Day 2: Friday Delhi
Arrive Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Clear customs and exit into the arrival area. In the arrival area, look for your representative from our local associate holding a sign in English bearing your name.

Transfer by private car to The Imperial Hotel in the centre of New Delhi. Depending on traffic, it may take over an hour to reach the hotel. After checking in to your hotel, take a well-earned rest after the long flight. Your representative will provide you with all the information you'll need and answer any questions you may have. Accommodations: Imperial Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 3: Saturday Delhi
Guided tour in a private car with our Delhi-based guide. Our representative will meet you in the hotel lobby at 9 am. All admissions are included in the cost of your trip. Overview of the day: We start our exploration of India with an in-depth look at its capital. We begin with a visit to the Jami Masjid, Delhi's largest mosque. Situated in the heart of bustling Old Delhi, this red sandstone mosque can accommodate up to 25,000 worshippers. We'll also take a stroll down Chandni Chowk, one of the city's busiest shopping streets - a real "baptism of fire".

After lunch at a local restaurant, we'll explore the environs of New Delhi, the nation's capital built by the British in the last century. Our first visit will be to the tomb of Humayun, one of the greatest Moghul emperors. We'll also make a stop at Raj Path, a vast edifice representing the past glory of the British Raj. Our final stop for the day will be at Birla House, last home of the Mahatma Gandhi and scene of his assassination.
Accommodations: Imperial Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 4: Sunday Agra
Departing Delhi in a private car, we drive south for about four hours to the city of Agra. As we near our destination, we'll enjoy a visit to Sikandra, tomb of the Moghul emperor, Akbar. The emperor began construction on his tomb in 1605, and it is a grand affair, much under-rated in comparison to the Taj Mahal. Akbar started building his mausoleum in the true Timurid tradition, but the actual monument was completed by his son, Jahangir. He pulled down most of the earlier structure and redesigned it according to his wishes and the result is more than impressive. There is a huge gateway, modeled on the famed victory gate at Fatehpur Sikri, leading to the great garden enclosure. The decoration on the gateway is strikingly bold, with its large mosaic patterns. The walled garden enclosure is laid out in the char bagh style with the mausoleum at the center. The unique pyramidal tomb structure is topped by an open terrace contained within large panels of jali screens. The portico in front of the grave in the basement is covered with the most lavish stucco paintings in gold, blue, brown and green colors, unsurpassed in splendor by any Moghul building. Close by stands the red sandstone tomb of Mariam Zamani, Jahangir's mother.

On arrival in Agra, we check in to our hotel, tantalizingly close to the wonderful Taj Mahal.
Accommodations: Taj View Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 5: Monday Agra
Rising before dawn, we'll make our way the short distance to the fabled Taj Mahal, for the magnificent spectacle of sunrise at India's most treasured structure. It has been called the most beautiful temple in the world, despite the fact that it was built at the cost of much human life. The Taj Mahal is a real monument of one man's love for a woman. The story is a sad one, told many times. But it never hurts to tell it again. In 1631, when his wife died in childbirth, the emperor Shah Jahan brought to Agra the most skilled craftsmen from all Asia and even Europe, to build the white marble mausoleum that is the Taj Mahal. He intended to build a black marble mausoleum for himself, and the link between the two was to be a silver bridge. This fantastic plan suffered a dramatic and permanent setback when the Shah himself died.

Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond description, particularly at dawn and at sunset when it seems to glow in the light. On a foggy morning, it looks as though the Taj is suspended in mid-air when viewed from across the Jamuna River. This is, of course, an illusion. The Taj stands on a raised square platform with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements.

We'll also make a visit to Agra's mighty Red Fort. Built by Akbar in red sandstone in 1654, Agra Fort was both a military base and a royal residence. Many of the palaces inside the fort were added by later generations of Moghul Emperors like Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Most of the buildings within the Agra Fort are a mixture of different architectural styles. The assimilation of these different styles has given the buildings within the fort a distinctive look. For instance, the Jahangiri Palace built by Akbar is a blend of Islamic (Persian) and different local Hindu styles. Other buildings either have a mixed style or conform predominantly to the Islamic style.

After lunch in Agra, we'll travel out of town for about an hour to reach the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri. Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years, before it was abandoned for a newer capital in Lahore. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jami Masjid. The various royal palaces have been built in Gujarati and Rajasthani architectural styles, using ornate columns, fanciful jali work (intricately perforated decorative stone screens), sumptuous carving and surface ornamentation. Most of the buildings located inside Fatehpur Sikri are a unique blend of architectural traditions flourishing at that time in India. These small palaces are largely a sequence of connected rectangular courtyards. The overwhelmingly Hindu architecture, however, cannot conceal the Islamic norms followed in the large-scale planning that is supposed to have derived from Arab and Central Asian tent compartments!
Accommodations: Taj View Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 6: Tuesday Orchha
Continuing our journey by private car, we head southeast into the rural interior of India. Passing through the regional centre of Gwalior, we'll stop for lunch and a visit to its powerful fort. Situated nearly 100m above the town, its walls are solid and nearly 10m high. In places the cliff overhangs and elsewhere it has been clipped to make it steep and unscalable. It earned the reputation of being North and Central India's most impregnable fort. The emperor Babur described the fort as, "The pearl amongst fortresses in India".

Our journey continues another hour to the small town of Orchha. Once a dynasty's capital, Orchha's grandeur has been frozen in time. In this medieval town, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces and temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries retain much of their pristine perfection. Orchha was founded by the Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, who chose this stretch of land along the Betwa river as an ideal site for his capital. Of the succeeding rulers, the most notable was Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo who built the exquisite Jehangir Mahal, a tiered palace crowned by graceful chhatris. From here the view of soaring temple spires and cenotaphs is spectacular. We'll take a self-guided audio tour of this magnificent palace. Here we'll also be able to relax by the beautiful Betwa River and reflect on our travels so far.
Accommodations: Orchha Resort, breakfast included.

Day 7: Wednesday Khujuraho
Rise early today and wander alone along the river, soaking in the sights and sounds of the locals as they do the daily laundry. Take a stroll among the many abandoned temples and breathe the history of this fascinating, yet little known treasure.

Mid-morning, we'll continue eastward through fascinating scenery toward the rural heart of India, and make our way to the small, isolated town of Khajuraho. Situated in the heart of Central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is a fascinating town with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural heritage. Arriving in the afternoon, we'll have time for personal exploration or relaxing and simply soaking in the scene.
Accommodations: Taj Chandela Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 8: Thursday Khajuraho
This morning we take a guided tour around the famous Eastern group of temples at Khajuraho. These fascinating temples are India's unique gift of love to the world, representing the expression of a highly matured civilization. They were constructed between 950 and 1050 A.D. during the reign of the Chandela empire, and are considered the "high point" of Indian architectural genius in the Medieval period.

Khajuraho derives its name from the Khajur tree (the date palm tree), which can be found in abundance in the area.

In the afternoon, we'll take a fascinating cycle ride through the local villages, observing at a leisurely pace, Indian rural life as it has existed for centuries. If you would prefer, there is the option of taking a cycle rickshaw.
Accommodations: Taj Chandela Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 9: Friday Varanasi
A relaxed morning for a little souvenir shopping precedes an early afternoon flight to Varanasi. On arrival, we'll check into our hotel and then head out for a guided tour to one of the city's many important Hindu temples. Varanasi (Kashi) is, to a Hindu, as Mecca is to a Muslim. Often referred to as Benares, Varanasi is said to be the oldest living city in the world and as Mark Twain wrote, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Hindus believe that one who is graced to die in Varanasi will attain salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth.

Tonight we'll enjoy a sitar and table recital by some of Varanasi's leading musicians.
Accommodations: Taj Varanasi Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 10: Saturday Varanasi
Rising well before dawn, we make our way to the holy Ganges River to witness one of India's most awe inspiring sights, as thousands of Hindu pilgrims take a ritual bath in the cleansing waters. The Ganges is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of men, and traveling here at least once in a Hindu's life is an important task. We'll take a private boat along the ghats (steps leading down to the river), and have the opportunity to experience this incredible sight as the sun rises and bathes the worshippers in its golden glow.

An early afternoon flight takes us back to Delhi. This evening we'll enjoy dinner at one of the city's finest restaurants, well known “Fire”. This restaurant in Delhi’s centre has the reputation of serving some of the finest haute cuisine in the country.
Accommodations: Imperial Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 11: Sunday
Today see the end of our remarkable journey to India, as we make our way to the airport for the flight back to the States.