Tour Name: Indian Odyssey Journey
Destinations: Delhi - Sawai Madhopur – Agra – Jaipur – Udaipu – Vadodara - Ellora Caves - Mumbai
Duration: 07 Nights & 08 Days
Day 01 – Thursday
Board the Deccan Odyssey at DELHI - SAWAI MADHOPUR
Welcome aboard the royal Deccan Odyssey.
We will assemble at the railway station at approximately 1700 hours. Once the registration process and check in formalities are complete, you will receive a traditional Indian welcome and a refreshing drink.
You will then be guided to your charming cabins. As you settle in, the Deccan Odyssey shall begin its journey from Delhi to Sawai Madhopur.
Overnight on board the Deccan Odyssey.
Welcome drink and dinner on board.
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 02 – Friday
SAWAI MADHOPUR - RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK
Sawai Madhopur located in Rajasthan is the alighting point for the celebrated Ranthambore National Park, and India's tiger conservation efforts. The park is one of the best tiger reserves in the country, and also one place where spotting majestic animals is fairly easy.
Enjoy an early morning breakfast, and proceed for your morning game drive.
Ranthambore is home to a variety of species, including Chital and Sambhar deer, wild boars, Nilgai antelope and chinkara gazelles. You will also spot sloth bear, leopards and crocodiles. Ranthambore also has an abundant bird life, which includes jungle fowl, partridges, quails, the crested serpent eagle, woodpeckers and flycatchers, amongst others. There are also water birds like storks, ducks and geese at the lakes and waterholes. While you're here, look out for a majestic tiger lounging around lazily in the sun, or feverishly hunting down deer around the lakes!
Return to the comfort of the Deccan Odyssey for lunch.
Later, head to a quaint village for your next adventure. The villages of Rajasthan's are mostly home to tribes who thrive on hunting and farming. These folk are warm and more than happy to show guests around their villages. This is a great way to gain insights into their daily lives, and to get acquainted with the local flavour. Most people here live in mud huts, while the women here wear vibrant colours to offset the drab desert.
After an insightful afternoon, proceed for a high tea at the Sawai Madhopur Lodge. This is the former hunting lodge of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur.
Post enjoying high tea, it is time to head back to the Deccan Odyssey. Relax on board with a refreshing drink, and then enjoy a scrumptious dinner. The Deccan Odyssey will be off for Agra, the city of the world famous 'Taj Mahal'.
Breakfast and lunch on board, high tea at Sawai Madhopur lodge and dinner on board.
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 03 – Saturday
AGRA
Arriving at Agra, you will realize that the Mughals were not just the greatest dynasty to rule India but also its greatest builders. After a leisurely breakfast on board, you will visit the Taj Mahal, which was Emperor Shah Jahan's gift of love to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and is truly the world's most wondrous monument. The making of the Taj Mahal is as much a fable as the edifice itself. It took 20000 men 22 years to build this unrivalled mausoleum and its exquisite white marble was brought from 200 miles away by caravans of elephants and camels.
Lunch at a city hotel.
After lunch, your tour of Agra continues as you visit Itmad-ud-Daulah, a marble mausoleum built by Nur Jahan, the wife of Emperor Jahangir, in memory of her father, Ghiyas Beg. Sometimes called the 'Baby Taj', it is beautifully conceived in white marble, mosaic and lattice.
Thereafter proceed to Agra Fort, another outstanding example of Mughal architecture, and the seat of Mughal reign and administration for three generations. The present structure owes its origins to Emperor Akbar who had its first buildings of red sandstone erected on the eastern bank of the river Yamuna. His grandson Shah Jahan, the most artistic and prolific builder of the dynasty, later added the impressive marbled private quarters and the mosque while Aurangzeb added the outer ramparts. A visit to the Diwan-e-Am, 'Hall of Public Audience' and the Royal Pavilions is not to be missed.
Later, you have the opportunity to visit the local markets to admire the exquisite Pietra Dura (marble inlay) artefacts and Mughal ornaments OR as an optional activity you may avail of spa facilities at a hotel before completing your tour of this historical city.
Late evening, you return to the Deccan Odyssey for dinner and your onward journey to Jaipur, The Pink City.
Breakfast on board, lunch at a city hotel and dinner on board
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 04 – Sunday
JAIPUR
Legendary for the triumphs of its proud Rajputs, Jaipur, the City of Victory, is surrounded by the rugged Aravali hills - crowned by formidable forts - and beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens. Royal processions and parades, in all their splendour, graced these palaces and forts once. The city is a colourful oasis in the desert and you will notice a timeless quality to Jaipur's bazaars and its people.
After breakfast, you drive to Maharaja Mansingh's 17th century masterpiece, the Amber Fort that overlooks the beautiful Maota Lake. The fort is a sprawling complex of courtyards, halls and rooms adorned with beautiful paintings, precious stones and mirrors. Behold the Sheesh Mahal, 'Hall of Mirrors', where a single lamplight reflects in many mirrors, and lights up the entire room, creating a dazzling effect.
En-route to Amber Fort, visit the Palace of Winds, otherwise known as the Hawa Mahal, famous for its intricate pink sandstone carving and a beautiful view of the city.
Thereafter, you will visit the famous City Palace of Jaipur, an overwhelming complex of exquisite palaces, gardens and courtyards, decorative art and carved doorways. The palace museum houses collections of rare manuscripts, armoury, costumes and carpets. Walk across to the adjacent Jantar Mantar, the astronomical observatory built in the 18th century by Sawai Jai Singh. A wondrous achievement for its time the observatory gives accurate readings even to this day.
Lunch at a city hotel.
Breakfast on board, lunch at a city hotel and dinner on board
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 05 – Monday
UDAIPUR
The Deccan Odyssey rolls into Udaipur in the morning. Set on the shores of the placid Lake Pichola, Udaipur, known as the City of Lakes, is easily one of the most romantic cities of India, surrounded by scenic hills. Enjoy your breakfast as you admire the picturesque landscape of the Aravali hills.
The morning is at leisure.
Post early lunch, you will disembark to visit the famous City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, with its scalloped arches, fretted balconies, and cupolas, which also houses the spectacular Crystal Gallery. The tour of this magnificent city is completed with a boat cruise on the tranquil waters of Lake Pichola.
Later, proceed on a walking tour through the Old City of Udaipur. On this tour, you will explore the Old City's lively, busy and old fashioned colourful bazaar which still retains local charm and feel. As we walk along on the serpentine narrow streets, the place gives us the opportunity to see the shops selling spices, tea, bamboo baskets, flowers, sweets and other household items.
Thereafter, you return to the Deccan Odyssey for a relaxed evening and dinner as we depart for Vadodara.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board.
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 06 – Tuesday
VADODARA
Today you arrive at the capital of the Gaekwads - Vadodara, located along the seasonal river Vishwamitri.
After breakfast, you will disembark and proceed to visit Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only complete and unchanged pre-Mughal Islamic city in India. This concentration of largely unexcavated archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties is cradled in an impressive landscape. Marvel at the Jami Masjid (Great Mosque) built in 1513 representing a perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture which was a model for later mosque architecture in India.
Drive back to Vadodara for a leisurely lunch on board the Deccan Odyssey.
Breakfast and lunch on board, high tea at Lakshmi Vilas Palace and dinner on board.
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 07 – Wednesday
AURANGABAD - ELLORA CAVES
Aurangabad, named after the last Great Mughal Aurangzeb, is an industrial town in Maharashtra and the stop from where to head out to visit the exceptional Ellora Caves, a World Heritage Site. The city itself has deep Mughal influences and there are several monuments of note here; the Daulatabad Fort, Bibi-ka-Makbara and the city's 52 gates, each with its own history, amongst them.
Today brings a late start, leaving the morning free for you to enjoy a languid breakfast and enjoy some of the activities available on board. Later, as you savour lunch, the Deccan Odyssey arrives at Aurangabad, from where a scenic drive takes you to the Ellora Caves, carved into the side of a basaltic hill 30 km from the city. The finest specimen of cave-temple architecture in India, the site encompasses 34 rock-cut shrines representing Buddhist, Jain and Hindu art dating from the 4th to 5th century AD. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre Hindu, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain. The most remarkable is the Kailash temple, meant to be a replica of Shiva's celestial abode on Mt. Kailash. It is the best example of rock cut architecture and an engineering marvel.
After exploring Ellora, return to the Deccan Odyssey.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board.
Overnight on board Deccan Odyssey
Day 08 – Thursday
MUMBAI
Early this morning, after breakfast, disembark at the Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
Bid farewell to the Deccan Odyssey as your royal passage through the grand vistas of India comes to an end.
Breakfast on board.
