Best of North India Nepal

Arrive in Delhi and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a scenic drive through British Connaught Place, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan and Parliament House.

Soak in the charm of the capital of India with a full day’s sightseeing. Start with Old Delhi where you visit the mosque of Jama Masjid and Mughal Red Fort. Walk through Chandni Chowk bazaar and shop to your heart’s content. Head towards New Delhi and visit Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple and Humayun’s Tomb.

Drive into Rajasthan and head towards Amber Fort. Amber once was the feudal capital of the region, until Maharaja Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727. Feel like royalty as you ride on an elephant up to the Fort. Proceed to Jaipur and check into the hotel.

Start your day at the Pink City with a visit to the City Palace, Hawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds) and the Observatory of Jantar Mantar. Stroll around the lively bazaars to unearth the colourful and intricate Rajasthani art and craft. Around Jaipur, visit Galta Hill and Gorges, known for beautiful temples and water tanks.

Drive to Agra en route visiting the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, once a Mughal capital. At Agra visit the Red Fort and Itmad ud Daulah Mausoleum- manmade wonders. Warm up to the evening with a walk on the bank of Yamuna River watching the sun set behind the Taj Mahal- the glory of Mughal India.

At dawn visit the spectacular Taj Mahal and thencontinue to Sikandra to visit the Tomb of Akbar the Great. In the evening board a sleeper train to Varanasi.

Arrival in Varanasi or Banaras. It is considered as the most sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus. Visit the popular temples of the old city: Vishwanath Golden Temple, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple. The old city is a maze of narrow alleyways leading to the holy ghats. You can just walk through these streets to soak in the feel of the city. At sunset attend a “Ganga Aarti” ceremony performed at the Ganges.

Begin your day with a boat ride on the Ganges- the holy Indian river. You will see pilgrims take a dip in the river.Follow on for a tour of this temple city hopping from one temple to the other: Vishwanath Golden Temple, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple. Visit the Sarnath shrine where Buddha first taught Buddhism after his enlightenment.

Fly to Kathmandu in Nepal and explore Durbar square located in the heart of the city, made out of numerous wood and stone structures (Newari style palaces and temples). Walk around Kumari Palace where the Kumari, a small girl, is worshiped as a living incarnation of goddess Durga.

Pay your homage to a 2000 year old Swayambunath temple and stupa, a huge pilgrimage center for both Buddhists and Hindus. Head to Pashupatinath and its Golden Temple dedicated to Shiva and check out the surrounding cenotaphs and cremation ghats along the sacred Bagmati River.

Explore Kathmandu. Head towards Patan, an ancient city renowned for its traditional craftmanship (metallurgy, jewels). Thereafter, go to Bhaktapur (Bagdaon), a medival town that is renowned for elegant wooden temples including, Nyatapola Pagoda. Get back to Kathmandu and stay at Bodnath, home of Tibetan refugees. Go to the immaculate and peaceful dome-shaped Stupa, a symbol of the cosmos.

Take a flight to Delhi and proceed with your onward journey.