Essence of North India Tour

This  12 Days Tour of Golden Triangle + Rajasthan offers a rich blend of history, culture, and scenic beauty, taking you through India’s most iconic cities with added Rajasthani charm. Begin in Delhi, exploring its Mughal and colonial heritage before heading to Agra to witness the breathtaking Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Travel to the pink-hued city of Jaipur, marveling at the Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal, with time for cultural experiences. Journey west to Jodhpur, the blue city, where the grand Mehrangarh Fort and Bishnoi village safari await. En route to Udaipur, stop at the intricate Ranakpur Jain Temples and enjoy a royal retreat in Sardargarh Fort. Finally, soak in Udaipur’s romantic charm with a boat ride on Lake Pichola and visits to its palaces and temples before concluding your unforgettable journey.

Best time to visit – October till March

Day 01: Arrive Delhi

Greeted on arrival in Delhi and transferred to your hotel for two nights. The remainder of the day is at leisure,

 Day 02: Delhi

Enjoy a full days sightseeing tour of the historical city of Delhi, beginning in the wide avenues of New Delhi, to see Lutyen’s buildings and the India gate memorial, along with the impressive tomb of Humayan and Qutab Minar.

Afternoon you will visit the bustling and vibrant streets of Old Delhi to see the Jama Masjid and Rajghat, the resting place (Samadhi) of Mahatma Gandhi.

Suggested optional activities in Delhi:

1. A cultural evening at Parsi Anjuman Hall. There is different cultural program on different week with option of having dinner.
2. Sound & light show at Old Fort depicting the history of Delhi
3. Skip usual evening Old Delhi tour and take this special walk organized by ‘Salaam Balak Trust’ – an NOG working with street children. The walk will take you through narrow alleys in the heart of old city that you would not – could not – find yourself.

 Day 03: Delhi – Agra

Drive to Agra in the morning (3-4 hrs). In the afternoon, visit the impressive Agra Fort whose buildings, made of red sandstone and marble, are a mix of Hindu and Islamic architecture followed by a visit to the ornate tomb of Itamud-ud-Daula.

Enjoy a visit to the Taj Mahal at sunset to marvel at one of the World’s great monuments in a glow of pink and yellow hues.

Suggested optional activities in Agra:

1. Mohhabat-E-Taj show: Spend your evening enjoying the amazing Mohabbat-E-Taj show that depicts the romantic love story of Emperor Shajahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
2. Enjoy street food of Agra
3. Skip visiting Taj Mahal in the evening (we will see Taj Mahal next morning. Point to remember: Taj Mahal remains closed on every Friday). The walk starts from Agra Fort Army Gate and passes through Ambedkar Park, Jama Masjid, Vaidya Ramdutt Gali, Mankameshwar Temple, Lohar Gali, Musician’s Balcony, and ends at Mehtab Bagh (The symmetry of architecture makes the Taj Mahal look equally breathtaking from all four sides and its hue in the river waters of the Yamuna during sunset futher amplify its aura).

Day 04: Agra – Jaipur

A full day’s drive to Jaipur (6-7 hours) with an en route stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone city built by Emperor Akbar that was abandoned after just 14 years.

Closer to Jaipur, stop to see the impressive 9th Century Chand Baori step well at Abhaneri. Stay at Jaipur for 3 nights.

Day 05: Jaipur

Visit the 17th century hilltop fort of Amber and the sparkling Mirror Palace. In the afternoon visit the City Palace complex including, its museum and the 18th century Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory.

Drive through the busy bazaars for a photo stop at the recently restored Hawa Mahal, one of the most famous buildings in Jaipur.

Day 06: Jaipur

Day at leisure.

Suggested optional activities in Jaipur:

1. Morning: Hot Air Ballooning over Jaipur surrounding Amer Fort Area. Absorb the privileged view of colors and sounds, blending beautifully with historical forts & palace.
2. During the day: Excursion to artisan village of Sanganer. Located at a distance of 40 km from Jaipur, Sanganer is famed for textile block printing, traditional Bagru textile prints, papermaking and Jaipur blue pottery.
3. In the evening: ‘Rhythm with the elephant’. The guests would get to interact with our resident elephants feeding them, washing & scrubbing them and decorating their trunks with organic colors – all in privacy and exclusivity at a wilderness venue. At the venue fresh farm homemade food would be served to the guests for dinner.
4. In the evening: Traditional dinner with an Indian family in Jaipur. Join a local family in Jaipur for a traditional vegetarian dinner. This is a perfect way to explore the secrets of the food and recipes of Rajasthan. You can also learn how the food is cooked and enjoy chatting with the family to learn more about Indian food, culture and traditions.

Day 07: Jaipur – Jodhpur

Drive to Jodhpur today. You may wish to make a stopover at Ajmer Sarif or Pushkar. Stay in Jodhur for two nights

Day 08: Jodhpur

In the morning, enjoy a Bisnoi village jeep safari. You may get a chance to visit ‘Opium Ceremony’.

In the afternoon, you will visit the impressive Mehranagarh Fort. Located atop a 125 m high hill, the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort is the most majestic and one of the largest forts in India. The ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city. You will also visit Jaswant Thada – the cenotaph built in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II.

Suggested optional activities in Jaipur:

1. Morning: Visiting a rug factory.
2. Evening: Virast Walk or Heritage Walk of Jodhpur. Even if Jodhpur is one of the largest city of Rajasthan, it still retains old world charm – from massive Mehrangarh Fort to the old quarter of Jodhpur with its narrow jumble of lanes, its havelis and its fine medieval water tanks. Starting from Mehrangarh Fort, the walk covers Fateh Pol, Rani Sagar (Qeens Pond), Padum Sagar, Chand Baori, Jetha Bera, Mohnoton ki Pol, Moolnayak Temple, Nav Chaukiyan (intersection of 9 street and one of the busiest in Jodhpur), Inder Raj Singhvi ki Haveli, Singh Pol etc

Day 09: Jodhpur – Ranakpur – Sardargarh

Drive to Sardargarh in the morning. En route visit the intricately carved Jain temples at Ranakpur.

Stay at Sardargarh, which is one of the magnificent battle forts of Rajasthan with a 300 year history. It is now an all-suite hotel offering a reflection of the history and culture of a bygone era.

Suggested optional activities in Sardargarh:

1. Afternoon / Evening: A jeep safari through remote tribal village.
2. Night: wild life safari by Gypsies. Chances of spotting wild animals like Leopard, Wolf, Hyenas, Wild Deer etc.

Day 10: Sardargarh – Udaipur

Enjoy a short ride on meter gauge train through Aravalis. An adventurous ride with locals, the train passes through villages and an old tunnel from the time of the British Raj. Later drive to Udaipur where you will stay for 2 nights.

Day 11: Udaipur

Visit sights of Udaipur – including City Palace, Jagannath temple and Sahelion-ki-bari (Garden of Maids). Evening enjoy a boat ride in Lake Pichola

 Day 12: Depart Udaipur

Options:

• After a leisurely breakfast, fly to Delhi for overnight stay and fly to onward destination next day.
• After a leisurely breakfast, fly to to Delhi and connect with homeward flight
• From Udaipur, you can fly to Cochin via Mumbai and travel through southern India.
• Extend your trip to India for few more days and visit few more very interesting places.

Options

Chartering with Odin Tours is an entirely new experience, where all the details are crafted to fit your specific taste !!

The diversity in India is unique & it presents endless varieties of physical features and cultural patterns. In short, India Read more

Druk Path Trek

This is a short five day scenic trek with great views, which leads from Paro to Thimphu or vice versa, Read more

In the footsteps of Buddha

There are four places, the sight of which will arouse strong emotions in those with faith. Here the Tathagat was Read more

Journey to Tawang

Arunachal is, literally, the land of the rising sun, where dawn first greets the easternmost state of India. Tawang is Read more