Hidden Treasures of the Deccan Plateau

Day 1 Depart the UK

Today depart the UK on the British Airways flight to Bangalore. (N)

Day 2 Arrive Bangalore / Bangalore to Mysore – 150kms

Arrive into Bangalore in the morning. Here you will be met by your driver and taken to Mysore where you will stay for the next two nights. At the end of the afternoon join your guide for a specialist two-hour heritage walk through historic Mysore. Highlights include the Town Hall, Devaraja Market and Jagan Mohan Palace and, during the walk, the guide will share stories relating to the city’s past. You will also be able to try ‘Mysore Pak’, the city's famous sweet. (N)
Accommodation in Mysore: Gitanjali Homestay
Upgrade option: Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel

Day 3 Mysore

This morning, after breakfast, begin your sightseeing of Mysore at Chamundi Hill to visit the Chamundeswari Temple and 350 year old Nandi Bull. Afterwards head to the spectacular City Palace which was re-constructed during the late 19th century by British architect Henry Irwin. With a distinctive Indo-Saracenic style, the palace houses excellent displays of wall painting, stained glass and inlay work. In the afternoon travel outside of the city to visit the exquisite Keshava Vishnu Temple at Somnathpur and Srirangapatnam where Tipu Sultan was killed in battle against an East India Company army including Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. (B)
Accommodation in Mysore: Gitanjali Homestay
Upgrade option: Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel

Day 4 Mysore to Hassan – 145kms via Sravanabelagola

Today leave Mysore and drive to Hassan where you will stay for the next two nights. En-route stop to visit the impressive Jain pilgrimage complex of Sravanabelagola. Famed for its monumental hilltop statue of Gommateshwara, the summit is reached by a steep stepped climb which passes numerous small shrines and temples. (B)
Accommodation in Hassan: Hoysala Village Resort

Day 5 Hassan – visit Belur and Halebid

After breakfast visit the beautiful temples of Belur and Halebid. The temples at Belur are over 800 years old and were built under the direction of the Hoysala kings whilst neighbouring Halebid once served as the ancient capital of the Hoysala Empire. Both temples feature exquisite sculptural designs and flawless craftsmanship. (B)
Accommodation in Hassan: Hoysala Village Resort

Day 6 Hassan to Hospet – 320kms

This morning leave Hassan and drive to Hospet where you will stay for three nights. Hospet is a small market town and the main base for visiting the remains at nearby Hampi. Once the epicentre of the Vijayanagara Empire, at one time Hampi was one of the largest and most successful Hindu realms in southern India. In the evening ascend Hemakuta Hill to enjoy sunset. (B)
Accommodation in Hospet: Heritage Resort Hampi
Upgrade option: Hampi's Boulders Resort
Alternative upgrade option: Evolve Back, Kamalapura Palace Hampi

Days 7 & 8 Hospet – visit Hampi

With your guide, over the next two days explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi. As one of the largest Hindu empires to have ever existed, the ruins at Hampi are extensive and, in many cases, exceptionally well preserved. Established in the early 1300s, there is an impressive array of palaces, temples, structures and ruins to visit including the Vitthala Temple, Stone Chariot, Lotus Mahal and Queen's Bath. (B)
Accommodation in Hospet: Heritage Resort Hampi
Upgrade option: Hampi's Boulders Resort
Alternative upgrade option: Evolve Back, Kamalapura Palace Hampi

Day 9 Hospet to Badami – 140kms

Leaving Hospet, drive north through Karnataka to the village of Badami. With a striking location, this former Chalukyan capital is best known for its Hindu and Jain cave temples that occupy a spectacular setting cut into the cliff-face of a sandstone hill that looks over this ancient village. (B)
Accommodation in Badami: Badami Court Hotel

Day 10 Badami – visit Pattadakal and Aihole

Start the day with a visit to the cave temples above Badami which are thought to date from the second half of the 6th century AD. Later continue to the nearby village of Pattadakal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to an impressive 8th century temple complex. End the day in Aihole which is regarded as the birthplace of Indian temple architectural design. Here there are over 140 temples which illustrate a range of differing styles from Hoysala and Dravida to Jain, Buddhist and Nagara. (B)
Accommodation in Badami: Badami Court Hotel

Day 11 Badami to Bijapur – 120kms

This morning continue to Bijapur, a town distinct from the surrounding area and home to a beautiful collection of Mughal Islamic architecture. In the afternoon explore the town, places of interest include the Golgumbaz, a towering mausoleum which has the second largest unsupported dome in the world, and the beautiful 17th century Ibrahim Rauza. (B)
Accommodation in Bijapur: Basava Residency

Day 12 Bijapur to Gulbarga – 160kms

Today continue onto Gulbarga. Noted for its fort this afternoon visit the citadel, the Khwaja Banda Nawaz Darga and the tombs of the Bahmani sultans including the beautiful Haft Gumbaz, the Hazrat Gesu Nawaz and highly decorated Taj-ud-Din Firuz. (B)
Accommodation in Gulbarga: Lumbini's Grand Hotel

Day 13 Gulbarga to Hyderabad – 250kms via Bidar

After breakfast leave Gulbarga and medieval Bidar to visit the palaces, harem and mosques of the fabulous fort and later continue to Hyderabad. Stay for three nights in the city or upgrade to the spectacular Taj Falaknuma Palace. Offering a unique insight into the extravagant lifestyle of the Nizams, Falaknuma Palace was completed in 1893 and has hosted visiting royalty from King George V to Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Today this luxury hotel remains home to priceless art, rich handcrafted tapestries, Venetian chandeliers and delicate frescos. (B)
Accommodation in Hyderabad: Taj Deccan Hotel
Upgrade option: Taj Krishna Hotel
Alternative upgrade option: Taj Falaknuma Palace

Days 14 & 15 Hyderabad

Over the next two days explore Hyderabad with your guide. Founded in 1589 by the fifth Sultan of Golconda, Hyderabad was ruled by a succession of Muslim Nizams from 1724 which many of the city's monuments dating from this period. Highlights here include the Mecca Masjid Mosque, iconic 17th century Char Minar, Chowmahalla Palace, bustling Lad Bazaar and the Salar Jung Museum. Also travel outside of the city to visit the 700 year old Golconda Fort—one of the most impressive citadels of its kind in India. (B)
Accommodation in Hyderabad: Taj Deccan Hotel
Upgrade option: Taj Krishna Hotel
Alternative upgrade option: Taj Falaknuma Palace

Day 16 Hyderabad to the UK

Today transfer to Hyderabad Airport to catch the British Airways flight non-stop to the UK. (B)

Hidden Treasures of the Deccan Plateau

16 days from £3740 per person

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Itinerary: Hidden Treasures of the Deccan Plateau

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