DEPART AMERICA :

EN ROUTE :

ARRIVE DELHI :

Arrive Delhi, India's capital city. You will be greeted with a traditional Indian welcome and escorted to the hotel. New Delhi reflects the legacy left behind by the British.

NEW & OLD DELHI :

Drive along Rajpath, New Delhi's broadest avenue, to see India Gate, Parliament House and the President's Palace. Visit the Birla Mandir, Qutab Minar, Red Fort with its Pearl Mosque and audience halls; Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial; Ashoka Pillar and Chandni Chowk Bazaar.

DELHI/MADAWA/SHEKHAWATI :

Travel overland to Mandawa with an opportunity to see the countryside. En route, stop at villages to learn about rural life in India. The medieval fort of Mandawa emerges on the horizon like a mirage.

MANDAWA :

Referred to as the 'open air art gallery of Rajasthan' the land of Shekha's owes its name to Rao Shekha who ruled for 43 years. The earliest surviving examples of the Shekhawati Frescoes date back to 1750. Majority of the frescoes have been executed on the Haveli's (Mansions), cenotaphs, walls, forts and temples. Tour includes Chokhani, Saraf and Ladia Haveli's. Later, visit Dundlod, Nawalgarh and Mukandgarh to see more examples of frescoes and village life in Rajasthan.

MANDAWA/BIKANER :

Travel to Bikaner, a former princely state, established in 1488 by a Rathore prince, Bika. Tour the fort and several palaces, museum housing Rajput miniature paintings also ancient Sanskrit and Persian manuscripts.

BIKANER/JAISALMER :

This morning’s safari you may see antelopes like black buck, nilgai, chinkaras and wild boar. Deep in the heart of the Thar Desert lies Jaisalmer, one of the last princely bastions. The rich merchants hired stone craftsmen who worked delicately on the sandstone mansions filling facades with sculptured filigree, screen windows, delicate pavilions and beautiful balconies.

JAISALMER :

Jaisalmer Fort lies deep in the heart of the desert. Several entrances, called 'pols', guard the Megh Durbar and Jawahar Mahal, bearing the imperial symbols of the Bhatti clan's lunar lineage. Visit the 7 story five sculpted Jain temples built from the 12th to the 15th centuries. Later visit the famous haveli's Patwon ki Haveli, Nathmalji ki Haveli, intricately latticed with different façades.

JAISALMER/JODHPUR :

Morning will be at leisure. Later, travel overland to Jodhpur. This imperial city echoes with tales of antiquity in the emptiness of the desert. Once the capital of the Marwar state, it was founded in 1459 AD by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs.

JODHPUR :

Tour the majestic fort located on a 125 meter high hill. Within the fort are some magnificent palaces with carved panels, latticed windows, Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana. Continue to Jaswant Thada, a cluster of royal cenotaphs in white marble built in 1899 AD.

JODHPUR/ROHETGARH/KUMBALGARH :

The most remarkable of the desert people are the Bishnoi, who believe in non-violence to all living organisms. On a jeep safari to Rohetgarh, visit Bishnoi, potters and weavers villages. Cradled in the cluster of thirteen mountain peaks of the Aravalli ranges, the formidable medieval citadel, Kumbhalgarh stands a wary sentinel to the past glory.

KUMBALGARH/UDAIPUR :

Embark on a pre breakfast safari to see the rich the panther, sloth bear, wild boar, four horned antelope and scientifically bred crocodiles. Later, travel to Ranakpur, visiting the Jain Temple. It has 29 halls and 1,444 pillars intricately carved, where no two are alike. Udaipur is a fascinating blend of sights, sound and experiences, an inspiration for the imagination of poets, painters and writers.

UDAIPUR :

Morning, tour the City Palace, Saheliyon ki Bari and folklore museum to see a string puppet show indigenous of this area.

UDAIPUR/JAIPUR :

Fly to Jaipur, owing its name, foundations and careful planning, to the great warrior, astronomer, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Afternoon tour the City Palace, once the formal royal residence, built in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. See the Jantar Mantar, largest of Jai Singh's observatories.

JAIPUR :

Visit the ancient capital of Amber, ascending the Palace Fortress on a gaily-caparisoned elephant. Tour the intricate chambers and hallways of the palace. En route to Amber, photograph the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), built in 1799 AD.

Spend the day at leisure to explore and photograph the local markets, camel caravans or shop for precious stones, jewelry, carpets and other local handicrafts of Rajasthan. Evening, fly to Delhi connecting with your international flight.

Arrive home with memories of royal legacy and experiences of Royal Rajputana, its people, fairs, festivals and above all the music and dances.