Overview
The classic Delhi, Agra and Jaipur circuit, extended with two smaller Rajasthan towns and finished with four nights on the beach in Goa. Thirteen days, twelve nights, bed and breakfast, with flights from the UK, a car and driver through the north and the flight down to Goa.
It suits a first visit to India. The first eight days are full: a long day of monuments in Delhi, the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, two nights in Jaipur, a night in the temple town of Pushkar and two nights by the lake in Udaipur. The longer drives take four to five hours, so you see the countryside as well as the cities. Then the pace drops completely. Goa has nothing planned at all.
A guide meets you at each monument in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Entrance fees, transfers and bottled water in the car are covered. Lunches, dinners and tips are not.
What's Included
- Return flights from the UK
- 12 nights bed and breakfast: 2 in Delhi, 1 in Agra, 2 in Jaipur, 1 in Pushkar, 2 in Udaipur, 4 in Goa
- Air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver from Delhi to Udaipur
- Flight from Udaipur to Goa
- A guide at each monument in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
- Entrance fees for every monument on the itinerary
- Rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk
- Light and sound show at Amer Fort
- Two-hour boat ride on Lake Pichola
- Airport transfers throughout, including Goa
- Two bottles of mineral water a day in the car
Highlights
- The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in one afternoon
- Amer Fort by night at the light and sound show, then by day
- A night in Pushkar, the pilgrimage town on a lake
- Two hours by boat on Lake Pichola, Udaipur
- Four nights in Goa with nothing planned
Accommodation & Facilities
A small guesthouse in Safdarjung Development Area, one of the greener residential colonies in South Delhi. Quiet at night, with cafés and restaurants a short walk away and the monuments an easy drive.
A garden guesthouse within walking distance of the Taj Mahal's East Gate. Rooms are decorated with Indian tribal art and miniatures, and the garden draws a surprising number of birds.
A boutique hotel built in the Rajasthani style, with painted corridors and a rooftop restaurant that looks out to Nahargarh Fort. Central for the old city.
A haveli built in 1898 as a merchant's town house, now a small hotel in the middle of Pushkar. The original rooms and courtyards remain, with a restaurant and suites added.
A boutique hotel with an outdoor pool on 100 Feet Road, a short drive from the old city and the lake. A good place to come back to after a full day.
A resort in Portuguese-Mediterranean style near Calangute Beach in North Goa. Resort facilities on site and the beach a short walk away.
Itinerary
Met at the airport and driven to your hotel in Safdarjung, in South Delhi. Nothing is planned for the rest of the day.
Old Delhi first: Raj Ghat, the Red Fort, then a cycle rickshaw through the lanes of Chandni Chowk. In the afternoon, New Delhi: Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and the Lotus Temple, with a drive past India Gate and the President's residence. If there is time, a short ride on the Delhi Metro. This is the fullest day of the trip.
Three to four hours down the Yamuna Expressway. Check in, then Agra Fort, Akbar's red sandstone fort above the river, and the Taj Mahal in the late afternoon light. The Taj is closed on Fridays, which we take into account when we set your dates.
A four to five hour drive west into Rajasthan. The afternoon is free. In the evening, the light and sound show at Amer Fort, which tells the story of the fort before you walk round it tomorrow.
Amer Fort in the morning, before it gets hot. Back in the city, a stop at the Hawa Mahal, then the City Palace and its museum, and the stone instruments of the Jantar Mantar observatory next door. The evening is free.
About three hours by road to Pushkar, a small pilgrimage town built round a lake. Visit the Brahma Temple, one of very few in India dedicated to Brahma. If there is time, a camel ride at sunset can be arranged and paid locally.
The longest drive of the trip, five to six hours through the Aravalli hills, arriving mid-afternoon. The evening is free. The walk down through the old town to the ghats on Lake Pichola is the thing to do, and there are rooftop restaurants for dinner.
The City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, and its museum. Then Jagdish Temple, built in 1651, the Maharana Pratap memorial and the Saheliyon Ki Bari gardens. In the late afternoon, two hours by boat on Lake Pichola, past the Lake Palace and the ghats.
An early transfer to Udaipur airport for the flight to Goa. Met on arrival and driven to your hotel near Calangute. The rest of the day is yours.
Free. Calangute Beach is a short walk from the hotel.
Free. If you want a day out, Old Goa's churches and the Panjim waterfront are under an hour away and the hotel can arrange a car.
Free. Your last full day.
Breakfast, check out and transfer to Goa airport for your flight home.
Gallery
More Information
Unless specifically stated as Included
- Travel Insurance
- Personal Expenses
- Gratuities
- Optional Activities / Highlights
- Meals and drinks not specifically stated as included
Excluded
- Indian e-visa
- Lunches and dinners
- Camel ride in Pushkar (optional, paid locally)
- Tips for your driver and guides
- Travel insurance
17 October 2019 