DEPART NORTH AMERICA

Board your for the first segment of your exciting journey through the Jewels of India.

ENROUTE

ARRIVE AMRITSAR

Arrive in Amritsar, holiest city for the Sikhs. You will be greeted with a traditional Indian welcome and escorted to the hotel.

AMRITSAR

Tour the Golden Temple. Initially a mud-house, constructed by Guru Amar Das, who is said to have discovered a magical herb at the edge of the pool, which cured his master, Guru Angad’s skin ailment. The Amrit Sarovar remained a village tank until the fourth Guru Ram Das began to carry out his mentor’s plans for a permanent structure. Continue to Jalianwallah Bagh where a peaceful procession was led in 1919 and mercilessly attacked by the British Colonial forces. Tour the Wagah Border to witness the changing of the guards.

AMRITSAR/DHARAMSHALA

Travel overland to Dharamshala, once home to the British soldiers. Today, the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness The Dalai Lama resides

 

AMRITSAR

Tour Mcleodganj (named after David McLeod, Lieutenant Governor of Punjab during the British Raj) established in the mid 1850’s, where the nomadic Gaddi tribe resided, tracing their ancestry to Alexander the Great. Visit the Dharamshala Monastery and walk around the small town. Tour the residence of the Dalai Lama, Museum and the library.

MANALI EXCURSION

Manali is located in northern Kulu Valley with numerous brooks, with the River Beas running through it. Proceed to Hadimba Temple. Goddess Hadimban plays a major part in Kulu’s annual festival. Tour the Tibetan Handicraft Center, Vashist Hot Springs, Rohtang Pass and the Manikaran Hot Water Springs.

KULLU/SHIMLA

Travel overland to Shimla, referred to by the British, the Queen of Hills, summer capital of India before independence. Placed in the lower ranges of the Himalayan Mountains, it is surrounded by pine, deodar, oak and rhododendron forests. Within the town are a host of splendid colonial edifices, quaint cottages and charming walks.

SHIMLA

View the Victorian Gothic spire of Christ Church with its frescoes stained glass window and murals with excellent views of the mountain ranges. Lakkar Bazaar is popular for its wood crafts and souvenirs. St. Michael's Cathedral with fine stained glass has a cruciform design. State Museum houses a collection of Himachal Pradesh's rich heritage. Exhibits include archeological artifacts, carvings, paintings and sculptures. Indian Institute of Advanced Study, this English renaissance structure was the former Vice Regal Lodge.

SHIMLA

Visit Kufri Skiing Resort and the Wild Flower Hall made famous by the India and Pakistan summit.

CHANDIGARH/DELHI

Depart by train to Delhi, reflecting the British legacy left behind. It is a division between New and Old Delhi, division between the British and Mughal capitals.

DELHI

Visit the Red Fort with its Pearl Mosque and audience halls, marble domes, Jama Masjid, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Raj Ghat, Ashoka Pillar and the famous Chandni Chowk bazaar, once the shopping arcades of Mughal royalty. Drive along Rajpath to photograph the Parliament House, President’s Palace and India Gate, a memorial to India’s soldiers. See the Birla Mandir, Qutab Minar and ruins of the Hindu temples destroyed during the Qutabshahi era.