- India Escorted Tours
- REVAMP Grand Tour of Rajasthan with Shimla Extension
NEW TOUR
As capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, the engaging town of Shimla is a popular resort for tourists and local vacationers alike. This former British summer capital still retains much of its colonial heritage and is the perfect extension to your tour of India.
Depart on your overnight flight to Delhi International Airport.
Lunch & Dinner
After arriving in Delhi, you'll be met and transferred to your hotel where you will have lunch and enjoy some free time to relax before your welcome evening meal.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning takes a tour of the beautiful city of New Delhi, See the contrast between Old Delhi’s historic charms and New Delhi’s detailed colonial town. Drive past the India Gate, President’s House, Parliament Building and visit the Birla Temple, made purely out of 2,000 tons of Rajasthan white marble. Travel onto Old Delhi through the narrow, crowded streets on a rickshaw, pass vibrant food markets and chai wallahs brewing their sweet tea. Visit the regal Red Fort for a sense of the lavish life once led by the former rulers before your tour continues to New Delhi to see the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and the 12th century Qutab Minar with its fine examples of Indo-Islami
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart Delhi for a leisurely train journey to Agra. Despite being a small city, Agra was once the capital of the mighty Mughal dynasty whose strength manifested itself in the huge forts and buildings designed to maintain its power. During the afternoon you will visit the vast red sandstone Agra Fort. The colossal walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Mughals in 1573 and boasts gigantic pavilions, grand palaces and spectacular courtyards.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This magical day starts with a tour of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal; words do not do this remarkable palace justice. Taking 17 years and 20,000 men to build, the heartbroken Mughal Emperor Shahjahan dedicated this stunning white marble monument of love to his deceased wife to enshrine her mortal remains. ater proceed to Sariska, enroute lunch at midway and drive to Sariska. Sariska Tiger Reserve is a national park where you will find a perfect intermingling of nature. It contains mountains, grasslands, dry deciduous forests and cliffs which span over 800 square kilometers. Rest of the day free. Overnight at Hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Morning and evening proceeds for the safari @ 06 00 hrs. When you go on a jeep safari at Sariska tiger reserve, you can spot beautiful animals going about their day, especially tigers. You also get to go bird watching while on the safari as the reserve is home to more than 220 species of birds with migratory birds from Europe, Central Asia, and other regions. Going on a safari can prove to be highly enjoyable if you go in groups as it would add an entirely different level of fun quotient to the trip. Rest of the day free at Hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast today you proceed to visit the Bhanghat Fort, Indian’s most haunted place. Visit the fort and later proceed to the Pink City of Jaipur, which got its name from the distinctive earthy red-colored buildings, painted to emulate the red sandstone architecture of the ancient Mughal cities. Evening you can visit some of the local bazaars and stalls for shopping. Try the Jal Mahal Road and Bapu Bazar for jeweler, handicrafts, textile and more, or wander the streets. Later return back to the Hotel for Dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin your day in Jaipur with a visit to the spectacular Amber Fort, the ancient capital of the royal family until 1728. Spanning over four huge courtyards, you will travel to the centre of the fort by Jeep, passing snake charmers and harems of the Maharajah along the way. An afternoon city tour of Jaipur takes you to the astronomical observatory of Jantar Mantar. Lastly marvel at the hundreds of tiny windows on the facade of the Hawa Mahal, known to many as the Palace of the Winds.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following the breakfast you will start the drive to Pushkar, arrival at Pushkar by noon and check into the Hotel. After lunch relax and by evening visit the famous Brahma Temple, sacred Pushkar Lake, and vibrant, bustling bazaars. Later return back to the Hotel for Dinnar and over
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Morning after breakfast proceed to Udaipur, affectionately known as 'The Venice of the East', magical Udaipur is a city of romance with beautiful lakes and fantastical palaces all bordered by lush, forested hills. Late afternoon arrival at the Hotel and rest of the day free. Overnight at Hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning you will visit the huge City Palace, lining the eastern shore of Lake Pichola, with its balconies gazing out towards the stunning Lake Palace seemingly floating on the waters across the shimmering lake. Next make a stop at the celebrated Jagdish temple, the largest in the city and whose 79 foot sculpted spire dominates the skyline. Here you can appreciate the three-storied temple that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Universe. Overnight at Hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Leaving Udaipur, en-route to Jodhpur you will visit the world famous Ranakpur temple complex. Acclaimed for their intricate and superb architectural style, the temples are the largest of the Jain cult and form one of the five major pilgrimage sites. Wholly constructed in marble with more than 1,400 exquisitely carved supportive pillars, they contain numerous beautifully and delicately carved sculptures and are definitely a highlight of any trip to this area. Later proceed to Udaipur and rest of the day free. Overnight at Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, proceed for the sightseeing of Jodhpur where you will enjoy a tour of the buzzing 'Blue City'. Starting at the mighty 15th century Mehrangarh fort, this magnificent architectural masterpiece towers above the sandstone hills of the city and boasts huge courtyards and palatial apartments within. Continue on to Jaswanth Thada, the traditional cremation ground of the rulers of Jodhpur with ornamental gardens containing the fabulous white marble memorial to the Maharaja, Jaswanth Singh II. Afternoon visit to a tribal village in the nearby Bishnoi, offering a taste of the past and rich culture of the region. Inhabited by a community of nature worshippers, the beautifully scenic village contains a natural lake surrounded by Khejri trees
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Morning after breakfast proceed to Manvar on arrival check in and after lunch you will be taken on a desert jeep safari to see some of the rural life of the surrounding areas. Later, enjoy the unique experience of a camel ride into the Thar Desert. This evening witness the stunning sunset with a cultural performance and dinner under the starlit skies. (Desert Camps are closed 1st April to 30th September. Resort is operational until around mid-May and opens 1st August.)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following breakfast you will start the drive to Bikaner. Bounded by sand dunes and situated on an elevated plain, this vibrant desert town is fondly known as the 'camel country' of India. Arriving afternoon, you will check-in to your hotel and after lunch Today, you will have a tour of the 16th- century Junagad Fort. With its unique and formidable structure, you will appreciate the amazing network of havelis—mansions with courtyards and balconies of red sandstone and marble. The fort also contains numerous monuments with gold plasters, exquisite mirrorwork, and hidden chambers. overnight stay at hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Early morning transfer to Bikaner railway station to catch train to Delhi by Vande Bharat. Arrival Delhi by afternoon and transfer to the Hotel. Rest of the day free and overnight at hotel.
Breakfast
This morning you be transferred to the station in Delhi to board the train to Kalka. Arriving in the early afternoon you will be met and start your journey to Shimla. Set amidst the snow-capped Shivalik mountain range, the hill town holiday resort displays many examples of its colonial past including charming iron lamp posts and hand-painted signs. Your evening will be at leisure to explore the local bazaars and pedestrianised streets.
Breakfast
Just 30 minutes drive from Shimla is the beautiful town of Kufri, surrounded by dense forest and stunning mountain scenery. After lunch in a local restaurant, you will be taken on a tour of Viceregal Lodge, the impressive former summer residence of the British Raj leader who governed the entire Indian subcontinent until 1946. Following some time learning about some of the significant decisions made within the viceroy, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Shimla.
Breakfast
After breakfast, you will take the toy train to Kandaghat, where will you have lunch and drive to Kalka in time to catch the train back to Delhi. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.
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The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is required for entry into India. British Citizen Passport Holders will need to obtain a tourist visa. You can apply for an E-visa no more than 30 days in advance. Your E-visa must be valid for your whole trip so please ensure the expiry date is for the whole duration of your stay. Alternatively you can visit The Indian Visa Application Centre in London: 142-148 Goswell Road, London, EC1B 7DU. We also work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. Additionally, you will need to complete an e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before your arrival. This can be done on the Indian visa website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you enter India. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing, early mornings, long days of driving, some days with lots of walking and includes some climbing of stairs and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in India is the Rupee. The Rupee is a closed currency and officially you are not allowed to take any cash out of India. US Dollars and GBP are also widely accepted in India should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. There are restrictions on taking Indian rupees into India. Visitors, including tourists, are not permitted to take any amount of Indian currency into the country. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in India. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £400 per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour. Please bear in mind that there will be several shopping opportunities throughout your tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately £4-£5 for each guide and £2-£3 for each driver per person per day. It is asked that you tip in pounds and not local currency, please do not give coins as these are difficult to exchange. Your guide will also ask you for £1 or £2 a day to add to a kitty this is for the porters, waiters etc throughout your tour.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour. A national guide will meet you on arrival and accompany you throughout your trip. In certain cities, local guides will join you to provide expert insight based on the sites visited.
For private tours, you will travel with either a Driver Guide or a Driver plus local guides. They will accompany all sightseeing. Private tours can depart any day of the week, subject to transport schedules and attraction opening times. These tours follow the brochure itinerary unless otherwise advised and include all listed meals, sightseeing, and excursions.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and India. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. A triple room is available but please note that this will be a twin room with a fold away bed for the 3rd passenger.
Breakfast is always a combination of Indian and western style and served in the hotel each morning (sometimes a packed breakfast depending on train journey). Lunch and dinner where applicable will be taken in hotel/wayside restaurants. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Two bottles of water are supplied per person per day on your tour.
There are some dry hotels in India, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting to the hotel then we will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.
Dry days are when the sale of alcohol is not allowed. Most of the Indian states observe these days on major national festivals/occasions such as Republic Day in January, Independence Day in August and Gandhi Jayanti in October. Dry days are also observed during elections in India.
During visits to Churches/Temples please note long trousers or skirts should be worn to cover knees, Long sleeved tops should be worn to cover shoulders and ladies should bring a scarf to cover your head. In the Golden Temple and any other Gurudara visit it is also mandatory for men also to cover their head with a scarf.
Please note that plastic bottles are banned in the national parks so keep a reusable water bottle for your tour.
Please note that all mobile phones are banned from India’s National Parks and Tiger Reserves. Phones will need to be left at the hotel when you are on safari. You will still be able to bring cameras into the parks and reserves to take photos.
On your arrival in Delhi you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Jayasree, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Jayasree representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.
If you need to contact Jayasree Travels and Tours, during your stay the details are:
F 341-Ground Floor, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, 110030.
Contact number: 0091 9526188860/ 0091 995 898 8719
Emergency contact information
Telephone number 24 hr:
Biju Unnikrishnan 0091 952 618 8860, Ms Jayasree Vikraman 0091 974 700 5888, Mrs Samitha Azhar 0091 974 471 3380, Mrs Rekha Anil 0091 9744813380, Mr Amit Bhardwaj 0091 995 898 8719
E-mail: biju@jayasreetravels.com
