Mystical and spiritual, chaotic and confounding, India overflows with
riches. While staying at excellent hotels, travel the classic Golden
Triangle: bustling Delhi; Agra, home of the sublime Taj Mahal; Jaipur,
great city of the Rajput. Plus, search for elusive Bengals at
Ranthambore Tiger Preserve, admire Khajuraho's ancient temples, and
absorb the holiness of Varanasi.
December 5: Depart U.S. for Delhi, India
December 6: Arrive Delhi
Spend the day en route to Delhi, India’s capital and third largest city,
connecting via Brussels. Arrive late evening and transfer directly to
your hotel.
December 7: New Delhi
Meet your tour director for a briefing on the journey ahead. Delhi is one of the best examples in the world of old meeting new. After lunch on your own begin touring New Delhi by visiting the 16th-century Tomb of Humayun,
the second Mughal Emperor, whose resting place is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its groundbreaking Mughal architecture. Continue on to see Qutab Minar, one of Delhi’s most visited and striking monuments. King Qutubuddin Aiback laid the foundation for the monument
after defeating the last Hindu Kingdom in 1199. With a height of 239 feet, this red stone tower ranks as the highest in India. Next pass by
India Gate, the majestic 137-feet high arch that stands over an eternal flame to honor the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting alongside the British during World War I and the Afghan wars. Enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel.
December 8: Old and New Delhi
Explore Old Delhi, capital of Muslim India between the 12th and 19th centuries. Stop first at the Gandhi Memorial, the simple black marble slab honoring India’s beloved political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi. Next visit Lal Qila, the Red Fort complex of palaces, considered the greatest of all Delhi's earlier cities and today a UNESCO World Heritage site. From there visit India’s largest mosque, the red sandstone and marble Jama Masjid, completed in 1656 as the last monument commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal. Next enjoy a rickshaw ride through bustling and colorful Chandi Chowk market. Return to the New Delhi district and visit a Sikh Temple (gurdwara) and Birla Mandir, the Hindu temple that enshrines Lord Vishnu and counts as one of Delhi’s most popular attractions.
Following lunch on your own, visit the National Museum, housing a superb collection of Indian and international art and artifacts, some two million pieces covering 5,000 years of cultural heritage. Enjoy a group highlight as you break into smaller groups of six to eight and dine in the homes of local urban Indian families.
December 9: Delhi/Jaipur
Leave by motorcoach for the day-long journey to Jaipur, one of the great cities of the Rajput. This was the home of India’s legendary Hindu warriors, whose historic forts, palaces, and gardens lend a timeless quality to this storied region. Called the “pink city” for its buildings of rose-hued sandstone, Jaipur today retains the exquisite symmetry of its original construction as well as the eight historic gates that protected the city centuries ago. En route to Jaipur visit the village of Neemrana, where you eat lunch at Neemrana Palace, a restored heritage hotel dating to the 15th century. Reach Jaipur and your hotel in late afternoon and dine as a group.
December 10: Jaipur
Stop first at Hawa Mahal, the elaborately carved “Palace of the Winds,” whose pink sandstone façade allowed the ladies of the court to view the streets of the city from behind its 953 small windows—which also allowed for cooling breezes inside. Continue on to Amber Fort, built by the Kachhawah Rajputs as their capital from 1037 to 1728 and considered the pinnacle of Rajput architecture. Tour the unoccupied citadel, approaching by jeep to admire the fresco-covered portal, the impressive room of mirrors, walls of jewel-encrusted marble, and the royal apartments offering beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding valleys.
After eating lunch as a group, continue on to Jantar Mantar, the incredible open-air Royal Observatory (ca. 1728) housing oversized astronomical instruments; and City Palace, a museum built in the shape of the city itself that houses the magnificent art collections of the Maharajahs of Jaipur. Dinner is on your own. The hotel houses several restaurants, and your tour director will offer further recommendations.
December 11: Jaipur/Sanganer
Visit nearby Sanganer to watch villagers engage in traditional block printing and hand-made paper industries. Using centuries-old techniques artisans craft coveted hand-printed textiles and unique paper goods. Sanganer also is known for its distinctive blue pottery, which craftspeople paint free-hand. Afterward tour a local market, then take a traditional rickshaw ride. After some time at leisure in the afternoon, you are dinner guests of a family in their haveli (a home built around a central courtyard, in the traditional Muslim architectural style). Not only does this provide a fascinating window on Indian life, it also offers the opportunity to witness up close India's transition from a traditional society to the more urban lifestyle we observed at dinner with our host family in Delhi.
December 12: Jaipur/Ranthambore National Park
Leave Jaipur for Ranthambore National Park, stopping along the way to visit with children at a roadside school. Bordering the outer fringes of the Thar Desert and the former hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Jaipur, Ranthambore is now a 512-square-mile natural preserve (one of India’s largest) and is home to diverse plant life; historic ruins; and hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and, of course, Bengal tigers.
Please note that road conditions in and around Ranthambore are poor; about two hours of your drive will be on bumpy or unpaved roads. In the afternoon take a game drive through the park, whose mission is to help preserve and protect the endangered Bengals. Dine at your lodge.
December 13: Ranthambore National Park
On morning and afternoon game drives, you're sure to see more game (though tiger and leopard sightings are not guaranteed). One of India’s best known national parks, Ranthambore belongs to India’s groundbreaking Project Tiger, dedicated to preserving and protecting the once plentiful Royal Bengal tigers that roamed the land. Now threatened by poachers, illegal logging, and encroaching civilization, India’s tiger population has decreased precipitously; it is believed that just 34 tigers currently live in Ranthambore (which actually represents a net gain in the past decade or so). Nationally, Project Tiger has seen the Bengal population rise to about 4,000 from the 2,000 counted when the project launched in 1973. The park's varied landscape of beautiful lakes, lush grasslands, deep ravines, wooded valleys, and open scrub also features picturesque ruins of old fortifications and the thousand-year-old Ranthambore Palace.
December 14: Ranthambore/Kalakho
Embark on the five-hour drive to Dera Lakeview Retreat in Kalakho on the banks of Madhosager Lake. After lunch together, set out on a camel safari through the surrounding villages to meet the local Meena tribespeople who live in mud huts that they decorate inside with floral and animal designs. Largely an agricultural people, the Meena have maintained much of their traditional culture and customs. Enjoy dinner at your lodgings accompanied by a tribal dance performance.
December 15: Kalakho/Fatehpur Sikri/Agra
Travel to Fatehpur Sikri, the elegant 16th-century city of red sandstone built by the Emperor Akbar in a mixture of Hindu and Muslim styles, reflecting his desire to unify the two cultures. Built atop a rocky ridge, the city covered a circumference of seven miles and was surrounded by massive walls. Upon completion Fatephur Sikri rivaled London in both its population and its riches, yet the city was abandoned a mere 15 years later; it is believed that lack of fresh water doomed its survival. Today the city remains largely intact, though uninhabited, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue on to the ancient Mughal stronghold of Agra, arriving early afternoon. After time at leisure, dine together at your hotel.
December 16: Agra
Embark on a tour of the Taj Mahal, the magnificent tomb of white marble built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, who had implored her husband to build a monument symbolizing their undying love for each other. Some 20,000 laborers and artisans from around the world spent 17 years constructing what became Mumtaz’s mausoleum, which was begun in 1632. Along with its exquisite symmetry, the Taj features striking examples of pietra dura, a decorative art in which craftsmen embed precisely cut semi-precious stones in marble to form dazzling patterns.
Savor an Indian cuisine cooking lesson and lunch in a private home, then proceed to the Itimad-ud-Daulah, the two-story marble mausoleum that inspired the Taj Mahal. Visit Mughal Emperor Akbar’s mausoleum at Sikandra, an airy four-tiered structure that remains a harmonious blend of Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, and Jain motifs in red sandstone and white marble, with both the traditional minarets of Islam and a Hindu courtyard.
Later visit the imposing Red Fort of Agra, comprising fairy tale palaces, two beautiful mosques, audience halls, pavilions, courtyards, and gardens all surrounded by a massive wall, a moat, and yet another wall. Your tour features the Hall of Public Audience and the Royal Pavilions. A creative, architectural, and strategic masterpiece, the Fort is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In a cruel twist, Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal and whose grandfather built the original Fort and who also assumed the throne himself, was imprisoned here at the end of his life by his own son—in a room looking out on the Taj Mahal across the river. Dinner is on your own.
December 17: Agra/Khajuraho
Travel by train to Jhansi, then continue by motorcoach to the village of Orchha for lunch. Travel by coach over rough rural roads (where a distance of 100 miles can take four to five hours) to Khajuraho, known the world over for its temples, architecture, and erotic sculpture. Today the city’s collection of 22 Hindu temples (out of 85 originally built there) dating to the 10th century is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Dine at your hotel.
December 18: Khajuraho
Built during the 500-year reign of the Chandela dynasty, the temples here represent a burst of creative and religious energy that faded as Islam gained influence and Hindu Khajuraho ultimately was abandoned. But because of its remote location, Khajuraho’s temples were out of harm’s way when Muslim invaders destroyed many relics of Hinduism throughout India—which ironically resulted in the well preserved temples that you will explore at the Chandela Temple Complex. Adorned with erotic sculptures (as a reminder that life should be enjoyed to the fullest), these temples represent the finest examples of temple architecture in northern India. Your day's touring includes the Kandariya Mahedeva, Chatrabhuj, Parswanath, and Ghantai temples. Enjoy a “Dances of India” performance and return to the hotel for dinner together.
December 19: Khajuraho/Varanasi
Following a morning at leisure, fly to Varanasi, Hinduism’s holiest city and a center of learning, civilization, and religion since time immemorial. Lacking in important architecture, elaborate palaces, and ancient fortresses, Varanasi nonetheless exudes an allure and mystique unlike any other Indian city, thanks to its role as a sacred place of pilgrimage. After time to relax at your hotel, attend a traditional aarti offering ceremony (a twice-daily ritual performed to ward off evil) as you cruise along the Ganges. Enjoy dinner together at your hotel.
December 20: Varanasi
Early in the morning, return to the Ganges, where Hindu pilgrims perform their time-honored rites along the ghats (steps) leading to the sacred river. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges at least once in a lifetime is both a duty and a privilege; it can help lead to the forgiveness of sin and the attainment of salvation. Visit several of the important ghats by boat as you experience the spiritual mystique of these hallowed waters. Next walk through the old town and see the gold-spired Kashi-Vishwanath Temple, the most sacred of the shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, patron deity of Varanasi. You can only view these sacred temples from the street, as foreigners are not permitted inside. Return to your hotel for breakfast, then visit Sarnath, birthplace of Buddhism. It was here in the sixth century that Buddha delivered his first sermon, and Sarnath remains a major center of the practice today. Returning to the hotel for lunch on your own, you then have the afternoon free for independent exploration or to relax. In the evening celebrate your journey at a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
December 21: Varanasi/Delhi
After a morning at leisure, fly to Delhi and then transfer to your hotel, which is conveniently located near the airport. Dinner is on your own. Those embarking on the Nepal post-tour extension will take an early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Kathmandu.
December 22: Return to U.S.
Early in the morning you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S.
Prices start at $4,195.
The trip will be accompanied by faculty member from Colby, Colgate University, or Hamilton College.
 Request a brochure. |
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