Exciting Rajasthan

Departure from Italy with scheduled flight according to availability.

Arrival in Delhi. Handling of check-in and customs formalities and meeting with the local assistant. Depending on the time of arrival, the transfer to the hotel will be provided, together with the allocation of rooms or the transfer to the city.

In the afternoon we will visit the old city (Shahjahanabad), built by the powerful Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, was once surrounded by a red sandstone wall with fourteen access doors. Fascinating and picturesque maze of narrow streets, it is divided into two parts by the Silver Street, a colorful and vibrant succession of shops and bazaars. In the same area you can visit the Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in the world, built in 1650, you will pass the Gandhi memorial in front of the Red Fort and Raj Ghat. Stop at Birla Temple and visit the Sikh temple. We will stop at the Qutab Minar, one of the tallest stone towers in India, started in 1199 by Qutab ud-din and completed by his successors (Braille caption is available at Qutab Minar)
Dinner and overnight

In the morning departure for Agra (about 4 hours) visit of the city which stands on the right bank of the Yamuna river. In the center there is the Red Fort, and in the southeast the Taj Mahal, in the north there's the old city and in the southwest there is the most modern part of the city. The Taj Mahal (attention: it is closed on Friday) is one of the seven wonders in the world and stands in the middle of a lush garden. Its beauty transcends all description. Built by Mughal Emperor Shahjehan in 1631 in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of his 14th son after 17 years of marriage. In order to erect the monument precious stones of all kinds, pearls, corals were collected and 20.00 among the best craftsmen were called from all over the realm; they took 22 years to complete this masterpiece. Continue to the Red Fort, a vast building that overlooks the Yamuna river, started by Emperor Akbar and then enlarged by succeeding emperors, where you can visit the public and private audience halls. Not all monuments preserved inside can be visited. (Taj Mahal captions available in braille)

Breakfast. In the morning departure for Jaipur (256 km - about 6 hours). On the way, we will make a first stop to visit the village of Dausa and the middle school of the village. Here there's an opportunity to contribute to a social cause and therefore confer a higher value on travel. (we invite you NOT to donate sums of money as an offer) The visit will continue with the splendid Fatehpur Sikri, the ancient capital of the Mughal empire under Akbar the Great. The city rises on a sandstone hill, it is uninhabited and is therefore known as the "ghost town". It is certainly one of the best preserved and representative archaeological complexes of Mughal art. We will continue until Jaipur, where we will get to hotel accommodation. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, it is one of the most fascinating cities in Northern India. The decorations of its buildings are made in real stone lace, while the style of its buildings represents a happy syncretism between Rajasthani architectural elements and the elements proper to Mughal. It was built in 1728 by the warrior and astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh. In 1883, on the occasion of Prince Albert's visit, the buildings were painted pink in his honor. In the morning we will make an excursion to Amber Fort. The fort is located 10 kilometers from Jaipur, and it was built in the 17th century. We will also have an elephant ride. At the end of the visit, we will return to the city. A photo stop will have made outside the Hawa Mahal or "The Palace of Winds", built with the desert stone, which stands on one of the main streets of the city. In reality, it is not a palace but an extraordinary facade equipped with 953 windows that were used by the ladies to observe the outside world. It's a clear example of oriental art, and then we will visit the city and the Observatory, which is even more interesting than the one of Delhi, rich in instruments of exceptional size and where you can find the "Sancrat" (the Prince of the Sundial), with a height of 90-foot. Also, we will make a rickshaw ride through the colorful market. The visits will end with the Maharaja Palace, dating back to 1570. Possibility to visit the bazaar of Jaipur onboard a typical rickshaw. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure for Bikaner (334 km about 7 hours). On the way we will visit the Shekhawati region, famous for Madawa and its haveli painted in the Shekawati style.
Arrival in Bikaner and accommodation.

Breakfast. In the morning we will visit Junagarh Fort and its museum. The ancient capital is surrounded by walls, and it was founded in 1488 by Rao Bikaji, and , in the medieval times, it was located on an ancient caravan road. The old city enclosed within the city walls in the southeast of the city includes the colorful local bazaars. Junagarh Fort was built by Raja Raj Sin, who reigned from 1571 to 1611, and he was one of the commanders of the army of Emperor Mughal Akbar. The fort, which is counted among the most beautiful fortresses in the world, is surrounded by a large moat. It is accessible from the main entrance: the Sun gate, flanked by two huge elephants in painted stone, installed by Jaimal and Patta, the heroes of Chittorgarh. Inside the walls there are a series of buildings built in later periods. Visit of the local market and continuation to Jaisalmer (330 Km / 5 hours approximately). Arrival, hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. transfer In Jodhpur (approximately 283 km / 5 hours), after the arrival, we will begin by visiting the imposing Meherangarh Fort: with two entrances, it stands on a steep hill 125 meters high and completely dominates the city with its walls. The palace and fort contain rich collections of palanquins, elephant sedans, musical instruments, costumes, furnishings and weapons. The cannon collection is one of the most interesting in India: the signs of cannon shots fired by invaders are still visible. Several cenotaphs remember the sacrifice of the brave Rajput warriors. There are also the handprints of the satis, the women who preferred to sacrifice themselves in case of defeat of their husbands, rather than suffer the shame of captivity. Noteworthy are the Coronation Halls and the throne, where all the rulers of the city were crowned except for the founder. Inside the fort there are 36 lattice windows, each different from the other, preciously carved panels and perforated red sandstone barriers. We will make a stop at Jaswant Thada, a place that preserves the royal cenotaphs dating back to the early twentieth century in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh-II and the clock tower in the city center.
In the afternoon accommodation in the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure in the morning to reach Udaipur (km. 245, about 5 hours) and stop along the way to visit the temples of Ranakpur. It is accessible through shady woods, where you can find colorful peacocks which show themselves in all their elegance and, on the branches, tireless monkeys jump from one branch to another. Right in the center of this forest there are the Jainist temples of Ranakpur, built under the liberal kingdom and given as a gift to the monk Ranka Kumbha. The complex belongs to the late period (XV century), when the classical age was already setting, they are the only example of Jain ecclesiastical architecture. All the temples are enclosed by a wall, inside which the main temple dedicated to Rishabji dominates the scene. At the end of the journey to Udaipur accommodation in the chosen hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. In the morning excursion to the gates of Udaipur and visit to the Eklingi temple, built in the 8th century, the most famous building in a complex of 108 other temples. 1 km from Eklingi there are the vestiges of Nagda, the capital of Mewar since the 6th century AD where there are still interesting remains of temples and sculptures. Return to the city and visit the City Palace, the royal palace of Udaipur, faithful to the chromatic theme of the city, which is also called "the White" for the whiteness of its buildings that are reflected in the lake in stark contrast to the interiors enlivened by frescoes and with the colors of the walls inlaid with mirrors and mosaics. Visit to Saheliyon-ki- Bari, the bridesmaids garden, a small and graceful example of Rajasthani gardens. Transfer to the airport in time for the flight to Delhi. Arrival and accommodation in hotel, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, visit to Anubhav: a tactile experience

A gallery with improved visitor access

Anubhav is a special tactile gallery which aims to expand access to all visitors, especially visitors with disabilities. It has 22 tactile replicas of museum objects on display, carefully chosen from the vast collection of the National Museum by its curators representing 5000 years of Indian art. The idea is to offer visitors a rich and engaging experience aesthetically, historically and intellectually. The objects range from archaeological finds, sculptures, tactile impressions of paintings, utilitarian objects, ethnographic objects and decorative arts.

Later visit of Humayun's tomb. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast and transfer to the airport in time for the return flight.