Royal Cities of Rajasthan

Day 1 Fly direct from London Heathrow to Delhi.

Day 2 Early morning arrival and transfer to the Oberoi Maidens Hotel (Claremont Hotel from January 2009). Afternoon orientation tour of Delhi includes India Gate, Raj Ghat, Jama Mosque and a drive past the Red Fort.

Day 3 Morning drive to Agra, popular for its Mughal monuments. Transfer to the Hotel Mansingh Palace for a two-night stay. Afternoon optional tour of Agra’s Red fort.

Day 4 This morning visit the Taj Mahal*. This afternoon there is a choice of optional excursions. A visit to Itmad-Daula, the tomb of Ghiyas Beg or a tour to Sikandra, the sandstone and marble tomb of Akbar.

Day 5 Drive to Jaipur, visiting en route the magnificent fortified abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri. Two nights at the Hotel Clarks Amer.

Day 6 An optional full-day sightseeing tour of Jaipur includes the Amber Fort which was the ancient capital of Jaipur State. Continue to the City Palace situated in the centre of Jaipur and still home to the royal family today. Visit the Jantar Mantar, the largest stone-built observatory in the world and view the ‘Palace of the Winds’, the Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 to enable the women of the court to watch street processions while remaining in purdah.

Day 7 Drive to Kota with its fine gardens and its old palaces housing one of the best museums in Rajasthan. Overnight stay at the Hotel Sukhdhaam Kothi.

Day 8 Morning departure for Udaipur and a two-night stay at the Hotel Hilltop. En route visit Chittorgarh Fort, one of the earliest Rajput forts.

Day 9 Udaipur, capital of the Rajput state of Mewar, is a city of palaces both on the lake and the shore and is home to a fine tradition of miniature painting. A half-day of sightseeing includes the City Palace museum. Continue to the Sahelion Ki Bari Gardens created for the entertainment of the ladies of the royal household. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 10 Travel to the remote hilltop fort of Kumbhalgarh through idyllic Aravalli Countryside. Overnight stay at the Hotel Aodhi.

Day 11 Drive to Jodhpur via Ranakpur famous for its Chaumukha Temple complex, for a two-night stay at the Hotel Ummed.

Day 12 Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan, is situated on the edge of the Thar desert, and is home to the magnificent Meharangarh Fort. A sightseeing tour visits the various palaces and buildings inside the fort. Continue to Jaswant Thada, an imposing white marble centotaph, north of the fort.

Day 13 Continue to Bikaner for a two-night stay at the Hotel Gajner Palace.

Day 14 An optional morning tour of Bikaner includes the 16thcentury fort. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 15 Drive from Bikaner to Mandawa, a region of Rajasthan famous for its havelis (merchants’ houses) and frescoes dating from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Overnight stay at the Mandawa Desert Resort.

Day 16 Drive to Delhi airport for the return flight.

Day 17 Early morning flight to London Heathrow arriving later the same day.