Day by Day itineraryDay 1: Delhi to Bharatpur (225 km. in about 4.5 hr.)Travel to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary from Delhi by road as our tour representative picks you from the designated point in the morning. On arrival, check in at the booked hotel and take some rest. Enjoy the lunch before we take you for the first bird watching session of the trip. Get back to the hotel in the evening and enjoy a comfortable night stay.
About Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: An erstwhile royal bird shooting preserve, the place became a bird sanctuary in 1976, a national park in 1982 and a World Heritage Site in 1985. A montage of tropical dry deciduous forests, woodlands, dry grasslands and a series of wetlands, the sanctuary attracts hundreds of species of waterfowls and landbirds for living, wintering, breeding and nesting. In addition, one can find a number of mammals, reptiles and fishes co-existing inside the park.
Safari Information:
- Timings: 06:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
- Open: Throughout the year
- Entry Fee: INR 75/500 per Indian/foreigner
- Safari Options: Walking, bicycle, rickshaws, electra vans, tongas (horse-carriages)
- Bicycle rent: INR 100 per hour
- Cycle Rickshaw: INR 150 per hour
- Tonga: INR 300 per hour
- Electra Van: INR 300 per hour
- Still Camera: Free
- Handy Cam: INR 600/900 per Indian/foreigner
- Guide (compulsory for group with 10 or more members): INR 250 (group size less than 5) and INR 400 (group size more than 5) per hour
- Boating: INR 75 per person or INR 300/600 (4/6 seater) per hour
- Private Vehicle Entry: INR 50
What to Expect:
- Birds like herons, cormorants, storks, teals, spoonbills, darters, sandpipers, cranes, babblers, warblers, ospreys, hornbills, eagles, buntings, ibis and many more
- Mammals like sambars, spotted deer, jackals, hyenas, civets, fishing cats, jungle cats, nilgai, chital, mongoose, nilgai, macaques and more
On the second day of the tour of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary from Delhi, you would join us on two park safari trips, one in the morning and second in the afternoon. In the evening, you can spend the time at leisure. Get back to the hotel for night stay.
What to Eat? Being in the state of Rajasthan, you can feast on some of the well-known delicacies of the region, including kachori (pyaz kachori and mawa kachori), aloo ki sabzi and sweets made of milk. In addition, you can find some excellent restaurants offering Indian as well as international fares. Some good options include Laxmi Vilas Palace Restaurant (don’t miss chicken tikka and mango soufflé), Ravia (tandoori food) and Udai Vilas Palace Restaurant (Chinese, continental). Atithi, Shahi Rasoi and Gori are other popular restaurants in the region.
What to Shop?
The local bazaars of Bharatpur bustle with exquisite handicrafts and traditional art specimens that are worth buying. You can look for marble work, brass work, bandhej textiles, paintings and jewellery items made of kundan and precious and semi-precious stones. In addition, the Gift Centre at the park’s entrance offers items like books, themed t-shirts, postcards, magnets and other souvenirs that you would love to take back as tokens of trip’s memories.
Get ready for yet another bird watching trip in the park in the morning. For the remaining part of the day, you would be free to enjoy at your own will. The night stay would be at the hotel.
If you thought of exploring only the birds during the trip to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary from Delhi, you are in for a wonderful surprise. There are many amazing heritage sites near the park that you may choose to visit during the free time. Here are some suggestions:
- Keoladeo Shiva Temple (06:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.): The park gets its present-day name from this Shiva Temple which houses a syambhu (self-manifested) Shiva Lingam.
- Lohagarh Fort (10 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.; entry fee INR 20 per person): Popular as the Iron Fort, this 18th century fort built by the Jat rulers remained invincible to the repeated attacks of the Mughal and British forces and is thus a symbol of great power and pride. The main highlights include the victory towers called Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj; palaces named Moti Mahal and Kishori Mahal and a museum exhibiting great artifacts.
- Bharatpur Palace (09:00 a.m. to 05:30 p.m.): Flaunting the spellbinding mix of Rajput and Mughal architectures, the palace is known for its richly decorated walls and great floor patterns. The museum inside the palace boasts of the collections of sculptures, scriptures and other appealing art specimens.
- Government Museum (09:45 a.m. to 05:15 p.m.; closed every Monday; INR 5/50 per Indian/foreigner; INR 10/20 for still/video camera): Explore some amazing collections of miniature paintings, coins, manuscripts, arms and other archaeological specimens.
- Bankebihari Temple (07:45 a.m. to 09:30 p.m.): A beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, it promises great peace as well as an engaging atmosphere during the morning and evening aartis.
- Laxman Temple (07:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m.): Dedicated to Laxman, the brother of Lord Rama, the temple has main attractions in the form of idols made of eight metals. The Rajasthani architecture and exquisite carvings of the temple leave one absolutely stunned.
- Ganga Temple (05:30 a.m. to 09:00 p.m.): Dedicated to Goddess Ganga (the holy river Ganges), the temple showcases the spectacular architecture with the influence of Mughal, Rajput and South Indian styles.
- Deeg Palace (09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., INR 5/100 per Indian/foreigner): If you have a lot of time available, don’t miss visiting this fairy-tale palace, located about 38 km. from the sanctuary. Also known as Jal Mahal, it sits amidst a water body and has some enchanting intricate designs to its credit. The Charbagh Garden adds to its splendour.
As the tour to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary from Delhi comes to an end, we drive you back to Delhi. On arrival, we drop you at the preferred point so that you can start the further journey.