Ten Day Best of Northern India

Day 1;

Fly to Varanasi

It’s nearly impossible to find your way around Varanasi, so if you don’t have a tour operator, have someone from you hotel meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Take the balance of the afternoon to wander around the river area.

Hotels – The best hotels are in the Cantonment area, but you really don’t want to stay there! You will miss the whole Varanasi river experience. It has some issues, (and it’s not exactly “heritage”) but probably the best is the Palace on the Ganges. www.palaceonganges.com I also love the inexpensive Alka.

Day 2:

Day to sightsee in Varanasi

Indian mythology tells us that Varanasi (also known as Benares) is the oldest of all cities and that may not be far from wrong. Archeologists place its founding at about 4000 years ago when it was known as Kashi, the “City of Light”. Since the dawning of recorded history, throngs of devotees have come here to purify their souls in the holy waters of the Ganges river and gain release from Samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death, and re-birth. At sunrise, you can board boats to float quietly past this ancient and sacred ritual which takes place every morning along the stone steps called “ghats”. It is believed that the Lord Shiva once lived in Varanasi, and this city is dedicated to him. Walk through the crowded cobblestone alleyways, filled with pilgrims and saddhus, and visit few of the beautiful temples built in his honor. Later in the day, you can have your driver take you to Sarnath, the deer park where the Buddha gave his first sermon, known as the “Turning of the Wheel of the Law”. The excavated ruins here include several stupas set in a peaceful and tranquil garden, and the museum has perfectly preserved examples of sculptures from this site as well as the Ashokan lion capital which is now the national symbol of India. In the evening, return to the riverbanks for the evening aarthi ceremonies. This is a newly invented tradition, but it is beautiful never the less. Set your tiny basket of flowers and a candle afloat down the currents of the Ganges river as the sun sets.

Day 3:

Depart on Air India at 12:25PM, and arrive Agra at 1:55PM ( it makes a stop in Khajuraho – if you have some extra time, stay here 2 nights). This flight operates on Sat, Mon, and Wed only

Day 4:

Perhaps a morning visit to the Taj? It opens at sunrise. Take some time to wander around the gardens, known as a ‘Char-Bagh” – a garden with a four course waterway. Afterwards, you might want to do some sightseeing on the other side of the Yamuna River. It was here that Shah Jahan had intended to build his black marble tomb to compliment that of Mumtaz Mahal’s, and there are nice vistas of the Taj across the (seasonal!) water. The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah is one of my favorite places. Its beautiful as well as quiet and peaceful. Built ten years before the Taj, it incorporates many of the Persian design elements which find their glory in the Taj Mahal. is the first example, in Undia, of the pietra dura inlay style. Nearby is a dilapidated but evocative tomb of Afzal Khan called Chini Ka Rauza. Also nearby is one of the oldest Char-Baghs in India, the Rambagh, built by Babur. After lunch, you might want to explore the enormous Agra Red Fort, seat of the government during the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. Literally a city within a city, its size and ostentation was intended to affirm the power and glory of the great Mogul empire. Shah Jahan died here, a prisoner of his son, and you can visit his quarters where he spent his last years gazing wistfully out at the tomb of his beloved Mumtaz Mahal.

Day 5:

Leave about 6:30AM for the 3 hour drive back to the Delhi airport. Jet Airways has a flight at 12:30PM that gets into Udaipur at 2:10PM.

Hotels – This is the home of the world famous Lake Palace Hotel. www.tajhotels.com You may have to do it! Last time I was there, they were no longer allowing non-guests to just come over and take a look. Be forewarned that the regular rooms are very cookie-cutter. If you can splash out on a suite, this would be a good place. My favorite hotel there is the Shiv Niwas, which is on the banks of the lake, opposite the Lake Palace. Better service and more authentic, in my opinion. www.hrhhotels.com My favorite inexpensive heritage hotel is the Kankarwa Havali. www.kankarwahaveli.com. It’s right up on the lake so ask for a lake view room. There are a lot of stairs here! It’s claim to fame is a lovely roof top restaurant.

Day 6:

Day sightseeing in Udaipur

This delightful and picturesque town is best explored on foot. There are scores of beautiful small temples, both in town and around the lake and most of the people delight in showing interested foreigners their puja ceremonies. The city palace is definitely worth a visit. The bazaar area is full of local handicrafts and is also famous as India’s center for miniature paintings and small shops all over town display beautiful examples of the various styles. There is a very famous ayurvedic college here, the Madan Mohan College, and visitors are welcome. In the evening. You might want to take a boat cruise out to the Jagmandir Island.

Day 7:

Drive from Udaipur to Aodhi to visit the amazing Ranakpur Temples and the massive Kumbhalgarh Fort Over night in Aodhi hotel, which is cute but newly built. If you want something more exciting, you could overnight at the 17th C Rohetgarh Hotel. www.rohetgarh.com

If you need to save a day, the drive from Udaipur to Jodhpur can easily be done in one day. It’s about 6 hour driving time and you could do a short visit to Ranakpur.

Day 8:

It’s about a 3 hour drive to Jodhpur from Aodhi, and you might want to head directly to Mehrangarh Fort, probably the most spectacular fortified citadel in India. Its massive and impregnable walls seem to grow out of the hill upon which it was built. From the outside, It is militaristic architecture at its most imposing, but at the top of the ramparts, it gives way to whimsical cupolas, chattris, archways, and domes. And once inside, opulence and sensuality reign. Find a guide who can escort you through rooms furnished with the antiques and fabulous Rajasthani art which was collected by the Maharajas.

After you finish with the fort, you can walk around the alleys of the Sardar Bazaar which have sprung up around the clock tower in the center of town. Many different types of goods converge here, vegetable and fruits, spices, textiles, handicrafts, and mundane plastic kitchenware.

Hotels – There are plenty of heritage hotels here. The Umaid Bhawan was, at one time, the largest private home in the world and it’s pretty spectacular. www.tajhotels.com Downtown, the Pal Haveli is an old merchant’s home. www.palhaveli.com I had one of the best meals I’ve ever had in India on their roof top restaurant – complete with killer views of the fort.

Day 9:

Relax in Jodhpur. This is one of my favorite places to shop. There are great “antique” stores out past the Umaid Bhawan hotel. You can take a car and go over to the cenotaphs. It’s a nice setting on a small lake with views of the fort.

Day 10:

Fly back to Delhi. Jet Airways has a non-stop flight at 1:40PM, arriving at 3:20PM. Evening in Delhi, perhaps for a nice dinner.