Day 01: Arrival in Delhi

Arrival at Delhi airport and meeting with our staff for presentations. Accommodation at the hotel. Breakfast and half day tour of the city of Delhi. In particular, visit the Old Delhi, the ancient citadel with its red fort, which we will see from the outside, built in 1639 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (the one who had the Taj Mahal built) and since 2007 recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Visit of the Jama Masjid, one of the most impressive Indian mosques, also commissioned by Shahjehan and finished in 1656. Rickshaw ride through the lively Chandni Chowk bazaar built in the 17th century by the emperor Shah Jahan himself. Lunch in a local restaurant in the city. After lunch visit the splendid Humayun mausoleum, a UNESCO heritage site, a magnificent garden tomb, the first notable example of Mughal architecture in India. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Cycling: 40 KM

 

Day 2: Delhi / Mandawa (270 Km / Cycling 25 Km)

Breakfast and departure for Mandawa with lunch in a restaurant on the way. We cross Junjunu Shekhawati, a desert dotted with khejri, the national tree of Rajasthan, and small isolated houses. This area was once a stopping point on the caravan route that connected Delhi and Sind (now Pakistan) to the Gujarat coast. We begin pedaling by bicycle to get to Mandawa which is world famous for its beautiful havelies, the houses of ancient merchants, which recall the prosperity of the trading class of the beginning of the last century. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

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Day 3: Mandawa (Cycling 50 Km)

Breakfast. Departure by bike for the villages of Shekhawati, Mukundgarh, Dhundlod and Nawalgarh, with its wonderful havelis and frescoes typical of this region; some havelis date back to the 17th century and are built with noteworthy architectural techniques. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

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Day 4: Mandawa / Khimsar (220 Km / Cycling 30 Km)

Breakfast. Departure for Khimsar by bus. On the way visit Nagaur, an ancient fortified city in the desert that dates back to the 4th century and known for its fine oxen to which two large livestock fairs are dedicated which take place in February and August, four days of competitions and competitions of camels, roosters, horses and oxen, Rajasthani dances and songs. After lunch we get on the bike. Upon arrival in Khimsar, a small Rajasthani village that has a fort surrounded by walls and turrets which was built for war around the early 16th century. Subsequently, in the mid-18th century, the royal family moved there and made it their residence. hotel accommodation. Dinner and overnight at Khimsar Fort.

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Day 5: Khimsar (Cycling 65 Km)

After breakfast, in the morning, departure by bicycle to go to the villages of the Bishnoi communities and to visit the local schools to spend some time with the school children of these villages. As evening falls, we will enjoy a beautiful sunset from Khimsar Fort. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 6: Khimsar / Jodhpur (Luni) (120 km / Cycling 30 Km)

Breakfast and departure, by bicycle, in the direction of Ossian. Today we will cycle for about 30 Km. Stop to visit Ossian, with its Hindu temples and the Jain one built between the 8th and 12th centuries. Lunch in Ossian and later departure for Luni (Jodhpur). Dinner and overnight in Luni.

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Day 7: Luni / Jodhpur / Luni (Cycling 20 Km)

Breakfast. Today the ride is about 20 km. We will go to the rural villages of Luni and to visit a local Bishnoi family where we will be shown the production of opium. After lunch we leave by bus for Jodhpur (about 20 km.), The second city of Rajasthan, located at the gates of the Thar desert, in the Marwar region. Jodhpur is the "blue city", with 15th century indigo houses. In the afternoon visit the imposing Mehrangarh Fort, whose construction began in 1458 thanks to Rao Jodh and where the rulers have always lived. Inside, crowbars, elephant sedans, musical instruments, costumes, furnishings, weapons and sepulchral monuments. Visit of Jaswant Thanda, a white marble mausoleum built by Maharaja Sardar Singh in 1899 where the royals of Jodhpur are cremated. Dinner at local restaurant in Jodhpur. After dinner, return to Luni for overnight stay.

 

Day 8: Luni / Pushkar (200 Km / Cycling 40 Km)

Colazione. Partenza in auto per Pushkar. Lungo il percorso ci fermeremo per iniziare a pedalare in bicicletta, nella campagna che ospita villaggi e qui potremo interagire con le popolazioni locali per conoscere le loro attività quotidiane. Più tardi si riparte in auto. Arrivo a Pushkar. Cena e pernottamento a Pushkar.

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Day 9: Pushkar / Jaipur (130 Km )

In mattinata visita di Pushkar, città antica sacra agli induisti, sulle sponde di un piccolo lago dove i devoti operano sacre abluzioni. E' nota per la folcloristica fiera annuale dei cammelli che si tiene a novembre. Successivamente si riparte per Jaipur, la bella “città rosa”, tale è il colore dei suoi edifici. Visita alla fortezza Amber, costruita nel XVI° secolo per mano di Raja Man Singh I e che fu l’antica capitale dello stato nonché sede di tutte le dinastie Rajput fino alla fondazione di Jaipur. Internamente, raffinate decorazioni con sculture, specchi, pietre preziose. Accesso all'entrata del forte a dorso di elefante o in jeep (secondo disponibilità). A Jaipur sosta davanti al Palazzo dei Venti o Hawa Mahal, costruito nel 1799, di cinque piani splendidamente decorati. Visita del City Palace, del XVIII° secolo, in passato sede del Maharaja di Jaipur ed ancora oggi residenza dei reali. Visita del Jantar Mantar, l’Osservatorio astronomico, Patrimonio UNESCO, forme architettoniche utilizzate come strumenti astronomici, costruito dal Maharaja Jai Singh II tra il 1727 e il 1734. Cena e pernottamento in Hotel.

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Day 10: Jaipur / Bharatpur (150 Km / Cycling 30 Km)

Breakfast. Departure by bicycle to the countryside to visit the sites of Abhaneri (where there is a splendid and ancient well-palace), Delari, Kolva, Kolwa. Lunch in Abhaneri. After lunch departure for Bharatpur where we visit the Keoladeo Ghana, the bird sanctuary that hosts a thousand rare and highly endangered birds, such as the Siberian crane that migrates to this place every year in winter. Dinner and overnight in Bharatpur.

 

Day 11: Bharatpur / Agra (45 Km / Cycling 30 Km)

Breakfast and departure by bicycle to Fatehpur Sikri, the 16th century city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in honor of the holy Sheikh Salim Chisti who predicted the birth of three children. The city was then abandoned due to lack of water and yet it is still practically intact today. After lunch visit of Fatehpur Sikri. Departure for Agra. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

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Day 12: Agra / Delhi (210 Km )

Breakfast. Visit of the Agra Fortress, in red sandstone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose construction was begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565. Inside, palaces and mosques of white marble inlaid with precious stones. Access to the Taj Mahal (closed on Friday), the famous mausoleum, UNESCO heritage, of Muslim art that the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had built for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631 and whose construction ended in 1653. Afternoon departure for Delhi . No overnight stay. Dinner and transfer to the airport.

Note: Our ideas are endless and therefore we can also prepare bicycle tours different from this proposal.

 

Type of bicycle

Change Shimano. Safety fender. Comfortable touring saddle.