Private India Golden Triangle and Varanasi

Day 1 – Arrival at Delhi

Arrive in Delhi by flight. Welcome to the beautiful chaos of Delhi! After arriving by flight, jump in right into the hustle and bustle of the capital of India and its second-most populous city. Considered as one of the oldest existing cities in the world, Delhi’s importance lies not just in its past glory as of the seat of empires and magnificent monuments, but also in the rich and diverse cultures.
A private car with a driver will pick you from Delhi Airport and transfer you to the hotel. Check-in at the hotel and relax. Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Delhi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Lemon Tree Premier or similar.

Day 2 – Delhi – Amritsar (B)

After breakfast check out from the hotel. A private car will drop you at the Delhi airport. Board your flight for Amritsar. Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Ram Das, Amritsar is home to Sikhism’s holiest shrine, the spectacular Golden Temple, one of India’s most serene and humbling sights.
A private cab will pick up you from the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Check-in at the hotel. Start the sightseeing by visiting the famous Golden Temple. It is the holiest Gurdwara and the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism. Later talk a walk into heritage town / old town followed by the food trip in Amritsar. Amritsar is quite famous for its mouth-watering food.
Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Amritsar.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Golden Sarovar Portico Hotel or similar.

✈️ Domestic flight from Delhi to Amritsar is included.

Day 3 – Amritsar Sightseeing (B)

After breakfast head out for a local sightseeing tour of Amritsar. Start with a visit to Mata Lal Devi Temple, a sacred Hindu temple dedicated to a 20th-century female saint, Lal Devi. The temple is adorned with colorful mirror hallways with lights. Popularly known as Sheesh Mahal of Amritsar, it is famous among the Hindu pilgrims for its miraculous powers. Later, visit the Jallianwala Bagh which is a memorial for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13th, 1919. Then head out for the Traditional Punjabi Village Tour. Get an insight into the village life and rural culture of Panjab state.
In the late afternoon head out to visit Wagah Border, particularly known for the elaborate Wagah border ceremony that happens at the border gate, two hours before sunset each day. In the evening have a trip to the village area where you can see the daily life of the local people. Finish the day with a second visit to Golden Temple at night. Which looks great in night lights.
Overnight stay will be at the hotel in Amritsar.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Golden Sarovar Portico Hotel or similar.

Day 4 – Amritsar – Varanasi (B)

After breakfast check out from the hotel, and transfer to Amritsar Airport. Take your flight to Varanasi. Also known at various times in history as Kashi (City of Life) and Benares, this is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities and is regarded as one of Hinduism’s seven holy cities. Pilgrims come to the Ghats lining the River Ganges here to wash away a lifetime of sins in the sacred waters or to cremate their loved ones.
A private car will pick you from Varanasi Airport and transfer you to the hotel. Check-in at the hotel and relax. In the evening explore the old city and stroll along the Ghats. Exploring the Ghats is one of the best things to do in Varanasi. The city has almost a hundred Ghats, the steps of each leading the banks of the River Ganges. These are bathing Ghats and praying Ghats. Each Ghat is associated with some legend or mythologies. Also, attend the mesmerizing evening aarti ceremony on the banks of the Ganges.
The overnight stay will be at a hotel in Varanasi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Grapevine or similar.

✈️ Domestic flight from Amritsar to Varanasi is included.

Day 5 – Varanasi Day Tour (B)

Start your day with the early morning boat ride in the Ganges River. Rowing boat rides during the dawn are perhaps one of the best things to do in Varanasi. Witness the daily rituals. The best time to enjoy the boat ride of the Ganges River is from 5:30 AM to 8 AM. This is when the color and clamor of the place will enthrall you.
After breakfast head out for the tour to Sarnath, one of the holiest Buddhist sites. See the Dhamekha Stupa where the voice of Buddhism was first heard and many Buddhist dignitaries visit to pay homage to Buddha. Originally built in 249 BCE during the reign of King Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty, this massive and prominent structure has over time gone through several expansions and additions. It was later reconstructed in 500 CE along with the construction of various other structures in Sarnath. Later during the day return to Varanasi and visit the famous silk market of Varanasi. Varanasi silk is famous all over India and abroad.
Overnight stay will be at the hotel in Varanasi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Grapevine or similar.

Day 6 – Varanasi – Delhi (B)

After breakfast, check out of the hotel. A private car will drop you at Varanasi Airport. Board your return flight for Delhi. A private car with a driver will pick you from Delhi Airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. After refreshing head out for Delhi sightseeing. Start with a visit to the famous Lotus Temple. Notable for its flower-like shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Baháʼí Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. Afterward, drive past Rashtrapati Bhavan (the residence of the President of India), and visit India Gate (a memorial to 82,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the First World War). Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Delhi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Park Plaza Delhi CBD Shahdara or similar.

✈️ Domestic flight from Varanasi to Delhi is included.

Day 7 – Delhi Sightseeing (B, D)

Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast to start your day of sightseeing in Delhi. A mixture of history with a taste of everyday Delhi, today’s itinerary covers all aspects of this former capital of the Mughal Empire. Stop off at the UNESCO World Heritage site, Humayun’s Tomb. Built in 1570, it is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. Then visit the magnificent Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656. After that visit the bustling Chandni Chowk – one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. Enjoy a rickshaw ride at Chandni Chowk. After that visit the towering Qutub Minar (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a 73-meter (239.5 feet) tall tapering tower of five stories. Qutb Ud Din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, started the construction of the Qutb Minar’s first story around 1192.
Afterward visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, one of the most prominent Sikh temples, or Sikh house of worship in Delhi and known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan. There is also a sacred pool inside its complex, known as the “Sarovar.”
Have dinner at a nice restaurant and then reach back to the hotel. Overnight stay will be at the hotel in Delhi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Park Plaza Delhi CBD Shahdara or similar.

Day 8 – Delhi – Agra (B, L)

After breakfast, check out from the hotel & head towards Agra. Welcome to the city of Wonder… because it’s the place of the Taj Mahal – one of the seven wonders of the world. Pictures of the Taj Mahal don’t do complete justice to its magnificence. It’s an epitome and symbol of love. You got to be here to feel your jaws drop. Agra used to be the historic capital of the Mughal empire.
Reach Agra by afternoon. Have lunch at a nice restaurant. Check-in at the hotel and freshen up. In the late afternoon visit Agra Fort, a historical fort, which remained the main residence of the Mughal emperors till 1638. Walking through courtyard after courtyard of this palatial red-sandstone and marble fortress, your amazement keeps growing as you hear about the history of this fort from the guide. In the evening visit the local market to get the true essence of Agra city. Overnight stay will be at the hotel in Agra.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Villa 21 Homestay or similar.

Day 9 – Agra – Keoladeo National Park – Jaipur (B)

Early in the morning at sunrise visit the spectacular Taj Mahal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) built by Shah Jahan in 1560 in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. Return to the hotel for breakfast.
After a filling breakfast check out from the hotel, and head towards the Pink City – Jaipur, famous for its broad avenues, massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite temples, and royal culture.
On the way visit Keoladeo National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), also known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. It is home to over 360 bird species, including aquatic birds, visitors from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Siberia. Enjoy an eco-friendly rickshaw ride at the bird sanctuary. Then visit Chand Baori, a 13 floors stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan. It is one of the largest step wells in the world and also one of the most beautiful ones.
Check-in to the hotel on arrival & relax. Evening at your leisure. Overnight stay at a hotel in Jaipur.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre or similar.

Day 10 – Jaipur Sightseeing (B, D)

Have a sumptuous breakfast and then set out for exploring the best attractions of Jaipur. Visit Hawa Mahal (“Palace of Winds”), a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals while unseen from the outside. Then visit Jantar Mantar (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh, and completed in 1738 CE. Afterward, visit the City Palace. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh during the years 1729 to 1732, the vast complex of the palace occupied one-seventh of the walled city. The palace is divided into a series of courtyards, buildings, and gardens.
Afterward, visit Albert Hall Museum, built in 1876 as a concert hall. The museum gets its name from the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, because of the similarity of architecture. The museum showcases artifacts and ancient artworks along with budding artist’s masterpieces. Then visit Galtaji Temple (AKA Monkey Temple), a large Hindu temple complex that lies 10km to the east of Jaipur. These temples are a popular tourist attraction as they are home to a large colony of monkeys. Galta Ji Jaipur is a unique Hindu temple as it is centered around a natural spring that has been channeled to fill seven large pools.
Later in the evening enjoy dinner at a nice restaurant. The overnight stay will be at the hotel in Jaipur.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre or similar.

Day 11 – Jaipur Day Tour (B)

After a delectable breakfast, visit the renowned forts of Jaipur. Stop by Jal Mahal, a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city. It was built in the 17th century. Then visit the grand Amer Fort (or Amber Fort), also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the principal tourist attraction in Jaipur and the current structure was built during the late 16th century by Rajput Kings. This magnificent fort comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard.
Afterward, visit Jaigarh Fort. Perched on a hilltop, Jaigarh Fort offers panoramic views of the surrounding. It was built in 1726 AD by Sawan Jai Singh II. It houses the world’s largest cannon on wheels called ‘Jaivana Cannon’. Made with the purpose of protecting Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort is considered the strongest monument of Jaipur. In the evening visit Nahargarh Fort, which provides a beautiful bird’s eye view of the entire Jaipur city. The overnight stay will be at the hotel in Jaipur.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre or similar.

Day 12 – Jaipur – Departure from Delhi (B)

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and head towards Delhi Airport. Bid farewell with the memories of an amazing fun-filled 12 days trip through the Holy Varanasi, Amritsar, and Golden Triangle worth remembering for a lifetime!