India 2020
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Daily Itinerary

On this itinerary, you will immerse yourself in the diverse, exotic, and mysterious lands of India. The country is the birthplace of four of the world’s major religions and 21 official languages are recognized there. While India is immensely rich in ancient customs, it is also a modern power, boasting the sixth largest economy in the world. Visited by millions of tourists each year, the world has come to know India as one of the most colorful places on earth.

Despite leaving on Thursday, you will be arriving on Saturday (usually around 1 am). We are flying half the way around the globe and even though today it seems we are losing a day, you will get this time back on the return flight. After the arrival, we need half a day to recover and adjust. Tomorrow we are off for a wonderful adventure!

Hotel: The Park Hotel, New Delhi

Since we got in so late last night, we use today to adjust and recover. After breakfast, Tabitha will introduce you to Old and New Delhi to give us a feel for what India has to offer. We will walk our local neighborhood to visit the traditional shops and markets of Old Delhi. We finish this relaxed day with a breathtaking dinner uptown at the world-famous Bukhara Restaurant. What an introduction to the juxtapositions of modern and ancient India!

Hotel: The Park Hotel, New Delhi
Meals: B, D

The world-known, gigantic Lahori Gate and the Red Fort are the first highlight this morning. Marvel at ancient architecture dating back to one thousand BC. Enjoy elevated street food and local cuisine at vibrant markets surrounded by treasured temples. Soak up Delhi’s rich, historic past. The next highlight will be Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by a sunset experience at the Lotus Temple, the breathtaking 10 Million Dollar Baha’i temple towering over Delhi. A photographer’s dream come true, and this is only the beginning of the trip!

Hotel: The Park Hotel, New Delhi
Meals: B

Today is Holi. Holi is a spring festival that commemorates the victory of good over evil, and retells the story of the destruction of a demoness named Holika by the Hindu god, Lord Vishnu. Holi is celebrated in India each March after the full moon, but some more traditional regions celebrate the event during the week leading up to the Holi festivities. Holi got its name as the "Festival of Colors" from the childhood antics of Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who liked to play pranks on the village girls by drenching them in water and colors. Today, it is celebrated by throwing vibrantly colored chalk and water at revelers in a lively celebration of life and spring.

After breakfast, we will start the morning by enjoying the local sounds and sight of the holiday. By afternoon, we will return to our hotel for some continued celebrations. Hotel guests are encouraged to stay in this evening as the event can get a little hectic as it heads into the evening hours.

Hotel: The Park Hotel, New Delhi
Meals: B

As the jetlag subsides, it becomes clear we have arrived in India. Taking a bus, this morning we watch the countryside move by on our way to Agra, home of Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. The capital until 1638, Agra boasts enormous monuments, world-renowned temples and exquisite 16th century architecture that will leave you in awe. If you consider yourself a world traveler, you are bound to make the pilgrimage to Agra. We will make a stop at Agra Fort and take in the surrounding sites of this world-famous city on our first day there. Rounding up the day, we enjoy a scrumptious gourmet dinner in the good company of our group.

Hotel: Courtyard Marriott, Agra
Meals: B, L, D

Undoubtedly, the Taj Mahal is the most iconic building in all of India. In the morning-glow, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a mandatory stop, which once again will leave us breathless. We start the day with the world-famous approach to the Taj in the reflection of the morning sun. Enjoy learning the stories, legends, and even the scandal this site bears. Agra’s markets will make for a wonderful lunch stop on our way out of town, heading to Jaipur. After check-in, Tabitha will invite everyone for dinner and a conversation about what we have learned so far and what still lies ahead.

Hotel: Holiday Inn Jarpur
Meals: B, L

Today we embark by air-conditioned bus for a day peppered with World Heritage Sites, forts and monuments, deepening our understanding of India, mingling with locals, learning on site. We will discover Jaigarh and Amber Fort, marvel and learn about Jantar Mantal monument, the City Palace, Hawa Manhal Palace, and Jal Mahal Palace. Tabitha and local guides will bring history alive, deliver context, and understanding of this amazing Islamic city and its impressive past.

Hotel: Holiday Inn Jaipur
Meals: B, L

It is hard to say good-bye to Jaipur, so we spend the morning exploring still. Tabitha will take us to explore the city center, soaking up northern India’s flair. This afternoon we are headed south to the Science City of Pune. After lunch, we will take a flight to Pune, located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. In Pune, we will arrive at our hotel and start out exploring the local sights. Our first stop, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a place of awe-inspiring devotion and worship, followed by a traditional dinner buffet.

Hotel: Aurora Towers
Meals: B, L, D

Let us explore Maharashtra countryside today. We will hire an air-conditioned bus and visit the Four Seasons Winery. Only a short drive from Pune, we will learn about an emerging industry-wine making. After touring the estate, learning about challenges and successes, our hosts at the Four Season Vineyard will invite us for a lunch on their estate. On our return from the local wine region, we will make a stop at the 12th Century Bhuleshwar Temple to visit the magnificent carvings of the Hindu temple of Shiva constructed to look like a mosque to preserve it from Islamic invaders. Time permitting, we will also make a stop at the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god, Ganesh. We finish the day with a relaxing evening and a chance to process the day as we begin to wind down our trip.

Hotel: Aurora Towers
Meals: B, L

Pune, while considered a modern “science” city and university town, also has a rich history that will take you back centuries in time. We start our day at the Pataleshwar Cave Temple, which dates back to the 8th century and is just one of many wonders in Pune. We commence our way through the city to sites such as the much more recent 19th century Aga Khan Palace, once prison to Mahatma Gandhi and the home of his ashes still today. This 19 acres estate is full of rich architecture and a palace archive of India’s modern history and colonial past. Tabitha will guide the group up the 103 steps to the Parvati Hill temple complex. The once private shrine of the Peshwa rulers hosts five awe inspiring temples, worshipping the gods Shiva, Ganesh, Vishnu, and Kartikeya. We round up our day in Pune by visiting Shaniwar Wada Fortress, the center of pre-colonial Indian politics in the 18th century.

Hotel: Aurora Towers
Meals: B, L

Travelling by train is a quintessential Indian experience and the journey from Pune to Mumbai should not be missed. Relax in a first class, air condition passenger car with your fellow travelers while taking in the sights of the local country side. The train from Pune takes us to the glamorous waterfront of Mumbai, a famous backdrop of many a Bollywood classic. After a quick lunch along the water, we will take a short ferry to Elephant Island to enjoy the historic caves. Elephanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a collection of cave temples located in Mumbai Harbor. The island consists of five Shaivite Hindu caves and a few Buddhist stupa mounds and other sites that date back to the 2nd century BCE. The Elephanta Caves contain rock cut stone sculptures that show syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist ideas and iconography. The caves carvings narrate Hindu mythologies, with the large monolithic 20 feet (6.1 m) Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yoga) being the most celebrated.

We then return by ferry and spend the early evening exploring the beautiful Mumbai waterfront and enjoy a final farewell dinner.

Hotel: The Ambasador Mumbai
Meals: B, D

Today is your day to explore Mumbai. Buy some souvenirs, admire the architecture and explore the market. Flights do not depart until the evening so the day is yours! Here is where you make up some time, as most travelers will arrive home just a few hours after their departure time on the same day.
Meals: B