Discover the soul of India during your visit to Varanasi, the city of Lord Shiva, one of the most sacred cities in Hindu India. Here, temples line the sacred River Ganges, with broad ghats or steps leading down to the water’s edge. You will follow steps to the river’s edge in the pre-dawn light to board a boat for the ride into the broad river. As you venture out into the morning mists, you’ll find yourself transported to a different world. Then, as the sun rises and illuminates the temples along the river, you’ll see the devout coming down to the river for a ritual washing away of sins. Others will be doing exercises and priests will be performing sunrise rituals. Whether you treat this as one of India’s best “photo ops,” or an experience to silently absorb, this is an experience no visitor to India should miss.

You are about to witness one of the greatest sights of one’s lifetime - the Taj Mahal at sunrise! This early morning excursion will enable you to experience the Taj Mahal at sunrise, a truly unforgettable sight. You will be transferred to the Taj Mahal by a Tonga ride (horse carriage) for a sunrise tour that is everything that has been said about it and more. As you visit the fabled Taj Mahal , you will witness the magical effects caused by the reflections of the changing colors of the rising Sun on this brilliant white marble building. Taking 22 years and 20,000 men to build, the white marble was quarried 200 miles away and was transported to the site by a fleet of 1,000 elephants. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, in mid 17th century, the Taj Mahal is truly one of the wonders of the world. Though the Taj appears to be amazingly perfect from almost any angle, it is the close-up marble inlay work, which is really astounding. This tour is not to be missed!

Don’t leave Mumbai without a visit to the famous Elephanta Caves. Elephanta Caves has been given the position of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The beautifully sculpted rock-cut temples on Elephant Island are 9 nautical miles from Bombay and are reached by taking a motor launch from Gateway of India. It is believed to have been created between 450 and 750 AD, when the island was known as Gharapuri, the Fortress City. The Portuguese renamed it Elephanta because of a large stone Elephant near the shore. The caves are reached by climbing 100 steps to the top of the hill. There are seven caves in total and the significant among them is the Mahesha-Murti Cave. Enormous stone doorkeepers will greet you at the entrance to the cave. Within the temple, a huge hall containing rows of pillars appears to clutch the cave’s roof. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Elephanta Cave Temples boast of excellent sculptural content, which also symbolize Lord Shiva in his both forms — ‘lingam’ as well as his life-sized statue. In the main chamber, you can see the mysterious image of Trimurthi Sadasiva that is about 20 feet tall. The Elephanta Caves are a lovely place to get an insight of religious and cultural aspects of India.