Airport welcome and check in at the hotel in the center of Delhi. Night in hotel.
Breakfast at hotel.
Then, go down to Old Delhi to visit the 17th century Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. You will be visiting streets of old Delhi on cycle rickshaw, See Chandni Chowk, the shopping center of old Delhi and drive past the Red Fort for a photo stop. Visit Raj Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.
Visit of New Delhi is built in a typically British colonial style with tree-lined avenues and colonial bungalows. Drive past the Parliament House, the Secretariat buildings and the Vice Regal Palace, now the official residence of the President of India.
Visit Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. After the visit to the Basti, you may want to go to the Dargarh and listen to Qawwali, which is a musical prayer sung in a group accompanied by rhythmic claps. This musical tradition stretches back more than 700 years. Often listeners, and even artists themselves, are transported to a trance-like state where they feel at one with the Supreme.
Note: Thursday & Friday evenings are a sure bet for experiencing Qawwali at the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Performance times are 6:00 – 7:30 PM and 9:00 – 10:30 PM.
Early morning breakfast and transfer to the airport and flight to Dehradun, the capital of the state of Uttarakhand. We then reach Rishikesh by road. Located on the banks of the Ganges, in the foothills of the Himalayas, the city has been the home of the gods since the Middle Ages. It is one of the great religious centers of India, which attracts large numbers of pilgrims.
Thousands of pilgrims reach to Raghunath Temple and Rishikund Shrine, a place that has become popular since the god Rama took a bath there. Rishikesh is home to many saints and sages, who stay there before embarking on pilgrimages through more difficult paths leading to distant Himalayan peaks.
In the evening, on the Trivani ghat, the ritual ceremonies are a real attraction. Hundreds of devotees from all over the country gather there to pray and place their offerings of flowers and lamps to Holy River.
Breakfast at hotel
Entire day visiting the city. We walk through the colorful bazaar, temples and along the ancient pilgrim route along the river. We shall visit Sivananda Ashram and other spiritual centers famous yoga and meditation.
Breakfast at hotel
Road to Haridwar ("Gateway to the God"), located on the right bank of the Ganges, at the foot of the Shivalik range. Since time immemorial, this sacred city has been one of the four places where the Kumbh Mela is regularly held (along with Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nasik). We visit the Mansa Devi temple dedicated to the Goddess of power and the temple of Dakha Mahadevi in Kankhal, a city where pilgrims take a sacred bath.
On the ghats, the air is charged with emotion when music and songs (arti) resonate of the Lord Shiva. At dusk, hundreds of pilgrims come to banks of river to give fruits, flowers and small oil lamps as an offering to holy River.
Early morning breakfast at hotel
Early departure for Chandigarh, a city designed by Le Corbusier: he was appointed architectural councilor of the city in 1950 after Independence.
In the afternoon, we visit the famous Rock Garden which includes over 1,400 sculpted figures. At sunset, boat trip on Sukhna Lake.
Early morning breakfast at hotel
Before leaving for Shimla, we shall visit the Rose Garden, garden with 1600 varieties of roses and visit the museum and the art gallery.
Transfer to Kalka station where we board the train to Kandaghat. Inaugurated in 1903, this line of around one hundred kilometers is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The train crosses multiple landscapes before arriving in Kandaghat.
Continuation by road to Shimla (2130 m), in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in the heart of a forest of pines, oaks and rhododendrons. When the British developed the fashion for hill stations, they made Shimla the summer capital by the mid-19th century.
Breakfast at hotel
We will drive through picturesque landscapes to join Rewalsar, a magical place with its sacred lake. This lake is revered by Buddhists. Meeting with the monks of the monastery.
Continuation to Mandi, once important on the salt road leading to Tibet, which is now a small town whose multiple temples are considered sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. As we stroll through the city, we discover its 81 temples, many of which are nestled on the banks of the Beas River.
Breakfast at hotel
Departure for Palampur. Stop at Baijnath, an important place of pilgrimage because of its ancient stone temple of 9th century dedicated to Lord Shiva.Temple is famous for it’s architectural structure.
Arrival in Palampur, a town located in the Kangra Valley and surrounded by pine trees and tea plantations. Walk in the main colourful street, further walk through the surrounding villages and the tea gardens.
Breakfast at hotel
Transfer by road to the old town of Kangra, dominated by the ruins of its fort. Visit of the Brajeshwari temple. Then stop at Masroor temple: this site has 15 rock-cut cave temples in Indo-Aryan style and has similarities to the famous Ellora Caves in Maharashtra.
Arrival at Dharamsala, located in the beautiful Kangra Valley. It was one of the top stations the English were fond of. The city dominates the plain of Punjab and offers a splendid sight on the solid mass of Dhaula Dar (5,790 m).
Dharamsala is made up of the lower town and MacLeod Ganj, the city of the Tibetan community in exile. It is the place of residence of HH Dalai Lama and his government. The popularity of HH Dalai Lama and the interest in Tibetan Buddhism have given international fame to Dharamsala (1,830 m) and Mac Leod Ganj.
Full day visit to try to better understand Tibetan Buddhism and the situation of Tibetan exiles: the residence and monastery of HH Dalai Lama (currently Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama), the Tsuglagkhang which is the most important Buddhist monument in Mac Leod Ganj and has an interesting collection of sacred texts based on the teaching of the Buddha, the center of medicine and astrology. Namgyal Monastery, surrounded by a row of prayer wheels, houses large statues of the Buddha. Visit of the Norbulingka Institute and its museum. This Tibetan Arts Museum seeks to promote the study and performance of Tibetan performing arts in order to ensure their preservation. We may have the opportunity to meet the monks.
Breakfast at hotel
We leave the foothills of the Himalayas to arrive in the sacred city of Amritsar, religious capital of the Sikhs, founded in 1577 and whose name means: sacred pond (sar) (amrit). In 1803, Maharajah Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) had the temple rebuilt in marble and its domes were covered with 400 kg of fine gold leaf, which gave it its current name.
In the evening, we go to the Golden Temple for the closing ceremony.
Amritsar, literally meaning “holy pool of nectar”, was founded by Guru Ram Das in 1574. It is now home to the majority of India’s Sikhs and a major pilgrimage centre for Sikhs the world over.
This morning visit its dazzling and sacred Golden Temple. An harmonious synthesis of Islamic and Hindu styles of architecture, it is a breathtaking sight. Spend some time exploring the complex and afterwards – if you would like – you can enjoy a meal at the langar (community kitcken / dining hall) where food is served to all visitors for free. Thousands of people dine at the Golden Temple every day (its vast hall can seat 3000 at a time). The kitchen works almost 20 hours; all the preparation, cooking and washing-up is done by voluntary helpers, known as Sewadars. The institution of the Sikh langar, was initiated by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender or social status; this was a revolutionary concept in the caste-ordered society of 16th-century India where Sikhism began.
This afternoon take a guided walk through the fascinating Walled City of Amritsar, popularly known as Hall Bazaar. Its narrow streets and lanes, with their colourful and vibrant street hawkers, shopkeepers, traders, rickshaws and dhabas (wayside eateries) invite exploration. Each katra (area) has its own speciality. Guru Bazaar, Mai Sewan Bazaar and Katra Jaimal Singh sell an array of jewellery, clothing and textiles, whilst Bartan Bazaar sells all sorts of utensils, and Katra Sher Singh sells tea. If shopping is of interest, the Punjabi jutis (footwear), ladies salwar-kameez (especially the Patiala salwar), shawls and stoles, woollens and the traditional local craft, phulkari (colourful embroidered shawls and headscarfs) are must buys.
Late this afternoon take a one-hour drive to Wagah, an army outpost on the India-Pakistan border between Amritsar and Lahore, where you can witness the border closing display – ‘Beating the Retreat’. Just before sunset each day an elaborate 45-minute flag lowering ceremony, comprising of synchronized marching and bellowed military commands, takes place between the Indian Border Security Force and the Pakastani Sutlej Rangers. This spectacular display attracts countless tourists every day.
Breakfast at hotel Transfer to the airport and flight to Delhi, further connection to fly back to your country to board
