You will be picked up from your hotel in New Delhi in a private, air conditioned vehicle and drive to the Akshardham Temple. Upon arrival, visit the temple with your English speaking guide. The Swaminarayan Akshardham temple is a Hindu Mandir located in East Delhi near the banks of the Yamuna River. It has 20,000 statues, 234 carved pillars and nine domes. There are 148 life-sized elephant statues in the temple and an 11 foot high statue of Swaminarayan (18th century yogi and Hindu teacher) is seated under the central dome. In the complex is the Yagnapurush Kund (a replica of a grand traditional step-well), which has 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines. The nine-lotus design of the central pool is a replica of a ritual yantra or arrangement used in sacred Hindu ceremonies. At the head of the step-well is the 27 feet tall bronze murti of Neelkanth Varni. He presides over the step-well inspiring determination, devotion and courage. It is India’s largest step well.

After viewing the temple, continue your tour to Old Delhi including the seventeenth-century walled city of Shahjahanabad. You will visit the Red Fort. Its thick, red-sandstone walls bulge with turrets and bastions that have withstood the ravages of both time and nature. Within the walls lie halls of public and private audience, domed and arched marble palaces, plush private apartments, a mosque and elaborately designed gardens. Even today, the Red Fort remains an impressive testimony to the Mughal grandeur.

Later, take a walk through Chandni Chowk, the old marketplace of Shahjahanabad, which is now a picturesque bazaar. It consists of many narrow lanes that are crowded with shops selling everything from authentic Indian food and clothing to electronics.