Escorted Tours 2020 & 2021 - 2nd Edition - Mercury Holidays

14 INDIAN SUBCONTINENT MEAL PLAN: All meals included ACCOMMODATION Delhi 4 nights 4 ★ The Metropolitan New Delhi Varanasi 2 nights 5 ★ Radisson Hotel Jaipur 2 nights 4 ★ Lemon Tree Premier or 4 ★ Radisson Jaipur Agra 2 nights 4 ★ Ramada Plaza Shimla 2 night 4 ★ Radisson Hotel Chandigarh 1 night Chandigarh Park Plaza Amritsar 2 nights 4 ★ Hyatt Amritsar DAY 1: UK TO DELHI Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Delhi, via Dubai. DAY 2: DELHI L/D On arrival into India’s capital, you will be met by a local guide and transferred to your hotel. In the evening, experience flavoursome local dishes at your welcome meal. DAY 3: DELHI B/L/D Following breakfast, a full-day city tour will commence. Travel through narrow streets and along naan scented markets on a rickshaw and pass by the Red Fort before stumbling upon the UNESCO-recognised Humanyun’s Tomb, a captivating mausoleum that seemingly floats above landscaped gardens. Admire the transition from Old Delhi to New Delhi; view the minimalistic Mahatma Gandhi Memorial adorned in floral tributes before wandering through the Qutab Minar complex. DAY 4: DELHI TO VARANASI B/L/D This morning, take a train from Delhi to the sacred ‘City of Life’ – Varanasi. Check-in to your hotel for the next two nights, before an afternoon at leisure exploring one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities, regarded as one of Hinduism’s seven holy cities. Your evening tour takes you to a ghat to witness the humbling Ganga Aarti Ceremony. DAY 5: VARANASI B/L/D Begin today with a sunrise boat trip along the Ganges for a unique perspective of this spiritual watercourse and its vivid embankment of pastel edifices pierced by temple stupas. Spend the rest of your morning on a walking tour through this ancient city to observe other ghats, each with distinct floral decoration and uses including the intriguing ‘burning ghats’ used for funeral processions. Continue your exploration of Varanasi at the Vishwanath Temple, a monument dedicated to Lord Shiva and famed for an illustrious gold-coated dome. Enjoy a half-day tour of Sarnath, a sacred site on which the Buddha gave his first sermon after finding enlightenment in 530 B.C. Your tour includes visits to ancient relics that document the area’s spiritual significance including the Monastery Ruins. Return for your final evening in Varanasi. DAY 6: VARANASI TO JAIPUR B/L/D This morning fly to the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur and transfer to your hotel. Your evening is at leisure to explore a colourful web of chaotic roadways disturbed by meandering camels, bazaars dressed in vibrant textiles and the constant whirl of cycle rickshaws around Rajasthan’s largest city. DAY 7: JAIPUR B/L/D A full-day tour of Jaipur begins at the Amber Fort, a former ancient capital centred on a distinctive pink-yellow marbled royal palace. You will travel to the fort by Jeep, allowing you to observe harems of the Maharajah, complex mosaic designs and snake charmers. Continue to the UNESCO-recognised Jantar Mantar, a fascinating collection of archaic astronomical instruments including the world’s largest stone sundial. Later this morning visit the distinct Hawa Mahal, a pink honeycomb landmark, constructed to provide ladies of the royal household an observatory for city life. DAY 8: JAIPUR TO AGRA B/L/D After breakfast, take a scenic coach ride to Agra, where a network of rickshaws, jalebis vendors filling the air with sweet aromas and ancient Mandir temples alluding to the Mughal Empire’s past grandeur await. DAY 9: AGRA B/L/D Begin today at a tour highlight and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. This iconic ivory-white mausoleum was completed in 1640 A.D. for Emperor Shah Jajan’s beloved third wife. Wander along ornamental gardens to witness the breath-taking spectacle of its minarets and distinctive bronze dome reflecting the illumination of daybreak. After lunch visit the UNESCO-recognised Agra Fort, an enormous sandstone city of pavilions, palaces and splendid courtyards behind 20 metre-high walls. Delve into the spiritual fabric of this country, from Hindu rituals upon the Ganges to the Sikh’s golden symbol of brotherhood in Amritsar and the colonial inspired Christ Church which crowns Shimla’s snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Qutub Minar Tower, Delhi GRAND TOUR OF NORTH INDIA 17 days from £1,769pp TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ✔ Comprehensive city tours of Delhi, Varanasi, Jaipur and Amritsar ✔ Ganges River Sunrise boat trip ✔ Tour the magnificent Taj Mahal ✔ Visit Shimla, the summer capital ✔ Traverse scenic, mountainous terrain on the UNESCO-recognised Toy Train ✔ Marvel at the Golden Temple in Amritsar ✔ Wander the courtyards and pavilions of the Amber and Agra Forts ✔ Witness sweeping views of the Himalayas PACE: RAIL TOUR To book or for further information visit your local travel agent or call us FREE on 0800 408 0556