Highlights
- Stay in a real palace hotel
- Visit to Jai Vilas Palace, Gwalior Fort, Man Mandir, Sun Temple
- Visit to Saas Bahu and Sun Temples
- Visit Tansen’s Tomb
- See rewari and gajak being made in the traditional manner by master artisans
- Daily blog
- GPS access to whereabouts of the group
- Full time tour escort of the duration of the tour
- Experienced English speaking guides for sightseeing
Day 01: Delhi / Gwalior (Bhopal Shatabdi at 0615 / 0935 hrs)
Depart from your school in time for the Bhopal Shatabdi express at 0615 hrs to Gwalior. On arrival at 0936 hours, proceed to visit Jai Vilas Palace.
Jai Vilas Palace:
A splendour of a different kind exists in the Jai Vilas Palace, current residence of the Scindia family. Some 35 rooms have been made into the Scindia Museum, and in these rooms, so evocative of a regal lifestyle, the past comes alive. Jai Vilas is an Italianate structure which combines the Tuscan and Corinthian architectural modes. The imposing Darbar Hall has two central chandeliers, weighing a couple of tonnes, and hung only after ten elephants had tested the strength of the roof. Ceilings picked out in gilt, heavy draperies and tapestries, fine Persian carpets, and antique furniture from France and Italy are features of these spacious rooms.
The entire Gwalior city is a visual and aesthetic feast, for the builders of Gwalior were great architects. Take a walk through the streets of the city and you will discover old havelis with exquisitely carved doorways and windows; at almost every street crossing you will find statues of the Scindia family. Museums and art galleries are treasure houses and beautifully maintained palaces give the city its inimitable regal flavour. Sightseeing in Gwalior is a magical trip into the centuries gone by.
Later proceed to the hotel for lunch after checking into your palace hotel. Relax in the afternoon at this splendid hotel and unwind after your early start.
Tea will be served at the hotel, after which you will be taken for the Son et Lumiere show at Man Mandir. The glory of Gwalior fort is epitomized in the resplendent Man Mandir, built between 1486 & 1517 by Raja Man Singh. Delicate decorative carvings add to the beauty of this place. The Man Mandir Palace still depicts the chivalry & heroism in its ambience and the chambers are intricately designed. Around Man Mandir a superbly mounted Son et Lumiere brings it all alive every evening.
Dinner, and overnight at the hotel.
Day 02: Gwalior / Delhi (New Delhi Shatabdi at 1905 / 2230 hrs)
In the morning after breakfast at 0800 hrs, proceed to visit Gwalior fort and Saas Bahu temple, Tansen’s tomb and the Sun Temple.
Gwalior Fort spreads out over an area of 3 square km, surrounded by concrete walls of sandstone. The fort encloses three temples, six palaces and numerous water tanks. The fort was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century.
The Teli-ka-Mandir is the most famous of all the temples of the Gwalior fort. This temple was built in the Dravidian style shrine and is notable for its generously sculpted exterior. The Saas-Bahu Temples (two pillared temples which stand next to each other, one larger than the other) are also fascinating.
The Man Singh Palace is one of the most amazing palaces of the Gwalior fort. It was built by Man Singh in the 15th century. It was in the same palace the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb imprisoned and later murdered his brother Murad. Then there is gruesome Jauhar Kund, where the women of the harem burnt themselves to death after the defeat of the king of Gwalior in 1232.
Tansen’s Tomb:
The father of Hindustani classical music, the great Tansen, one of the ‘nine Jewels’ of Akbar’s court, lies buried in Gwalior. The memorial to this great musician has a pristine simplicity about it, and is built in the early Mughal architectural style. More than a monument, the Tansen’s Tomb is part of Gwalior’s living cultural heritage; it is the venue of a music festival on a national scale held annually in November-December. Leading musicians of the country gather here to give performances during the festival.
Later visit the Sun temple located near the residency at Morar, the newly constructed Sun Temple takes its inspiration from the famous Konark Sun Temple in Orissa.
Return to the hotel for lunch after which you have time to explore the hotel further.
After tea at the hotel, transfer to the train station to take the Delhi Shatabdi at 1905 hours. You arrive at Delhi at 2230 hours.
Inclusions:
- Transfer by air conditioned deluxe coach from school to the railway station.
- Accommodation at hotel mentioned above on double/triple/quad sharing basis.
- Air conditioned deluxe coach for the duration of the tour.
- Meals including breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner as mentioned in the itinerary.
- Sightseeing with all entrance tickets as per the itinerary.
- English speaking local guides, for sightseeing and excursions as per program.
- Services of a tour escort for the duration of the tour.
- Daily blog.
- GPS access to know the whereabouts of the group.
- Travel insuarance.
- All applicable taxes.
Exclusions:
- Any expenses of personal nature, such as telephone bills, laundry bills, tips at hotels and restaurants.
- Any camera fee to the places of visits.
- Any other expenses of similar nature.