Grand Architecture & Goa Beach Tour From Mumbai 15 days

Day 1 Arrive Mumbai

On arrival at Mumbai airport meet with our office executive assistance and transfer to the hotel (hotels check in time 1200hr afternoon, early check in subject to rooms availability).

Mumbai is a city that is disciplined by no time frame neither day nor night. It is also the country's financial powerhouse, the nation's industrial heartland, and its economic nerve center. Dazzling shopping arcades, exciting sport activity, nightclubs & discotheques, theater & music, gourmet restaurants and interesting sightseeing. It offers visitors a heady mix of all this and more.

Rest time free for personal activities relax, you can take a walk to have a glance of the city, visiting local markets and restaurants. Overnight at hotel.

Day 2 Mumbai

Breakfast at hotel, city tour of Mumbai. Drive to Marine Drive: one of the most beautifully laid boulevards in the city. Afterwards visit to Elephant Caves (Monday closed), from Gateway of India here cruise by motorboats to Elephanta Caves. A flight of 100 steps takes you to the top of the hill where it is set.

Afterwards in the afternoon cruise back to Gateway of India and then city tour starts visiting Parliament House: The Maharashtra State Assembly (view from outside), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly Victoria Terminus, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (view from outside), Dhobhi Ghat: to see the city's famous open-air laundry in action, Prince of Wales Museum (Monday closed) is a heritage museum comprising of a number of ancient artifacts, Mani Bhawan: known also Gandhi Museum, here Gandhi laid the foundation for many independence movements; The three storied building has now converted into a museum in honour of Father of Nation.

If time permits visit to Bandra and Juhu area where bollywood celebrity houses are located like Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan etc, (can be seen from outside). Mount Mary Church, an ancient church, built in 1640 and then rebuilt in 1761, The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount is also an important religious place in Mumbai.

In the evening, visit Iskcon Temple: dedicated to Lord Krishna, The architectural splendour of the ISKCON Temple is adorned with murals and sculptures. Afterwards return to the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 3 Mumbai - Goa (flight)

Breakfast at hotel, transfer to airport to board flight for Goa. On arrival at Goa airport assistance and transfer to resort. Rest of the day is free and easy to relax on the beach. Overnight at resort.

Day 4 Goa

Breakfast at hotel, city tour of North Goa. Visit the charming beaches of Goa such as Calangute, Dona Paula, Miramar, and Baga Beach. Goa is famous for its magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendours of its temples, churches and old houses. Visit the basilica of Bom Jesus, the 16th century church dedicated to infant Jesus and housing the tomb of St. Francis Xavier a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other Churches in the same area are St. Cathedral, with its vaulted interior, Church of Our Lady of Miracles, Church of our Lady of Rosary and Nunnery of St. Monica. The Aguada Fort built by the Portuguese commands the mouth of the Mondovi River and on the fort stands a 4-storey Portuguese lighthouse and the oldest of its kind in Asia. In South Goa visit Mangueshi and Shanta Durga Temples. Later, proceed for a visit to Margao, the headquarters of South Goa. Overnight at resort.

Day 5 Goa

Breakfast at hotel. Day free and easy to relax. and explore the site of your interest by your own. Overnight at hotel.

Day 6 Goa - Badami (184kms/ 4hrs)

Breakfast at hotel, drive to Badami the capital of the early Chalukyas. Badami is a picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills. On arrival check in at hotel. Later take a sightseeing tour of Badami visiting - Rock-cut cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions, sculptures that seem to come alive under your eyes. Climb a flight of steps to reach the ancient caves - all hewn out on sand stone on the precipice of a hill. Three are four caves here belong to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the only Jain Temple in Badami. The first cave temple - past Shiva's door Keepers - and there he is the eighteen-armed Nataraja striking 81 dance poses. The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu. Here are some splendid carvings of the Hindu Pantheon, Narasimha - the half man and half lion avatar of Vishnu, Hari Hara, the composite god who is half Shiva a half - Vishnu.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 7 Badami - Pattadakal - Aihole

Breakfast at hotel, visit Pattadakal, this World Heritage Site on the banks of the Malaprabha River bears testimony to the richness of Chalukyan architecture of the 8th Century. It has a cluster of 10 beautifully chiselled Jain temples at the entrance of the site Virupaksha temple and Mallikarjuna Temple being the most famous. Also visit Aihole acclaimed as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. There are hundreds of temples in the villages and fields nearby. The most impressive one is the Durga Temple with its semicircular apse, elevated plinth, and the gallery encircling the sanctum. Other worth seeing temples include The Lad Khan Temple, The Huchimalli Temple, Ravalphadi Cave Temple celebrating the many forms of Shiva, the Konti Temple Complex, the Umamaheswari Temple, the Jain Meguti Temple, and the two storied Buddhist Temple.

Return to the hotel in Badami for overnight stay.

Day 8 Badami - Gadag - Lakkundi - Hampi (180kms/ 4hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel drive to Hampi. Enroute visit Gadag Trikuteshwara temple a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The carved temple is dedicated to Shiva and has three lingas mounted on the same stone. There is a shrine dedicated to Saraswathi in this temple and it has carved columns. Further drive to Lakkundi full of ruined temples like Mallikarjuna, Virabhadra, Manikeshwara, Nanneshwara, Lakshminarayana, Someshwara, Nilakanteshwara and many more.

Continue drive to Hampi check in at hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax. Overnight at hotel.

Day 9 Hampi

Breakfast at hotel, full day to visit Hampi. Nestled within the ruins of medieval city of Vijayanagar, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, set in a surreal and beautiful boulder-strewn landscape, Vijayanagara (the City of Victory) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the city was destroyed by marauding Moghul invader’s in the 16th century, much of it remains today. The vast site of monuments and ruins, a mute witness to an ear of glories, triumphs and tragedies. The ruins of Hampi are so majestic and imposing that they leave the visitor totally dumbfounded, awestruck and humbled.

Visit Hazara Rama Temple, King's Balance, Mahanavami Dibba, Royal enclosures, Statue of Ugra Narasimha Temple, Virupaksha Temple, Lotus Mahal & Vithala Temple Complex.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 Hampi - Vijaynagar Airport (40kms/ 1hrs approx) - Hyderabad (flight)

Breakfast at hotel transfer to Vijaynagar airport to board flight for Hyderabad. On arrival assistance and transfer hotel check in. Rest time free and easy to relax. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11 Hyderabad

Breakfast at hotel, explore this wondrous capital, a 400 year-old metropolitan city teeming with bustling-bazaars and Muslim monuments. Visit Golconda Fort renowned for its diamond mines that have given the world the famous Kohinoor and Darya-i-noor diamonds. The ancient fort complex of Golconda will charm you with its history, tinged with legends and anecdotes.

Qutubshahi Tombs differ in size but all are comparable to each other in architectural grandeur and beauty. Charminar built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan of the Qutub Shahi dynasty.

The Mecca Mosque the biggest mosque in Hyderabad lies 100 yards south-west of Charminar. The hall is 67 metres by 54 metres and 23 metres high. The roof is supported by 15 arches, five on each of the three sides. The western side is blocked by a high hall to provide the Mehrab.

Salarjung Museum (Friday closed) a treat for tourists famous for being the third largest museum in the country, having the largest antiques collection dating back to the first century.

Chowmohalla Palace (Friday closed) once regarded as the center of Hyderabad, the magnificent Chowmahalla Palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizams entertained their official guests and royal visitors.

Rest time free and easy to relax. Overnight at hotel.

Day 12 Hyderabad - Aurangabad (flight)

Breakfast at hotel transfer to airport to board flight for Aurangabad. On arrival assistance and transfer hotel check in. Rest time free and easy to relax. Overnight at hotel.

Day 13 Aurangaba - Ellora - Aurangaba (36kms/ 1hrs approx one way)

Breakfast at hotel, excursion to visit Ellora Caves, Grishneshwar jyotirlinga & Daulatabad Fort.

Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World heritage sites (Tuesday closed). It houses 34 monasteries and temples with some exclusive uninterrupted sequence of monuments that date back from 600 to 1000 AD. The temples of Ellora are dedicated to Brahmanism, Jainism, and Buddhism. It also has some of the excellent stonework depicting the legends related to Lord Shiva.

Grishneshwar Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. The temple is an important pilgrimage site in Shaivism tradition of Hinduism, which considers it as the last or twelfth Jyotirlinga. Made of red and black stones boasting intricate carvings and patterns the temple was constructed by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, in the Maratha style of architecture.

On way back visit Daulatabad Fort one of the most powerful forts of the medieval Deccan. The defense system that made Daulatabad virtually impregnable comprises fortifications with double and even triple rows of massive walls.

On return city tour of Aurangabad visit Bibi ka Maqbara built by Azam Shah in 1678, the Bibi ka Maqbara is a son's loving tribute to his mother. Due to its similar design standing spectacularly on the lawns of the landscaped garden with ponds, fountains and water channels, the white marbled monument is popularly known as the mini Taj of the Deccan. Overnight at hotel.

Day 14 Aurangabad - Ajanta Caves - Aurangabad(105kms/ 2hrs approx one way)

Breakfast at hotel. Full day excursion to Ajanta Caves (Monday closed). The Buddhist Caves of Ajanta were discovered by the British officers in 1819 while tiger hunting. Ajanta Caves were first mentioned in the writings of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang who visited India between A.D 629 and 645. The Caves at Ajanta are older than those at Ellora, which date from about 200 B.C to 650 A.D. 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.

After sightseeing drive back to Aurangabad. Overnight at hotel.

Day 15 Aurangabad - Mumbai (flight) / Departure

Breakfast at hotel. As per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for onward destination.