Escorted Tours 2024 - 2025

Day 1: UK to Delhi Depart the UK on your overnight flight. Day 2: Delhi L/D On arrival, you will be met by a local guide and transferred to your hotel. In the evening, experience flavoursome local dishes at your meal. Day 3: Delhi B/L/D Following breakfast, a full day city tour will commence. Travel through narrow streets, 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. After lunch at local restaurant admire the transition en route from Old Delhi’s historic charms to the intricate colonial town planning of New Delhi; view the minimalistic Mahatma Gandhi Memorial adorned in floral tributes before wandering through the Qutab Minar complex, a city awash with ancient ruins sculpted by the country’s finest craftsmen. 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, before an afternoon at leisure exploring one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited 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. Continue your exploration of Varanasi at the Vishwanath Temple (seen from the boat), a monument dedicated to Lord Shiva and famed for an illustrious gold-coated dome. 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 precessions. After lunch enjoy a half-day tour of Sarnath, a sacred site on which the Buddha gave his first sermon after finding enlightenment in 530BC. Your tour includes visits to ancient relics that document the area’s spiritual significance including the Monastery Ruins, a tranquil park interrupted by a towering stupa engraved with delicate geometric carvings. Return for your final evening in Varanasi. Day 6: Varanasi to Jaipur B/L/D This morning, fly to the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Your evening is at leisure to explore. Day 7: Jaipur B/L/D After breakfast, begin your first day in Jaipur with a visit to the spectacular Amber Fort, the ancient capital of the Royal Family until 1728, located just 11km from Jaipur. Spanning over four huge Grand Tour of North India 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. Taj Mahal  < Varanasi Ranthambore Jaipur Dehli Shimla Amritsar Chandigarh Agra Sarnath < •      • 2 1 2 4 2 2 2 Coach Air Rail Nights 2   What you’ll see ⚫ Embark on fascinating city tours of Delhi, Varanasi, Jaipur and Amritsar ⚫ Enjoy a tranquil sunrise boat trip along the majestic Ganges ⚫ Tour the magnificent Taj Mahal, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World ⚫ Visit Shimla, the former summer capital of British India ⚫ Traverse scenic, mountainous terrain on the UNESCO- recognised Toy Train ⚫ Marvel at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Sikh’s golden symbol of brotherhood ⚫ Wander the courtyards and pavilions of the Amber and Agra Forts ⚫ Witness sweeping views of the Himalayas Includes four rail journeys P R I V A T E T O U R U P G R A D E S F R O M £149 20 Southern Asia Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk