Your itinerary
Day 1
DAY 1
Departure
Day 2
Arrival in New Delhi
Arrival in New Delhi – On arrival, we transfer to the five-star Le Meridien Hotel for one night. After a short rest we commence our guided tour of New Delhi. The city centre, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1911, is bisected by wide, tree-lined avenues, a hub which clearly reflects the Raj legacy and home to the former Viceroy’s Palace, now the Presidential Palace.
Heading down the imposing Rajpath, we pass India Gate and the Parliament building. We’ll visit some of Delhi’s older monuments, including the Qutub Minaret, started in 1199, which is the tallest stone built tower in India.
A buffet dinner is included tonight.
Meals: Dinner
Day 3
Old Delhi
Old Delhi – This morning we continue our city tour, first visiting Old Delhi, starting with the Raj Ghat, a fittingly simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. We also visit the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Temple, one of the most prominent Sikh gurdwaras – or Sikh house of worship – in Delhi.
We leave Delhi in the afternoon for our drive to Agra, arriving at our four-star Oberoi Trident hotel, in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal – We rise early to catch the sun rising over the Taj Mahal. In the soft morning light, as the mist rises from the Yamuna River behind it, the Taj Mahal seems to float, mirage-like, above the surrounding landscape. A combination of extraordinary beauty, symmetry and history makes this wonder of the world one of the most amazing monuments on the planet and you will have plenty of time to admire it from all angles.
Moving on, we continue our tour with a visit to the vast red sandstone Agra Fort. Completed in 1573, it was the headquarters of the Mughal Empire, boasting vast size and opulence, its buildings make it more of a walled palace than a fort.
In the evening you have the option of completing a wonderful day with another visit to the Taj Mahal, to witness the shrine at sunset.
Personalise your holiday –
Moonlight Garden and Baby Taj
Moonlight Garden lies north of the Taj Mahal complex on the opposite side of the Yamuna River and was built to align perfectly with the Taj Mahal. We will get the chance to explore the gardens which also offer some amazing views of the Taj Mahal.
After this we will visit “Itmad-ud-Daula Tomb” which is built completely in white marble and is often described as a “jewel box” and also called the “Baby Taj”.
From £19pp
Please contact us for more information and to add the above experience to your booking.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri – Leaving Agra this morning we continue towards the ancient, abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, built in 1571, as Emperor Akbar’s imperial capital. Although it was mysteriously abandoned just 15 years later, it remains in a remarkable state of preservation, with numerus palaces, wide courtyards and beautiful carvings.
We stop for lunch (included) at the the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Bharat before going on to the railway station to catch the Shatabdi Express for our comfortable two-and-a-half-hour journey to Ranthambore National Park.
Originally the private hunting preserve of Maharajahs, its 400 square kilometres of forested rolling hills, valleys and lakes form a unique ecosystem. Started in 1973, India’s famous Tiger Project was created to protect the country’s tiger population. Despite many difficulties, the tigers of Ranthambore have survived and numbers have stabilised.
Meals: Lunch
Day 6
Ranthambore Tiger Safari
Ranthambore Tiger Safari – An early start this morning is worth the sacrifice as we head out to the park for our safari using specially built, 20-person, open-top four-wheel drive vehicles known as ‘canters’. After many years of conservation, Ranthambore is now the best place to spot tigers in India, but the reserve is about more than tigers – over 300 bird species have been counted including impressive, crested eagles, painted stork and wild peacocks.
The park’s residents also include large numbers of sambars, the largest Asian antelope, as well as marsh crocodiles, wild boar and rare sloth bears and leopards. Look out for the playful troop of black-faced langur monkeys near the main entrance gate.
We return to our hotel in the late morning, with time to relax before and after lunch. In the afternoon we take our second trip into the park for another chance to spot the elusive tigers.
Dinner is included this evening.
Meals: Dinner
Day 7
Jaipur
Jaipur – Leaving Ranthambore after breakfast we head north to the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. Our afternoon tour will cover all the major highlights of this ancient city. The famous Hawa Mahal, known as the Palace of Winds, is one of our first stops before we continue to the Astronomical Observatory constructed in 1726 and on to the City Palace, still home to the present Maharajah of Jaipur, where we’ll view collections of costumes, carpets, paintings and the impressive armoury.
Our hotel for the next two nights is the new four-star Marriott Jaipur.
Personalise your holiday –
Jaipur at night by Rickshaw
The “Pink City Rickshaw Co.” is a unique innovative initiative of ACCESS Development Services, a not for profit organization and aims to provide a new aspirational employment opportunity to 200 women from low income households in Jaipur. Experience the medieval mystique of the Jaipur city by the eco-friendly auto rickshaws and enjoy this amazing and completely off-beat experience of Jaipur at night. The beautiful, iconic structures are gorgeously lit up after sunset and you will be treated to splendid views of the city.
From £19pp
Please contact us for more information and to add the above experience to your booking.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8
Amber Fort
Amber Fort – This morning another highlight, on a tour of highlights: you’ll visit the immense Amber Fort, located in the hills just a short drive out of Jaipur. Sampling all the most fascinating sights, our guided tour includes the sections reserved for the Maharajah’s wives and concubines as well as the remarkable hall of mirrors, with tiny delicate convex mirrors embedded like a mosaic in the walls and ceilings.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9
Rajasthan
Rajasthan – Heading north deeper into rural Rajasthan, we’ll pass small villages and towns on our way to the Sekhawati region of the state and the village of Alsisar. Once part of India’s Silk Road, over the years the merchants here grew very rich, building luxurious mansions known as ‘havelis’ to display their wealth with magnificent frescoed walls. Though most have been abandoned, the imposing and luxurious residence of the local kings has been lovingly restored as a Heritage hotel.
This afternoon we’ll take a guided walk through the village to explore the best examples of the havelis and see the locals going about their day.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10
New Delhi
New Delhi – After breakfast we head back to Delhi and the last night of our tour, at the five-star Hyatt Regency Delhi Hotel.
Dinner is included this evening.
Meals: Dinner
Day 11
DAY 11
Return home
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Jaipur City Tour: Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar & City Palace
Explore Jaipur’s Pink City, pausing by the filigreed facade of Hawa Mahal, once a breezy screen for royal observers. Step into the Jantar Mantar Observatory to see monumental instruments that track celestial time with astonishing accuracy.
Continue to the City Palace Museum, where textiles, miniatures, and ornate weaponry illuminate Rajput courtly life. Painted gateways and sun-washed courtyards set the tone of a city that blends astronomy, artistry, and royal pageantry.
Shekhawati Haveli Walk in Alsisar
Take a guided walk through Alsisar to admire frescoed havelis built by merchant families who prospered along caravan routes. Quiet lanes reveal courtyards where hand-painted walls depict gods, traders, and steam-age novelties in mineral-rich pigments.
Learn how Shekhawati’s Silk Road trading towns evolved into open-air art galleries during the 19th century. Weathered facades and ornate portals offer evocative scenes for photography and a glimpse into Rajasthan’s mercantile heritage.
Taj Mahal Sunrise Visit
Witness the Taj Mahal in soft morning light, when its white marble blushes pink and the reflecting pools turn glass-still. Stroll the gardens as the soaring dome and slender minarets seem to hover above the river mist.
Learn how Emperor Shah Jahan created this mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal, its surfaces dressed in delicate calligraphy and pietra dura inlay. The harmony of proportions, symmetry, and silence makes this an intimate, contemplative encounter with a world icon.
Agra Fort Guided Tour
Explore Agra Fort, a walled city of red sandstone ramparts overlooking the Yamuna. Wander through imperial courts and audience halls—Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas—and view pavilions that once staged Mughal ceremony and power.
Hear how Akbar and Shah Jahan shaped this UNESCO site into a palatial stronghold, where ornate jharokha balconies catch breezes and framed vistas offer views to the Taj Mahal. The craftsmanship reveals the refinement of Mughal courtly life.
Fatehpur Sikri Imperial Capital Tour
Join a guided tour of Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar’s 16th-century masterpiece in warm red sandstone. Walk grand courtyards and arcades to the colossal Buland Darwaza, the Panch Mahal, and intricately carved jali screens.
Discover why this visionary city—part palace, part mosque complex—was abandoned within decades, yet remains perfectly preserved. Its syncretic architecture and dramatic scale illuminate the ambition and spiritual curiosity of the Mughal golden age.
Ranthambore Tiger Safaris (Two Game Drives)
Set out on two game drives in open canters through Ranthambore National Park, where lakes, banyan thickets, and ruined temples create a cinematic backdrop. Scan riverbanks and grasslands for pugmarks and listen for alarm calls that may reveal a tiger’s stealthy approach.
Beyond big cats, watch for sambar and chital deer, mugger crocodiles, and an array of birdlife from painted storks to peacocks, all under the gaze of the ancient hilltop fort. Your expert naturalists share conservation insights from India’s Project Tiger.
Amber Fort & Sheesh Mahal
Visit Amber Fort, its honey-hued ramparts crowning the Aravalli Hills above Maota Lake. Pass through the ornate Ganesh Pol into royal apartments where Rajput-Mughal design flourishes in latticework, arches, and painted floral motifs.
Step into the shimmering Sheesh Mahal, a hall lined with tiny convex mirrors that sparkle like starlight. The fort’s elevated terraces deliver an Aravalli Hills panorama, revealing the strategic beauty of Jaipur’s former capital.
Heritage Lunch at Laxmi Vilas Palace, Bharatpur
Enjoy a heritage lunch in the atmospheric salons of Laxmi Vilas Palace, where chandeliers, courtyards, and portraits evoke princely Rajasthan. Expect regional flavours—tender breads, aromatic gravies, and fragrant Rajasthani dishes—served with warm hospitality.
Dine in a former royal residence dating to the 19th century, a fitting interlude between Mughal monuments and desert forts. The palatial setting adds a sense of occasion to a relaxed, flavoursome meal.
Moonlight Garden & ‘Baby Taj’ (Optional Excursion)
Cross the Yamuna to the Moonlight Garden (Mehtab Bagh) for perfect alignment and sunset views of the Taj Mahal. Fragrant plantings, river breezes, and the changing hues of marble create a quietly romantic perspective.
Continue to Itimad-ud-Daulah ‘Baby Taj’, a jewel-box mausoleum famed for delicate lattice and pietra dura inlay that anticipated the Taj’s artistry. This experience is at additional cost (from £19pp) and bookable on tour.
Jaipur by Night: Women-Led Rickshaw Ride (Optional Excursion)
Glide through illuminated Jaipur on a Jaipur at night by rickshaw experience with the women-led Pink City Rickshaw Co.. Cruise past Hawa Mahal aglow, pulse through lantern-lit bazaars, and feel the city’s evening rhythm from an eco-friendly seat.
Hear stories from your driver about life in the Pink City and this social enterprise that creates dignified work for local women. This experience is at additional cost (from £19pp) and bookable on tour.
Sacred Delhi: Raj Ghat & Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Visit Raj Ghat, the serene memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, set amid lawns and shady trees beside the Yamuna. The simple black marble platform and eternal flame invite quiet contemplation and a moment to honour India’s modern conscience.
Continue to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, crowned by a gilded dome and reflective sarovar. Step inside to hear soothing kirtan and learn about the langar community kitchen, where volunteers prepare vegetarian meals for all—an uplifting expression of equality and service.
New Delhi Panoramic City Tour & Qutub Minar
Explore the capital on a guided panoramic tour, gliding along the ceremonial sweep of Rajpath to admire the India Gate, Parliament House, and the domed grandeur of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Wide, tree-lined avenues and classical facades reveal the scale and symmetry of Lutyens’ New Delhi.
Visit the UNESCO-listed Qutub Minar complex, where a 73-metre minaret rises in bands of carved red sandstone and calligraphy. Hear stories of the early Delhi Sultanate as you examine intricate arches and courtyards, and pause to appreciate the site’s serene, archaeological character.
