Wild Life Tour Of North India

Duration : 14 Nights / 15 Days

Destinations Covered :Mumbai – Nagpur - Kanha - Bandhavgarh – Khajuraho - Orchha – Gwalior - Agra – Bharatpur - Ranthambore – Jaipur - Delhi

Day 01 : Arrive Mumbai

On arrival in Mumbai meet and assist at airport and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Mumbai, a cluster of seven islands, derives its name from Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the Koli fisher folk, its oldest inhabitants. Once a 'Portuguese princess' dowry and later an adornment of neo-gothic British architecture, Mumbai today is more than just a metropolis. It is infact an enigma of mud huts and skyscrapers, age old traditions and high fashions, the industrialists haven and movie makers Bollywood.

Day 02 : Mumbai – Nagpur (By Flight) – Kanha National Park (260 Kms / 6 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hotel. AM city tour of Mumbai Visit Gate way of India, Dhobi Ghat, Hanging garden, and filmstars houses. Later transfer to airport to connect the flight for Nagpur on arrival at Nagpur airport meet and assist at the airport and transfer to Kanha National Park. Overnight at hotel.

Kanha National Park
Kanha National Park
Day 03 : Kanha National Park

Morning breakfast at hotel and Visit Kanha National Park
Kanha is a sal and bamboo forest, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch over 940 sq km in dramatic natural splendor. This is original Kipling country, of which he wrote so vividly in his Jungle Books. The same abundance of wildlife species exist today in Kanha National Park, which forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The park is the only habitat of the rare hardground barasingha. Kanha has some 22 species of mammals. Those that are easily spotted are three striped palm squirrel, common langur, jackal, wild pig, chital or spotted Deer, Barasingha or swamp Deer, Sambar and Blackbug. Less commonly seen species are Tiger, Indian Hare, Dhole or Indian wild Dog, barking deer and Indian Bison or Gaur, Indian Fox, sloth Bear, striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Panther, Mouse Deer, Chausingha or four horned Antelope, Nilgai or blue Bull, Ratel and Indian Porcupine. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04 : Kanha - Bandhavgarh National Park (250 Kms / 5-6 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hote. Later drive to Bandhavgrh National Park. Overnight at Hotel.
Bandhavgarh National Park, 165 km from Jabalpur, is one place where the tiger can be seen in its natural habitat. Stretching over 448 sq km, it is compact yet full of wildlife, with the highest tiger density in India. This is also white tiger country, which has been spotted in the old state of Rewa for many years. It is also rich in many other forms of wildlife and a variety of flora and fauna. The great gaur or Indian bison, Sambar, barking deer, Nilgai, etc are seen in the more open areas of the park. There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. Common Langurs and rhesus macaque represent the primate group. Mammals such as Dhole, the small Indian civet, palm squirrel and lesser bandicoot rat are seen occasionally. The vegetation along the streams and marshes in the park is rich in bird life. The common ones are Egret, Sarus Crane, Black Ibis, Lesser Whistling Teal, White-eyed Buzzard, Black Kite, etc. Reptilian life includes Cobra, Krait, Viper.

Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park
Day 05 : Bandhavgarh National Park

Breakfast at hotel. Later Visit Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park of 105 sq km is in the Vindhya hills. The park is set in extremely rugged terrain with many hills The marshes support a vast grassland savanna. Bandhavgarh is not very far S of Rewa. It is famous as the place in which the White tiger (Albino) originated. Before becoming a National Park in 1968, it was the game preserve of the Maharajas of Rewa. Though it involves quite a journey, it has a wide variety of game. Its main wild beasts are tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, chital, muntjac, nilgai, chinkara, wild pigs. The flowering and fruit trees attract woodland birds, which include green pigeon, jerdon's leaf bird, crested serpent eagle and variable hawk eagle. There are also interesting cave shrines scattered around the park. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 : Bandhavgarh – Khajuraho (220 Kms / 4-5 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hotel. Later drive to khajuraho. On arrival in Khajuraho check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Khajuraho is a small village but a thousand years ago it was the capital of the Chandela Kings, Khajuraho is famous for its magnificent temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and the Jain Tirthankaras. These temples were built between 950 A. D. & 1050 A. D. and represent some of the most exquisite specimens of art and architecture in medieval India. Only 22 temples of the original 85 now survive.

Evening visit Western group of Temples: Kandariya Mahadeo Temple, Chausat Yogini Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Vishvanath Temple, Lakshmana Temple, Matangeshwara Temple. A Son-et-Lumiere show is presented in English at the Western Group of Temples.

Day 07 : Khajuraho – Orchha – Gwalior (320 Kms / 6-7 Hrs)

Morning after an early breakfast, we check out from the Hotel and proceed for a half day guided visit to the Eastern temples of Khajuraho - Jain Temples: Parsvanath Temple, Ghantai Temple and Adinath Temple; Hindu Temples: Brahma Temple, Vamana Temple and Javari Temple.
Later drive to Gwalior enroute visit Orchha. On arrival in Gwalior check in at Hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Day 08 : Gwalior – Agra – Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (180 Kms / 4 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hotel, then transfer to Bharatpur. En route visit the Taj Mahal at Agra - the mausoleum of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved spouse of Shah Jahan, who died in 1630. The Taj complex comprises a forecourt, a lofty entrance, a charming formal Mughal garden with canals and a central tank with a series of fountains, the tomb proper, and an attached mosque on the west and its symmetrical counterpart on the east. The Taj is remarkable for its perfect proportions and rich pietra dura, with minute details executed with great skill. The building, often styled "a dream in marble" is said to have taken at least 22 years (1631-1653) to build.
On arrival in Bharatpur check in at Hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 09 : Bharatpur

Breakfast at hotel. Later Visit Bharatpur Sanctuary
Although Bharatpur is largely known for the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, the town was an important Jat stronghold in the 17th and 18th centuries and the city houses a beautiful fort, the Lohargarh or Iron Fort. An earthen dam, called the Ajan Dam, constructed in 1760 to protect Bharatpur from the constant floods during the monsoons and to water the arid lands after the monsoons still stands. The Keoladeo lake was born out of the depression created by extraction of soil for the dam and the area around it, which is covered with shallow lakes and stunted forest growth and grasslands is where the Bharatpur, or Keoladeo, bird sanctuary is situated, 5 km to the south of the city centre. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 : Bharatpur – Ranthambore National Park (320 Kms / 7-8 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hotel and drive to Ranthambore. On arrival in Ranthambore check in at Hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Ranthambore National Park Jeep Safari
Jeep Safari - Ranthambore
National Park
Day 11 : Ranthambore National Park

Morning breakfast at hotel. Morning game drive in the park
Ranthambore is one of many famous destinations in the western state of India, Rajasthan. Surrounded by the Vindhya and Aravali hill ranges and located very near the outer fringes of the Thar desert, Ranthambore offers the best of the desert as well as the plains area near the hills. Due to its proximity to the Thar desert, the vegetation here is that of a deciduous forest. Ranthambore used to be the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Later, in 1955, it was declared a game sanctuary. In 1980, it was declared a National Park and listed among the reserves protected under Project Tiger. Ranthambore is considered the best place in the world to photograph the tiger in its natural habitat. A jeep safari, a cultural and traditional experience of the Meena tribes, a night out in the many hideouts in the park are some of the attractions offered here. Overnight at hotel.

Day 12 : Ranthambore – Jaipur (160 Kms / 4 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hotel, later drive to Jaipur. On arrival in Jaipur check in at Hotel.
PM Jaipur - city sightseeing Jaipur is blessed with a wealth of wonders. Here you will see the Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) with its incredible facade of balconies and pierced screens, the Jantar Mantar (the Observatory), and the Maharaja's City Palace. Jaipur is a city of pink, and you will be enchanted by the light playing upon the buildings, creating shadows and highlighting every nuance of the architecture. Overnight at hotel.

Day 13 : Jaipur – Delhi (265 Kms / 5-6 Hrs)

Morning breakfast at hotel. Morning visit to Amber Fort (with elephant ride) Amber, built by Man Singh, embodies the Rajput belief that the fort symbolises the strength of the King. Its commanding view, sheer walls and rock face, and the curved route that leads to the palaces within, all point to concern with security and defence. The fort is mirrored in Maota Lake, which stands adjacent to the Dilaram Garden. The private apartments begun by Man Singh in the17th century combine Hindu and Mughal styles and the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), its walls covered with tiny mirrors, becomes a dazzling fantasy with the light of a single match. Visit the Jag Mandir or the Hall of Victory, glittering with mirrors, Jai Mahal and the Kali Temple.
Later drive to Delhi, on arrival in Delhi check in at Hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 14 : Delhi

Morning breakfast at hotel. Later proceed for Full day sightseeing of the city
Old Delhi pulses with energy and colour, the hustle and bustle of thronged bazaars and is laced by a maze of narrow lanes which twist and turn between tall, leaning houses full of the sights,sounds and aromas of the Indian sub-continent. In Old Delhi you will see the famous Red Fort (built by the Emperor Shah Jehan - the builder of Taj Mahal), the Jama Masjid mosque with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes, and Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi's business nerve centre with the hustle-bustle of everyday Indian life all around you and chattering voices.

As a complete contrast to Old Delhi, New Delhi stands in formal splendour, like a lone sentry guarding an outpost of a long-gone empire. It is a city of wide boulevards which offers everchanging perspectives of Lutyen's landscaped city. It is a city rich with formal parks and you'll see the magnificent Parliament Building and the President house, once the awe-inspiring residence of the British Viceroys and now the Presidential Palace, the Raj Ghat (cremation site of Mahatama Gandhi), India Gate (a majestic 42 mts high arch, built as a memorial to the Indian Soldiers killed in World War I), Qutab Minar (the 72.5 mts high tower dating back to 13th century and one of the greatest bequests of Islamic Culture), Humayun's Tomb (built in the 16th century and architecturally the fore runner of the Taj Mahal, showing Mughal Architecture at its graceful best). Overnight at hotel.

Day 15 : Depart Delhi

Transfer to airport in time for the flight for back home.