Days 1-2 Home City/Delhi, India

Depart on your flight to Delhi.

Day 3 Delhi

Delhi is an ideal introduction to India’s unmistakable vitality. Arrive at your hotel, where your room is available for immediate occupancy. The day is at leisure. Meet fellow travelers tonight for cocktails and a welcome dinner.

Day 4 Delhi

Today, embark on a full day of explorations of Old and New Delhi. Highlights include the Red Fort, which represents the pinnacle of Mughal architecture during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan (1639A.D); the Jama Masjid, the most important mosque in India; Chandni Chowk bazaar and Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Yamuna river. After lunch, visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Qutub Minar and Humayun’s Tomb.

Day 5 Delhi/Udaipur

After a morning at leisure, fly to Udaipur, a serene Moghul city on the shores of Lake Pichola. We visit the opulent City Palace, the beautiful Sahelion-Ki-Bari or "Garden of Friends."

Day 6 Udaipur

A morning excursion takes us to Eklingji and Nagda Temples. Built in 734 AD, Eklingji is a complex of beautifully sculpted temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Nagda is now in ruins but one can still we glimpses of the former glorious days. An evening cruise provides an entrancing view of the city, rising majestically in the middle of the Rajasthan desert.

Day 7 Udaipur/Jaipur

Fly to the princely city of Jaipur. An afternoon of sightseeing shows us the unique lantar Mantar Observatory; the City Palace and its museum; and the Hawa Mahal or "Palace of the Winds."

Day 8 Jaipur

Today’s trip to the strategically located Amber Fort outside town sets out on elephant back. Once inside the citadel you wander among buildings famous for their glittering inlays and Hall of Mirrors. The afternoon is at leisure.

Day 9 Jaipur/Agra

Today’s journey to Agra takes you through rural India. After lunch, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Bulund Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world. This evening, view the Taj Mahal, considered the world’s finest example of Mughal architecture, at sunset. It was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his second wife. Watch as the light dances off the crisp white marble and rich pietra dura (designs inlaid with colored stones).

Day 10 Agra

Early this morning greet the sunrise at the Taj Mahal. After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Agra, including a visit to the Agra Fort. Your afternoon is at leisure.

Day 11 Agra/Jhansi/Orchha/Khajuraho

Travel by express train to Jhansi, gateway to the abandoned Hindu temples of Orchha. After lunch, continue to Khajuraho.

Taj Chandela (B.L.D)

Day 12 Khajuraho

Khajuraho is one of the most popular tourists spots in India, with the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples in the country, famous for their erotic sculpture as well as their depiction of life in all its forms. Spend a full day amid Khajuraho’s exquisitely carved temples, which pay homage in delicate detail to Hindu deities.

Taj Chandela (B.L)

Day 13 Khajuraho/Varanasi

After a morning at leisure, fly to Varanasi to explore the buried Buddhist city of Sarnath, where the Great Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon 25 centuries ago. Visit the ruins of a once flourishing monastery and a wonderful museum with an excellent collection of Buddhist art and sculpture.

Day 14 Varanasi/Delhi

Take a private sunrise cruise on the sacred River Ganges to view the ghats, embankments of wide stone steps leading down to the water where locals and pilgrims alike cleanse themselves, literally and spiritually. Return to Delhi this afternoon. Tonight, join fellow travelers for cocktails and a farewell dinner.

Day 15 Delhi/Home City

Board your homebound flight or travel on to another destination in the Orient. China Holidays can help you plan your own extension, "tailor-made" as you require. (B)