Hyderabad To Aurangabad Drive To Explore The Man-made Wonder Of India

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Hyderabad

Stop At: Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Hyderabad District, Telangana
On arrival at Hyderabad airport assistance and transfer to hotel check in (Hotel check in/ out time 12PM). Rest time free for personal activities relax, you can take a walk to have a glance of the city, visiting local markets and restaurants.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 2: Hyderabad

Stop At: Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Hyderabad District, Telangana
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 the 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 and 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.

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. Purani Haveli (Friday closed) located to the the south of Salar Jung Museum, built by the second Nizam for his son in 1777. The sixth Nizam Mir Mehboob Ali Khan spent most of his life here. He built a 240-foot long wooden chamber with some 150 walk-in-cupboards, arguably the world’s largest wardrobe. 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. Established in 1951, the museum was under Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, better known as Salar Jung.

Birla Mandir dedicated to the supreme incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Venkateshwara. This temple’s marvellous beauty leaves you awestruck as does the legend associated with the God. A blend of various types of architectural styles, this temple is made of 200 tonnes of pure white Rajasthani marble. Hussain Sagar Lake one of the largest man made lake situated at the confluence of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Begumpet. It is a sprawling artificial lake that holds water perennially. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Rest time free and easy to relax.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 3: Hyderabad - Bidar - Nanded (305kms/ 6hrs approx)

Stop At: Bidar, Bidar, Bidar District, Karnataka
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Nanded via Bidar. Visit Bidar Fort one of the magnificent forts built by Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali of Bahmani Dynasty, in 1430 along with a number of Islamic monuments. The Bidar fort is a specimen of the Persian architectural style having 1.21 km in length and 0.80 km in breadth, with a quadrangular layout. Surrounded by three miles long walls and comprising 37 bastions, it is surrounded by a triple moat. There are seven gates in the fort.

The 12 tombs of Bahmani Sultans are huge structures with beautiful arches, niches and lofty domes. Among all the tombs of Ahmad Shah Wali is most popular. Ahmad Shah Wali the 9th Bahmani Sultan died in 1436 and his son Alauddin built a majestic tomb for his father. The walls are about twelve feet thick supporting a huge dome on the top. The Rangeen Mahal believed to be built in the mid-16th century by Mahmud Shah Bahamani. The tile work and the granite with mother-of-pearl inlay work are the exclusive features of the citadel walls. The external hall has intricately engraved wooden pillars. The palace has a six-bay hall with remarkable carved wood columns forming a rectangular foyer. The columns too enclose convoluted capitals and intricately engraved brackets, which shows the skills of the artisans of those days.

Narasimha Jhira a wonderful cave temple situated on the outskirts of Bidar town dedicated to the lion god Narasimha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Temple is known for its natural beauty and is considered to be very sacred. This ancient temple is excavated in a 300 m tunnel under the Manichoola hill range. Within the cave, a stream of water is said to be flowing continuously since the foundation of the temple. Devotees have to walk waist deep in the water for 300 m for the darshan of Lord Narasimha. Guru Nanak Jhira one of holiest places for Sikhs. Legend has it that Guru Nanak visited the palace while the land was in the grip of a famine. The Guru performed a miracle at the request of the local people and a spring of water from the laterite rock mountain burst out. Till this day crystal clear water flows from the laterite trap. The belief is that drinking of these water cures many ailments.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Nanded, Nanded, Nanded District, Maharashtra
Continue drive to Nanded check in at gurudwara sarai/ hotel. Evening visit Gurudwara.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at gurudwara sarai/ hotel.

Day 4: Nanded – Aundha Nagnath - Aurangabad (265kms/ 5hrs approx)

Stop At: Nanded, Nanded, Nanded District, Maharashtra
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Hazur Sahib one of the five takhts in Sikhism located on the banks of the River Godavari in Nanded. The gurudwara within the complex is known as Sach-Khand. The structure is built at the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji left his earthly life. The inner room of the gurdwara is called the Angitha Sahib and is built over the place where Guru Gobind Singh was cremated in 1708. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by order of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Aurangabad, Aurangabad, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
Later drive to Aurangabad via visiting Aundha Nagnath (Nageshwaram Temple), supposed to be the eighth of the twelve jyotirlingas and an important place of pilgrimage. The present temple is said to have been built by the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty in 13th century. The first temple is said to be from time of the Mahabharata and is believed to have been constructed by Yudhishthira, eldest of the Pandavas, when they were expelled for 14 years from Hastinapur. It has been stated that this temple building was of seven-storyed before it was sacked by Aurangzeb.

Continue drive to Aurangabad check in hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 5: Aurangabad - Ellora (36kms/ 1hrs approx one way)

Stop At: Ellora, Ellora, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
Breakfast at hotel, excursion to visit Ellora Caves, Grishneshwar jyotirlinga & Daulatabad Fort.

Ellora Caves 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 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.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Aurangabad, Aurangabad, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
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.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 6: Aurangabad – Ajanta (105kms/ 2hrs approx one way)

Stop At: Ajanta Caves Road, Ajanta 431001 India
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.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Aurangabad, Aurangabad, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
After sightseeing drive back to Aurangabad.

Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 7: Aurangabad – Departure (170kms/ 4hrs)

Stop At: Aurangabad, Aurangabad, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
Breakfast at hotel. As per flight schedule transfer to airport to airport to board flight for onward destination.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.