Calcutta - Delhi: Overland in 7 Days, via Varanasi (River Ganges) and Agra (Taj Mahal)

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Detailed Itinerary, Trip Costs & Inclusions
Departs every Sunday & Tuesday, from Calcutta to Delhi
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9-Day Indian Vacation, including Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Calcutta
Departure Date Category
Standard
May '06 - September '06 $679
January '06 - April '06 $769
Single Supplement $299 - $379
What’s Included:
The above price includes 2nd class air-conditioned rail fare, twin-share accommodation with breakfast in Varanasi, Agra and Delhi, all transfers and tours as indicated in the itinerary, entrance fees, and assistance from local English speaking guides at each city.
What’s Not:
Prices do not include meals other than those indicated, expenses of a personal nature like drinks, telephone calls, laundry, photography fees and any items not specifically mentioned above. Travel Insurance is not included and is strongly recommended.
Important:
Normal check-in time at hotels is 1 PM and check-out time is 11 AM. Should you wish to check in earlier or check out later, a separate charge (payable directly to the hotel) may apply.

Early morning scene, River Ganges, Varanasi, India
Early morning scene, River Ganges, Varanasi

 

 

 

Day 1
Leave Calcutta by train around 7.20 PM this evening for an overnight journey to Varanasi. Reservations have been made for you in an air-conditioned ‘2-Tier Sleeper’ – soft bunk beds in an open-plan compartment. The train makes several stops en route, before crossing the River Ganges and arriving in Varanasi at about 7.20 AM the next morning.

Day 2
You will be met at the railway station this morning and transferred to your hotel. Later this morning, you will be taken on a tour of Varanasi, which is perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The narrow alleyways of the old part of the city as well as the embankments on the river Ganges are almost like the settings of a movie on medieval India – except that the scenes unfolding in front of your eyes are very real! The evening is free for you to relax.

Day 3
After a very early morning wake up call today, leave your hotel well before sunrise to go into the city center of Varanasi. Even at this early hour, the embankments on the river Ganges are a hub of activity as residents as well as pilgrims from all over the country prepare to bathe in the river at sunrise – considered a particularly auspicious time. A traditional, hand rowed country boat has been reserved for you to cruise on the river slowly as the sun makes an appearance on the horizon and life unfolds on the banks of the river, exactly as it has done for the past thousands of years.

Return to your hotel for breakfast, before taking another tour of this ancient city. Later, you will be transferred back to the railway station for your journey north, to Agra. You will have an opportunity to observe the fascinating countryside with its farms and villages for a while, before darkness falls and you settle in for the night in the train.

Day 4
Arrive in Agra early this morning (around 5 AM), where you will be met at the station once again. After a stop for breakfast, proceed directly to the Taj Mahal to view this magnificent monument in the light of the early morning sun. This fabulous monument – a token of a man’s love for his wife – is breathtaking in its beauty and grandeur and is bound to leave you awed. Later, proceed to your hotel in Agra and check in.

This afternoon you will be taken on a tour of some of the other sights in and around Agra – including the famous Red Fort, with its palaces and royal buildings inside. The evening is free for you to enjoy in Agra or check out some of the local shopping.

Day 5
After breakfast this morning, leave Agra by road for Fatehpur Sikri. This old Mughal capital city was abandoned several hundred years ago after only 12 years of use when the supply of fresh (underground) water ran out. The city is perfectly preserved and gives us some idea of the grandeur of the Mughal era and especially its striking architecture. Return to Agra in the late afternoon, in time to catch our evening train to Delhi.

Upon arrival in Delhi, you will be met at the station and transferred to your hotel.

Day 6
After breakfast this morning, join a full day city tour covering both Old and New Delhi. Visit the busy Chandni Chowk - the silver bazaar – with its myriad shops selling not only jewelry but virtually everything imaginable, see the grand Jama Masjid Mosque, the impressive Red Fort and the broad avenues leading to the Parliament and other government buildings in this capital city. The evening is free for you to enjoy and relax.

Day 7
A free day for some last minute shopping or optional sightseeing, until it is time for you to be transferred to the airport for your onward journey.