Swagatam Tours Private Limited

Cultural Tours

Taj & Tiger

Duration : 14 Nights / 15 Days
Destinations : Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Khajuraho - Bandhavgarh - Kanha - Delhi

This tour will surely have something to please everyone. It begins at the famous Rajput city of Jaipur with visits to some of the palaces and forts of this former desert kingdom. Then we proceed to the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, and worthy of that designation! From Agra we visit Khujaraho’s astonishing erotic temples; ancient and mysterious they are not a sight to be missed. From Khujaraho the real adventure begins, with a journey to Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks, both famous for Tigers. We explore the parks in jeeps as well as on elephant back with trained naturalists as our guides. Finally we return to Delhi to visit the mosque and maze like streets of the old city. It’s a mix of culture and wildlife that is not to be missed!

Duration : Any time from Nov to June with a minimum of 2
The best season for this tour is November to March (from March to June tiger sightings are most common as the cats are forced to come out in search of water, but it can be uncomfortably hot).

Day 01 : Arrival Delhi
Arrive and Transfer to Hotel. Overnight at Hotel

Day 02 : Delhi
After Breakfast leave for Sightseeing ,sightseeing tour of Sir Edward Lutyens’ New Delhi, the garden city built in 1911 by the British. We also visit the Birla Mandir (Lakshminarayan Temple), the President House, Humayun's Tomb (the forerunner of the Taj Mahal), and the India Gate.

Days 03 - 04 : Jaipur
Jaipur known as 'Pink City' was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), it is the capital of Rajasthan. While in Jaipur we visit the Amber Fort, taking an elephant ride to the top. Another highlight is the City Palace, the former royal residence built in a blend of the Rajasthani and Mughal styles. The palace houses a museum with a superb collection of Rajasthani costumes and armoury of Mughals and Rajputs. We also visit the Jantar Mantar observatory and the Hawa Mahal.

Day 05 - 06 : Agra
We continue our journey by deluxe coach to the Mughal splendor of Agra to visit Taj Mahal and Red Fort. On the way we visit Fathepur Sikri the ghost city built in honor of Saint Salim Chisti, who foretold the birth of 3 sons to Emperor Akbar. The Taj Mahal is a fine example of fusion of many architectural styles and it is one of the wonders of the modern world. It was built in 1652 by Emperor Shah Jahan. It took 22 years and 20,000 skilled artisans to complete. The Agra Fort lies across the river Jamuna. It was here that Aurangzeb, the third son of Shah Jahan, kept his father under house arrest. One can get a fantastic view of the Taj from the little octagonal tower in the Fort.

Day 07 - 08 : Khajuraho
From Agra we take the Shatabdi train to Jhansi. From Jhansi we are met by a deluxe coach and continue on to Khajuraho, stopping in Orchha on the way. Orchha is the former capital of the region but is now just a village. We visit the old fort on an island in the Bewe River and a palace that was built for Jehangir – they are impressive in size and provide pleasant views of the countryside. After stretching our legs on this tour of Orchha we continue on to Khajuraho. Khajuraho is famous for its’ erotic temples. They are suberb examples of Indi-Aryan architecture but it’s the decorations with which they are so liberally embellished that has made Khajuraho so famous. The sculptors have shown many aspects of Indian life 1000 years ago, gods and goddesses, warriors and musicians. But two elements appear over and over again – women and sex. Khajuraho’s temples almost all date from one century long burst of creative genius from 950 to 1050 AD. Almost as intriguing as the sheer beauty and size of the temples themselves is the question of whay and how they were built here, so far off any beaten path. Whatever the reason, this very remoteness must have prevented the temples from being destroyed by Muslim invaders.

Days 09 - 10 : Bandhavgarh
Our tour now takes a "wild" turn as we continue by coach to Bandhavgarh National Park, stopping in Satna along the way. Bandhavgarh is one of the most recently declared reserves under India’s most successful conservation project – Project Tiger. The tiger population at Bandhavgarh is probably the highest in India. Formerly the hunting reserve of the princely state of Rewa, it was in this area where the first white tigers were discovered in the wild. The terrain is great rocky hills rising sharply from the swampy and densely forested valley. The highest of these hills is crowned by the 2000 year old Bandhavgarh fort, rising almost 2500 feet above sea level. The valleys around bottom out into swampy meadows – ideal for wildlife viewing on elephant back or from jeeps. We stay in a jungle lodge and delve into the jungle for wildlife viewing by jeep safari and on elephant back. Bandhavgarh also has scattered cave-like monasteries and an 11th century statue of Lord Vishnu sleeping on a snake bed.

Day 11 - 12 : Kanha
We continue by deluxe coach to Kanha – our next wildlife destination. Kanha. The Kanha National Park stretches over bamboo forests, grasslands and streams – a very different type of terrain than the dense jungle of Bandhavgarh. The park is the sole habitat of the rare hardground barasingha. It is one of the most well-matained National Parks in Asia and is a major attraction for wildlife buffs from all over the world. Kanha boasts about 22 species of mammal. Some of the park inhabitants are gaur, sambar, chausingha, antelope, the sloth bear, dhole, and the occasional panther. But for all the astonishing diversity of its’ wildlife, Kanha is best known as the habitat of the tiger. Sighting and photographing this magnificent animal from elephant back is an unforgettable experience. We spend our days here on safari with trained naturalists as well as tiger tracking on elephant back. Evenings are spent telling adventurous tales around the resort bonfire!

Day 13 – 14 : Delhi
All adventures must come to an end! We travel by coach to Nagpur and catch our flight back to Delhi. Back in Delhi we visit Old Delhi, the ancient city built by Emperor Shah Jahan the builder of the famous Taj Mahal. We also explore Shahjahanabad's Red Fort, and then take a bicycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes to the Jama Masjid.

Day 15 : Delhi
Our tour finishes with breakfast and transfer to airport for international departure.

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