Overview
Features
Itinerary
Extension
Overview (Return to top)
It has been said that if there is one place on the face of the earth where all the dreams of living men have found 
a home...it is India.
Go where you’ll experience the world’s largest democracy set amidst a history of emperors and maharajas. Travel India’s Golden Triangle, through exotic Indian Landscape rich with history and tradition, a place of magnificent palaces and temples, mosques, and forts. The city of Agra is home to one of the world’s most exquisite treasures—the Taj Mahal. Gaze in awe as you watch the sunrise turn the sky watermelon pink. Go where the intrigue of Delhi is in the ancient and the modern, where skyscrapers tower over rickshaws. Travel wide boulevards past architectural marvels of new India, wind your way through age-old crowded bazaars, where if you peer though a portico you may see a man getting shaved, silver being weighed, a rug being woven. Go where the city of Jaipur bursts upon you with a kaleidoscope of color and sound, where buildings have names like the “Palace of the Winds,” and the shopping is heavenly: fabulous textiles, intricate jewelry, stonework, carpets, and so much more.
Priced from $2,299 plus air
GoNext
For reservations or additional information, contact:
Jan Breitman [jbreitman@alumni.iastate.edu]
Iowa State University Alumni Association
Phone: (515) 294-6526 direct or (877) ISU-ALUM toll-free
Fax: (515) 294-9402
Features (Return to top)
• Seven nights superior first-class hotel accommodations: 2 nights Delhi; 2 nights Agra; 3 nights Jaipur
• 14 meals: 7 breakfasts and 7 dinners as specified in the itinerary
• Included sightseeing as specified in the itinerary
• Attentive service from an experienced Go Next program manager and professional tour guides throughout
• All intra-India air/land transportation
• Local taxes
• Luggage handling with related tipping
• Complete pre-departure information
Airfare program includes:
• Round-trip transatlantic air transportation to Delhi, India
• Round-trip transfers between the airports and hotels via deluxe motorcoach
• Taxes and airline fuel surcharges
Itinerary (Return to top)
Day 1
USA/Delhi
Depart Chicago for Delhi, India.
Day 2
Delhi
Arrive late in the evening in Delhi, India’s capital, a city of fascinating contrasts. You will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Accommodations: Le Méridien New Delhi or similar
Day 3
Delhi
After breakfast, take a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi. See the Red Fort, an opulent palace from the Mughal Empire. Travel through narrow lanes and colorful bazaars on your way to visit Raj Ghat, the memorial site of Mahatma Gandhi, and Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Explore Chandni Chowk, the bustling market of the old city. In the afternoon tour New Delhi, designed and built by the British in the 1290s, a city of palatial-sized buildings set on broad tree-lined avenues with fabulous Mughal style gardens. Travel the ceremonial avenue, Rajpath, past Parliament House and the imposing Indian Gate. Visit Humayun’s Tomb and the towering Qutub Minar, both World Heritage Sites and significant monuments to Delhi’s Past.
Accommodations: Le Méridien New Delhi or similar
Day 4
Delhi/Agra
After breakfast, travel to Agra and check in to your hotel. In the afternoon visit that magnificent monument to love, the Taj Mahal, built by an emperor in memory of his beloved queen. Revel in its perfect proportions and distinct femininity and enjoy the intrigue of its past. It is said the architect was blinded and his hand cut off so he would never be able to duplicate his brilliant creation. Set amidst its paradisiacal garden, the Taj Mahal is a sight like no other. [B, D]
Accommodations: Trident Hilton Agra or similar
Day 5
Agra
Take an optional early morning visit to the Taj Mahal at sunrise and witness the famous Taj glow in the changing light of the rising sun (This is an additional cost, but well worth it.) After breakfast enjoy an excursion to Fatehpur Sikri. The architectural grandeur of this imperial city is beyond words. Ponder the mysterious desertion of this capital city that dates from the 16th Century, dramatically abandoned just years after it was built. Continue to the massive Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore the chambers of this fascinating royal residence. [B, D]
Accommodations: Trident Hilton Agra or similar
Day 6
Agra/Jaipur
After breakfast, drive to Jaipur and check in to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure. [B, D]
Accommodations: Trident Hilton Jaipur or similar
Day 7
Jaipur
Take a jeep ride up to Amber Fort, a marvelous example of Rajput design reflected beautifully in the Maota Lake below. Once inside, see the magnificent royal halls decorated with intricate ivory, mirrors, glass work, and exquisite wall paintings. Spend the afternoon in the “Pink City,” Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Drive through the old part of town and take in a kaleidoscope of color and sound. Jaipur is one of the main centers for shopping in India, offering gorgeous textiles, jewelry, stone work, rugs, and much more. [B, D]
Accommodations: Trident Hilton Jaipur or similar
Day 8
Jaipur
After breakfast, venture back into the city. Visit the City Palace Museum, resplendent with its array of royal prince’s robes, carpets, old weapons, and collection of miniature painting portraying court life. See the awe-inspiring Jantar Mantar, an accurate observatory built in 1726. Take advantage of a photo visit at the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), a five-storied wonder with spectacular façade of overhanging windows, latticed screens, domes, and spires. An optional elephant safari this afternoon provides a rare opportunity to see rural Indian landscapes from the back of an elephant. Take in the beautiful countryside scenery of Jaipur and get a glimpse into the lifestyle of its villagers. all atop one of India’s most famous beasts. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. [B, D]
Accommodations: Trident Hilton Jaipur or similar
Day 9
Jaipur/Delhi/U.S.A.
Morning at Leisure. In the afternoon, travel to Delhi, followed by dinner. Transfer to the airport for your flight home. [B, D]
(Travelers on the optional extension to Varanasi and Kathmandu fly to Delhi in the morning to connect with a flight to Varanasi.)
Day 10
Arrive at your home city
Extension (Return to top)
Optional Extension to Varanasi, India and Kathmandu, Nepal
Day 9
Jaipur/Delhi/Varanasi
This morning, fly to Delhi and connect with your flight to Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest living cities. Transfer to your hotel. Visit Sarnath, considered the birthplace of Buddhism. Its museum is considered one of the most important in India, home to a marvelous collection of sculptures dating from the 3rd Century B.C. [B, D]
Accommodations: Radisson Hotel or similar
Day 10
Varanask/Kathmandu
Begin the day with a sunrise boat cruise on the sacred River Ganges. Watch Varanasi come alive along the banks of the river, as people bathe in the holy water and worship the rising sun. Take a brief tour of Varanasi and experience the heady atmosphere of this city of no fewer than 2,000 temples. See marriage and funeral processions, cows grabbing big flower necklaces destined for the gods, and visit some of Varanasi’s most intriguing and famous temples. This afternoon fly to Kathmandu, Nepal, and check in to your hotel. [B, D]
Accommodations: Hyatt Regency or similar
Day 11
Kathmandu
Embark on a morning tour of Kathmandu city, the capital of Nepal. Drive to the central Durbar Square, surrounded by numerous old temples and the Hanuman Dhoka, the ancient royal palace. See the House of the Living Goddess, Kumari Bahal and other temples. Journey to Patan, known as the “ City of Grace and Fine Arts,” a place of beautiful art and architecture. Visit the sky piercing temple of the Teleju and the Statue of Yogendra Malla. Hyatt Regency or similar. [B, D]
Day 12
Kathmandu
Enjoy the morning visiting the ancient city of Bhadgaon, the Hindu temple Pashupatinath, and the Buddhist stupa, Bodhnath. In Bhadgaon, you’ll feel the intrigue of its history in the medieval art and architecture. The main square contains architectural showpieces such as the Lion Gate and the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows. Visit one of the largest stupas in the world, Bodhnath, a very important Tibetan Buddhist monument. Then it’s on to the Pashupatinath Temple, one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world. Afternoon at leisure. [B, D]
Accommodations: Hyatt Regency or similar
Day 13
Kathmandu/Delhi/U.S.A.
Morning at leisure. In the afternoon, travel to Delhi. Enjoy a farewell dinner, then transfer to the airport for your flight home. [B, D]
Day 14
Arrive at your home city
Extension priced from $1,599.
