Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, rose to prominence as the home of the royal nawabs of Avadh. Nawabs and their Wazirs converted Lucknow to a city with religious and secular edifices of unmatched excellence, earning it the titles 'Shirag of Avadh' and the 'Constantinople of India'. Lucknow is famous for it's etiquette, the language of this place reflects the richness in culture which it has inherited from the Nawabs. Huge palatial buildings are a reminder of the days when the city had a 'Nawabi' lifestyle. The extravagant life-style of the city was bound to catch the attention of the British who annexed Avadh on the pretext of failure of administrative machinery. Lucknow was one of the focal points during the 1857 mutiny. Today Lucknow lives on with memories of the past. Lucknow has now acquired the status of a city rich in art, music, dance and it's reputation beams as a city of culture and gracious living.

Jhansi is the gateway to the Bundelkhand region, the land of legendary warriors. It was an important centre under Raja Bir Singh Deo around the 17th century and is best known for the accounts of the fabled uprising against the British led by the warrior queen, Rani Laxmi Bai.

Jhansi has historic forts, religious centres, grand palaces and placid lakes. It is also a convenient transit point for the temple town of Khajuraho and the exquisite fort palace at Orcha

Allahabad, or Prayag as it was once called, has been a city of holy pilgrimage for Indians for thousand of years. The city is 135 km west of Varanasi at the confluence of two of India's most important rivers-- the Ganges and the Yamuna; in addition, the mythological Saraswati is believed to join the other two rivers here. The confluence, known as the Sangam, is considered to have great soul cleansing powers. Hence, thousands of people bathe here every January/February during the Magha Mela, or fair, and once in every 12 years during the Kumbh Mela, the world's largest gathering of pilgrims which draws millions to the confluence for a holy dip. Allahabad has a fort built by Akbar which overlooks the confluence of the rivers, and also the family home of the Nehrus, an eminent political family, called Anand Bhawan.