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From 10 to 25 February 2025
Summary Itinerary
Clicking on the days of travel in the summary itinerary will take you to the detailed itinerary for that day and vice versa clicking on the day in the detailed itinerary will return you to the summary itinerary. In the detailed itinerary, in addition to the images and description of the days, we also have the day of the month and the week
Main Program
Detailed Itinerary
Main Program
Flights
Arrival
Welcome to India! Upon your arrival, you will be assisted by our local partners who will be waiting with a sign with your name (or with 'Chörten' written on it) at the first public access point at the airport in Jaipur. We accompany each Chörten Traveller upon arrival, maintaining telephone contact with our airport representatives from before your plane lands until the moment we speak to you. This is so that you can be 100% sure that we are monitoring your arrival and making sure that your arrival is being well taken care of. Transfer to the hotel with assistance (approx. 30 min), located in a central area, very close to Clara's hotel. Have a great day in Jaipur! If we can help in any way, please let us know.
Flight 10FEB EY714 Cairo 13h50 Abu Dhabi 19h10 Duration 3h20min Seat No seat Bags 12+45kg
Flight 10FEB EY328 Abu Dhabi 21h35 Jaipur 02h10 +1 Duration 3h05min Seat No seat Bags 12+45kg
Amber Fort
Jantar Mantar
City Palace Museum
Hawa Mahal
Cooking class
Massage
Raj Mandir
Dinner
Here are some of the things to do in Jaipur that you can explore independently. If we can be of any help, please let us know:
One possibility is to start our day early to climb up to Amber Fort, with the possibility of having an elephant help us on this climb (if you want to talk about the work of Wildlife SOS, link here, please let us know). We walk through the halls, gardens, rooms and secret passages, with views of the palace area of the Rajput and general of Akbar's army, Man Sing. In the same village of Amber, near Jaipur, we have the option of visiting a museum about the 'block printing' painting technique, set up by the Anokhi store.
On the way back to the Pink City, as old Jaipur is known, we will stop on the shores of a lake where there is a palace on an island, called Jal Mahal. A restaurant suggestion, quite old and traditional, quite funny in fact, where we have been eating for about 20 years is LMB. In the old part of the city itself, everyone knows it. One of the good options is the Veg Thali, a combination of several Indian foods (rice, lentils, vegetables, yogurt. Make sure it comes with a butter nan or a plain nan, if not, ask for it, it is delicious).
After a good lunch, we can walk around the old city. We can visit the Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 so that women could watch the hustle and bustle of the streets without being seen. We can also visit the City Palace Museum and the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory also from the XNUMXth century, now protected by UNESCO, consisting of large instruments of incredible precision that are still used today.
We have had very good feedback from an Ayurvedic massage clinic that is interested. There are also cooking classes. There is a restaurant with Rajasthani dance for dinner (reservations are required). There is a large hotel, an old palace, that if they are hosting guests who are not staying with them, they have a very good dinner too.
There is also the old Raj Mandir cinema, which is a fun experience, with a mid-film interval and everything. There are walks around the city, such as to the Surya Temple.
Flight
Assisted transfer from hotel to airport in Jaipur for flight to Bangalore.
Arrived in Bangalore independently. Have a great day!
Suggested timing:
- Departure from the hotel 3:15 pm
- Arrival at the airport 4:15 pm
- Flight 6:15 pm
Flight 13FEB IndiGo 6E556 Jaipur 18h15 Bangalore 20h45 Duration 2h30min Seat 7C Bags 7+15kg
Flight
Flight from Bangalore to Agra. Arrival in Agra with assistance at the airport for transfer to the hotel.
Suggested timing:
- Check out from hotel (if located near Ashok) 7:45 am
- Arrival at the airport 9:15 am
- Flight 11:15 am
Tips on starting tomorrow:
– I suggest you go to bed early that day so that you can visit the Taj early tomorrow. In addition to the possibility of beautiful light, it is also calmer than during the day. There may be some fog, which will almost always clear at some point (and then return). But even if it doesn’t clear, which is quite rare, it is still very beautiful. All travellers to this day have been grateful for having gone early.
– If you want to understand how our hotel check-out time is calculated, we use two main pieces of information: the time the Taj gates open (it varies from month to month, so we will ask the guide and the hotel a few days in advance) and the time the sun rises in Agra on that day (here). It's approx. 10 min drive from the hotel to the parking lot, then another approx. 5 min by electric cart to the gate where there may be a line and we'll have to wait for it to open (we suggest arriving a little before opening time to avoid a line even though there is a specific line for foreigners). So, without a line, another 10-15 min for the search and walk to the platform from where we see the Taj.
– Leave food at the hotel, creams, travel knife, nail trimmer, practically everything except a camera, cell phone for photos, temple kit and, depending on the time of year, warm clothing. Talk to your guide about what you can and cannot take with you as this also varies greatly from season to season.
– Confirming the time breakfast ends with the hotel can also be a good help in calculating the time to return from the tour tomorrow: from the Taj to the gate and then to the car.. 30-40min, plus 10-15min from the car to the hotel.
Flight 21FEB IndiGo 6E941 Bangalore 11h15 Agra 13h50 Duration 2h35min Seat 1D Bags 7kg + 20kg
Taj Mahal
Agra Fort
Car trip
Today we will wake up very early for our visit to the Taj Mahal (see suggestions above at the end of the day before). Built by Shah Jahan for his wife, Muntaz Mahal, in the 20th century. XVII, thousands of workers and architects from different regions of the world, for XNUMX years, used the famous white marble of India and precious stones. Early in the morning, in addition to the possibility of beautiful light, it is also quieter than during the day. Our local guide will tell you many stories about this monument. Return to the hotel for a good breakfast.
After breakfast, it's worth checking out, we'll visit Agra Fort. This Red Fort in Agra, more beautiful and with more history than the one in Delhi. It was first used by Babur, the first Mughal emperor, in the 17th century. XVI, and built in its current form by Akbar. We will visit its gardens, public and private audience halls, mosque and quarters, including where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son and what Akbar built for his son, with symbols of all the main religious and philosophical traditions of the time.
After visiting Agra Fort, we continued our journey along a very good road to Delhi (approx. 4 to 5 hours). Suggestion: eat something light on the way to get on the road during the day. Then have a good meal in Delhi. There are several possibilities that we will talk about over the next few days.
We will check the city's cultural agenda for the days in Delhi, as a possibility of a special activity, where great artists from the country perform.
Suggested timing:
- Leave from the hotel 5:30 am (not checking-out)
- Arrival at the parking lot where we took an electric vehicle 5:40 am
- Arrival in line 5:50 am or a little earlier
- Security check 6:25 am
- Arrival at the Taj View Gateway 6:40 am
- Sunrise 6:49 am
- Walk to the inside of the Taj 7:10 am
- Walk from inside Taj to exit portal and electric vehicle to parking 8:30 am
- Arrival at the hotel and breakfast 9:15 am
- Departure from the hotel to visit the fort 10:30 am
- Visit Agra Fort from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm – 1:oo pm
- Road trip from Agra to Delhi from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Lotus Temple
National museum
Gandhi Smriti
We will start the day further south of the city, where we will visit the beautiful Lotus Temple. Built in the shape of its name, it is part of the Bahá'í religion, founded in the 19th century in ancient Persia. Upon visiting it, we will all be invited to remain silent for a moment. An interesting opportunity and experience in the middle of this large, busy city. After visiting the temple, which is sometimes open, further along the exit path (before turning right to the street gate), there are some stairs that lead to an exhibition about the history and work of this religion. It is interesting to take a look and come into contact with brief expositions about their thoughts.
A very interesting visit in Delhi is the National Museum. You can spend many hours or days appreciating each hall and exhibits about the history, arts and people of India. A good way to take advantage of this opportunity is to visit one of the main halls and the relics of Buddha. Your backpack must be left in a cloakroom before entering the museum building (small women's handbags or clutches are usually allowed) and then, just before going up the stairs to the entrance, be sure to take a look to your left at one of, if not the first, charter of human rights, carved in stone, in accordance with the laws of the great Indian emperor of the 3500rd century BC, Ashoka. Just after entering, one of the first halls is the one about Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the cradle of this Indian culture, between 1500 and XNUMX BC. Right at the entrance to this hall there is an interesting comparison of the eras of the ancient civilizations of humanity. Next we have objects from that time, the main ones being: the seal with what must have been Shiva (possibly in the form of Pashupati), and the sculpture of the head of the priest and the dancing girl. From there we walked (please be careful with your time), without stopping too much in order to use a shorter time of our day in the museum, through the other halls, until we reached a relic of Buddha (it is now in a new building that can be visited after the main building). It is common to find practitioners of the method of this Nepalese/Indian master (Sakya), sitting in meditation around his relics. If you want, it is worth taking a quick look at the halls of the Indian tribes and the instruments on the top floor, with great focus and care with your time. But be careful with your time and use your day in this incredible city.
Another important visit for our day is the last house where Gandhi lived, known as Birla House. We will learn a little about this important part of the history of this nation, such as the life and final moments of this great leader, an example of the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the culture of peace to this day throughout the world. The most important parts of the museum today are at the beginning of the visit. So, a suggestion: go to the back of the house where Gandhi was assassinated on the way to the place where he said his daily prayers. Come back and take a look at a presentation about Gandhi's life, with photos of where he was born, until he became the Gandhi we know. Then enter the house through Gandhi's room, where there are his belongings. In all the places where Gandhi lived, he had a simple room with belongings like these. These are the most important parts of the visit. I suggest you continue in a much more summarized way through this same floor and the floor above. There are volunteers available to show you the museum, but it usually takes a long time. If you want their support, ask them to present just 2 or 3 parts of the museum, or give a 5-minute summary (which will probably end up being longer). Suggestion: use a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes for these parts of the museum (after Gandhi's room) so that you can use your day for other visits in the city.
Suggested timing:
- Departure from the hotel (if you want to hear the prayers at 10:00 am) 8:40 am
- Visit the Lotus Temple until approximately 9:30 am to 10:40 am
- Visit to the National Museum from 11:15 am to 12:45 pm
- Lunch from 1:15 to 2:30 pm
- Visit to Gandhi Smriti from 3:00 to 4:00 pm
Old Delhi.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Gurudwara bangla sahib
We will begin our tours with what is actually one of several Delhis, which existed at different times and under different empires in a succession of neighboring cities. The last and eighth Delhi is where we stayed, built by the British, called New Delhi. The seventh was built by Shah Jahan, one of the great Mughal emperors, the same one who built the Taj Mahal, then known as Shajahanabad. Today we call it Old Delhi or Old Delhi. We will visit the Emperor's great mosque, the Jama Masjid. There, for those who want, there is the possibility of a walk up the minaret! From where we have a view of the city and the Red Fort from above. Talk to your guide. He doesn't need to go up and can keep his backpack (which can't go up the minaret, so it's always a good idea to have a padlock for it or not leave money in it). Just be very careful on the platform up there, please.
Then we'll walk through the alleys of its old bazaar. There is a very old shop, passed from father to son for a long time, selling essences (sandalwood, etc.) and incense called Gulab Singh Johri Mal, which in itself is a walk. You can buy an oil in a box along with one of the very typical bottles of this Muslim region of Delhi. Following the walk through the alleys of the bazaars, most guides like to do a bicycle rickshaw. We highly recommend that you do the walking tour, to have more contact and to be able to see the bazaar better. Possibility to visit a small Jain temple, very old, with beautiful paintings. There is more than one Jain temple in the region, this one is in the village called Naughara Gali, in the Kinari bazaar. We then continue until we reach the Red Fort, where the important Lahori Gate is. It was there that important talks about the history of India took place, such as the independence of this country, today the largest democracy in the world, in which millenary values and customs coexist at the same time with extremely modern knowledge and technologies.
You will have already visited the Agra Fort, which has more history, is more beautiful and better preserved.
Back in the area of our hotel is the Lakshminarayan Hindu temple, also known as Birla (important Indian family) Mandir (temple in Hindi). We will see many Hindu temples during the trip, from the smallest ones on the sidewalks and in front of houses, to the largest ones, as in this case. These are opportunities to learn and reflect a little about the knowledge, wisdom and method of learning that has been practiced for millennia throughout the Asian subcontinent: from the Hindu River Valley (from Mt. Kailash in Tibet to Pakistan), extending through the Gangetic Plain (from Rishikesh to Kolkata), passing through the Himalayas to South India. Take the opportunity to ask your guide about your doubts and curiosities about Hinduism, as well as the temple attendees, including the priests. We heard different answers, with different approaches and levels of understanding of this knowledge, from the most beginners to the most accomplished, from the most popular to the most academic.
A few minutes away, a visit to the Sikh temple, a 16th-century religion from the Punjab region of India, is certainly a good option. At the beautiful Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, we will listen to their chants (see the translation on the monitors inside the temple), and watch them pray in the temple and around the sacred tank. We will also be able to visit the kitchen where volunteers provide meals for thousands of people every day, regardless of social class or religion.
Suggested timing:
- Departure from the hotel 9:00 am
- Visit Jama Masjid approx 9:30 am to 10:00 am
- Walk through Old Delhi Bazaar, Jain Temple and Lahori Gate from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Lunch in New Delhi approx 12:30pm to 2:00pm
- Visit to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib from 2:00 to 3:00 or 3:30 pm
Flights
We hope you enjoyed your travels. May you have a great flight back home and we hope see you back here soon!
Suggested timing:
- Check out from the hotel 0:00 am
- Arrival at the airport 0:40 am
- Flight 4:25 am
Flight 25FEB EY219 Delhi 04h25 Abu Dhabi 06h55 Duration 4h Seat No seat Bags 12+45kg
Flight 25FEB EY713 Abu Dhabi 09h25 Cairo 11h40 Duration 4h15min Seat No seat Bags 12+45kg