India | Valley of the Flowers & India
Fully Escorted
This tour includes the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Jaipur, Amber Fort, Rishikesh, Hardiwar, bazaars laden with exotic spices and crafts as well as other significant places of interest in India. This tour is ideal for those looking for a unique opportunity to see the real face of India. One of the highlights of the tour is travelling from Delhi to Rishikesh, we follow the Great Ganges River into the foothills of the Himalayas. From here we make our way to the Valley of Flowers. Surrounded by the river Pushpavati and small streams, the Valley is nearly 10 Kms in length and 2 Kms in width. Bustling with beautiful, lively and vibrant colours, this park has the largest collection of wild flower species known. the 300 species of wild flowers and amazing variety of butterflies.
| Duration: | 16 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW550 |
| Trip Style: | Moderate - 3 star |
| Departure Dates: | 06 Jul 2012 |
| Price: | $5,239 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
Our small group size and personalised boutique experiences mean you have the opportunity to travel with other people with similar interests to your own. And if you are travelling by yourself and you want to share - there is no compulsory single supplement charge. It's your chance to meet new friends, share experiences, engage in stimulating conversation and enjoy benefits of group travel.
Trip Details
GROUP SIZE: 20 max.
Day 1
On arrival into Delhi, transfer to hotel.
Day 2 - Delhi
Morning tour of Delhi then we travel to Agra.
Day 3 - Agra
Today we visit the Taj Mahal. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife. The Taj' is truly one of the wonders of the world.
Day 4 - Agra
Visit to Agra Fort - the seat and the stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. Visit its Hall of Public Audience and its Royal Pavilions. Next stop is Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted red sandstone city, built in the late 16th century but abandoned soon after it was built when the local wells went dry. It remains today in much the same condition that it was over 300 years ago. Then on to Jaipur.
Day 5 - Jaipur
Today we will head to the magnificent Amber Fort. Ride to the top of the fort and view the sprawling complex of courtyards and halls, with wall paintings and inlaid precious stones and mirrors, then on to the City Palace, with its exquisite gardens and courtyards and decorative art.
Day 6 - Delhi
Sightseeing tour of Old Delhi.
Day 7 - Hardiware
On our way to Rishikesh we stop enroute at Haridwar for sightseeing.
Day 8 - Rudraprayag
A small town in the foothills and at the confluence of two major rivers. You are surrounded by beautiful vistas of mountains and rivers.
Day 9 - Joshimath
Today our coach takes us into the magnificent mountains - afternoon at leisure.
Day 10 - Govindghat
Travel to Govindghat and commence the trek to Ghangaria. All luggage transported both ways by porters.
Day 11 - Valley of Flowers
This morning we trek to world famous Valley of Flowers, the highlight of the tour. In 1931 the English mountaineer Frank Smythe stumbled across the Bhyundar Valley, an 8 km long glacier corridor in Chamoli - a district of Uttarakhand state. This area, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and featuring 500 species of flowers, soon became a protected site.
Nature had designed this valley for the dedicated plant hunter and amateur botanist seeking a unique experience. The valley is nearly 10 km long and almost 2 kms wide and is ringed with snow-capped mountains and watered by mountain streams. It is accessible from late April, but grandest in July and August.
Literally hundreds of wild flowers bloom in this valley including the rare Himalayan Blue Poppy. The valley is a naturalists delight and is reputed to be the largest repository of the wild flowers in their natural surroundings anywhere in the world. Flowers include orchids, poppies, primulas, calendulas, daisies and anemones. Alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover a part of the area which is also home to a variety of butterflies.
There is no settlement in the national park and grazing in the area has now been banned. The park is open only in summers between June and October, being covered by heavy snow during the rest of the year. It is a unique park, perhaps the best in the whole world.
Day 12 - Ghangaria
Today we retrace back to Govindghat, then onto Rudruprayag. In the afternoon there is chance to explore local markets.
Day 13 - Rishikesh
Today we follow the Great Ganges River to Rishikesh, often referred to as the ‘Yoga Capital of the World'. Back in the 1960s Rishikesh gained instant fame as the site where The Beatles came to stay with their guru.
Day 14 - Haridwar/Delhi
Travel to Haridwar for guided tour of the ‘Gateway to the Gods' where the Ganges descends from the Himalayas, then on to Delhi.
Day 15 - Delhi
Today our tour includes the Ghat, Jama Masjig and the Red Fort - once the most opulent fort and palace of the Moghul empire. Evening transfer to the airport.
Inclusions
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Air-conditioned transport within India
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3-4 star accommodation
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transfers airport to hotel and return
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all meals while in India
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road tolls
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services of tour escort
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entry to gardens and attractions as per final itinerary
- group welcome dinner and social
Terms & Conditions
Click here for our Terms & Conditions
For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
