Duration: 9 Nights / 10 Days
Destinations: Delhi - Patna - Bodhgaya - Varanasi - Khajuraho - Agra - Mathura - Vrindavan - Delhi
Day 1: Arrival Delhi
Arrive at New Delhi’s International Airport and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Delhi
Today you will visit various temples, a mosque and yoga ashrams. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: Delhi - Patna - Bodhgaya
On the morning, take an early morning flight southeast from Delhi to Patna, then transfer to our luxury coach for a drive south through rural central Bihar State to Bodh Gaya. Bodh Gaya is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment, and the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in the world. After hotel check-in, you will have a full-day guided tour of the area as we follow in the steps of the Buddha. In this large working Buddhist center, you will see the descendant of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha sat, as well as numerous international Buddhist monasteries built in their respective country’s styles.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 4: Bodhgaya - Varanasi
After breakfast, drive west from Bodhi Gaya into Uttar Pradesh state and
to Hinduism’s holiest pilgrimage city, Varanasi, the "City of
Light." Also known as Bewares or Kashi, Varanasi is the oldest continuously
inhabited city in the world. It is here that all Hindus aspire to come once
in their lifetimes to bathe in the Ganges River from the ghats, or landings,
all along the river. This act of worship releases the soul from earthly
samsara, or the cycle of life, death and rebirth, caused by ignorance. We
will have the opportunity to perform this ritual release as we take a holy
dip in the Ganges River. We will also enjoy an inspiring sunrise boat ride
along the river’s edge to view the temples and the ancient rituals
of the thousands of pilgrims who worship here daily. Free time will be given
to roam this ancient city independently.
Afternoon you will also have the opportunity to visit the Buddhist sacred
site of Sarnath, where the Buddha taught his first sermon about the Four
Noble Truths in Deer Park. During our evenings in Benares, we will meet
with scholars in fields such as Sanskrit, Ideology, Buddhism and Tantra.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 5: Varanasi
Day in Varanasi to explore the city and temples. Overnight at hotel.
Day 6: Varanasi - Khajuraho
On the afternoon take a short flight westward to the world-famous temple city of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh state. The erotic sculptures of these 22 temples date back to the Chandela Dynasty of the 10th century AD. They have been linked to everything from Tantric cults to Kama Sutra instruction to a carved depiction of the marriage party of Shiva and Parvati. Regardless of their origins, they depict a joyful ode to the source of all life, and are India’s unique gift to the world.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 7: Khajuraho - Agra - Mathura
Morning free for independent activities. In the afternoon, take a short flight to the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh state to visit the legendary Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This tastefully ornate and architecturally perfect mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and is said to be the most extravagant monument ever built for love. In addition to the Taj, we will visit Agra Fort, the Old City, and the nearby city of Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 8: Mathura
Day to visit the temples.
Day 9: Mathura - Vrindivan
Day to visit the vrindavan temples. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 10: Delhi
Breakfast will be at hotel.
Transfer to airport in time for flight home with sweet memories of India.
