Day 1: Delhi Arrival:
You are welcomed at Delhi airport either by the representative of our local agency or by your French-speaking guide. He ensures with you the transfer to the hotel we’ve reserved you for 2 nights.
Your afternoon is dedicated to the discovery of Delhi.
Bathed in the holy waters of the Yamuna, Delhi was twice capital of empire, first with the Mughals, then in 1911, with the British. The city is divided into two very contrasting parts, New Delhi, the Victorian city with great avenues, with its business district and the parliament gathered around Connaught Place, and Old Delhi, the old city, the capital of Muslim India. Streets lined with bustling bazaars, and home to the Red Fort, witness to the power of the Mughal emperors as well as the Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest in the country.
In the late afternoon, you discover New Delhi via Rajpath, the Royal Way, before admiring the Indian Gate, the Parliament and the Presidential Palace.
In evening, you share a moment of fervor with the Sikh community at Bangla Sahib temple.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 2: Delhi to Agra (230kms-4h)
After having breakfast, you head towards Agra to discover the Taj-Mahal in "tonga", a small carriage. You will discover this amazing place of art and Mughal architecture, luminous mausoleum of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz, and considered as the third wonder of the world...
The afternoon is free and reserved for shopping.
At the end of the day, before settling in the hotel, you will visit Agra’s Red Fort, whose high red sandstone walls dominate the sacred river: Yamuna. It marks the birth of the Mughal Imperial style and offers you the opportunity to take a last look at the Taj-Mahal.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 3: Agra to Gwalior(119kms-2h30)
After having breakfast, you take the road to reach Gwalior. On arrival, you are directly transferred to the hotel to settle.
The vertiginous Fort, Man Singh palace with colorful ceramics, and the archaeological museum (closed on Wednesday) will fill your afternoon. You will also discover the Baroque Palace decorated with unusual European objects and which is still inhabited by the Maharaja and his family.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 4: Gwalior to Datia to Orchha(3h 30 to 200km)
After a heavy breakfast, you take the road to Datia, former capital of a Rajput principality. You visit the Govind Palace, a fine example of Mughal and Rajput architecture of the 17th century.
Then, you continue on towards Orchha the romantic "jewel of Madhya Pradesh", a medieval city on the bank of Betwa river.
Arrival in Orccha and check-in at the hotel.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5: Orchha to Khajuraho (4h30 to 200km)
After having breakfast, you leave for Khajuraho to discover its prestigious archaeological site which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arriving in Khajuraho you will be settling in the hotel.
In the afternoon, you walk through the village to experience the rural India. The village resonates with all the Indian tradition that still emerges today. After this beautiful discovery, you’ll have the chance to attend a dance show representing different regions of India. The dancers will be dressed in their finest costumes!
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6: Khajuraho to Varanasi (8h to 414 km)
After having breakfast, you visit the western part of Khajuraho’s site as well as its carved temples where huge friezes of entwined human figures practice "the arts of love". Sexuality becomes a spiritual path dedicated to the challenge of recognizing, at every moment of life, the sacred power of love to reach the absolute. All of this reveals the sculptures of Khajuraho: scenes of ordinary life in the fields, ladies' toilets, scenes of war and scenes of love, under the benevolent eye of the gods. To understand them and realize the purity of the divinity, one has to leave his sexual desires outside the temple ... In theory of course!
You return to the hotel and are being transferred to the airport according to the flight schedule for Varanasi.
Upon arriving in Varanasi, you are directly transferred to the hotel where you settle. After this, you go for a visit of India’s holy city and spiritual capital before walking on the ghats where one can observe scenes of the most diverse. On the one hand, you will feel the Hindu religious atmosphere, the homage that the pilgrims give to the gods and the sacred river, and the joyous carelessness that reigns there. At sunset, you attend the Ganga Aarti, a ceremony or a Hindu ritual in honor of the goddess Gange.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 7: Varanasi to Delhi (flight)
Early in the morning, you go for a boat ride on the sacred river and have the chance to witness the awakening of the city and the devotion of innumerable pilgrims, accompanied by the first glimmer of the sun, a magic moment.
You then go for a stroll in the big bazaar and in the maze of the old town alleys, where smells of incense and dung of sacred cows mingle. You will then discover Aurangzeb mosque built in the 17th century, the temple of Gold (entrance reserved for Hindus), as well as goddess Durga temple.
In the afternoon, you will visit Sarnath, Buddhist teaching’s birthplace. It is here that Buddha preached his first sermon in 528 BC. Sarnath is one of the most important sacred places for Buddhists from all over the world. Its museum, which houses remarkable performances of Buddha, will close your day.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 8 : Delhi to Leh(1h20)
This morning, after having your breakfast, you are transferred to Delhi airport to take a flight to Leh.Leh was once an important trading center of the Silk Road. The city is dominated by the nine-storey palace: Namgyal, similar in architecture to the Potala of Lhasa.
When you arrive, you settle down at the hotel and have all day to rest and get used to the altitude (the city is located at 3500m). In the evening, you take a short stroll through the city and its colorful bazaars.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 9 : Leh to Lamayur to Sham(108kms/2h15)
After having breakfast, your vehicle awaits you and you take the road to reach Lamayuru. There you will visit the monastery, one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh, where 400 monks lived once. Its frescoes and a beautiful statue of Buddha Vairochana as well as the exceptional landscapes around make Lamayuru a magnificent excursion.
Your journey continues through the Fotula pass (4 100 m) and the Namika pass (3 700 m). On the way, you stop at Mulbek to discover its magnificent 9-meters-high Maitreya statue, the Buddha of future times, and several other villages. It is in Kargil (2,676 m), where a Shia Muslim community resides that you get installed at the hotel.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 10: Sham to Leh(83kms-1h50)
After a well-deserved breakfast, you take the departure for Leh and visit, on the road, the D'alchi monastery and the pantheon.
It is in the late afternoon that you arrive and you settle down at the hotel.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 11: Leh to Nubra Valle (via Khardung to Hunder's Dune) (159kms-4h50)
After having breakfast, you leave for Nubra Valley, also called the "Valley of Flowers" or Ldumra. You will cross the famous Khardung, the highest road in the world. (Located at 5580m above sea level)
You settle into the camp before heading out for Hunder's Dune tour, dubbed the "Desert in Heaven" where you ride a camel, the only region in India where you can find some.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 12: Nabra to Deskit Monastery (74kms-2h30)
After having breakfast, you will discover Deskit monastery which contains an impressive statue of Maitreya.
You then reach Leh via a well-known place where you will surely take a photo souvenir: 'Khardung Top', located at 5602m altitude, the highest highway in the world.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 13: Leh to Pangong Lake (147kms-3h)
After having breakfast, you discover Pangong Lake, also known as the "hollow lake", passing by Chang La, the third highest highway in the world with its 5486m altitude.
You return to the hotel where you are settle. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 14: Pangong Lake to Leh to Thillsey Monastery to Shey Monastery (135kms-2h45)
Early in the morning, you will have the chance to witness the sunrise on the lake.
After having breakfast, you will discover Shey monetary, former residence of Ladakh royal family (the highest point of the monastery is an immense gold plated statue of Buddha Shakyamuni) and the river Indus. Your evening is free so you can fully enjoy your last moments. You will join your hotel in Leh at the end of the evening.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 15: Leh to Delhi & Departure
After having breakfast, you are transferred to Leh airport to take a flight to Delhi before taking your return flight.