Nepal Adventure Holiday

This afternoon we will take a city sightseeing tour of New Delhi with a local guide (approximately 3 hours). We will visit the Raj Path, India Gate, Parliament, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutb Minar. hours).

Overnight Standard Hotel

This morning we plan a tour of Old Delhi by cycle rickshaw, metro and on foot – to include the Jami Masjid mosque and view of the Red Fort, ending in the bustling Chandni Chowk Bazaar, a jamboree of deafening barter and the true hub of the Old part of the city. Following this, there will be some free time after which you may make your own way back to the hotel (metro ticket provided), or you can return with your tour leader.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we transfer to New Delhi station for the train journey to Jaipur, arriving in the evening. Sometimes called the ‘Pink City’, Jaipur was first painted terracotta pink by Maharajah Sawai Ram Singh to celebrate the visit of Prince Albert in 1853.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we take a sightseeing tour of Jaipur with our tour leader by rickshaw and on foot. We’ll visit the lavish and well preserved City Palace with its fine collection of textiles, costumes and armoury and the Palace of the Winds with its famous 5-storied facade which has been the subject of countless Indian posters. Jai Singh, the great Maharajahastronomer built his extraordinary (and very accurate) star-gazing Observatory (Jantra) here right opposite the City Palace. This afternoon is left free for further personal exploration of this fascinating city – you may wish to take an excursion (optional) to the nearby hill fortress of Amber, which contains an amazing chamber of mirrors and affords spectacular views across the surrounding plains.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We head east this morning, reaching the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri late morning (approx. 4 hours drive). Founded in 1569 and abandoned scarcely 16 years later, it is a perfectly intact example of Akbar’s imperial court. Among the many noteworthy buildings is the 5-storied Panch Mahal, probably a pleasure pavilion for the ladies of the harem. In the centre of the courtyard is the Pachisi Board where the emperor played a game like chess with dancing slave girls as pieces. Perhaps the finest structure of all is the lotus shaped carved central pillar of the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), its extraordinary capital supporting a vaulted roof. Later we drive on to Agra arriving in the later afternoon.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We visit the Taj Mahal, the world’s most perfect and poetic building, at sunrise. Over 300 years have elapsed since its construction, yet it stands today, largely unscarred by age, its beauty and symmetry seemingly beyond man, time & space. Created by Shah Jahan as a funerary monument to his favourite wife Mumtaz, it took 22 years to build (1630-52). The Great Moghul lies beside his beloved under the white marble dome. Inlaid with precious gems, the building cost a fortune and later Shah Jahan moved his capital to Delhi before being overthrown by his son, Aurangzeb. We’ll visit the Agra Fort this afternoon; built by Akbar the Great, the fort stands in an imposing position on a bend in the Yamuna River with wonderful views of the Taj Mahal further along its banks. The fort contains some stunning and very intricate designs. There may be time before sunset to revisit the Taj, or to the exquisite Itimad-ud-Daulah (baby Taj) after which we drive to Tundla to catch our overnight train to Mirzapur.

Overnight Basic Train Included meals: Breakfast

Day rooms, to freshen up are provided after our early morning arrival in Mirzapur, before boarding our boats for the 3-day boat journey through the sacred and fertile Gangetic plain to Varanasi. Life on shore varies as we drift peacefully along; the ornate temples and crowded bathing ghats, the fields of wheat and rice paddies, everyday life and stunning sunsets. We camp in 2-man tents on beaches along the banks of the river. The actual nightstops we use will vary according to local conditions, but as a guide, the following itinerary might be followed:

Overnight Basic Camping Included meals: Lunch, Dinner

Our relaxing journey on the boats continues today, and we watch villagers at work on the nearby banks of the river. We halt our journey at Chunar to visit the small 16th century fort. It was captured by the East India Company in 1772 and remained a stronghold of the British for many years. A plethora of bird life accompanies our route to Varanasi and we should see varieties such as kingfisher, sunbird, heron, egret, barbet and babbler.

Overnight Basic Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This afternoon we cross the river to the holy city of Varanasi where we disembark at Asi Ghat and transfer to our hotel. Varanasi (Benares) has been the centre of Hinduism since the dawn of history, its age is contemporary with Babylon and Thebes. Often known as ‘Kashi’ (City of Light) by Hindus it attracts over a million pilgrims each year – many of whom come to spend their last years here in the holy city. This evening you can return to the ghats to witness the evening aarti ceremony when the Ganga is venerated with a display of light and sound.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we take an early morning boat trip along the Ganges to see the Hindu devout bathing in its sacred waters, before we visit nearby Sarnath. Having gained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha came to Sarnath to preach his first sermon. The city was at its peak in the 5th century, when it was a respected centre of religious activity, learning and art. Muslim invaders destroyed much of the city and today remains of several monasteries and stupas can be seen along with the small museum which has a well displayed collection. The afternoon is left free in Varanasi to enable you to explore the labyrinth of streets, bazaars and temples that line the banks of the river or perhaps this evening, it may be possible to attend an optional classical musical performance.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We have a long yet interesting drive today (approximately 10 hours), as we head north across the Gangetic Plains, through remote towns and villages to the Nepalese border at Sonauli. We walk through customs and immigration into Nepal and meet our Nepalese bus which will transfer us to Lumbini where we spend the night.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We start our day with site seeing tour of Lumbini accompanied a local guide by rickshaw. We will have the opportunity to visit the birth place of the Buddha Peace lamp and the monestry of peace paqoda. From here we drive (approximately 5 hours) which takes us through the Terai, the narrow forested lowland strip that stretches the full width of the southern border of Nepal. We will stop in Butwal en route so we can pick up some lunch and then aim to arrive at Chitwan in the late afternoon, then take a short afternoon village walk close to the park to orientate ourselves. Chitwan is the oldest and best known of the national parks in Nepal. It consists of swamp, tall elephant grass and dense forest, and is a natural habitat for tiger, the rare one-horned Indian rhino, leopard and sloth bear to name but a few.

Overnight Standard Lodge Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

You will be kept busy today (except for a couple of hours around lunch time when you can relax in the sun with a cold drink). Activities in the Park include an elephant backed safari searching out the one-horned rhino, birdwatching, village walks and a dugout canoe trip along the Rapti River. (All the activities are included in the cost of the tour) However it’s not all hard work. The lodge staff prepare good meals and there is a long break in the middle of the day. You can read, relax in the shade of a Sal tree or even go down for a stroll along the river.

Elephant Safari. This is the best (and safest) way of searching for game in this sanctuary. Though the elephant may make quite a noise pushing its way through the dense jungle the other animals know that it poses them no danger and seem to completely ignore them.

Canoeing. (Dependent on the water level). Float silently down the Rapti river in a traditional dugout canoe.

Village Walks. In the company of a local guide you can walk into the local Tharu village, the traditional inhabitants of the Chitwan area.

Bird Watching. More than 350 species are to be found here: an early morning walk near the river will reveal many. Again, a local guide will help you get the best enjoyment and interest from these excursions.

Overnight Standard Lodge Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we drive to Kathmandu (approximately 8 hours). We pass through the bustling town of Naryanghat, then head north beside the River Trisuli to arrive at the ‘wild west’ town of Mugling at the confluence of the Marsyandi and Trisuli rivers. Once we reach Naubise the road starts to climb and reaches a pass on the Kathmandu valley rim via a series of breathtaking zig-zags before descending to the city. We may have the chance today to take an optional trip to the Manakamana temple near Kurintar, time permitting.

A picnic lunch will be provided today for us to eat en route.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

During our stay in Kathmandu, it may be possible to take an optional flight to see Mount Everest (weather permitting). Your tour leader will advise you upon arrival and will depend on weather conditions in the Everest region. Local airlines operate this flight every morning. It lasts 1 hour and offers outstanding views of Mount Everest before turning back to Kathmandu. There will be views from both sides of the aircraft as those on the left get good views on the outbound leg and those on the right get them on the return. This morning, we have arranged a walking tour of this fascinating historic city, visiting the bazaar and temples of old Kathmandu, accompanied by a local Nepali guide. Much of the day to day life of Kathmandu takes place in the local bazaar: a fascinating mixture of people selling spices; potters spinning their wheels; rickshaw wallahs honking their horns and the ever present sacred cow wandering amongst it all. We end up in Durbar Square at the heart of the city. There should be free time this afternoon to visit nearby Patan.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we plan to visit the temple of Pashupatinath on the banks of the Bagmati River, the holiest Hindu shrine in Nepal, and also to visit Bodnath, the largest stupa in the country and a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from all over Nepal. The afternoon is free for last minute sightseeing or shopping. During the afternoon, there is the opportunity of an optional visit to Bhaktapur, a beautifully preserved city within the Kathmandu Valley, which has retained much of its medieval character and contain some notable 17th century art.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The tour for Land Only passengers ends late morning.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast