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India: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Tour# - 956936-G1
Dec. 26, 2008
Students (under 23): $3238
Adults: $3553
Sign up: 1-800-665-5364
$95 Dollar deposit, last payment due Sept. 17, 2008.
for more info contact:
Cynthia Bingham:
480-654-0030
480-529-0595
Program fee includes:
■ Round-trip airfare
■ 8 overnight stays in hotels or lodge accommodations
■ Breakfast and dinner daily
■ Full-time bilingual EFTour Director
■ 4 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides:
Old Delhi • New Delhi • Jaipur • Agra
■ 7 visits to special attractions:
Jama Mosque • Red Fort • Humayun's Tomb
City Palace • Taj Mahal • Agra Fort • Birla Mandir
■ Elephant ride
■ Cultural performance in Agra
■ Experiential learning:Visit a local school
Day 1 Flight
Overnight flight to India • Relax aboard your overnight flight to India.
Day 2 Delhi
Arrival in Delhi • Late this evening, arrive in Delhi, an intriguing blend of history and modernity. Home to more than 1,000 monuments, Delhi also boasts an ever-growing commercial and industrial core, which began in the mid-1980s as foreign companies spilled in and set up shop. New Delhi's art galleries and hotel discos are just as attractive as Old Delhi's haphazard streets and primitive bazaars. Meet your bilingual tour director, who will remain with you throughout your stay, and then transfer to your hotel.
Day 3 Delhi
Guided sightseeing of Old Delhi • Your guided sightseeing begins at Old Delhi's 16th-century Jama Masjid Mosque. The mosque is one of India's largest: allegedly, it took 5,000 masons about six years to complete. Today, it continues to function as a congregational Friday mosque. You'll also visit Old Delhi's largest monument: Lal Quila, or the Red Fort,
so named for its red sandstone walls. The Red Fort is also known as a good source for silver shopping. At Raj Ghat-the most famous of the ghats, where leaders and freedom fighters are cremated-see the site of Mahatma Ghandi's cremation after his 1948 assassination.
Guided sightseeing of New Delhi • This afternoon, a local guide shows you New Delhi, the seat of India's government. Its tree-lined streets and orderly colonial buildings are a sharp contrast to bustling Old Delhi. Stroll the Raj Path, or Royal Mall, a vast expanse of greenery, perfect for a picnic or a catnap. Connaught Place is New Delhi's thriving business sector, brimming with fancy hotels and flavorful restaurants. Explore Humayun's Tomb, said to be the predecessor to the Taj Mahal. This stunning white-marble-domed, red sandstone burial structure contains a mausoleum with the remains of Mughal Emperor Humayun. Finish at Dili Hat, a lively outdoor market filled with kiosks selling clothing, crafts and delicious traditional food. Don't forget: bargaining is the name of the game!
Day 4 Jaipur
Transfer to Jaipur • Travel to Jaipur, called the Pink City for its old walled quarter where many buildings retain the hue from when they were painted red (the Hindu color of hospitality) to welcome the English Prince Alfred in 1853. The city also boasts impressive Rajasthani architecture and India's best bazaars.
Day 5 Jaipur
Visit to the Palace of Amber • This morning, experience atypical transportation as you ride the back of a painted elephant to the Palace of Amber. Here, you can explore parts of this walled city palace that has been called the finest example of Rajput architecture. Visit to the Palace of the Winds • You will also see the Palace of the Winds, which has an interesting story behind it. This awesome structure looks like a crown, and its many nooks and crannies were built to provide places for women of the court to observe what was going on in the busy streets below. Don't miss the stellar views of the city from its different vantage points.
Guided sightseeing of Jaipur • This afternoon, a local guide shows you the highlights of Jaipur. Explore the magnificently extravagant City Palace, the principal residence of the Maharajas. In the Diwan-I-Khas, or the hall of
private audiences, you will see the two largest silver vessels in the world-each urn holds nearly 9,000 gallons of water! In addition to the textile museum, Mubarak Mahal, there are a number of other museums in the complex.
Day 6 Fatehpur Sikri • Agra
Transfer via Fatehpur Sikri • On your way to Agra, visit Fatehpur Sikri ("city of victory"), a city built by Emperor Akbar in the late 1500s to be his capital. A shortage in water forced Akbar to Agra some 15 or 20 years later. Explore the red sandstone buildings, which include the Palace of Jodha Bai (the royal palace named for Akbar's wife) and the Jami
Masjid mosque, the country's largest.
Arrival in Agra • Continue on to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Together with Delhi and Jaipur, Agra makes up the Golden Triangle, India's three most visited destinations, and later inducted by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes would be able to visit. As a result, thousands of people visit the temple daily. Cultural performance • Tonight, enjoy a special Rajasthani dance performance or puppet show.
Day 7 Agra
Visit to the Taj Majal • On your guided sightseeing of Agra, you will behold one of the world's most fascinating structures, the Taj Mahal. Built in an Islamic theme to represent paradise, the Taj Mahal was created to hold the body of Shah Jahan's wife, who died during childbirth (it was their 14th). In addition to marble, you will see precious stones brought in from around the world, including jade, crystal, mother-of-pearl, lapis and turquoise, adorning the walls. Construction began in 1632, the year after Mumtaz Mahal died, and nearly 20,000 laborers completed the Taj Mahal in 1653.
Visit to Agra Fort • You will also visit the nearby Agra Fort, a half-moon-shaped citadel that once served as the seat of the Moghul empire. The red-sandstone structure held Shah Jahan the final years of his life. The Shah was interned here after his son took over - the Shah could no longer adequately hold power due to his grief over the loss of his wife. Sadly, he spent these years looking out to his majestic Taj Mahal.
Day 8 Delhi
Return to Delhi • Return to Delhi for the last two nights of your Indian adventure.Visit to Birla Mandir • Visit one of the most popular temples in Delhi. The Birla Mandir temple was built in honor of the god Vishnu.
Day 9 Delhi
Experiential learning: School visit • Today, participate in experiential learning as you visit a local
school. (Please note that the activity is subject to change depending on school schedules and availability. If a school visit is not possible, another experiential learning activity will be offered instead.)
Day 10 Home
Return home • Your tour director assists with the transfer to the airport, where you will check in for your return flight home. For complete financial and registration details, please refer to the Booking Conditions.
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