Day 1. March 2, 2024, Saturday. Delhi to Aurangabad.
Arrival in Delhi at 4:20 am from Moscow (you can fly from any other city / country, any flights, it is better to arrive in Delhi early in the morning). Accommodation in a hotel near the airport, rest.
Domestic flight to Aurangabad.
Aurangabad is a city in the state of Maharashtra, an important tourist center through which the routes to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora cave temple complexes pass. It was named after Aurangzeb, the last of the Mughals, son of Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, which later became the symbol of India and a symbol of eternal love. A smaller version of the Taj Mahal called Bibi-ka-Maqbara has also been built here.
Accommodation at the hotel, dinner and rest.
Day 2. March 3, 2024, Sunday. Ajanta Caves – UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Early departure to Ajanta Caves, India’s most mysterious and beautiful architectural structures. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The caves are an ancient Buddhist monastery complex of 29 caves carved into the rock. The first caves appeared in the 1st century BC, the last in the 17th century. The caves were abandoned for about two centuries until they were accidentally discovered by the British military in the mid-19th century.
Ajanta’s architecture, statues, frescoes, and wall paintings mystically embody ancient Egyptian, Old Russian, early European, and ancient Indian works of art.
Day 3. March 4, 2024, Monday. Ellora’s caves and temples. UNESCO World Heritage. Kailas Temple.
Visit the caves and temples of Ellora, grandiose creations of ancient craftsmen. Like Ajanta, Ellora is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The cave temples belong to three religions: Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.
Huge three-story temples carved out of basalt, incredible sculptures of gods and goddesses, and the mystical story of the disappearance of Ellora’s creators await us.
The central temple at Ellora is the famous temple dedicated to Mount Kailas, the abode of the god Shiva. It is the world’s largest monolithic structure, carved into the rock in time immemorial. The temple is covered with intricate stone carvings – sculptures and writings about Mount Kailas and the gods associated with this mountain.
Day 4. March 5, 2024, Tuesday. Nashik.
Transfer to Nashik, an ancient religious town named after a relic from the great epic Ramayana. There are many famous vineyards and wineries, forts and waterfalls around the city.
Today we are scheduled to visit India’s largest winery, Sula. The program includes a tasting of top Indian wines.
Day 5. March 6, 2024, Wednesday. Trekking to Mount Kalsubai, the “Everest of Maharashtra”.
Trek on the famous Mount Kalsubai, the “Everest of Maharashtra”.
This is our first trek of four through the legendary mountain forests of India.
The altitude is 1646 meters. Track distance 8 km. Duration 4-6 hours.
Day 6. March 7, 2024, Thursday. Lonavala
Today we have a long drive to Lonavala, the famous hill and jungle region.
We check into the hotel and relax.
Travel time is six hours.
Day 7. March 8, 2024, Friday. Trek to Fort Korigad.
Early morning we take our breakfast with us and go for an easy trek to the 600 year old fort of Korigad. The fort was built in the 15th century at an altitude of 926 meters. It is accessed by stone steps and a path through the jungle. The fort was used in several ancient wars, the last conquerors of the fort being the British. There are still cannons from the British Empire days on the grounds.
The walls of the fort, which can be walked on, offer stunning views of the valley .
Travel time is 2-3 hours.
After lunch, we ride ATVs through a beautiful valley and admire the sunset in the mountains.
Day 8. March 9, 2024, Saturday. Mulshi
Today we are scheduled to transfer to Mulshi, another region of beautiful sunsets, ancient forts, waterfalls and jungle.
Accommodation and relaxation at the legendary One Earth eco hotel.
Travel time is 2 hours.
Day 9. March 10, 2024, Sunday. Trekking in Andharban Wildlife Sanctuary
We take our breakfast and lunch with us and go for Andharban trek early in the morning. A charming journey through the most picturesque nature reserve, the name of which translates as Dark Forest. Our goal is to reach an authentic village in the middle of the jungle with no road access. The village has 8 residents for 15 houses.
Altitude 660 m.
The distance is 13 kilometers.
Travel time is a 6-hour walk.
Day 10. March 11, 2024, Monday. Trekking to Devcund Falls through jungle – Pune.
Trek to Devcund Falls through Sandhan valley. The waterfall is created by three waterfalls and forms the Kundalika River below. A beautiful uncomplicated track through the jungle.
The altitude is 914 meters.
The distance of the track is 8-9 kilometers. Duration 4-5 hours.
Transfer to Pune.
Day 11. March 12, 2024, Tuesday. Pune
Pune, a large city combining ancient traditions and colonial style. This land of the Maratha Empire, who ruled this land even before the Mughals came. The war with the Marathas significantly weakened the Mughal Empire.
Here we will visit several significant landmarks and holy sites.
Bhimashankar Temple – Brimashankar Temple. It is dedicated to the god Shiva and ranks sixth among the 12 Jyotirlingams (Shiva shrines) in India. Scenes from the Indian epics Mahabharata, Ramayana, Krishna Leela and Shiv Leela can be seen on the outer walls of the shrine. The temple has been mentioned in written sources since the 13th century. Bhimashankar is also the source of the Bhima River, which merges with the Krishna River near Raichur.
Shaniwaar wada – Shaniwaar wada, an 18th century palace, a historical fortress and residence of the rulers of Maharashtra in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Agakhan palace – Aga Khan Palace and Mahatma Gandhi National Memorial. One of the most important monuments of modern Indian history
Day 12. March 13, 2024, Wednesday. Pune to Delhi
Today we have the opportunity to walk around the many stores of Pune and get ready for our evening flight to Delhi.
Day 13. March 14, 2024, Thursday. Delhi. Homecoming Day.
Aeroflot Delhi-Moscow flight at 5:00 am (you can take any other flights, the organizers will help you with transfers and hotel arrangements if needed).
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