India's Golden Triangle & the Sacred Ganges

Day 1: New Delhi
Arrive at New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, transfer to the Trident Hotel Gurgaon in New Delhi.

Day 2: Udaipur
FEATURED EXCURSION: City Tour of Udaipur
Transfer to the New Delhi airport for an early flight to Udaipur. On arrival at Maharana Pratap Udaipur Airport, begin a half day city tour of Udaipur, known as the Venice of the East. You’ll start by visiting Jagdish Temple, a 300+ year-old monument to erstwhile Rajput kings. Continue to the magnificent City Palace—a palace complex situated in the city. It was built over a period of nearly 400 years, with contributions from several rulers of the Mewar dynasty. End the excursion with a visit to the world-famous Crystal Gallery; it's spread across the upper gallery of the glittering Durbar Hall Sabhagaar. It has been hailed as probably the single largest private collection of crystal anywhere in the world.

After your tour, you’ll have free time to enjoy your luxurious hotel for the rest of the day.

Day 3: Udaipur
FEATURED EXCURSION: Boat ride on Lake Pichola and the Garden of Saheliyon-ki-Bari
Relax with a fresh breakfast while taking in the views of the lake from the hotel’s dining room. Then, head out to experience a boat ride on Lake Pichola, followed by a visit to Saheliyon-ki-Bari. As per legend, the garden was designed by the king himself for his queen and the 48 maidens who kept her company. Continue with a walk through the shopping area near Jagdish Temple.

Day 4: Udaipur, New Delhi
Have a leisurely breakfast and independent morning before heading out to the airport for the flight back to New Delhi.

Day 1: Varanasi
FEATURED EXCURSION: Panoramic city tour of Varanasi
Disembark and fly from Kolkata to Varanasi, one of the seven holy cities in the Hindu faith. The faithful believe that dying in Varanasi breaks the cycle of rebirth and frees the soul, and every good deed done here confers special blessings on the doer. It draws an unending stream of Hindu pilgrims, who lend the city a special flavor. A panoramic tour shows you some of the highlights of the city. As befits a city legendary for its place in Hinduism, temples abound. Vishwanath Temple, dedicated to Shiva and built in 1776, has pinnacles sheathed in gold. White Marble Tulsi Manas, erected in the 1960s, stands amid lovely gardens; ocher-stained Durga Temple, sacred to the goddess Durga, is sometimes called the monkey temple because of the many monkeys frolicking on the premises. But perhaps the most famous sights of all are the ghats, the broad steps that offer access to the sacred Ganges. Here the faithful come to wash away their sins in the river and to cremate their dead.

FEATURED EXCURSION: Private boat ride to witness a Ganga Aarti ceremony at sunset
You can experience one of Varanasi’s most famous religious observances after you check in to your luxurious hotel. You’ll take a private boat out onto the water just as the sun sets and remain afloat for a marvelous view of an Aarti ceremony. This ritual, an offering to the goddess of the Ganges, takes place every evening on the banks of the river. Hindu priests light heavy brass oil lamps and perform a set of highly stylized and choreographed movements to an accompaniment of meditative chants. Though thousands may gather to watch this ceremony, reverent quiet prevails among the spectators, so the ringing of bells and the sounding of horns carries clearly over the water as flame, smoke and incense drift through the air.

Day 2: Varanasi, New Delhi
FEATURED EXCURSION: Private sunrise boat ride along the Ganges and silk factory visit
Experience a magical moment on Mother Ganga at morning’s first light. Step aboard a rowboat and drift quietly along the serene water as the sun rises, listening to the call of birds and the soft splash of the paddle as it dips into the river. All along the ghats, the faithful bathe in the river, murmur prayers and perform private Aartis. As daylight brightens, more people gather on the ghats, washing clothes, practicing yoga, eating breakfast—gradually the pace of daily life picks up, and the sacred merges into the mundane, showing you how closely the two are linked by the holy river.

Next, see how one of the world’s great silk-weaving traditions has flourished in Varanasi for more than 500 years, ever since Mughal rulers first encountered the development of the craft in the 15th century. Varanasi artisans still use traditional Mughal motifs as they weave featherlight silk scarves and lustrous brocades. It can take as long as six months for an artisan to weave the six meters of fabric required for the finest sari, which is often embroidered with gold or silver threads and embellished with beading; brides in particular seek out these gorgeous and unique—and costly—sari fabrics. Discover a range of lush and colorful silks as you visit a silk workshop, where the clack of the Jacquard loom keeps alive a craft handed down from generation to generation, and learn a little about the traditional processes used to create these work of art. You’ll return to the hotel for breakfast and then have time to explore a little on your own, before transferring to the airport for your flight to New Delhi, where you will check into your luxury hotel for your last night in India.

Day 3: New Delhi
You’ll check out of your hotel and transfer to the New Delhi Airport. Though your Indian adventure has ended, the memories will last you a lifetime.