Trips & Tours: Golden Triangle and Taj Mahal

On arrival you will transfer to your comfortable hotel and look forward to sightseeing in the capital tomorrow.

Your tour takes in the city’s principle sights including the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and India Gate. There will be time to visit the famous Chandni Chowk and the large Laxmi Narayan or Birla Temple.

From Delhi you’ll head southwest to Jaipur, capital of the desert state of Rajasthan. Known for the colourful, traditional dress of the Rajasthani people the city is a photographer’s dream – the pink walls of the city (painted that way for a visit by Prince Albert), camels in the streets, roof-dwelling monkeys and camels pulling heavy loads only reinforcing an already strong image.

This afternoon there is the opportunity to visit Sanganer and Bagru, both known for their traditional wood-block printing of textiles on an optional visit.

Today you set off to explore the City Palace and famous Hawa Mahal, the Palace of the Winds. The City Palace was the seat of the famous Maharajas of Jaipur who together build and extended many of the city sights. The Palace is a warren of rooms and corridors, elaborately decorated and with wonderful displays of weaponry. Note the two huge silver urns used by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II to carry water from the Ganges on a visit to London in 1902.

Nearby climb up inside the remarkable façade of the Hawa Mahal which is filigreed with lattice windows. These ‘jharokas’ as they are known allowed the women of the court to watch processions and street life below without being seen. The Palace of the Winds is a city icon.

After a pause for lunch you’ll head the short distance to Amber, site of a fort and palace complex that sits on top of a hill guarding a defile and overlooking a tank, or reservoir. Once inside you’ll be able to gaze upon the elegant rooms that once were home to the incredibly wealthy Maharajas and their families and enjoy the spectacular view over the tank below. Don’t miss the mirrored Sheesh Mahal!

A long but interesting day sees you head east to the famous town of Bharatpur. Notwithstanding its own fort and a famous temple the town is most renowned for being the location of Keoladeo Ghana National Park where a series of water-catching bunds or dams were created to provide a habitat for birds, principally for the sport of the Maharaja. Today the waters attract vast numbers of birds of many species and whether with a prior interest or not a visit is a must for all travellers to the region. You’ll explore by rickshaw – the best way to see this reserve.

Some 400 years ago the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri atop a rocky ridge 37km west of Agra. It was the first planned city in the Indo-Islamic style and was created with great vision and energy, but it was completely abandoned little more than a decade later. Today it remains much as it would have been when it was left, a masterpiece in red sandstone.

Later you will arrive in the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra.

Early this morning just as the sun starts to rise you’ll enter the courtyard of the world’s greatest monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Legends around its construction are many and centre around where its materials came from – all over the then Mughal Empire, from as far away as Persian and Central Asia.

Built to house the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Emperor Shah Jehan’s wife the white marble glows softly in the early light, in winter often partly hidden by lingering mists. On close inspection the white marble is in many places inlaid both outside and in with precious and semi-precious stones in a style known as pietra dura. Words cannot easily convey the beauty of the Taj Mahal, a visit is essential to appreciate it.

Along the Yamuna River stands Agra Fort, seat of government for Mughals and today one of the most important and impressive examples of Mughal architecture in the country. With many composite parts the fort is famous for its charbagh gardens and wonderful views over the river and to the Taj Mahal.

If time allows an optional visit may be possible to the tomb of Itmad ud Daula on the opposite side of the river where again pietra dura work illuminates white marble to create a masterpiece that itself stands as a internationally important building.

This morning has been left free to allow time to revisit the Taj Mahal or perhaps make an optional visit to the tomb of Itmad ud Daula (if not done yesterday) or alternatively the holy town of Mathura, linked with the Hindi god Krishna and reminiscent of Varanasi with its ghats (steps) leading down to the rivers edge lined with temples.

This afternoon you travel back to Delhi for a last evening in this vibrant capital.

Your tour ends after breakfast with a transfer to the airport.