Paradise within reach – 16 Nights

Morning Breakfast and proceed for Delhi sightseeing. First you will be taken to the famous Qutab Minar, here explore the tallest minaret in India built of red sandstone. The iron pillar that never rusts, will surely be a subject of amazement to you. From here we drive past to Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan. A brief stop at India Gate will give you a peek into families enjoying their day in the greenest part of Delhi. We continue our ride to Akshardham Temple, the new wonder on the block. You will be magnetized just by one look on the out of this world architectural work and carvings. We take a short break for lunch and then head to rural charms of Old Delhi. Enjoy a unique rickshaw ride on the streets of Chandni Chowk (the once royal market of Mughals). The skills of rickshaw driver zipping on the street jam packed with people, market chaos and other mode of transport will definitely overwhelm you. From here, shop for jewelry items from the famous jewelry market, Dariba Kalan. Right opposite to the market is the world heritage site Red Fort. The fort holds the attractions of Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Am, watch the magnificent carvings on the palace walls which were once embedded with precious stones.
Shopping for many handicraft items, fake ivory jewelry, and miniature paintings from the famous Meena Bazaar inside the fort. Stay back to enjoy the pleasing Light and Sound show, of the glorious history of Mughals. Overnight stay Hotel.

Early Morning breakfast, and then we proceed by surface wonder of the world city, The Agra. Approximate 200 Kms with drive time of over 3 hrs, we reach Agra crossing through the world heritage site of Fatehpur Sikri, the once capital of Akbar. The main attractions are still very well preserved, the Tomb of Salim Chisti, Palace of Jodha Bai, Panch Mahal, Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas are worth a visit.
Check-in your hotel in Agra. The entire evening is at your disposal. At night, we take you to the Taj for a scintillating view of this monument of love under moonlit skies. The sight will seem straight out of a picture book. Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel we leave to explore the monumental heritage of the Great Mughals, including the magnificent Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and surely the most extravagant expression of love ever created. 20,000 men laboured for over 17 years to build this memorial to Shah Jahan’s beloved wife. It’s a wealth of white marble and semi-precious stone – undoubtedly the highlight of our tour. Later we leave for tour of the imposing Agra Fort, built of red sandstone and marble is a hilltop citadel with fabulous courtyards, fountains and gates.

After lunch we travel to Fatehpur Sikri – Built by Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century, it is a veritable fairytale city built of red sandstone, and its “ruins” are in pristine condition. Rest of the evening is free to explore the local handicrafts and shopping centers of the city where one can look for marble inlay work, fine quality carpets, Zari and embroidery, leather goods etc. Overnight stay is at the Hotel.

Morning breakfast at hotel and proceed to Delhi airport for your flight to capital of ‘Paradise on Earth’, Srinagar in Kashmir. Upon arrival at Srinagar airport you will be assisted by our local representative, check in the houseboat on Dal Lake or at hotel . Evening at leisure. Overnight stay at Srinagar.

Wake up to the captivating smell of fresh nature and views of rising sun behind the high mountains. The view is a dream comes true for many. A delicious Kashmiri breakfast awaits you to jump-start your first day in Kashmir. Attractions of Srinagar are the flavor of the day starting by visit the alluring Mughal Gardens. The Chashmashahi, Shalimar Bagh (garden) and Nishant Bagh are the most famous one. Back at Dal Lake, its time for a splendid Shikara ride. Along with enjoying the beauty of the surroundings, indulge in shopping from many shops set up on shikaras floating around you. You can buy locally made handicrafts, and woolen clothes, especially the pashmina shawl. Take this ride to nearby lakes like Nagin Lake and Bod Dal, which are equally mesmerizing. Overnight stay at Hotel.

After breakfast another magical drive in nature’s Lap towards Gulmarg. Enjoy every moment, as the journey to Gulmarg is half the fun. Throughout the distance of 46 km, high hills bounded the road on one side and deep and gorgeous valleys on the other. Gulmarg is full of exceptional beauty all round the year. Visit during summers, the greenery will enthrall you, the variety of color in springtime will enchant you, and in winters the shinning white all around and the prospect of skiing will grip you to this small town. There are many activities in which you can indulge. Hit the highest green top golf course in the world and complete the 18-hole course. Take a refreshing gondola ride (cable car) to the top of Apherwat range from where you will get a clear view of Nanga Parbat, the fourth highest peak in the world. In winters, also indulge in skiing from top of this range to the foot. In the evening, we head back to Srinagar for your overnight stay in the houseboat.

Early morning breakfast at hotel and we proceed to Pahalgam for full day excursion in the south east of Srinagar situated at an altitude of 2130 mts. above sea level. It is Kashmir’s most popular resort surrounded by high mountains, dense forests, high mountain altitude lakes, it also offers 9 hole golf course, Skiing, pony trails, The 96-km journey is simply outstanding. The journey might be slow, but it won’t be even a bit tiring. Along the way, we make brief stops at saffron fields, ruins in Avantipur, Anantpur Spring and Chandanwari. Its form here the route goes to Holy Amarnath ji cave. There various places of interest in and around like Aru valley, Lidderwat valley, Kolhai Glacier, Shesh Nag, Baisam and Mamil famous for 9th century old (Shiva Temple) Thus happens to be a preferred spot among tourist.
Evening back to Srinagar for overnight stay.

After breakfast we proceed for full day excursion to lovely town of Sonmarg “Meadow of God “. The distance between Srinagar and Sonmarg is around 85 kms in north east direction Situated at an altitude of around 3000 mts above sea level. The place offers incredible scenic beauty while driving to Sonamarg dense forests, gigantic mountains the place itself is a popular resort for mountaineers, rock climbers, besides an important halt on to Kargil (Ladakh) and provides the ideal base for various trekking routes, high mountain lakes “Krishnasar”, Glaciers and Shri Amarnath ji Holy Cave.

Evening back Srinagar and overnight stay ht stay.

Morning breakfast at hotel and proceed to KARGIL .The journey will which will give you few of the most scintillating views. We will be cutting across the second coldest inhabited place on earth, Drass. Well, this should be hint enough, that you should carry with yourself heavy woolen clothes. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Evening at leisure. Overnight stay at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Wake up early to catch the freshness in the air that will energize every part of your body. Preserve every inch of that energy, as you will require it when conquering the tougher parts of trekking routes. The main trekking routes that we would be covering will be inside the town itself. Kargil-Padum-Kargil. Some parts of the trek are found tough even by professionals. Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast we proceed on our journey for Leh. The distance between the two towns is around 230 km. Prepare yourself for a bumpy ride as the roads are a bit up and down and curvy. The journey will take around 8 hrs. You will be directly taken to your hotel. Relax at hotel in the evening you can tread through the narrow streets shopping for the rare artifacts. One thing you will notice is that, most items here have a Tibetan touch to them. Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast we set to explore the biggest and most famous Buddhist monasteries and gompas in Ladakh. The first and foremost is the Hemis Monastery which is the largest and the wealthiest of all the monasteries in Ladakh. It also has the largest thangka painting in the world, although you won’t be able to see it as it is displayed only once in 12 years. Few kilometers away is the famous Thiksey monastery. You will definitely be impressed by the huge and imposing structure of the monastery. Other close by monasteries are Stagmo and Stakna which have surroundings that will leave you spellbound. Before going back to the hotel, we make a brief stop on the scintillating Pangong Lake. Breathtaking views are to be had around this lake, so make sure you carry extra rolls of films or an extra memory card with you as nothing is enough in these parts.

Breakfast at hotel.. The two days in Ladakh would have acclimatized you to the high altitudes of this area. This is very important before setting off on any adventure trails in the region. Before starting make sure you have taken everything that you require to protect yourself from chilling cold and extreme sun. Strap yourself for the moments of your lifetime as we take off. Starting with a normal trek before going to tougher ones helps you to get used to the requirements. In the second half of the day, we take on rafting in Zanskar River (Subject Weather Condition) . You will have a guide with you during the entire course of river rafting. Give special attention to the do’s and don’t s that you will be told before the start. Rafting in Indus River is one of the toughest and most exhilarating stuff you will be doing on this tour.
Overnight stay at the hotel.

After a special Leh breakfast, early morning transfer to Airport for your flight to Jammu. We will reach Jammu in the first half of the day itself. Upon arrival, you will be taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is still remaining for us to explore the attractions. After lunch, we head off into the city for a pleasant evening. Few kilometers from your hotel is the magnificent Bahu Fort. Enjoy a refreshing time on the well cut out gardens on all sides of the Fort. Also visit the Temple of Goddess Kali which is located in the center of the fort. We continue our ride to Amar Mahal Palace. This stunning red stone structure is now a museum. Look at the spectacular 120-kg pure gold sofa and few of the oldest books in the library. We also take you to Katra, the starting point of Vaishno Devi yatra. Feel the devotion loom in the air as the pilgrims start their journey chanting the Goddess’s name. In the evening we head back to hotel for overnight stay.

After your breakfast, you will be transferred to Jammu Airport for you flight back to Delhi. From there you will catch flight for your onward journey.