Temples & Tigers: A Tailor-Made Journey to India

Arrive in Delhi, where you’re met by our representative and taken to your hotel by private transfer. The rest of the day is at leisure. If you’d like to start exploring, consider taking a walk through Lodi Gardens, an expansive, leafy oasis scattered with 15th-century Mughal tombs. 

Explore India's vibrant capital on a private guided tour. This includes Humayun's Tomb, one of the city's Mughal landmarks, and an inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Then see the imperial buildings set along the wide boulevards of Lutyens' New Delhi—named for British architect Edwin Lutyens—including India Gate and the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the residence of India’s presidents. During your free time in the afternoon, consider a visit to the Lotus Temple, a striking marble shrine built in the shape of a lotus flower. (B)

Leave Delhi early this morning to travel to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, built by emperor Shah Jahan in the 1600s in honor of his deceased wife. You can travel to Agra by road with your private driver—about a three-hour ride—or by train. The rail journey can take longer, but offers an authentic and memorable experience. If you choose to travel by rail, you'll be escorted to the train and met at the station in Agra by our representative. In the afternoon, take a guided walk around Agra. Visit the the Red Fort, an impressive 15th-century Mughal palace complex filled with mosques and sandstone palaces where Shah Jahan was imprisoned shortly after his beloved Taj Mahal was completed. (B)

Rise early to experience the Taj Mahal at sunrise on a private guided tour. Enjoy time to wander among the surrounding gardens, taking in different perspectives of this legendary site, and see the adjacent sandstone mosque. After breakfast back at your hotel, continue your travels with a drive to the nearby Bharatpur railway station. Board your train and travel to Sawai Madhopur — a journey of just over two hours. This is the nearest station to Ranthambore National Park, which is your location for the next two nights. (B)

Head into Ranthambore twice on game drives through the rugged terrain on the lookout for some of the park's many rare species, including the elusive Bengal tiger and over 300 species of bird. Your safaris take place n the early morning and the early evening, when temperatures are at their coolest and animals at their most active. (B)

Enjoy a final game drive in the park this morning before a leisurely breakfast back at your hotel. After breakfast, travel to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The drive will take around four hours with stops along the way. On arrival, settle into your accommodation and enjoy a relaxing evening at your leisure. (B)

Spend a full day discovering this enchanting “pink city” with your private guide and driver. Venture into the magnificent Amber Fort, the capital of the Kachwaha Rajputs until 1727, exploring its many beautiful temples, courtyards, and palaces. After time to relax back at your hotel, set out on a guided evening food walk through the old city. (B,D)

Visit the museum within the City Palace, and admire the intricate facade of The Palace of the Winds, laced with openings so that women inside could discreetly watch the happenings on the street. Then see fascinating 17th-century astronomical instruments at the Jantar Mantar Observatory. (B)

Today drive back to Delhi, a journey of approximately five to six hours. The rest of the day is at your leisure, a comfortable airport hotel is suggested, before transferring to the airport for your flight home. (B)