Itinerary - Platinum Indulgence Package
Arrive in Delhi. After clearing immigration and custom formalities you are met in the arrival hall. Please look to your LEFT and you will see a sign with your name written on it. You will transfer to your hotel.
Day 2 - Delhi
At 9:30 AM you will meet your guide in the lobby of the hotel.
Your accommodations in New Delhi will be at the beautiful, colonial style Imperial Grand Heritage Hotel, a luxury hotel with a unique blend of old architecture and modern conveniences with its spacious guest rooms amidst opulent and elegant surroundings.
This morning you visit the walled city of Old Delhi. This former Imperial capital is a maze of lanes crowded with shops, crumbling havelies (mansions), in the m
idst of which lies one of the country’s largest mosques. Take a guided walk through the narrow lanes of the 300 year old Chandni Chowk market.
Today it is a busy market selling an extraordinary variety of items – silver, jewelry, aromatic spices, leather, fruit and vegetables. Apothecaries sell home grown medicinal items, and roadside dentists display their bizarre array of equipment and false teeth. This is an excellent introduction to the organized chaos which is quintessentially Indian. Disembark at the Jama Masjid, believed to be the largest mosque in India and which was Shah Jahan’s last architectural legacy.
Next, you will also explore India’s diverse and mouthwatering street food. In the narrow alleys
of Old Delhi, steeped in the culture of this area, are stalls with a history that goes back through generations. You will unravel history, traditions and cultures behind these “street specialties” ranging from the 200 year “Ghantewala” sweet shop, to the “Paratha Wallah Galli”, the street that specializes in the flat bread, stuffed with every conceivable ingredient.
Return to your hotel, stopping at Raj Ghat, a simple yet stunning memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
Day 3 - Delhi/Agra
Today you will have an early transfer to the station to take the Shatabdi Express departing at 6:05 AM. Seats will be reserved in the first class compartment. You will arrive in Agra at 8:15 AM and you will be transferred to your hotel. Since check in at the hotel is 2 PM, your rooms many not be immediately available.
In Agra your accommodations will be at the Oberoi Amarvilas, situated just 600 meters from the Taj Mahal. Enjoy this mystical and magical resort with its beautiful terraced lawns, fountains, reflection pools and pavilions.
After breakfast you will leave for a tour of Agra.
Your day in Agra starts at the Taj Mahal. This stunning mausoleum immortalized the name of Shah Jahan’s last wife Mumtaz Mahal, “light of the palace”. Built by Indian artisans and artisans from neighboring Islamic countries, it is aptly described by the poet laureate Tagore as “A tear on the face of eternity”. Decorated with a mosaic of semi precious stones 
and Persian calligraphy recreating verses from the Koran, the mausoleum is an “Urs”, an important place of pilgrimage since the empress died in childbirth making her a martyr. Prayers are said and passages from Koran are constantly recited in the mosque and cenotaph chamber.
From here you will drive to the Agra Fort. The present structure stands on the site of 14th century fort that was occupied by the Lodi Sultans of Delhi. When the Mughal Emperor Akbar established his supremacy in Northern India, he began his first architectural venture, rebuilding the fort as a beautiful fort palace. The work was completed by his son 
and grandson, highlighting the Mughal’s ability to blend defensive and decorative architecture. Richly decorated with marble and mosaic, it was in a part of this fort that Shah Jahan spent the last years of his life, imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. His private quarters where he was confined, has a magical view of the Taj Mahal across the river Yamuna.
The afternoon is free to enjoy the hotel, use the resort, or for those who would like to, we can explore the old city.
Later you will return to the Taj Mahal for sunset.
Day 4 - Agra/Jaipur
You have the option of visiting the Taj Mahal at sunrise.
After breakfast you start on the drive to Jaipur. An hour and a half outside Jaipur you will have the opportunity to stop at Fatehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar to honor the Saint Salim Chisti who foretold the birth of Akbars’ son and heir. Built entirely in vibrant red sandstone architecturally it draws its inspiration from Hindu, Persian and Islamic styles.
Stop at the Bagh, a lovely garden, where you will have lunch, before continuing the Jaipur. The drive to the Oberoi Rajvilas hotel will take three and a half hours.
Day 5 – Jaipur
Your accommodations in Jaipur will be at the magnificent Oberoi Rajvilas, a luxury resort on 32 acres of beautiful gardens and reflection pools. Your rooms include four poster beds and sunken marble baths overlooking private walled gardens.
The sprawling City Palace which you visit today is a superb marriage of the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. The seven storey Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) is a sprawling complex with multiple courtyards, public buildings, astronomical observatory and zenana mahals (harems). Within the palace complex are several museums including a interesting textile gallery exhibiting a fine selection of textiles and costumes from the royal collection. The basic layout is Mughal, with open courtyards and large airy building, while the details are drawn from 
centuries of Rajput and Jain architectural styles.
You will be given a tour of the private residential area of the palace not usually accessible to the public, and served tea and canapés in the magnificent drawing room.
From the City Palace you enter the extraordinary “Jantar Mantar”, the astronomical observatory built by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1827. Roughly translated the name means “The Formula of Instruments”. This is one of five observatories he 
built in northern India. The instruments resembling massive futuristic structures are actually highly sophisticated instruments which are accurate even today.
Finally enter the bazaars of the old city – colorful, aromatic, happily chaotic and offering anything from the famous Jaipur “minakari” jewelry to ordinary and mundane household goods. These artisans and tradesmen who have been practicing their trade for generations have become an integral part of the city’s economic growth. Strolling through the bazaars is a lesson in the lifestyle of ordinary people while spend time in the oldest and busiest of markets in the walled city Johori Bazaar.
The afternoon is free to shop and relax.
Later this evening we will drive to Dera Amer where we meet our transport for the next 30 minutes – elephants. On these we will ride at sunset to the ruins of a temple where we are greeted by a flautist and refreshments. Dinner will be served at an exclusive venue decorated with flowers and lamps.
Day 6 - Jaipur/Delhi/Dehra Dun
You will be transferred to the airport and you will depart for Delhi and connect with Dehra Dun for the next phase of your journey to Ananda in the Himalayas.
If your tour does not include Ananda Spa, you will take a flight to Delhi where you will transfer to the Trident Hotel for an early supper before taking your flight home.
Day 7 to Day 10 - Ananda
These days are given over to the spa and lifestyle activities, 162 miles north of New Delhi at the Palace and estate of the Maharajah of Tehri-Garhwal, housing the deluxe Destination Spa, Ananda in the Himalayas.
route, or you can just relax amongst the still and serene surroundings.
You will also have the opportunity to have your horoscope made; have your hands and feet painted with Mehendi; learn Ayurvedic cooking with Ananda’s Executive chef; and have your aura cleansed in a personal “hawan” or fire ceremony.
You will also take 
some time to visit the holy town of Rishikesh and watch the evening “aarti” ceremony, when priests perform a ritual to put the river gods
to sleep and to ward off any evils. Accompanied by symbols, chanting and lamps, it is a mesmerizing ceremony.
Enjoy Ananda's acclaimed Ayurvedic cuisine specially designed for you based on the recommendations of your personalized consultant.
Download Detailed Spa Activities Here
Day 11 - Ananda/Delhi
After lunch you will transfer to the airport, returning to Delhi where you will be provided an early supper (location TBD) before leaving for the airport and your flight home.
We hope you had a wonderful and memorable time - have a safe trip back and be sure to join us on another one of our trips in the near future.
October 29 - November 8, 2010 (10 Nights)
US $ 6,997 * Add $2,500 for private room.
(Attractive discount for reservations by July 15, 2010. Call 408-476-3286)
Includes:
- Accommodations for 5
nights at luxury hotels in India
- Accommodations for 5 nights at Ananda in the Himalayas
- Ananda Spa Package
- All meals for 10 days
- All planned guided tours & excursions
- Internal Round Trip Air Fare in India
- All ground transportation in India
- All guided hikes and
nature walks
- English speaking guide & chauffeur
- Entrance fees to all planned tourist attractions
- All taxes and surcharges
Terms and Conditions Apply. Download Forms Here.
* This price is based on double occupancy and does not include international or any domestic airfare, passport or visa fees, travel insurance, telephone charges, alcoholic beverages, additional refreshments or snacks purchased separately by guests, or room service.