1

Upon arrival at the Mumbai airport, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to hotel. Later, we indulge in a city tour of Mumbai and visit the Gateway of India, Hanging Gardens and Prince of Wales Museum. Overnight stay in Mumbai.

2

After breakfast, we transfer to the Mumbai airport for our flight to Indore. Upon arrival, we drive to Mandu and check-in at the hotel. Mandu is a celebration in stone, of life and joy and of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur’s love for his beautiful consort, Rani Roopmati. Overnight stay in Mandu.

3

We start with a morning city tour of Mandu by visiting Jahaz Mahal which was built in the 15th century. The structure of this monument was built on the two lakes and the architecture is in the shape of a ship. It connects the lakes Kapur Talao and Munj Talao. We will also visit Hindola Mahal, Jami Masjid and Roopmati’s Pavilion. Overnight stay at hotel.

4

In the morning, we leave for Maheshwar, which was a glorious city at the dawn of the Indian civilization, and was known as Mahishmati, the capital city of king Kartivarjun. The beautiful temple town is located on the banks of river Narmada and is mentioned in the great Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The city is popular for its beautiful handwoven saris.

We then continue our drive to Omkareshwar, which is home to one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlinga Shrines of Lord Shiva and is located on an island on the Narmada River. This sacred place attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. The temple is exemplary of the medieval Brahmin architecture. Finally, we depart for Burhanpur, which is also called Gateway of South-India. Upon arrival, we check-in at the hotel for overnight stay.

5

After breakfast, we leave for Aurangabad en-route our drive to the Ajanta caves. About 107 kms from Aurangabad, the rock cut caves of Ajanta are nestled in a panoramic gorge in the shape of a gigantic horseshoe. One of India’s most impressive archaeological sites, here Buddhist art attained the peak of its evolution, its frescoes and wall paintings revealing a fascinating lifestyle.

Carved out of a rocky gorge, these 30 caves date back to the 3rd century. The elaborate facade and interior chambers are illuminated by natural light pouring into the caves at all times of the day. We then proceed to Aurangabad for overnight stay at the hotel.

6

After breakfast, we start on an excursion to visit the Ellora caves. The cave temples and monasteries here are excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment and are 26 kms north of Aurangabad. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, and Viharas or monasteries, Hindu and Jain temples.

Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5th and the 11th century A.D., the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (cave 29). The most imposing excavation is without doubt that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (cave 16), which is the single largest monolithic structure in the World. Interestingly, Ellora, unlike the sight of Ajanta, was never rediscovered. Known as Verul in ancient times, Ellora has attracted pilgrims through the centuries. Ellora has been designated a World Heritage Site and is to be preserved as an artistic legacy. We return to hotel for overnight stay.

7

In the morning, we depart for Bijapur, which is known for its medieval monuments and their architectural excellence. After a long drive, we arrive and check-in at hotel for overnight stay.

8

We start with a morning city tour of Bijapur by visiting the famous Gol Gumbaz. Most monuments in Bijapur are built by the Adil Shahi rulers between the 15th and 17th centuries. The much-visited dome of Gol Gumbaz is second in size only to St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. It was built by Muhammad Adil Shah in 1656 with the purpose of burying his remains.

It is an architectural feat as the dome stands unsupported by pillars. 124 feet in diameter, it has a floor area of 1700 sq., height of 51 m and the walls of the mausoleum are 3 m thick. Its most remarkable feature is the ‘Whispering Gallery’ where even the softest whisper or sound made can be heard from side to side and a single loud clap is distinctly echoed over ten times. Later, we proceed to Hampi for overnight stay.

9

In the morning, we visit Hampi. Hampi is made of finely chiselled rocks made into beautiful structures by the Vijayanagara Empire that made Hampi their base. It shows off towering temples and palaces that appear stern at first glance. Once you enter them, you are transported into the era where elephants were adorned with jewels, courtesans danced, royal women frolicked while protected by watch towers and gods had magnificent temples crafted to perfection. Hampi is set in the valley spanning the banks of the Tungabhadra River and is home to one of the largest temple complexes.

As you stand amidst its ruins, you can almost imagine the precious stones that must have once fitted these structures. The 15th century Chandramauleshwar Temple is centrally located in Hampi and is one of the site’s most prominent architectural buildings. Vithala Temple is noted for its extraordinary pillars with their animated carvings. A set of pillars, known as ‘musical pillars’, resonates when tapped. We will also visit the Virupaksha Temple, Lotus Mahal, Sule Bazaar, Achutaraya Temple, Queen’s bath and Elephant Stables. Overnight stay in Hampi.

10

After breakfast, we depart for Badami, while visiting Aihole and Pattadakel on the way. Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas and is known as the Cradle of Indian Temple Architecture. It has over 125 temples dating back to the 16th century, all intricately carved and detailed. LadKhan Temple, Drug (fort) Temple, Ravalphadi Cave Temple, Konti Temple Complex, Jain Meguthi Temple are few not to be missed.

Pattadakal is known for ten major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture. These display a harmonious blend of architectural forms from the north and south India in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty. The Temple of Virupaksha, built by Queen Lokamahadevi to celebrate her husband’s victory over the kings from the South stands out. Finally, we proceed to Badami for overnight stay.

11

We start with a morning visit to Badami caves. Picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills, the exquisite sculptures and the rust red sandstone cliffs of Badami tell many a tale of past. North Fort is the largest enclosure, including two major platform structures, an underground chamber which must have served as a treasury or private audience hall.

Banashankari is a quaint hamlet taking its name from the goddess Banashankari. Built in the Dravidian style, the temple is dedicated to Banashankari, a form of Goddess Parvati.
Later, we leave for Goa, which is known for its stunning beaches. Goa is the land of sun, sand, surf and its serenity entices thousands of tourists from every corner of the world. Overnight stay in Goa.

12

After breakfast, we start city tour of Goa by visiting Basilica of Bom Jesus. Built in the 16th century, it houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier in a silver casket. Next stop is The Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina. This Cathedral has five bells, and among them is the famous Golden bell, which is the biggest in Goa and considered one of the best in the world.

Later we visit the Church of St.Francis of Assissi. The Church was first built in 1517, and later rebuilt twice, in 1521 and finally in 1661. We return to hotel and rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy the beaches. Overnight stay in Goa.

13

The whole day is at leisure to relax and enjoy beaches. Overnight stay in Goa.

14

The afternoon is free for you to enjoy and explore Goa on your own. Later, we transfer to the Goa airport to catch flight for onwards destination.

(There is also option of including Hassan (Belur & Helebid), Mysore and Benagluru for departure flight instead of Goa in the tour).