<<Museums & Red Fort IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS>>

Morning: Pick up from your hotel Shangri la. Proceed for the city tour of Old Delhi. The tour of Old Delhi starts with the visit of Red Fort. This palace citadel was built Shah Jehan in 1648 and was a veritable city within a city. When Shah Jehan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi he built the Red Fort as his residential palace as well as his military fortress. The fort is a complex of marble buildings with balconies, filigreed windows, massive red sandstone walls, ramparts and gateways. The most elegant building is the DIWAN I KHAS or the Hall of Private Audience.

From the Red Fort you will take a cycle rickshaw to Jama Masjid via Chandni Chowk or the Moonlit Square. It is a medieval area in which you will recognize not just Cairo or Istanbul, but also Chester and Heidelberg. This is perhaps one of the Delhi’s most populated areas and the largest marketplace - jewelers, spice merchants, food vendors, money lenders, shopping arcades, workshops as well as residences, are crammed here. Within this area is the British built Town Hall, the St. James Church built by colonel Skinner in the early 19th century, the old St. Stephens college and the office of the state department of Archeology with a colonnaded facade going back to the 19th century when it was the British Residency.

Visit Jama Masjid - It was known as central mosque of the old Delhi in the time of Shah jahan. He completed this mosque in the year 1656 and made it the biggest and best known mosque all over India. The capacity of this mosque is about 25000 people which is more than any other mosque existing in India. The cost of this mosque at Shah Jahan’s time was estimated to be about 1 million rupees.

Afternoon: Tour of New Delhi. The tour starts with a drive to Raisina Hill. Visit the Viceroy’s House (now the residence of President of India) and Lutyen’s magnum opus. It is larger than Versailles and architecturally is a fusion of Indian and Western design. Within the courtyard is the 145 feet high Jaipur column, a symbol of victory designed by Lutyen. Lutyen created masterpiece - the 250 acre Mughal Gardens on the grounds of the Rashtarpati Bhavan, which at one time required the care of 418 men and the great Vice Regal Palace required a staff of 2000. At the foot of Raisina Hill is the India Gate, a war memorial arch which Luyten built in honour of 60,000 soldiers who died in World War -I. It is also inscribed with the names of some 13,000 Indian and British soldiers missing presumed dead.

Proceed to Parliament House, which the Luyten built in a circular coliseum design. It was here that the constitution of Independent India was drafted.

Drive to Humayuns Tomb which is perhaps the finest Mughal building in Delhi. The tomb stands on a raised platform and is built of red sandstone. The construction of the tomb was completed in 1565. The tomb stands in a well-laid out Mughal Garden.

Proceed to Qutub Minar complex, which is Delhi’s Eiffel Tower, its Statue of Liberty and Nelson Column. Visit the mosque, mausoleums and ruins of forts that lie around it including the Iron Pillar which is Delhi’s totem pole 24 feet high, made of 99% steel and which has stood for 1600 years without a speck of rust on it.

Proceed to Lotus Temple-this temple is built in the shape of a lotus flower and is the last of seven Major Bahai's temples built around the world. Completed in1986 it is set among the lush green landscaped gardens. The structure is made up of pure white marble The architect Furiburz Sabha chose the lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. Adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate. Around the blooming petals there are nine pools of water, which light up, in natural light. It looks spectacular at dusk when it is flood lit.

After the visit you be dropped off at your hotel.

Above Tour cost Includes :

1) Transport services in one private chauffeur driven air con car for Old & New Delhi visit as per above program
2) Local English speaking guide for Old & New Delhi visit as per program
3) Rickshah ride in Old Delhi
4) Lunch at a local restaurant
5) Monument Entrance fees for Red Fort, Humayun Tomb & Qutub Minar for one entry each

Above Tour cost does not Includes : -

1) Any kind of personal expenses
2) Any kind of drinks
3) Any tips to guides or driver
3) Anything not specifically mentioned above