8 days / 7 nights
|
per person on a 2 people basis (excluding flights) |
An exceptional journey to the land of the Maharajas.
Encounter one of the wonders of the world, dive into a fairytale of flavors, colors, discovery, spirituality and wonder.
Taj Mahal, Agra 
Taj Mahal, Agra 
Jama Masjid, Delhi 
Jama Masjid, Delhi 
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi 
Fatehpur, Sikri 
Oberoi, Agra 
Oberoi, Agra 
Oberoi, Agra 
Winds Palace, Jaipur Arrival in Delhi, welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Sightseeing tour in New Delhi: India Gate, a triumphal arch raised to commemorate the Indian soldiers who fell during the World War I, the Parliament and secretariats. Visiting the Mughal Delhi: Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, located in the heart of the bazaar. Discovering the Red Fort walls.
Overnight at hotel.
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Agra.
Program: Visiting the Taj Mahal, the most famous monument of India, white marble mausoleum inlaid with precious stones. It was built in the seventeenth century by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in giving birth to their ninth child. Love song to the deceased, in its immaculate whiteness in the middle of a lush garden, it is much more than a mausoleum and is considered one of the wonders of the world.
Visiting the Agra Fort, a gigantic fortress erected on the banks of the river Yamuna where Shah Jahan ended his days contemplating his marble dream. It reveals the power attained by the Mughal Empire which extended over much of India and had incommensurable financial and human resources in its heyday.
Overnight at hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Fatehpur Sikri to discover the ancient capital of the Mughal Empire, one of the Ganges valley’s most spectacular sites, a city now abandoned but declared World Heritage by UNESCO. Visiting the palace and the great mosque. Then drive to Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan.
Overnight at hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning dedicated to visit Amber’s palace and fort, 11 kilometers north of Jaipur. It is a sumptuous place with impressive fortifications, built by the Rajput maharajas. Ascent on elephant back to the top of the walls. Visit the Mughal buildings and gardens, along with the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds: true architectural masterpiece with a screen facade made of perforated stone.
After lunch, discover Jaipur, the pink city. Surrounded by a huge crenellated wall, the city fascinates by its palaces and temples as well as its ever busy bazaars. Visit the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory. You will discover its colossal instruments drawing strange and very modern geometrical shapes.
Then visit the City Palace, former royal palace partly transformed into a museum but where the Maharaja’s private apartments can still be found. Take a walk around the market place and in the old town and discover Jaipur’s crafts.
Drive to Samode. This tiny village has an aristocratic allure with an eminently paved street which slips between the walls of the fortress built on a rocky hill. Behind the fortified gates stands a beautiful palace which shields two wonders: the shish mahal sparkling with mirrors, paintings and enamels, and the audience hall adorned with beautiful paintings in the miniature tradition, scenes of hunting and daily life. It is easy to walk through the village from the palace.
Overnight at Samode Bagh, a small palace in the middle of a large garden with fountains.
Drive to Delhi. Overnight at hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. International transfer and flight to Mauritius.
Flight back to Antananarivo.
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