Escorted Tours 2022-23 Brochure - Mercury Holidays

56 Visit our website or call 0800 954 9329 for further details Southern Asia A Royal Indian Odyssey < Pushkar Jodhpur Ranakpur Deogarh Udaipur Ahmedabad Jaipur Mumbai Dehli Agra <       • •  Coach Air Rail Day 1: UK to Delhi Depart the UK on your overnight flight, via Dubai. Day 2: Delhi L/D On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After lunch and some time to settle in, enjoy a short tour of the beautifully planned city of New Delhi. Offering a taste of its imperial glory, you’ll drive past the India Gate, President’s House, Parliament Building and visit the Birla Temple, made purely out of 2,000 tons of Rajasthani white marble. Day 3: Delhi B/L/D A full-day tour of Delhi commences after breakfast, beginning with historic Old Delhi. Travel through narrow and crowded streets on a rickshaw, passing vibrant food markets where bread makers bake delicious scented naan and chai wallahs brew their sweet tea. A visit to the regal Red Fort gives you a sense of the lavish life once led by the former rulers before stopping for lunch. Your tour will continue on to New Delhi to see the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and the 12th century Qutab Minar - a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture. Day 4: Delhi to Agra B/L/D Waking early, board the Taj Express (or similar) to Agra. Despite being a small city, Agra was once the capital of the mighty Mughal dynasty whose strength manifested itself in the huge forts and buildings, built to maintain its power. Marvel at the gigantic pavilions, grand palaces and spectacular courtyards of the vast red sandstone Agra Fort, a colossal walled city. Day 5: Agra to Jaipur B/L/D Enjoy a morning tour of the Taj Mahal. Taking 17 years and 20,000 men to build, the heartbroken Mughal Emperor Shahjahan dedicated this stunning white marble monument to his deceased wife, to enshrine her mortal remains. After breakfast at the hotel, visit the ancient capital of Akbar, known as the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, and enjoy some time at leisure in the afternoon before proceeding to catch your evening train to Jaipur. Day 6: Jaipur B/L/D Begin your first day in Jaipur travelling to the centre of the spectacular Amber Fort by Jeep, passing snake charmers and the Palace of Mirrors along the way. This afternoon, take in some of Jaipur’s major sights, including the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal. Known to many as the Palace of the Winds, marvel at the hundreds of tiny windows. After lunch, spend some time walking through the colourful bazaars before dinner at your hotel. Day 7: Jaipur to Jodhpur B/L/D After breakfast, travel by train to Pushkar. Renowned as an important Hindu pilgrimage site, Tour highlights ✔ Delight in the magnificent Taj Mahal, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World ✔ Enjoy city tours of Delhi, Agra, the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, Jodhpur and Mumbai ✔ Embark on four scenic train journeys through India’s colourful landscapes ✔ Marvel at the incredible Agra, Amber and Mehrangarh Forts ✔ Admire the temples and sacred lake at Pushkar ✔ Visit the pilgrimage site of Ranakpur Temple ✔ Boat ride from the Gateway of India to explore the ancient caves of Elephanta Island ✔ Travel on Deogarh’s metre gauge train P R I V A T E T O U R U P G R A D E S F R O M £639 From Delhi to Mumbai, this journey through royal Rajasthan delves into the history of India’s Maharajas. Discover magnificent forts and breath-taking scenery along colonial railways as you travel deep into the heart of this country. Rail Tour Scenic train journey through India