INDIA BY RAIL
Destination : Kolkata
- Darjeeling - Varanasi
- Agra - Fatehpur
Sikri - Shimla - Delhi
Duration : 16
Days 15 Nights
Day 01 LONDON -
KOLKATA
Fly from London to Kolkata by British Airways
Day 02 KOLKATA
Arrive Kolkata early in the morning
Met on arrival and
transferred to hotel Hyatt Regency for two nights
Room booked
from previous evening
Afternoon enjoy a sightseeing tour of
the city
Kolkata is a city of glaring contrasts:
a curious blend of the old and the new, partly feudal, partly born out
of growing urbanization, partly un-definable. It is a medley of the
east and the west, a graft of a European city imposed on the Asian
scape that gives Calcutta its bewildering charm, confusion and
excitement. Being just about 300 years old, Calcutta hardly has many
great historical monuments. Perhaps, the oldest remembered is the site
where the Kalighat Temple now stands. Today Calcutta is the largest
city in India with a population over 10 million and boasts of India's
first ever Metro rail system. It is a city that shocks on first
impression but eventually the visitor falls in love with it. The
sightseeing of the city includes a visit to the Victoria Memorial,
Calcutta's most imposing and monumental dream in marble opened by the
Prince of Wales in 1921 and often called the "Taj" of the
British Raj, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Indian Museum, the largest
in India, with one of the best collections of Indian art.
Day 03 KOLKATA -
DARJEELING
Day is at leisure
Transfer to Sealdah rail station (suburb
of Kolkata) to board the overnight train Darjeeling Mail to New
Jalpaiguri
Air-conditioned first class - 2205:0840* hours
Overnight on train
*arriving next
morning
Day 04 DARJEELING
Arrive New Jalpaiguri at 0840 hours
Board the Toy
Train to Darjeeling
Met on arrival and transferred to your hotel
Windermere for three nights
Straddling a ridge at 2134 meters and
surrounded by Tea Plantations on all sides, Darjeeling has been a very
popular hill station since the British established it as an R&R
centre for their troops in the mid 1800s. The views over the
mountains to the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga and down to the swollen
rivers in the valleys are magnificent. Darjeeling is a fascinating
place where you can see Buddhist monasteries, visit Tea plantations,
or go trekking to high altitude spots near the border with Sikkim.
Day 05 DARJEELING
Early morning drive to Tiger Hill (1 hr) to witness the sunrise
and view the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga.
Tiger Hill - The highest spot in the
area at 2590 meters Tiger Hill is near Ghoom, about 11Km from
Darjeeling. The hill is famous for its magnificent dawn views over
Kanchenjunga and other eastern Himalayan peak.
Visit Senchal Lake and Ghoom Monastery
on your way back to hotel.
Ghoom Monastery - This is probably the
most famous monastery in Darjeeling and is about 8Km south of town,
just below Hill Cart Road and the railway station near Ghoom. It
enshrines an image of the Maitreya Buddha The Coming Buddha
Remainder of the day is at leisure
Day 06 DARJEELING
Day is at leisure
Day 07 DARJEELING - VARANASI
(BANARAS)
Drive to New Jalpaiguri
rail station to board the overnight train North East Express to Mughal
Sarai (suburb of Varanasi)
Air- conditioned second class -
1700:0720* hours
Overnight on train
*arriving next
morning
Day 08 VARANASI
Arrive Mughal Sarai rail station at 0720 hours
Met
on arrival and transferred to your hotel Radisson for one night
Room is booked from previous evening
Morning is at leisure
Afternoon excursion to Sarnath - the
site of Buddha's first sermon (on the outskirts of Varanasi).
At
a distance of 12 km from Varanasi lies Sarnath where Lord Buddha
preached his first sermon after enlightenment. Here he revealed the
eight fold path, the Buddhist Doctrine. And also here, at some
distance, are centres of Buddhist pilgrimage such as Patna, Gaya and
Bodhgaya. 
Day 09 VARANASI
- AGRA
Early morning enjoy a boat ride on river Ganges.
(Witness the Hindu devotees taking holy bath in the river Ganges)
Boat Ride
The early morning boat
ride on the Ganges to view the Sunrise, as seen from the boat can be a
spiritually uplifting sight. From dawn to dusk the riverfront (Ghats)
are thronged by thousands of devotees, who perform their holy rituals
in the hope of attaining eternal salvation, the "NIRVANA".
After breakfast enjoy city sightseeing
tour.
The Holy City of Varanasi, the Religious Capital of
Hinduism, crowded with temples and its labyrinth of streets with their
throngs of people, is exciting, enticing and a city to be experienced.
As a place of devotion and worship, Varanasi attracts thousands of
pilgrims every year. The city represents the best thoughts of vedic
religion and culture. The city sightseeing includes a visit to the
Kashi Vishvanath Temple, the Bharat Mata Mandir and the new Vishvanath
temple. The Kashi Vishvanath Temple (or the Golden Temple), is a gold
spiralled temple rebuilt in the 18th century and is dedicated to Lord
Shiva. The spire is covered with tones of gold plating donated by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. Only Hindus are allowed inside. The
Bharat Mata Mandir is dedicated to Mother India and has a relief map
of "Mother India" in marble. The new Vishvanath Temple
(1966) at the Benaras Hindu University (the largest residential
university in Asia - a great seat of learning Sanskrit) is one of the
tallest in India. The marble Shiva temple modelled on the old
Vishwanath temple is open to all castes.
Later in the evening transfer to
Varanasi rail station to board the overnight train 2381 Poorva Express
to Tundla rail station (suburb of Agra)
Air-conditioned first
class - 1950:0430* hours
Overnight on train
*arriving next
morning
Day 10 AGRA
Arrive Tundla rail station at 0430 hours
Met on arrival and
transferred to your hotel Trident Hilton for one night
Enjoy a
tour of Agra city in the afternoon
(Including Taj Mahal and Agra
Fort)
A sprawling industrial town, Agra is
situated 204 kilometres from Delhi. Agra was established in 1475 by
Badal Singh and came into its own when Sikander Lodhi of the Lodhi
dynasty chose it for his capital because of its proximity to the
Yamuna. Babur defeated the Lodhis to capture not only Agra but also to
lay the foundation of the Mughal Empire. Places of interest in Agra
include the most extravagant monument, Taj Mahal; Agra Fort, the tomb
of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Itmad-Ud-Daulah and tomb of Akbar.
Day 11 Morning
excursion to the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri
Later
drive to Delhi rail station (approx 4 ½ hours drive) to board
the overnight train Howrah Delhi Kalka Mail to Kalka
Air-conditioned first class - 2250:0500* hours
Overnight on train
*arriving next
morning
Day 12 KALKA -
SHIMLA
Arrive Kalka rail station at 0500 hours
Connect the train 241 Shivalik Express to Shimla
Air-conditioned
chair car - 0530:1015 hours
Met on arrival and transferred to
your hotel The Oberoi Clarke for two nights
The `summer capital' of British India
sprawls along a crescent-shaped ridge at an altitude of over 2100m in
southern Himachal Pradesh. This was the most important hill station in
India before Independence. The famous main street, The Mall, still
runs along the crest of the ridge and is lined with stately
English-looking houses. Christ Church, Gorton Castle and the
fortress-like former Viceroyal Lodge reinforce the English flavour.
It's worth exploring the narrow streets
which fall steeply away from the ridge to colourful local bazaars.
There's also an interesting walk to Jakhu Temple, dedicated to the
monkey god Hanuman. It's located near the highest point of the ridge
and offers fine views of the town, surrounding valley and snow-capped
peaks. Other scenic spots nearby include the 67m high Chadwick Falls,
the picnic spot of Prospect Hill, and Wildflower Hall - the site of
the former mansion of Lord `Your-Country-Needs-You' Kitchener.
Rest of the day is at leisure to explore
the city
Day 13 SHIMLA
Day
is at leisure
Day14 SHIMLA - DELHI
Morning is at leisure
Drive to Kalka rail station
to board the train 2012Kalka Shatabdi Express to Delhi
Air-conditioned chair car - 1730:2140 hours
Met on arrival and
transferred to The Claridges for two nights
Day 15 DELHI
Morning enjoy a sightseeing tour of Old Delhi
Old Delhi
Old Delhi pulses with the
energy and colour, the hustle and bustle of thronged bazaars and is
laced by a maze of narrow lanes which twist and turn between tall,
leaning houses full of the sights, sounds and aromas of the Indian
sub-continent. In Old Delhi you will see the famous Red Fort
surrounded by shops, and bazaars (built by the Emperor Shah Jehan -
the builder of Taj Mahal), the Jama Masjid mosque with its tapering
minarets and wonderful marble domes, Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi's
business nerve center), the hustle-bustle of everyday Indian life all
around you and chattering voices.
Afternoon is at leisure
Later in
the evening transfer to Delhi international airport for your flight
back to London
Day 16 DELHI
- LONDON
Fly out
INDIA BY RAIL
Kolkata Hyatt 2 nights
Darjeeling
Windamere 3 nights
Varanasi Radisson 1 night
Agra Trident
Hilton 1 night
Shimla Oberoi Clarke 2 nights
Delhi Claridges
2 nights
Number of Pax 05-06 rates
2 pax
traveling together $ 1375 per person
Single room Supplement $ 650
per person
Prices applicable till September 2006.
Different prices applicable during Christmas and New Year Period (15
Dec - 15 Jan).
Cost includes
"
Accommodation in the hotels listed above on twin sharing basis on Bed
& breakfast
" Transportation by exclusive Chauffeur
driven air conditioned car
" English speaking guide for
sightseeing tours as per the above itinerary
" All currently
applicable taxes
" Entrances at the monuments.
"
All train fare in the class mentioned
Cost does
not include
o International sector airfare.
o Meals
not specified in the above quote or in the itinerary
o Camera fee
wherever levied
o Any Taxes levied by the government in future on
the tourism sector.
o Any other items not mentioned in the tour.
o Any expenses of personal nature such as hard/soft drinks,
laundry, phone/fax calls, tips etc
IMPORTANT: Kindly note
that names of hotels mentioned above only indicate that our rates have
been based on usage of these hotels and it is not to be construed that
accommodation is confirmed at these hotels until and unless we convey
such confirmation to you. In the event of any of the above-mentioned
hotels not becoming available we shall book alternate accommodation at
a similar or next best available hotel and shall pass on the
difference of rates (supplement/reduction whatever applicable) to you.
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