibak, a slave general in 1193, it is India’s tallest stone tower and marks the site of the country’s first Muslim kingdom. The iron tower in a square opposite is unique in that it never rusts, although it has been exposed to the elements for centuries.

Overnight at Delhi.

Breakfast will be served at the hotel.

Drive to the city of Jaipur. Reach and check into the hotel.

Jaipur, also known as the ‘Pink City’ from the facelift it received in 1853 to celebrate a visit by Prince Albert, is dotted with havelis (traditional mansions), bazaars, opulent palaces and rugged majestic forts that showcase the glorious past of its rulers, the Rajputs.

The Rajput princes were fierce warriors some of whom declared loyalty to the invading Mughals and proved to be formidable allies of the empire. Among them was King Jai Singh II, whom the Mughals gave the title Sawai Maharaja, or “King and a quarter”. Jaipur gets its name from this valiant king.

This evening, visit the Birla Temple. A stunning white marble structure, the three towers of the Birla Temple stand for three different approaches to religion. Carvings on the ornate pillars celebrate Hindu gods and goddesses along with Christ, Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi. Don’t miss the hypnotic evening Aarti, the ritual lighting of oil lamps.

Overnight at Jaipur.

Breakfast will be served at the hotel.

Proceed for a morning excursion will be taken to the Amber Fort. Enjoy the fort ascent on elephant back in a royal manner.

Situated on the top of a hill, the magnificent Amber Fort Palace offers a panoramic view of the old city. Established in 1592, its rugged exteriors believe the delicate architecture inside, a rare fusion of traditional Rajasthani and Islamic styles. Reach the fort the old fashioned way, atop a ceremonial elephant along a cobbled path up that opens into several havelis, step wells, courtyards and temples. Visit Sheesh Mahal or chamber of mirrors, Jas Mandir with its ornate ceilings and latticework and the stunning Shila Devi temple with its intricately carved silver door.

Afternoon sightseeing tour of Jaipur visiting...

The sprawling City Palace has been home to the rulers of Jaipur since the 18th century. The architecture of the palace is a blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal styles. The City palace Museum is located here and houses various items from Jaipur’s princely and warrior past.

The scientific-minded King Jai Singh II, an astronomy enthusiast, commissioned five observatories named Jantar Mantar around West Central India in the early 1700s. The one in Jaipur is the largest and the best preserved. The massive architectural instruments are constructed out of local stone and marble some of which are still in use. We shall walk through and explore this surreal maze of giant geometric objects.

The exquisite outer facade of Hawa Mahal, the "Palace of Winds," resembles a manmade honeycomb and is one of Jaipur’s most iconic and oft photographed sights. Designed to facilitate maximum air circulation and cross ventilation, the five-storied Hawa Mahal is made of lime and mortar, and decorated with impossible intricate trelliswork. From the privacy of its ornate jharokhas (traditional Rajasthani windows), the ladies of the court could gaze out at life in the streets below.

Overnight at Jaipur.

Today is free for you to relax, shop or explore independently. Shopping is superb in Jaipur, particularly for gold and silver jewelry, pottery, tie-dye materials, silk, saris, wooden handicrafts and carpets.

Overnight at Jaipur.

After breakfast at the hotel proceed to Agra.

Fatehpur Sikri, or the “City of Victory”, built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 in honour of sufi saint Salim Chishti was the capital of the Mughals for 14 years. The white marble Tomb of the Salim Chisti with its intricately carved marble screens occupies pride of place in the central courtyard of the structure.

Attractions include the colossal Buland Darwaza, a victory gate built to mark the conquest of by Emperor Akbar, the Diwan-i-Aam where the emperor held his legendary hearings with the general public and the Diwan-i-Khas where he held private consultation with his nine ministers, or as he called them, his navaratna or nine gems.

Fatehpur Sikri also houses the palace of Jodhabai, Akbar’s Hindu wife, and the house of the legendary Birbal - Akbar’s Hindu minister and one of the navaratnas - the tales of whose extraordinary wit and wisdom are the stuff of popular culture in India, inspiring countless comic books and children’s animation TV shows.

Continue drive to Agra.

AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafa {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously.

Check into your hotel on arrival.

Visit Sikandra at sunset.

A beautifully maintained tree-lined monument at Sikandra marks the grave of the illustrious Akbar the Great. A great believer in harmony and equality of all religions, this visionary Mughal Emperor created Din-i Ilahi, a unique religion that combines the fundamentals of Islam, Hindusim, Buddhism and Christianity. His memorial imbibes architectural motifs of all the faiths that inspired him.

Enjoy the Bollywood style dance drama on the love story of Taj Mahal.

Overnight at Agra.

Proceed for sunrise tour of Taj Mahal.

Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal and designed by Persian architect Ustad, the magnificent Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. A massive white marble structure so delicate that it appears to float in the air, the Taj is otherworldly in its beauty and is best viewed in moonlight or at dawn and dusk. The close-up view reveals breathtakingly intricate inlay work carved into the marble, and bears eloquent testimony to the triumph of Mughal art, culture and architecture at its peak. No holiday in India is complete without the Taj.

Return to the hotel for breakfast and then start day tour of the city.

Standing across the river from the Taj, the majestic red sandstone structure of Agra Fort was erected in 1565 by Mughal Emperor Akbar the great. Little did he know that the same fort would later serve as prison for his grandson Emperor Shah Jahan in the end of his days. From his prison perch of Musamman Burj, an exquisite octagonal marble tower atop the fort, Shah Jahan would spend his last days looking out longingly at the Taj.

Itmad-ud-Daulah is perhaps the Mughal Empire’s best kept secret. Empress Nur Jehan, wife of Jahangir, son of Akbar, commissioned the structure as a memorial to her father. Mistakenly called Baby Taj, Itmad-ud-Daulah in fact is decades older than the Taj, and may have served as its design blueprint.

Drive to Gwalior in your spacious, comfortable Compass approved vehicle.

According to legend, the city of Gwalior was named by a grateful prince after the sage Gwalia whose gift of water not only quenched the royal’s thirst but cured him of all ailments. Strategically located in the heart of North India just a 100 kilometers south of Agra, the grand former princely state of Gwalior has been in the news since the 8th Century. From the Tomar Kings to the Rajputs, the Afghan Surs to the Mughals, the British colonists to the 1857 mutineers, Gwalior has always been in the thick of empire-building, the proverbial eye of the storm. Consequently, successive dynasyies have built and rebuilt the city, each leaving an indelible mark on Gwalior’s architectural and cultural landscape.

One of India’s biggest fortresses, the Gwalior Fort stands atop a hill whose slopes have been artifically made steeper to render it unclimbable. Over 2.4 kms long, the ramparts of the fort loom imposingly over the skyline from vertiginous heights. The earliest mention of the fort goes back to the Hunas in AD 525. Over the centuries, the fort changed hands from the Hunas to the Pratihars, the Turks, the Sultanate, the Tomars, the Mughals and eventually the Scindia rulers who later aligned with the British colonial forces.

The fortress houses well-maintained palaces, monuments and temples, all adorned with highly intricate stone carvings. Don’t miss the intricate rock-cut Jain temples lining the southern approach to the fortress, in particular the 40 foot tall Tirthankara statue.

Also of note are the 15th century Man Mandir Palace and Gujari Mahal built by King Man Singh Tomar. The ornate vast chambers of Man Mandir Palace that once served as music halls hide dark secrets. The dungeons underneath saw large scale incarceration and executions in the Mughal Era, including fratricide, while the nearby Jauhar Pond served as a site for mass self-immolation by the palace’s womenfolk following the defeat of their king in battle. The exquisite and much more cheerful Gujari Mahal was built by the king for his beloved Gujar Queen, Mriganayani. The Mahal is very well preserved and today houses the Archaeological Museum. On display are artifacts dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC and an exquisite Salabañjika - a traditional figurine depicting a young woman and a tree, and believed to be a fertility symbol. The Salabañjika is usually not on display but can be shown to travellers upon request.

The 11th Century Sas Bahu Temples (Mother- and daughter-in-law in Hindi, but actually a corruption of Sahastrabahu, or the Thousand Armed One) in the Gwalior Fort Complex are highly ornate three tiered red sandstone structures unique in the fact that no arches have been used to support their bulk. Instead, they stand solely on the strength of a precise distribution of beams and pillars.

Attend the evening sound and light show at the fort.

Overnight in Gwalior.

After breakfast, proceed by road to Orchha.

12 kms from Khajuraho, the medieval city of Orchha on was founded in 1501 by the Bundela rulers on the bank of the Betwa river. The town is famous for its cenotaphs, locally known as chhatris, built in the memory of long-dead kings.

Of interest, the Orchha Fort, the majestic high domes and spires of Chaturbhuj Temple and the Raj Mandir, both constructed in the later half of the 16th century.

Proceed to Khajuraho.

The Chandela dynasty of Central India is credited with the construction of the magnificent Khajuraho Complex between the 9th and 10 centuries AD. The name Khajuraho may be a corruption of the Sanskrit Kharjura Vahaka, the bearer of the scorpion and could be a reference to one of Khajuraho’s popular sculptures, depicting woman undressing to remove a scorpion from her body.

The sandstone walls of the Khajuraho temples are crowded with countless sculptures of gods, goddesses, dancers and beasts but it’s the sections containing erotic sculptures that the temple is most famous for. Some interpret them as an indicator of the liberal and enlightened outlook of medieval Indian society but according to some scholars, the figures are merely metaphoric and conceal a deeper symbolism.

Khajuraho is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most exotic high points of your luxury tour of the Indian subcontinent.

Overnight Khajuraho.

After lunch at the hotel, visit the Western set of temples.

The Western group of temples

Kandariya Mahadev is the largest temple in the complex and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, with over 800 exquisitely sculpted figures of gods and celestial maidens adorning its walls.

Chausat Yogini Temple is the oldest in the complex. The only granite temple among the cluster, it’s a shrine to one of the aspects of the fearsome Hindu Mother Goddess Kali, or The Dark One.

The Lakshmana Temple stands at the southwest corner. Look out for a minor shrine where one of the ancient sculptors added his own likeness in a touching act of vanity.

Other temples include the Vishwanath Temple with exquisite stonework on its outer wall, the Matangeshwar Temple with its famed eight foot high phallic lingam, the Chitragupta Temple, inside which the radiant Sun God rides his seven-horse chariot, and the Varaha Temple that houses a 1.5 m high Varaha, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as a giant boar, that attempts (and fails) to find the end of the universe.

Visit the local school in the afternoon or relax at the hotel. In the evening, attend a sound and light show. Overnight at Khajuraho.

Today post breakfast our executive will transfer you to the airport to board the flight for Varanasi.

The ancient city of Varanasi on the west bank of the holy Ganga has been a spiritual centre for Hinduism since the dawn of time.

Varanasi’s high ghats (steps leading to and from the river) are crowded with priests, wrestlers, astrologers, devotees, bathers, morning walkers and saffron clad mendicants or sadhus. The ringing of temple bells and the heady, heavy smell of incense permeate everywhere. In Varanasi, even a short walk or a simple boat-ride is an unforgettable adventure.

The cinematic nature of daily life in Varanasi is not lost on filmmakers and over the years, many have made Varanasi their backdrop, among them maestros like Roberto Rossellini, James Ivory and Satyajit Ray. Fittingly, the first moving picture ever shot on Indian soil was filmed here in 1899. Varanasi is one of the unforgettable highlights of your luxury holiday in the timeless Indian subcontinent.

Watch the mesmerising evening aarti - ritual offering of light - at the Ghats. Your guide will be at hand to explain the nuances of the ceremony to you.

Overnight at Varanasi.

Go for an early morning boat ride along the middle of the river to watch the spiritual life of Hindu India unfold before you along the banks. Visit Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika, the holiest of the Varanasi ghats. A section of Manikarnika serves as a cremation ground and it is said the funeral pyre never dies here.

Return for breakfast to the hotel. Later, visit Sarnath.

A short drive from Varanasi, lies Sarnath where, millennia ago, the Buddha delivered his first ever sermon. Today, thousands of travellers from all over the world pour in every year to pay homage to what is one of the holiest places in Asia. The 1600 year old Dhamekh stupa marks the spot where the Buddha sat as he delivered his first teachings. Interestingly, this ancient stupa is a stand in for an even earlier structure erected by Emperor Asoka in 249 BC to commemorate the teaching.
The highly recommended Sarnath museum houses antiquities dating back to the 3rd century BC. Don’t miss the gigantic red sandstone standing Bodhisattvas and the magnificent Ashokan pillar that is India’s state symbol.

Afterwards, embark on a guided tour of Varanasi starting with the Bharat Mata Temple, where the principal deity is a relief map of India engraved in marble.

Visit the 18th century Durga Temple. According to legend, the idol of the goddess simply appeared in the spot where the temple stands today.

The white marble Tulsi Manas Temple has scenes and stanzas from the Hindi epic Ram Charit Manas engraved upon its walls. The temple is in the traditional Shikhara style, its towers representing the great Himalayan summits or shikharas.

Up next, the 4000 acre Benaras Hindu University campus houses an art gallery and the Mosque of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Explore the city at your own pace in the evening. Overnight at Varanasi.

Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Explore the narrow, ancient alleyways or galis of Varanasi. Steeped in history, these alleyways have been witness to the comings and goings of millions, king and commoner alike, over the centuries. Overnight will be at Varanasi.

Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Later, A Compass India Holiday representative will transfer you to the airport in time for your onward flight.