Essential India with Varanasi

Departure flight to Delhi. Night on board.

Arrival at Delhi International Airport, customs procedures, luggage collection and transfer to the hotel. Delhi, Capital of the Republic of India, is marked by great historical importance favored by its strategic location in the north of India. Established between the Aravalli Hills and the Yamunā River, its position facilitated control of the trade routes that ran from the northwest to the Gangetic plains. Delhi is divided into two, Old Delhi and New Delhi, the latter created under the control of the British Empire in order to build a new city where all the government and governors' buildings would be gathered.Accommodation .

Breakfast. Departure to visit Old Delhi, where we can enjoy one of the largest mosques in India, the Great Jamma Mashid Mosque, commissioned to be built by Shah Jahan and Built almost in the middle of the old city (Old Delhi) on a small hill. Muslim pride prevails in the majority of the Hindu territory, especially in the northern part, marking and remembering its ancient supremacy in much of the subcontinent, the conquests achieved around the 16th-19th centuries and its undoubted influence on the development of the culture of India. From one end of the main courtyard of the mosque, you can see the Red Fort of Delhi or Lal Quila in Hindi, built by the Islamic Empire in the 17th century. Next, we will enjoy a ride in a “Rickshaw” (bicycle cart) through the colorful streets of the popular neighborhood of Chandni Chowk, to immerse ourselves in the many shops selling various decorations, food, shoes, backpacks, glasses, cows or goats that They sneak into the stores, all under constant and disturbing disorder and bustle, a unique experience! We will make a stop to enjoy the tradition and ritual of drinking tea, in this case a chai tea, widely consumed by everyone and which contributes to the vital balance on which Ayurveda is partly based. We will continue with the visit to the Raj Ghat, a memorial monument where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.

We will continue our visit with New Delhi, taking a panoramic tour of the city that Edwin Lutyens built to be the British capital in the so-called Anglo-Indian style; the India Gate memorial erected in honor of soldiers who died during various wars; government buildings, Rashtrapati Bhwan, the president's residence and continue towards the south of the city to visit the Qutub Minarthe oldest monument remaining in Delhi, since its construction began at the end of the  S. XII. It has been declared a “World Heritage Site” since 1993. We will continue with the visit and visit the Sikh Temple of Bangla Sabih, where we will observe from the fervor with which the members of the Brotherhood listen to the reading of the Book to seeing how they prepare the daily meal that they They serve in the temple. Back to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by road to Agra. Located on the banks of the Yamuna River, it was the capital of the Mughal empire at its peak, founded in 1505 by the Sultan of Delhi Sikander Lodi on an ancient city of Hindu origin. In 1565, when it was named Akbarabad, the Mughal Emperor Akbar made it the imperial capital and it continued to be so intermittently until Shah Jahan moved the capital back to Delhi in 1648. 

Visit the impressive Red Fort of Agra, built in red sandstone stone, by the Mughal emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. It is a walled complex, which contains within its palaces and stately buildings with architectural styles that They vary from the complexity of what was built by Akbar, to the simplicity of what was built by his grandson Shah Jahan and surrounded by a deep moat that was filled with water from the Yamuna River. Next, accompanied by the sunset lights, visit the unique Taj Mahal (Closed on Fridays), from the Taj Mahal parking area we will take a battery car that will take us to the monument. Considered one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. Erected between 1631 and 1654 by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it is built of white marble, in a style that combines elements of Islamic, Persian, Indian and even Turkish architecture. Although the mausoleum covered by the white marble dome is the best-known part, the Taj Mahal is a group of integrated buildings. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure by road to Jaipur, visiting the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri en route. Built by the Mughal emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585, in honor of the saint Salin Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal empire for 14 years, after which it had to be abandoned, which caused a multitude of looting and robberies, although Despite this, you can still see its magnificent architecture that mixes Mughal and Hindu styles. Next, we will visit Abhaneri on the way and its medieval monuments of the Rajputs such as the Chand Baori well and the Harshat Mata Temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. After the visit we will continue to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure to visit the Maharaja's Palace and the Jai Singh Observatorystill in operation and where we can observe the accuracy of the stone instruments built in the 18th century . Next, we will visit the Baldev ji temple and the Galta Ji temple, also known as the Monkey Temple, a pilgrimage center since the 15th century.

In the afternoon visit of the Amber Fort, which from the road offers a spectacular image. This palace complex stands at the top of a hill that we will climb by jeep. Built with sandstone and decorated with carved marbles that cover the floors and walls, it is reminiscent of the magnificence with which many maharajas used to live. Next, we will make a stop at the Nahargarh Fort, not far from the Amber Fort, this majestic fort, dating back to 1734, also known as the Tiger Fort, has an incredible view of the city of Jaipur.

On the way back we will make a brief stop to contemplate the spectacular façade of the Palace of the Winds, Hawa Mahal,turned into an emblem of the city. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by road to Delhi airport to depart on a local flight to Benares. Arrive and transfer to the hotel. Benares, currently called Varanasi, is a city of contrasts, surprises, life and death, a city where you can find bustling areas full of noise or lonely corners. This sacred city throughout the country as a center of Hindu pilgrimage, is bathed by the waters of the Ganges, in its ephemeral journey from south to north, which symbolizes the direction towards paradise. Thus, hundreds of pilgrims come to the city in search of redemptive peace offered by the goddess Ganga and there are many elderly people who wander the streets waiting for their last moment that will lead them to eternal rest. Cremations, incense, excrement, samosas, curries, roasts, aromatic herbs... Walking through Varanasi is an explosion for all the senses. The richness of aromas and colors mix in endless shades and it is a true pleasure to get lost in the bustle of its very narrow streets to end up in a ghat at sunset, and witness one of its sacred rituals with fires and petals thrown into the river. . Dinner and accommodation.

Before dawn, transfer to the ghats of the Ganges River, to observe the purification rituals from a boat. Sailing upriver, we will also have the opportunity to contemplate the facades of the palaces that Great Kings from all over India ordered to be built for themselves and their elderly relatives, along with “Ashrams”, residences of holy men who perform their rituals at sunrise. . Walking tour through the alleys of the ancient city, passing in front of theAurangzeb Mosque*andthe Temple of Durga*, the terrible expression of the sweet wife of Shiva, Parvati. Visit of the Temple of Mother India. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Next, departure again to visit Sarnath, one of the four sacred pilgrimage sites of reference for Buddhists, where Buddha preached his first sermon. We will visit its ruins and the Sarnath Museum (Closed on Fridays). In the afternoon, we will take a Rickshaw ride to attend the Artior Ganga Aarti ceremony on the Ganges River (Subject to water level). A very powerful and spectacular ritual, it is also known as the fire ceremony. Back to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Important: Foreigners are not allowed to see the interior of the temples/mosques.

Breakfast and free time until your transfer to the airport.

Flight from Varanasi Airport to your hometown.