Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Magnificent India: Gardens, History and Culture
Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai
October 17-November 1, 2014
The Taj Mahal
The Vibrant Colors of India
Sixteen-Day Land Tour Package
Tour pricing: $5,560* per person
*Based on 15 passengers in double accommodation
Airfare will be available starting 11 months prior to departure.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel can assist tour members in making flight arrangements.
Join the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for an
unforgettable journey to see magnificent gardens, extravagant
palaces and historic cultural sites in India. Highlights of this tour
include experiencing the Hindu “festival of lights”, Diwali; seeing the Blue City of Jodhpur; and enjoying a sunrise visit to one
of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. Throughout
the tour, you will travel in deluxe air-conditioned vehicles with
an expert, English-speaking guide who will escort you to local
markets, exquisite gardens and on cultural tours. Enjoy many of
India’s secrets that you would not be able to find on your own.
The tour features premium hotel accommodations offering
western style and service.
From Delhi and Agra to the Rajasthani cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur
and Udaipur, and finally the mega-city of Mumbai, you’ll encouter the best of India. Experience an unforgettable, indescribable, life-changing journey. This tour has been designed to provide access to a majestic culture and wonderful scenery with
tailor-made tours for garden enthusiasts.
Delhi Presidential Palace
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Magnificent India: Gardens, History and Culture
Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai
October 17-November 1, 2014
Day 1 : Departures from home cities for overnight flights to Delhi.
Day 2: You may have a connecting flight in Europe, and you’ll arrive
in Delhi late tonight. You will be greeted at the airport and transfer
to your hotel for check-in.
Agra Fort Garden
Delhi Scenes—The India Gate and Lodi Gardens
Day 3: This morning you may relax and recuperate from your long
journey. Breakfast is included at the hotel. After lunch on your own,
meet the group in the lobby for an afternoon tour of Old Delhi.
Among the sites included are the Hayat Bakhsh Garden in the Red
Fort. The Red Fort was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in
the mid-1600s and served as the Mughal capital until 1857. You’ll
also be treated to a rickshaw ride. Enjoy a group welcome dinner at
the hotel tonight.
BD
Day 4: Breakfast at the hotel. Today, embark on a full day guided
tour of New Delhi, including the Lodi Gardens. This refreshing, 90acre green space contains magnificent tombs and mosques. The
gardens were designed by Lady Willingdon, wife of the GovernorGeneral of India in the 1930s. Group lunch at the Lodi Gardens and
an afternoon visit to the National Crafts Museum. The museum is
dedicated to preserving traditional Indian arts and crafts such as
painting, embroidery and textiles, pottery, woodworking and metalworking. Dinner on your own.
BL
Day 5: After breakfast at the hotel, check out and travel to Agra.
You’ll stop en route to visit Sikandra and Akbar’s Tomb. This outstanding sandstone and marble tomb commemorates the greatest
of the Mughal emperors. Enjoy a group lunch at the hotel, followed
by a visit to Agra Fort and its gardens. You’ll visit Mehtab Bagh, the
garden park along the Yamuna River, at sunset, to enjoy its stunning
views of the Taj Mahal. Dinner on your own.
BL
Day 6: Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of
the World. Return to the hotel for breakfast.
Day 6, cont’d: Check out and travel to Jaipur, stopping en route at
Fatehpur Sikri, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a unique
example of late 16th-century Mughal architecture of very high quality and notable influence. A group lunch is included, as well as a visit
to a local farm. Check in at your hotel in Jaipur, where the city is
ablaze with Diwali lights. Dinner on your own.
BL
Hawa Mahal at City Palace, Jaipur
Day 7: Breakfast at the hotel and a morning visit to the Amber Fort.
This magnificent fort, constructed of pink and yellow sandstone and
white marble, is more of a palace. Group lunch at the Spice Court
Restaurant followed by an afternoon visit to the City Palace, a collection of courtyards, gardens and buildings where descendants of
the royal family still live. You’ll also visit the Jantar Mantar, an observatory whose sculpture-like constructions served various astronomical functions. Dinner on your own.
BL
Day 8: Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will visit the charming village of Samode. Spectacularly set among rugged hills, the former
Palace of Samode is now a luxury hotel with exquisitely landscaped
gardens. Group lunch and time to shop this afternoon. Dinner on
your own.
BL
Our own unique travel experiences that offer exceptional value,
quality and attention to detail. Only from Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
Magnificent India: Gardens, History and Culture
Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai
October 17-November 1, 2014
Day 9: After breakfast at the hotel, check out and travel to Jodhpur,
known as the Blue City for its colorfully monochromatic old city.
Enjoy a guided visit of the Mehrangarh Fort. One of the largest forts
in India, it is perched high above the city. Check in at your hotel in
Jodphur. Lunch and dinner are on your own.
B
Lake Pichola and Eklingji Temple, Udaipur
Day 13: Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, visit the ancient temple
complexes of Nagda and Eklingji. Nagda is over 1,000 years old and
dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Eklingji’s temples attract more pilgrims
than tourists. Group lunch at the Devi Garh Fort Palace Hotel. This
afternoon, enjoy an escorted walk through a village and stop to visit
a local school. Dinner on your own.
BL
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Day 10: Breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit to Bishnoi villages to
experience a tea ceremony and the unique Bishnoi way of life. They
follow 29 principles that focus on care for the environment as well
as self and the community. Lunch on your own. Take an afternoon
jeep ride through the countryside. Dinner on your own.
B
Day 11: After breakfast at the hotel, check out and travel to
Udaipur. Along the way, you’ll visit Ranakpur, the center of the Jain
religion, to see its incredible temple complex. Upon arrival at your
hotel in Udaipur, a group lunch is included and your afternoon is
free to relax from your travels or explore the area on your own.
Dinner on your own.
BL
Day 12: Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, you’ll visit the City Palace. Located on the east bank of Lake Pichola, the City Palace is a
flamboyant combination of Rajasthan, Mughal, Medieval, European and Chinese styles. You’ll also visit the Sahelion ki Bari gardens,
an ornamental garden laid out for the 48 ladies-in-waiting who accompanied the Maharana Bhopal Singh to Udaipur as part of her
dowry. After lunch on your own, take an escorted walk through
town and visit a painting school. The Rajput painting style evolved
into four schools in the late 1500s, with indigenous and foreign influences.. You may see miniatures, depictions of epics or the life of
Krishna or the pomp and ceremony of the Mughal court. This evening, enjoy sailing on picturesque Lake Pichola and a group dinner at
a restaurant on the lake’s island.
BD
Day 14: After breakfast at the hotel, check out and travel to the airport for your flight to Mumbai, one of the world’s largest cities. Upon
touchdown, transfer to your hotel for check-in. You’ll have a guided
tour that will include a visit to the Hanging Gardens, laid out in 1881,
filled with topiaries and offering views of the Arabian Sea. Group
lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon, your guide can take you to
a local art gallery. Dinner on your own.
BL
Day 15: Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, visit the Elephanta
Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Center. The caves are on an island
and feature temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Today, you’ll enjoy a
special farewell lunch. This afternoon, your guide will take you shopping at the Chor Bazaar and the Crawford Market, two of the biggest
and best-known markets in Mumbai. Your hotel rooms will be available for late check-out, so you can relax, pack and have dinner on
your own before transferring to the airport later tonight to check in
for your flights. Travel through the night and the next day.
BL
Day 16: Today you will continue your travel home. You may have a
connecting flight in Europe in the morning, and you should arrive
back in the States by early evening, depending on your home city.
Colorful Embroidery
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quality and attention to detail. Only from Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum—Program Proposal Inclusions
Magnificent India: Gardens, History and Culture of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur,
Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai—October 17-November 1, 2014
Pricing:
Sixteen-Day Land Tour Package
Tour pricing: $5,560 per person in double accommodation
Supplement for single accommodation: $2,020 per person
INCLUDED IN YOUR LAND TOUR PACKAGE
Domestic India flights from Udaipur to Mumbai
3 nights deluxe double accommodations in Delhi at the Crowne Plaza Ohkla
1 night deluxe double accommodations in Agra at the Trident Agra
3 nights deluxe double accommodations in Jaipur at the Trident Jaipur
2 nights superior double accommodations in Jodhpur at the Vivanta by Taj Hari Mahal
3 nights deluxe double accommodations in Udaipur at the Trident Udaipur
1 night superior double accommodations in Mumbai (plus late check-out) at the Trident Nariman Point Mumbai
Breakfast daily at the hotels, nine group lunches, two group dinners
Mineral water, coffee and tea at group meals
Gratuities for all group meals
Group arrival and departure transfers between airport and hotel
All touring and transfers in air-conditioned Volvo motor coach
Mineral water during all tours
All entrance fees during scheduled sightseeing
Still camera fees
Government service tax, room tax, meal tax
Porterage of one piece of luggage per person throughout the tour
Services of an expert, English-speaking tour guide
$200 Donation to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Your donation to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum supports their
efforts to help less fortunate public gardens in other parts of the world in their plant conservation efforts.
Expert host throughout the tour: Peter Olin of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR PACKAGE
Passport and visa fees
International airfare to Delhi with return from Mumbai
Airline fees for baggage
Items of a personal nature
Meals not listed in itinerary
Beverages with group meals, other than water, coffee or tea
Gratuities to drivers and guides
Travel insurance
Supplement for single accommodations
Any other items not specifically listed as included in the itinerary
Call Carlson Wagonlit Travel with questions:
Toll-free:
(800) 533-0324
Local:
(763) 852-8162
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central
Monday to Friday
Our own unique travel experiences that offer exceptional value,
quality and attention to detail. Only from Carlson Wagonlit Travel.