Essential of North India (itinerary of 5 days)

If you have just 4-5 days and want to visit the essential of North India, an itinerary for you:

Day 1: DELHI / JAIPUR (5 hours drive)

Reception at Delhi and immediate transfer to Jaipur . Transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day free.

Day 2: JAIPUR
Some suggestions for the visit. Start the morning with a walk to the Hawa Mahal or "Palace of Winds", the elegant pink façade bathed in morning light . Built in 1799, the Hawa Mahal, royal ladies, behind its open front, used to attend the celebrations the city. You will then head to the outside of the city of Jaipur towards Amber Fort, which offers a unique view of the chain of Aravallis . It can be accessed by elephant or jeep . Built in the sixteenth century and completed by Jai Singh I in the seventeenth century, it features a maze of courtyards , pavilions and mirrors that recall the glory and prosperity of the Rajput rulers. After the visit, you can enjoy your stay in Jaipur with a wide choice of silks and cottons with thousand shimmering colors, make custom clothes as tailors can carry out your wishes on the same day.

Afternoon, you can continue exploration of the city with the City Palace where the present Maharaja still has his apartments . Built in the eighteenth century, it was partially converted into a museum of miniatures and costumes, whose rich collections are a delight to the eye. After the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar, astronomical observatory consisting of instruments of massive extent constructed in eighteenth century was designed by Jai Singh II. Have a stroll through the bazar and alleys of the old town.

Day 3: Jaipur / Fatehpur Sikri / Agra ( 5:30 hours drive till Agra)
Route to Fatehpur Sikri, a magnificent World Heritage Site by Unesco. Continue to Agra.

Day 4: AGRA / DELHI (5:30 hours drive) 

Visit of the Taj Mahal in the morning, bright white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to immortalize his love for his wife Mumtaz. Amid evocative flower gardens of Paradise of Allah, reflected in the water of shallow channels, the famous monument offers all eyes. Then visit the Red Fort, revealing the power of the Mughal empire. A military fortress built by Akbar, the fort was partially converted into a palace by Shah Jahan. Its massive walls 25m high house a succession of palaces, pavilions and kiosks, including the famous finely crafted Pearl Mosque.

Drive to Delhi. Transfer to your hotel . Rest of the day free.

Day 5: DELHI
Discover the Indian capital, where the rapid and exponential growth would almost forget the political role. Delhi and its two cities, the Indian and the British who, side by side, give a single glance, a testament to the country's recent history. Visit the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent with a quick look at the outside of Red Fort built in the seventeenth century. A walk through the maze of streets to the lively bazaar of Chandni Chowk will give you the opportunity to take the pulse of the neighborhoods that never sleep.

In the afternoon, start with the Humayun's tomb (16^th century), the perfection of its size, the garden planted with flowers and ponds provide a beautiful sight . Followed by, the Qutb Minar complex, dominated by the monumental tower built in the 13^th century to mark the arrival of the Muslims in Delhi. All unfinished and now almost entirely ruined, presents an interesting mix of Persian art and Hindu influences.

The tour can be finished at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, a Sikh temple in the capital.