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Mumbai to Indore Ancient Caves & Temples Tour

General information

DurationDestinationDeparture
9 days and 8 nights
India (Mumbai, Nasik, Aurangabad, Burhanpur, Maheshwar, Indore)
India (Mumbai)

Description

Tour will begin with pick up from Mumbai airport. Explore Mumbai India financial powerhouse, dotted with colonial era buildings & cave temples. Then head to Nashik a spiritual city with a Jyotirlinga temple & numerous other temples associated with epic Ramayana. Next drive to Aurangabad and explore the archeological monuments and caves of Ajanta & Ellora two unique UNESCO WHS dating from 2nd century BC to and 11th centuries AD. Continue to Burhanpur which house few magnificent Mughal monuments and an ancient fort. Then visit two Jyotirlinga temples at Omkareshwar & Ujjain. You will also visit Maheshwar & Mandu the historic cities. Tour will end with drop off at Indore airport.
Tour will begin with pick up from Mumbai airport. Explore Mumbai India financial powerhouse, dotted with colonial era buildings & cave temples. Then head to Nashik a spiritual city with a Jyotirlinga temple & numerous other temples associated with epic Ramayana. Next drive to Aurangabad and explore the archeological monuments and caves of Ajanta & Ellora two unique UNESCO WHS dating from 2nd century BC to and 11th centuries AD. Continue to Burhanpur which house few magnificent Mughal monuments and an ancient fort. Then visit two Jyotirlinga temples at Omkareshwar & Ujjain. You will also visit Maheshwar & Mandu the historic cities. Tour will end with drop off at Indore airport.

Category

 
3 star hotels (Private Tour)
Bed & Breakfast 3 Stars
en
 
4 star hotels (Private Tour)
Bed & Breakfast 4 Stars
en
 
5 star hotels (Private Tour)
Bed & Breakfast 5 Stars
en
 

Program

Day 1:
Arrive Mumbai
On arrival at Mumbai airport assistance & transfer to hotel (check in/out time 12pm). Mumbai is disciplined by no time frame neither day nor night. Dazzling shopping arcades, exciting sport activity, nightclubs & discotheques, theatre, music & gourmet restaurants offers visitors a heady mix of all this and more. Rest time free for personal activities. Overnight at hotel.

Day 2:
Mumbai (B)
City tour of Mumbai. Drive via Marine Drive one of the most beautifully laid boulevards in the city to reach Gateway of India. Board a ferry from here to reach Elephanta Caves (Monday closed). A flight of 100 steps takes you to the top of the hill where caves are located. Afterwards cruise back to Gateway of India and then city tour. Drive pass CST & Parliament House. Visit Dhobhi Ghat to see the city famous open air laundry in action. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, a grade I Heritage Building of the city counted amongst one of the most prominent museums of India. The complex exhibits a myriad collection of ancient artefacts, artwork and sculptors of the country which give a unique insight into our past. Overnight at hotel.

Day 3:
Mumbai - Nashik (170kms) (B)
Drive to Nashik check in at hotel. Excursion to visit Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlingas Temple, constructed by the third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao (1740-1760) at the site of an even older temple at the foot of the Brahmagiri Hill, flanked by the hills of Nilagiri and Kalagiri. Made entirely of black stone, it is a beautiful pilgrimage center for Hindus, dedicated to Lord Shiva. River Godavari originates from Kusavarta, a pond within the temple premises. While you are here, you can also explore the impressive Brahmagiri Fort, and Gangadwar, located in close vicinity to the temple. Overnight at hotel.

Day 4:
Nashik - Aurangabad (170kms) (B)
Nashik the ancient holy city is known for its links to Ramayana the epic poem. Visit Panchavati Temple complex on the bank of Godavari River which include Ram Kund where Lord Rama believed to have bathed in water tank. Shri Kalaram Sansthan Mandir an ancient shrine to Lord Rama, and Sita Gufaa caves. Also visit Sundarnarayan Temple, ISKCON Temple & millennium old Pandavleni Caves.
Later drive to Aurangabad via visiting Shirdi known as home of revered spiritual leader Sai Baba. The Samadhi Mandir shrine has an ornate marble statue of Sai Baba, alongside his tomb. Close by are Dwarkamai, a mosque where Sai Baba once lived, and tree-lined Lendi Garden.
Arrive Aurangabad check in & overnight at hotel.

Day 5:
Aurangabad (36kms one way) (B)
Excursion to visit the Ellora Caves (Tuesday closed), a UNESCO World Heritage Site from about 200 BC. to 650 AD. There are 34 monasteries and temples at Ellora, belonging to the three different religions Buddhism, Hinduism & Jainism. Grishneshwar Temple one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. On way back visit Daulatabad Fort one of the most powerful forts of the medieval Deccan. Later visit Bibi ka Maqbara built in 1678 is a sons loving tribute to his mother, Panchakki which discharged water on the wheel to power the flourmill and grind grain for the pilgrims & Aurangabad Caves artificial caves that were dug out of soft rock during the 6th & 7th century. Overnight at hotel.

Day 6:
Aurangabad - Burhanpur (220kms) (B)
Drive to Burhanpur enroute visit Ajanta (Monday closed). The Buddhist Caves of Ajanta were discovered by the British officers in 1819 while hunting tiger. Ajanta Caves were first mentioned in the writings of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang who visited India between AD 629 and 645. The Caves at Ajanta are older than those at Ellora which date from about 200 BC to 650 AD. Thirty beautiful Buddhist Caves with mesmerizing sculptures and paintings depicting Buddha`s life as well the lives of the Buddha in his previous births. Five of these Caves are Chaityas (Place of worship) while the other twenty-five are Viharas (monasteries). Ajanta Caves are divided in two categories based on two schools of Buddhist thought - Hinayana Caves and Mahayana Caves.
Continue drive to Burhanpur check in & overnight at hotel.

Day 7:
Burhanpur - Maheshwar (175kms) (B)
Burhanpur founded in 1400 AD was once the capital of the Mughal Kingdom, ruled by Shah Jahan for a long period. It is one of the most beautiful symbols of Mughal architecture and Mughal grandeur. The magnificent mosques, tombs and palaces give you a sense of what Mughal life at its peak was like. Visit The Badshahi Qila, Dargah-e-Hakimi, Jama Masjid. Then drive to Maheshwar via visiting Asirgarh Fort constructed by Asa Ahir, in the Satpura Range on the apex of Satpura Mountain. Its height is about 259.1 meter from the base, formed in 3 parts with specific name. Asirgarh`s is the first part, second part is Kamargarh`s and last third part is called Malaygarh. Fort expands more than 60 acres area, There is a lord Shiva temple, a gurudwara & a mosque inside the grand fort. If we go by records, the fort was never conquered by force. Further drive and visit Omkareshwar one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, nestled in the Omkar mountain, an island in the middle of River Narmada. The five storeys temple has a large sabha mandap (prayer hall) standing on 60 brown huge stone pillars. Taking a dip in the Narmada river before going inside the temple is considered auspicious.
Continue drive to Maheshwar check in & overnight at hotel.

Day 8:
Maheshwar – Indore (125kms) (B)
Visit Fort of Maheshwar built during 4th to 5th century, the best example of ancient Indian material construction, war tactics & defense policy. The present structure belongs to 17th to 18th century. There are five main entrance & several rooms for watching soldiers. It also has a five feet wide footpath to supervise the area around it. The monuments inside the fort are Rajwada Palace, having golden jhula & Rajrajeshwar temple.
Drive to Indore via visiting Mandu an ancient fort city dotted with gateways, adorned with spell-binding Afghan architecture, surrounded by baobab trees, native to Africa. The grand palaces are still alive with royal romance while the gateways speak of a history of imperial conquests. Landmark buildings include Hoshang Shah`s Tomb, a domed marble mausoleum, the vast Jami Masjid mosque, with courtyards framed by colonnades and the imposing centuries-old Jahaz. Floating over it`s own reflection, the Jahaz Mahal looks like a ship that`s about to sail. However, for centuries this ship made of stone and mortar never did. Instead, it stood floating over the twin lakes, bearing a silent witness to Mandu`s long, rich and varied history.
Continue drive to Indore check in & overnight at hotel.

Day 9:
Indore - Departure (B)
Excursion to visit Mahakaleshwar Temple one of the 12 jyotirlingas in Ujjain, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Built in Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha styles of architecture, the temple is an architectural marvel. Three floors of the building are occupied by lingams of Mahakalesvara, Omkaresvara and Nagachandresvara, respectively. There is also a kunda (tank) in the premises called Koti Tirtha that has been built in the sarvatobhadra style. On the path from the stairs of the kunda to the temple you will come across several images of the original structure of the temple, reflecting its grandeur during the period of the Paramaras (9th and 14th centuries). Drive back to Indore to board flight for onward destination.

Price includes

• Assistance on arrival at airport.
• 8 Nights accommodation in selected price category hotels.
• Meal as per day plan (B- Breakfast, L- Lunch, D- Dinner)
• Private air conditioned deluxe car for airport transfer, sightseeing and excursion as per program.
• English speaking tour guide on sightseeing days (local guide in each city), as per program.
• Monuments entrances and activities charges mentioned in the itinerary.
• Bottled drinking water in car.
• Government taxes.

Price does not include

• Any flight tickets.
• Camera charges at monuments.
• Meals other than mentioned in day plan.
• Expenses of personal nature like liquor, laundry, tips, telephone, fax, internet etc.
• Gratuities & optional activities.
• Anything not mentioned in inclusions.

Itinerary

Day Overnight Itinerary highlights
1 4 StarsMumbai   Mumbai - Mumbai Airport or your hotel in the city
2 4 StarsMumbai
3 4 StarsNashik
4 4 StarsAurangabad
5 4 StarsAurangabad
6 4 StarsBurhanpur
7 4 StarsMaheshwar
8 4 StarsIndore
9   Indore - Indore Airport

Accommodations provided in each place

Place3 star hotels4 star hotels5 star hotels
MumbaiHotel Suba Palace/ BW Hotel Sahil or similarSun-N-Sand Hotel/ Fariyas Hotel or similarTrident Hotel/ ITC Grand Central or similar
NashikLily Sarovar Portico/ Ibis Nashik - An AccorHotels or similarRegenta Resort Soma Village/ Express Inn or similarThe Gateway Hotel Ambad/ Beyond By Sula or similar
AurangabadAmarpreet Hotel/ Key Hotel The Aures or similarAmbassador Ajanta / VITS Hotel or similarWelcomHotel Rama International/ Lemon Tree Hotel or similar
BurhanpurHotel Grand Shivam/ MPT Tapti Retreat or similar
MaheshwarMPT Narmada Resort/ Aamantran At Fort Maheshwar or similarAhilya Fort or similar
IndoreCitrus Hotels/ Hotel Nahargarh Palace or similarLemon Tree Hotel/ Pride Hotel or similarIndore Marriott Hotel/ Sheraton Grand Palace or similar