Warm welcome with fresh flower garlands. You are welcomed by a representative of Acme Tours & Travels and transferred to your hotel.

Enjoy a full day guided tour of Delhi. The city consists of two parts - Old and New Delhi. Old Delhi was the capital of Muslim India between the 17th and 19th century and has many mosques, monuments and forts. Begin your day with an exploration starting in Old Delhi. Visit Jama Masjid, the Royal Mosque which was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1656. Enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes followed by a short walk on the main street of Old Delhi - the colorful shopping bazaar known as Chandni Chowk. Drive past the Red Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Continue to Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. In the afternoon visit New Delhi - the imperial city created by the British as the capital of India. In 1911, Edwin Lutyens, the most renowned English architect of the day, was chosen to design New Delhi. Drive through the majestic boulevards - the Rashtrapati Bhawan is where the Viceroy once lived and is now the official residence of the President of India. View India Gate, a war memorial arch built in honour of 90,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Visit Humayun’s Tomb, the first great example of Mughal architecture in India. The day’s tour ends at Qutub Minar - a soaring tower of victory which is 72.5 meter high and has five distinct stories.

Check out from the hotel after breakfast and drive to Jaipur. En route you may like to stop by at Samode, a lovely tiny village located about 40 minutes away from Jaipur. Samode offers various attractions to the tourists like the old baolis (water well), chhatries, 400 year old gates, three forts, temples, gardens and a palace. Besides this, in Samode you will be able to discover a great diversity of local arts and crafts like miniature paintings, lacquerware, iron work, jewellery, leather, carpet weaving, stone cutting etc. On arrival in Jaipur, you will enjoy an orientation tour of the walled city. The balance of the day is at your leisure to explore the colorful markets of the pink city.

This morning enjoy an excursion to the magnificent Amber Fort. This beautiful fortified palace was the capital of the state of Jaipur until 1728 and the architecture is a meld of the Mughal and Rajput styles. Tour the chambers and hallways of the palace which are famous for the excellence of their design and decoration including the spectacular “Hall of Mirrors”. Later visit the City Palace and museum. It features a superb collection of Rajasthani costumes and armoury of Mughals and Rajputs including swords, antiques and artifacts. Proceed to Jantar Mantar, a stone astrological and astronomical observatory which was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the 18th century. Enjoy a cycle-rickshaw ride in the colorful bazaar of the old city. Also visit Hawa Mahal, the "Palace of the Winds." This beautiful façade is probably the most-photographed in Jaipur. The ornately carved windows were designed so that the ladies of the palace could look out onto the streets unobserved. There is also time to shop for Jaipur blue pottery and block-printed cotton linens.

This morning drive to Agra. En route, stop at Fatehpur Sikri (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - this deserted red sandstone city was built by Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century. Arrive Agra late afternoon and check-in at your hotel. Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat which means seat of the Emperor. Today, a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices whilst experiencing the irresistible charm that this favourite city of the Mughals still retains.

Early morning enjoy a sunrise visit to the mesmerising Taj Mahal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The 17th century Taj Mahal is often called a poem in stone. If so, the mausoleum is a love poem - created by Shah Jahan for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Please note: Taj Mahal remains closed on Fridays. Return to hotel for breakfast. Later in the day visit Agra Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage site). The fort was built by the third Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Subsequent additions were made to the fort by his son Jahangir and grandson Shahjahan. Then visit the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula is located in a walled garden overlooking the Yamuna. Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra, located in a large walled garden on the road to Delhi, is a magnificent gateway covered with floral and geometrical arabesque decoration in white and colored marble with four elegant minarets.

After breakfast, transfer to the railway station to board your train to Jhansi. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to Orchha (only 40 minutes away). Orchha, once the capital of Bundelas, Orchha is a village, set amongst a complex of well preserved palaces and temples. Enjoy a tour of this historical site and visit its magnificent palaces, temples and picturesque cenotaphs. Highlight will be Jahangir Mahal, a tiered palace crowned by graceful Chhatris, which commands a spectacular view of soaring temple spires and cenotaphs and the spectacular paintings gracing the walls and ceilings of the Laxmi Temple.

In the morning drive to Khajuraho (approx. 3 hour-drive). Khajuraho is world renowned for its temple architecture. The famous sculptures in the sandstone temples of Khajuraho are renowned for the grace of their architecture and refinement of its sculptures some of which depict erotic scenes. The 22 temples, located in three distinct groups, were built by the Chandela dynasty that died out in the 10th century. Late afternoon, visit the Western Group of Temples (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Western Group constitutes some of the finest examples of Chandela art in existence. The largest is the Kandhariya Mahadev dedicated to Lord Shiva, followed by Chaunsath Yogini, a granite temple.

This morning visit the Eastern group of temples famous for its two historic Jain temples, the Adinath Temple which is lavishly embellished with sculpted figures and the Parsvanath Temple which is sculpted with charming detail. After the visit a short flight take you to the holy city of Varanasi. Varanasi is probably the place in India that has the most profound impact on visitors. Formerly known as Benares, it is located on a meander of the Ganges river and has been a pilgrimage site for Hindus since the 6th century BC. The Old City, a maze of tiny alleys, has several temples, including the Golden Temple which is only accessible to Hindus - and lots of freely roaming cattle, which have traffic priority! Arrive in Varanasi and proceed directly to the ruins of Sarnath where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon. Also visit the Archeological Museum which harbors Buddhist works of art (the museum is closed on Fridays) including the famous Lions capital which used to crown a pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka.Day 10 - Varanasi

Experience an early morning Varanasi boat ride on the Ganges and witness the rituals performed for the deceased on the banks of this sacred river. Return to your hotel for breakfast. Later explore at your leisure the Ghats teeming with pilgrims reciting and chanting timeless prayers and practicing ritual ablutions and local going about their daily routines. On your way you will discover many old palaces and ancient temples. Walk till the Aurangzeb Mosque founded in the 16th century on Panchganga Ghat in lieu of a hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and razed by the Mughal Emperor . Man Mandir Ghat has one of the oldest palaces in Varanasi built at the beginning of the 17th century by the Raja of Amber and later the Maharajah of Jaipur Jai Singh II added an astronomical observatory. In the late afternoon attend the awe-inspiring aarti ceremony on Dasaswamedh Ghat with prayers, ringing of bells, incense smoke and myriads of lights floating on the sacred river.

After breakfast transfer to Varanasi airport for your flight to the capital of Nepal. It is difficult to match Nepal for dramatic scenery. Home to the world famous 8,848 metre (29,029 ft) high Mount Everest, it is completely dominated by the Himalayan range. The valley of Kathmandu alone boasts seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, most of them ancient temples or palace complexes that display extraordinary craftsmanship. The Nepalese blend of religious beliefs and traditions is reflected in the exquisite thangkas, gold-painted stupas and intricate carvings seen at every turn. On arrival in Kathmandu will be met by our representative and transferred to the hill station of Nagarkhot which affords incredible views over the Himalayas and the Everest Range in particular.

Rise early to witness the sunrise over the towering Himalayan Peak of the Everest Range. After a downhill 2-hour walk you reach the village of Changu Narayan, a picturesque village home to a temple dedicated to Vishnu and Narasimha (an avatar of Vishnu as anthropomorphic lion) known to be the oldest in the entire valley of Kathmandu. It is said to have been founded in the 4th century by king Han Dutta Verma. Seen from a terrace overlooking the village its lavishly ornamented slanted roofs stand out from the secular buildings. The compound of the village consists in walls mixing red bricks and minutely carved timber. Then proceed to Dulikhel which affords a different panoramic view of Nepal’s mountain scape. On clear days you can see the Lhotse (8 511 m), Mount Everest (8 848 m), Makâlû (8 598 m) and towards the east, Manaslu Peak (8 156 m), and the four Annapurnas in the westward direction. Visit the village of Panauti famous for its ancient houses with amazingly refined stucco decorations. Its superb 15th century temple is a listed Unesco world heritage shrine. Return back to Kathmandu after the visits.

In the morning visit the Swayambhunath Stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple, a complex of monasteries of all faiths started in 460 A.D. by King Mana Devi of the Licchavi era, on the western fringes of the city. The imposing structure is recognized as a major landmark of Kathmandu and is distinguished by its population of freely roaming monkeys. The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks like the nose - but is the Nepali symbol of 'unity'. Embark on a privately guided architectural tour of the ancient city of Patan. Once a separate kingdom, Patan is home to over 1,200 Buddhist shrines and is famed for the beauty of its elegant Newari architecture, which is on prominent display in the central Durbar Square, one of the Kathmandu Valley’s seven World Heritage sites. The square is fronted by an amazing assortment of buildings and the ancient Royal Palace. Explore the gracefully carved and ornamented chowks (courtyards) of the palace, as well as its temples, including the Krishna Mandir, the only temple in Nepal with 21 shrines and which is built entirely of stone. Patan is famous for the exceptional work of its bronze craftsmen sculpting the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Later on stop at the Tibetan refugee camp famous for its high quality arts and crafts (woolen carpets, tankha paintings...etc.). If you have not done it the day before visit the old city of Katmandu.Day 14 – Kathmandu.

Drive to Pashupatinath, roughly 20 minutes from Boudhanath, and as sacred to Nepal’s Hindus as Boudhanath is to its Buddhists. On the banks of the Bagmati River, people flock here to purify themselves in the waters and to guarantee their relatives immortality by having them cremated on the ghats and their ashes scattered. The main temple is off-limits to non-Hindus, but you can wander the tranquil grounds and observe the activities of the temple from across the river. In the afternoon, visit the Boudhanath Stupa, another of the valley’s UNESCO sites, and one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Located about 7 miles from the center of Kathmandu on the northeastern outskirts of the city, the stupa of Boudhanath dominates the skyline. Throughout the day, pilgrims can be seen circumambulating the stupa chanting mantras, some completing the circuit while prostrating themselves at each step. The pilgrims continue to circle into the night when the temple is illuminated by butter lamps. Anyone is free to join in, but remember to walk around the stupa in a clockwise direction and also to spin the prayer wheels clockwise. Boudhanath was built in the fifth century by Lichchhavi King Mana Dev on an octagonal base inset with prayer wheels. The colossal and ancient stupa is one of the biggest in the world. Later explore the UNESCO World Heritage Durbar square of Kathmandu, with its amazing complex of temples and monuments that have witnessed the rise and fall of several dynasties: the Royal Palace and its statue of the monkey God Hanuman Dhoka. the Kumari Palace home of the Kumari Devi, young pre-pubescent girl worshipped as a manifestation of the divine female energy of goddess Taleju (Nepalese equivalent of Durga). Wander the narrow streets and alleyways of the old quarter, with its myriad tiny stalls and its colorful street life. Visit the many different markets including the famous bead market and the Indrachowk carpet and textile market.

After breakfast, depending on your departure time enjoy some time at leisure in Patan or Thaml Bazar for some last minute shopping. In time transfer to the airport where you will be assisted with the check-in procedure.