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<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/IndiaItinerary.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="40" />

<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 1: February 11th</span>
<strong>
Welcome to India!</strong>

After immigration, you will be met and transferred to the hotel for your stay. Delhi is India’s capital and a major gateway to the country. Perhaps there is no other capital city in the world so steeped in history and legend as the Indian capital Delhi. It was the magnet, which drew the Mongols, Turks, Persians, Afghans, Mughals and the British, all of whom contributed to its glorious but turbulent past. The fascination with Delhi was such that even though it was abandoned many times, its rulers returned to it again and again rebuilding it at least seven times. Today, the twin cities of Old and New Delhi still intrigue Indians and tourists alike as the cultural and political capital of the largest democracy in the world. We will check in to the lovely Kempinski 5 Star Hotel in Delhi

<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/Day1.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="395" />

<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 2: February 12th</span>

Today after breakfast you will enjoy your “Welcome briefing and introduction to the Tour Director.” Your tour guide will help you discover the origin and history of the Hindi language, teach you key words and phrases that will help you communicate with locals. This morning, begin exploration of Delhi, India’s capital city that sports a rich history spanning over 2,000 years. Discover the secrets of the only clearly visible historic settlement of Delhi. From the majestic Red Fort to the gold-lined shops of Dariba Kalan, this tour allows you to savor a 350 year old culture up-close.

Arrive Old Delhi and drive past Red Fort and Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in year 1650 AD. From here you board your cycle rickshaws for a tour of Chandni Chowk (Silver Street) for a glimpse into an old world lifestyle slowly fading from Delhi. The hustle and bustle of everyday life can be felt in the Chandni Chowk's narrow lanes. While on the tour, stop at Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest wholesale spice market - operating since the 17th century. Learn about the spices on sale and smell their aromas. The street is congested with shops on both sides selling spices, nuts and herbs. The overall appearance seems to be very chaotic but in reality it is very well managed! There will be great photo opportunities here! You continue to Raj Ghat – a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, set within a beautiful park.

Continue your drive through New Delhi, passing by Presidential Palace- the one-time imperial residence of the British viceroys; the India Gate - a memorial raised in honor of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan war, Parliament house and other government buildings built in the first quarter of the 20th century by two famous English architects, Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was during this time period that the capital of the British Empire was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.

End the day with a visit to the World Heritage site of Humayun’s tomb. It is the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent (“the predecessor of the Taj Mahal”). Built by the wife of Humayun, Haji Begum in the mid 16th century, this monument is a wonderful example of early Mughal architecture. At Humayun's Tomb, the Mughals brought with them a love for gardens, fountains and water. The tomb is set in a geometrically arranged garden crisscrossed by numerous water channels and probably representing symbolically a paradise setting.

Tonight, we will share a welcome dinner, arranged at Veda. This acclaimed restaurant has been designed by a celebrated fashion designer Rohit Bal and offers a contemporary interpretation of classic Pan-Indian cooking.

<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/Day2.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="395" />

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<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 3: February 13th - DELHI – JAIPUR </span>
After breakfast at our hotel, we will drive to Jaipur, known as the “pink city” for the abundance of pink plastered stone used to build its massive forts, magnificent palaces and exquisite temples.

Jaipur – The city built in 1727 A.D by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II followed a grid system, which made it the only planned city of its time. A young Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city in accordance with Shilp Shastra - an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. There is far more to the city than just its famous monuments and to get a complete experience of Jaipur, uncover the mysteries of the bazaars and visit silversmiths, turban sellers and traditional markets.

After we check in to our hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure or explore on own. Evening visit the ancient Hindu Birla temple for Aarti (Prayer) ceremony which is the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals. An essential part of puja for the devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine. Most often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print. This evening we will enjoy dinner at the hotel. Our host hotel is Courtyard by Marriott.

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<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 4: February 14th - JAIPUR</span>

This morning after breakfast, we set off this morning to Amber Fort. Jaipur’s Maharaja Man Singh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful General, started constructing Amber Fort in the 17th century. Before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur, Amber was the seat of power. The Fort is surrounded by fortified battlements and overlooks the Moat Lake. You will ascend the hill leading to the fortress on elephant-back and then walk through the sprawling complex of courtyards and halls. Many of the rooms have delightful wall paintings, with precious stones and mirrors inlaid in the walls. Most fascinating, perhaps, is the Sheesh Mahal (hall of mirrors) where a single lamplight is reflected in the many mirrors, lighting up the room.

Later, we embark on a city tour starting with a photo-stop at Hawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds) made famous because of the 953 windows, or jharokhas, that make up its structure. Five stories in height, and built of red and pink sandstone highlighted with white quicklime, it is thought that the women of the royal harem used the many casements to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. Continue to Jantar Mantar, an observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh ll in the 18th century. The Maharajah, a scientist as well as an astronomer, had the principles of Euclid translated into Sanskrit. One of the most remarkable sites in Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar has fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses and tracking stars and planets.

Just next to the observatory is the City Palace. Built within the fortified area of the original city, it has one of the finest monumental entrances in India. The Palace is now principally a museum housing a collection of great treasures, including miniature paintings, carpets, royal garments and other interesting objects from Jaipur's intriguing past. The former royal family retains a part of the palace for their personal use. Today we end the tour with a fascinating walk in the old city. Mingle and talk with the locals whilst observing some of the regions culinary delight. Observe local artisans in their workshops; jewelers and silversmiths, gold and silver foil makers. During the day, ladies will get the opportunity to try the art of Henna tattoo painting! This evening we’ll enjoy dinner at our hotel.

<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/Day4.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="395" />

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<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 5: February 15th - JAIPUR - AGRA</span>

After breakfast, we depart for our Morning drive to Agra. This route takes you through the region’s typical villages, where you can appreciate various scenes of traditional life. We will stop for lunch at a charming heritage hotel en route and continue drive to Fatehpur sikri – the city of victory. Built by Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century as an act of gratitude to a penniless saint, this splendid red sandstone city was inexplicably abandoned just fourteen years later. It was a veritable fairy tale city and its 'ruins' are still in a pristine condition. From Fatehpur Sikri, drive to Agra reaching your hotel late in the afternoon. Once a small village on the banks of the Yamuna, Agra was transformed by two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and his grandson Shah Jehan into the second capital of the Mughal Empire – Dar-ul-Khilafat, or ‘seat of the Emperor’. The Mughals besides being great rulers were also great builders and preserved their best architectural wonders for Agra &amp; its neighborhood. It has many wonderful monuments and the Taj Mahal, the greatest of them all, is a masterpiece of Mughal architecture at its best. Their architectural genius can also be seen in the forts, palaces and aesthetically laid out gardens - each one a silent witness to a grand style of a golden era. We will enjoy dinner included again at our Hilton Hotel in Agra.

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<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 6: February 16th - AGRA</span>

At sunrise, we will visit the magnificent Taj Mahal ! It is fitting to see this extraordinary monument by the first light of day as its exemplary beauty is awe-inspiring and will create an unforgettable memory.

Said to be one of the most elegant and a harmonious building in the world, Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1630 AD to enshrine the mortal remains of his beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal manifests the wealth and luxury of Mughal art as seen in architecture and garden design, painting, and calligraphy. The 144 foot double dome of the Taj is capped with a finial and the four minarets each 131 ft high and crowned by an open octagonal pavilion highlight the perfect symmetry of the tomb. We will return to the hotel for a full breakfast after arising so early, ( if you chose to join the group!)

Later, make your way to the Agra Fort, which were the seat and the stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. This was the seat of Mughal rule and administration and the present structure owes its origins to Akbar who erected the walls and gates and the first buildings on the eastern banks of Yamuna River. Shah Jehan added the impressive quarters and the mosque while Aurangzeb added the outer ramparts. Visit its Hall of Public Audience and its Royal Pavilions.

From here we continue to the 18th century Roman Catholic Cemetery – a 450+ year old and North India’s oldest Christian cemetery. The tombs in Agra’s Roman Catholic Cemetery are the resting places of initially the Armenian Christians in the 1550s and thereafter, of other European Catholics in the city. The European Christians in Agra were creating their own fairy-tale like mausoleums in a cemetery dating back to Akbar’s time in carved red sandstone, yellow basalt and whitewashed plastered walls. However, the tomb that stands out from all the rest is that of British Colonel John Hessing also popular as Islamic mausoleum for Christian soul… The Red Taj Mahal (small replica of Taj Mahal built in red sandstone).

Afternoon is at your leisure. Towards the evening, join your “local family hosts” for High Tea and local savories with interactions on the Indian family value system. We return to our hotel for dinner and a nice sleep after having begun our day together SO early!

<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/Day6.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="395" />

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<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 7: February 17th - AGRA – JHANSI
... by train (Shatabdi Express – 8:11am/10:45am)
</span>
Today, we will take the morning train train to Jhansi. This train journey will offer opportunity to see the early morning life around the country side, as you cover 235 kms in about 2hours and 30 minutes. Please note, on this train our seats will be on air conditioned/Chair car coach class. Though Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia, travel by train in India isn’t similar to travel on Amtrak or European rail service. We will be assisted in boarding the correct coach and finding our seats. We arrive in Jhansi and drive for Orchha.

Orchha was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela king, Rudhra Pratap, on the banks of the Betwa River. This is a a medieval city frozen in time and space, existing even today as it must have done in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was built. The countryside undulates gently between riverine plains and rolling forest-clad hills and the landscape is dotted with palaces and temples, a fortress and cenotaphs. The architecture is a synthesis of traditional Hindu, hybrid Indo-Saracenic and ornate Mughal. One of the finest sights is the view of the cenotaphs from across the Betwa River. Visit the Jehangir Mahal, the most grandiose structure in Orchha; the Raja Mahal Rai Praveen Mahal.

We stop for lunch which is included at a local restaurant, and continue drive to Khajuraho where all of life — joy, love, divinity, war — is depicted in fine detail on every inch of its 85 Hindu and Jain temples. Khajuraho was built by the Chandela dynasty, which rose to power in Central India between the 10th and 11th centuries and is home to some 25 odd temples depicting the different facets of life, including the erotic. These erotic carvings on some panels have given rise to much speculation since Khajuraho’s rediscovery by a British officer in 1838. To preserve it for posterity, Khajuraho has been declared a World Heritage Site and is among the prominent destinations on the world tourism map. We will check into our Hotel Chandela and enjoy dinner which is also included.

<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/Day7.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="395" />

<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 8 - February 18th - KHAJURAHO – VARANASI
... Fight to Varanasi Included 9W 2424 (1:45pm/ 2:35pm) </span>

This morning after breakfast, we will explore the temples in Khajuraho. Visit the western and eastern group of temples. Among the western group of temples, the most famous is the Kandariya Mahadev temple, 32 meters high with a fantastic range of sculptures including sensuous themes. Other temples include the Chaunsat Yogini, which is a granite temple, the Devi Jagdambe temple dedicated to the Mother Goddess, the Chitragupta temple, dedicated to Surya the Sun God, etc. The eastern group of temples includes both Hindu and Jain temples. The largest and finest of the Jain shrines are Parsvanath temple. Also see Adinatha temple, Ghantai, Vamana temple etc.

In the afternoon, we fly to Varanasi, a city of more than a thousand temples and shrines, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike <strong>(Please note, luggage allowance on this flight is 15 kg checked in baggage and 7 kg hand luggage, so you need to keep this as your luggage allowance for the entire trip.</strong>

The ‘eternal city’, Varanasi or Benares, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India, and the Ganges, which flows through the city, is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals. Known as Kashi in the 7th century BC, it constitutes a microcosm of Indian life. For the Satpious Hindu, the city has always been a special place, and it is considered a particularly auspicious place to die, ensuring an instant routing to Heaven. Our hotel for the next two nights is the lovey Gateway Hotel Ganges.

This evening, we will make our way to the banks of the sacred Ganges for a special evening cruise on the Ganges River on candle lit country boats to see the devout Hindus performing the "Arti Puja" with lighted lamps. The presiding priests stand on a Chauki (wooden stand) near the water. To the chant of Sanskrit mantras, and the clash of cymbals and drums, the river is worshipped with flowers, incense, sandalwood, milk and vermilion. First the blazing camphor lamp and then the many flamed aarti lamps are raised high and then arched back to the water, the dark river reflecting the golden flames as Ganges accepts the worship. It is the Ganges that gives Varanasi its spiritual resonance. After the ceremony, we return to hotel for dinner.

<img src="http://famtrips.travel/FAMS/India2016/Day8.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="395" />

<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 9 - February 19th - VARANASI</span>

Early this morning, take a boat ride on the sacred Ganges. Hindus regard the Ganges as the elixir of life bringing purity to the living and salvation to the dead. Watch the wonderful colors of the sunrise as you meander along the sacred Ganges River in a boat. As part of their pilgrimage rites, the faithful walk down steps into the river to perform their religious ablutions. Watching the people worshipping at the ghats is an extraordinary experience. You may also witness a funeral pyre, an essential part of the traditional Hindu funeral ceremony. Disembark the boat and walk through the narrow streets of Varanasi before returning to the hotel. This walk will take us through an inextricable maze of small streets and alleyways, hiding in disorderly array no less than 2,000 temples and shrines. Domes, pinnacles, towers and derelict 18th-century palaces dominate the left bank of the Ganges River. We return to our hotel for a proper breakfast after our morning of beauty and intrique.

Later, we will visit the holy city of Sarnath. Here in Sarnath, Buddha is said to have preached his first sermon after achieving enlightenment, setting in motion the wheel of law. Right near the Dhamekh Stupa are the remains of Ashoka’s pillar, with his name engraved in the stone. The stupa is believed to mark the spot where Buddha preached his sermon at Deer Park. Sarnath is also home to the museum that houses the iconic Ashoka Pillar with its four guardian lions, the emblem of independent India. Around the site are a series of temples built by Buddhist groups from around the world. We will have the special opportunity to chant with the monks at one of the Buddhist Temples. Later enjoy some free time in the afternoon. In the evening, interact with a Hindu scholar to discuss the philosophy of Hinduism. Tonight, we will gather for a farewell dinner at our hotel.

<span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">DAY 10 - February 20th - VARANASI – DELHI
... </span><span style="font-size: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #05251f; font-weight: bold;">By AI 405 (3:50pm/ 5:20pm)</span>

In the morning we can partake in Yoga session at the hotel! Yoga, the word derived from the Sanskrit word "Yuj", means to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one's attention on, to use and apply. While practicing Yoga, one exercises yoking of all the powers of body, mind and soul.

Remainder of the morning is at your leisure. Check out time 12 noon. We fly to Delhi (Please note, luggage allowance on this flight is 15 kg checked in baggage and 7 kg hand luggage). We arrive in Delhi and connect to our international flights home.

<strong style="font-size: 20px; color: #05251f;">Tour Includes:</strong>
<ul>
	<li>9 nights on Twin/ Double share basis at 5-star hotels mentioned below or similar</li>
	<li>19 Meals: 9 breakfast, 2 lunches and 8 dinners including welcome and farewell dinner</li>
	<li>Welcome and farewell dinner to include a glass of domestic beer/ Indian wine and soft drink</li>
	<li>Transportation in air-conditioned motor coach</li>
	<li>Services of English speaking local tour guide as per the program</li>
	<li>Entrance fees to the places of visit as per the itinerary</li>
	<li>Train fare for sector Agra – Jhansi in air-conditioned chair car class</li>
	<li>Airfare in Economy class for sector Khajuraho – Varanasi - Delhi</li>
	<li>Rickshaw ride in Delhi</li>
	<li>Elephant ride to ascend Amber Fort in Jaipur</li>
	<li>Local market walk in Jaipur</li>
</ul>
<p style="color: #05251f; font-size: 20px;"><strong>Tour Highlights:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Visit select UNESCO World Heritage sites</li>
	<li>Take an exciting rickshaw ride through the colorful shopping area of Chandni Chowk, Delhi</li>
	<li>Ride an Elephant to Amber Fort in Jaipur</li>
	<li>Try a traditional Henna tattoo</li>
	<li>Explore the colorful bazaar of Jaipur</li>
	<li>Watch the sun rise above the mesmerizing Taj Mahal</li>
	<li>Interact with an Indian family over ‘chai’ (Tea)</li>
	<li>Visit one of the oldest living city in the world – Varanasi</li>
	<li>Witness the evening Aarti ceremony on the Ganges, complete with chanting prayers, mantras, drums and bells</li>
	<li>Experience the ancient healing power of Yoga in Varanasi</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Agent Rate Including 2 Domestic flights in India: $1799.
Non industry guest Add $50.
(price does not include India Visa)</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">* Prices are per person and based on double occupancy. All prices are expressed in US dollars. All travel documents are the responsibility of the passenger. A valid passport with at least 6 months validity after the date of travel is required. Travel insurance is highly recommended.</p>
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