India - Nepal Tour

1st Day New York - Depart New York aboard a transatlantic  flight to India. Enjoy  dinner service on board.

2nd Day Delhi - Late this evening you will arrive in Delhi. Transfer to the TAJ MAHAL HOTEL.

3rd Day Delhi - The morning is free for rest. This afternoon you will take in New Delhi, an imperial city planned for the British, whose superb landscape is considered an architectural showcase. See the Qutub Minar with its 72 meter high minarets and the Iron Pillar which has withstood the vagaries of climatic conditions for over 1500 years, two of the few monuments built before the city was founded.  Then take in India Gate, the Secretariat and the Rashtrapati Bhavan; the sandstone colonnade structure of the Parliament House; the Laxmi Narayan and the Diplomatic Enclave. Drive through Connaught Place, New Delhi's main shopping area.

4th Day Delhi - In the morning take in Delhi of yesteryears. Old Delhi. The Red Fort, a massive red sandstone structure was built by Emperor Shah Jehan, w ho also built the Taj Mahal, houses the Dewan e Khas and the Dewan e Aamm and the grey?veined marble Jamma Mosque; the Feroze Shah Kotla, ruins of a fortress amidst which is installed a 300 BC Ashoka Pillar; are some of the attractions of the old town. Then take in Rajghat,.where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated and the museum. Return by way of Chandni Chowk to your hotel. In the afternoon there will be an optional tour of the Mughal Gardens inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Thereafter, you will visit the National Rose Gardens, outside the Safdarjang Tomb.

5th Day Delhi/Jaipur - Transfer to the airport after breakfast for the short flight to Jaipur and upon arrival transfer to the RAMBAGH PALACE HOTEL. In the afternoon drive to the deserted city of Amber, which was once the ancient capital of the Kachchawa rulers, has an imposing facade. Its interior presents a galaxy of delightful, decorative art, including the world's best chamber of mirrors. You will make your ascend to the fort astride gaily caparisoned elephants amidst picturesque surroundings.

6th Day Jaipur - This morning you will drive through Jaipur, the pink capital of Rajasthan and perhaps the most picturesque city of India. It derives its name from Maharaja Jai Singh, a prince, soldier, astronomer and a city planner. He built the Observatory, the largest and best preserved surrealistic and logical landscape in stone and equipped it with instruments of his own design and creation. The City Palace, is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal Architecture. It now houses a museum containing a rare collection of Indian manuscripts, miniatures and weaponry. The Palace of the Winds the city's landmark, built out of pink Jaipur sandstone, is characterized by elaborate and fanciful latticed carvings. Nearby see the Jai Niwas Gardens which offer a fairy like prospect of splashing waters and ornamental fountains.

7th Day Jaipur/Agra - This morning you will drive to Agra. En route, visit Fatehpur Sikri, India's Pompeii, a Imperial capital deep frozen in time. Though deserted today, it is still haunted by memories of a resplendent era as a brief capital of Akbar's empire. Almost everything you will see here reflects its glorious past and radiates an aura of imperial beauty and majesty, and all in pristine condition, almost the same as it were a few years after its desertion due to lack of proper water supply. Overnight at the MUGHAL SHERATON HOTEL.

8th Day Agra - This morning you will visit the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world and see for yourself why this city has lure travelers to India. A "Dream in Marble", the Taj Mahal is perhaps one of the most celebrated architectural masterpieces in the world. It was built by Emperor Shah Jehan as a mausoleum for his queen Mumtaz Mahal, and to this day remains the world's greatest monument of love. After having seen the Taj Mahal, almost anything would seem like an anticlimax. But here in Agra this marble cloud anchored by a sacred river is a superb finale to so many other architectural splendors - The Agra Fort, as rugged as the Taj Mahal is ethereal, which four successive Emperors helped create and where Hindu walls and Muslim architecture merge as in the Moti Masjid echoing to this day the call of the muezzin. See the Itmad-ud-Daulah, the Jasmine Tower and the Rambagh before returning to your hotel.

9th Day Agra/Khatmandu - Transfer to the airport this morning for the flight to Nepal, land of the Gurkha, birthplace of Buddha and its capital, Khatmandu.. In the afternoon drive through the Khatmandu Valley visiting Swayambhunath Stupa surrounded by 2,000 year old Bhuddist chaityas, the Pashupatinath Temple with its gilt roof and richly carved silver doors, and finally visit the Tibetan Handicraft Center.

10th Day Khatmandu - Drive to Dhulikhel after breakfast, a small town east of Kathmandu toward the Chinese border. From here you will have your first scenic panoramic view of the snow-capped Himalayas and hillsides covered with flowers. Continue to Bhaktapur, known as Bhadgaon for the most medieval flavor of the former three city-kingdoms.

11th Day Khatmandu -A morning drive to Patan, visiting Durbar Square, filled with ancient shrines,temples and palaces. See many exquisite carvings in the 16th century Krishna Mandir with its frieze depicting war scenes of ancient Hindu battles. See the three story golden pagoda, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, the Mangal Bazaar, the Royal Bath and the Mahabuddha Temple. Return to Kathmandu and your hotel.

12th Day Khatmandu/Bombay -Transfer to the airport in the morning for the flight to Bombay. Transfer upon arrival to the TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL.

13th Day Bombay - This morning drive to the Gateway of India, from where you will take a motor launch ride to the Elephanta Island to see the 7th century rock cut cave temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Maheshmurti is one of the most important exhibits, which depicts the Hindu God as the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer of the Universe. This afternoon you will take in the city tour of Bombay a mystery of mud huts and skyscrapers. See the Municipal Corporation building, a V shaped Gothic style structure blended with Indian motif , the Rajabhai Clock Tower, High Court, University Campus, the Gateway of India built to commemmorate the visit of King George V to India and the Prince of Wales Museum, designed in the Indo Saracenic style. Take in a typical Kholi fishing village and the Dhobi Ghat (public laundry) on your way to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. You will then drive along the Marine Drive, to see the Hanging Gardens, Ramla Nehru Park, and the Mahalaxmi Temple dedicated to the Goddess of Wealth. Return to your hotel.

14th Day Bombay/New York - Transfer to the airport in the early morning for your return flight to the United States. Arrive into New York in the evening