The winter holidays are one of the most rewarding times for families to experience India. Northern India is at its most comfortable in December and early January, making it ideal for exploring this country’s remarkable Mughal monuments, royal palaces, colorful markets, lakeside cities, and tiger country without the intensity of the hotter months.
This journey is designed to make India feel both extraordinary and approachable; to give families the wonder of India without the uncertainty of navigating it alone. The itinerary combines the country’s great icons — Delhi, the Taj Mahal, Ranthambore National Park, Jaipur, and Udaipur — with experiences that are especially engaging for families: pedicab rides through Old Delhi, hands-on artisan workshops, tiger drives, palace visits, folk performances, lake cruising, and festive meals.
Traveling over the holiday season also gives the experience a special sense of occasion. December 25 at the Taj Mahal, time in tiger country, festive decorations and light displays, and New Year’s Eve in Udaipur create memorable anchors for a trip that is both joyful and deeply enriching. It is a chance for families to step away from the usual holiday routine and share an unforgettable experience of wonder, learning, and adventure, while maintaining a thoughtful pace and high level of comfort.
Schedule by Day
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Depart the U.S. on an overnight flight to Delhi, India
Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel with time to settle in and rest after the journey.
Overnight: Taj Mahal Hotel
Begin with a welcome orientation and lecture introducing India’s history, culture, and contemporary life. Then explore Delhi, including India Gate, Parliament House, and Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Continue into Old Delhi to see the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, ride by pedicab through the lively lanes of Chandni Chowk, and join a guided walk led by youth from the NGO Salaam Baalak Trust. Later, visit Bangla Sahib, a Sikh temple known for its remarkable community kitchen. Gather this evening for a welcome reception and dinner.
Overnight: Taj Mahal Hotel
Meals: B, L, D
Drive approximately four hours to Agra, a former Mughal capital and one of India’s most storied cities. Set on the banks of the Yamuna River, Agra was a center of imperial power, artistic achievement, and architectural innovation. Upon arrival, visit Agra Fort, a magnificent complex of palaces and courtyards that reflects the power and refinement of the Mughal Empire. Check in at the hotel with views of the Taj Mahal, for dinner and overnight.
Overnight: Taj View Hotel IHCL SeleQtions
Meals: B, L, D
Rise early for a memorable December 25 visit to the Taj Mahal, arriving as the monument glows in the soft light of dawn. Return to the hotel for breakfast, followed by a hands-on marble inlay workshop that introduces the craftsmanship behind Agra’s most celebrated artistic tradition. At lunch, enjoy a lively Bollywood dance performance. The afternoon is free for families to relax together, with an optional return to the Taj Mahal at sunset before a festive dinner.
Overnight: Taj View Hotel IHCL SeleQtions
Meals: B, L, D
Depart this morning for Ranthambore National Park, with a lunch stop in Bharatpur enroute. One of India’s most celebrated wildlife reserves, Ranthambore is especially known for its Bengal tigers and for the dramatic beauty of its setting, where forest, lakes, rocky escarpments, and historic ruins create one of the country’s most atmospheric safari landscapes. Upon arrival, set out for an afternoon wildlife drive through mango groves, ancient banyan trees, massive rock formations, and open savannah.
Overnight: The Maharaja's Lodge Ranthambhore
Meals: B, L, D
Spend the day exploring Ranthambore National Park with morning and afternoon wildlife drives. Once the hunting grounds of Jaipur’s maharajas, the park is now one of India’s premier tiger reserves and an important conservation area for Bengal tigers and other wildlife. In addition to the possibility of tiger sightings, the park is home to deer, monkeys, wild boar, crocodiles, and abundant birdlife. Between drives, enjoy a second lecture and time to relax at the lodge.
Overnight: The Maharaja's Lodge Ranthambhore
Meals: B, L, D
After a final morning wildlife drive in Ranthambore National Park, return to the lodge for lunch before traveling by coach to Jaipur, the pink capital of Rajasthan. The morning offers one last chance to experience the park’s remarkable combination of wildlife, rugged scenery, and evocative ruins before continuing from tiger country to Rajasthan’s royal capital.
Overnight: The Maharaja's Lodge Ranthambhore
Meals: B, L, D
Following a morning lecture visit Amber Fort, dramatically set in the hills outside Jaipur and reached by Jeep. Explore its courtyards, gateways, audience halls, and richly decorated interiors before stopping at Jal Mahal, the “Water Palace” that appears to float on Man Sagar Lake. In the afternoon, take part in a wood block printing demonstration, one of Rajasthan’s signature artisan traditions. This evening, enjoy local music and dance at the hotel.
Overnight: Raj Palace
Meals: B, L, D
Continue exploring Jaipur with visits to the City Palace and Jantar Mantar, the remarkable 18thcentury astronomical observatory built to measure time and track the heavens. Later, fly to Udaipur, one of India’s most beautiful cities, set beside Lake Pichola and surrounded by the Aravalli Hills. Check in to the legendary Taj Lake Palace, an 18th-century former royal retreat set on an island in Lake Pichola and one of India’s most magical hotel settings. Enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Taj Lake Palace
Meals: B, L, D
Enjoy a final lecture this morning before touring Udaipur’s City Palace, a vast complex of balconies, courtyards, towers, and richly decorated rooms overlooking the lake. Continue to Jagdish Temple, a 16th-century temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Later, learn the traditional art of Jal Sanjhi, a colorful water design ritual. At sunset, cruise Lake Pichola as Udaipur’s palaces and waterfront begin to glow for the evening. Later, gather for a festive New Year’s Eve dinner and a celebratory midnight countdown in one of India’s most magical lakeside settings.
Overnight: Taj Lake Palace
Meals: B, L, D
Begin the new year with a visit to Sahelion-ki-Bari, a graceful royal garden of fountains, lotus pools, and marble pavilions. Continue with a Kathputli puppet show and a visit to Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal, a center dedicated to Rajasthan’s folk arts, music, costumes, puppetry, and performance traditions. In the late afternoon, fly to Delhi to check in for dinner and overnight until early morning transfer to the airport for flights home. Or choose to participate in the post-trip extension to Mumbai and fly directly from Udaipur to Mumbai.
Overnight: Radisson Blu Hotel
Meals: B, L, D
Fly early this mornig to the U.S. arriving back the same day.
Pricing*
Double Occupancy
Single Occupancy
$12,990 per person
$17,490
*Triple occupancy discount (17 and younger): $4,000; triple occupancy discount (18 and older): $3,000
Accommodations (5 star), meals, and excursions as specified in the itinerary, including 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 10 dinners • Comprehensive program of briefings, lectures and presentations • Shared airport transfers on group arrival and departure dates • Two on-tour flights economy class from Jaipur to Udaipur and from Udaipur to Delhi • Baggage handling • Gratuities to porters, waitstaff, guides and drivers • Entrance fees • House wine, beer, and soft drinks with all group lunches and dinners • Bottled water on motorcoaches • Professional Criterion tour manager and Indian escort throughout the program
U.S. domestic and international airfare • Passport/visa expenses • Medical expenses and immunizations• Private airport transfers or airport transfers outside of group arrival and departure dates • Travel and trip cancellation insurance • Excursions that deviate from the scheduled tour options • Airline baggage charges • Meals not specified in the itinerary; dishes and beverages not part of the included meals; liquor or soft drinks except as noted • Laundry or dry cleaning • Telephone, Internet and email charges • Room service • Other items of a personal nature
To reserve a space on this program, a $2,000 deposit is required per person. Final payment is due 120 days before departure (August 23, 2027) payable by major credit card, check, or wire transfer. Participants will receive an invoice directly from the tour operator, Criterion Travel for all subsequent payments after the initial deposit.
Notification of cancellation must be received in writing by HAA from the participant. Cancellations received within 14 days of booking are eligible for a full refund, provided that initial deposits were made 121 days or more prior to departure. After 14 days, $1,000 per person becomes non-refundable.
The program terms and conditions can be found here and must be acknowledged upon registration.
Accommodations
Taj Mahal Hotel, Delhi (one night)
Taj View Hotel IHCL SeleQtions, Agra (two nights)
The Maharaja's Lodge, Ranthambhore (three nights)
Taj Lake Palace, Jaipur (three nights)
Radisson Blu Hotel, Delhi (one night)
Optional Post-Tour Extension: Mumbai
January 1 - 4, 2028
Fly from Udaipur to Mumbai for a post trip extension to Mumbai, India’s great coastal metropolis. Enjoy three nights at the landmark Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Superior Sea Rooms, a fivestar property located on Mumbai’s harbor front om the historic Colaba district. Explore the city’s layered history, vibrant street life, distinguished museums, and remarkable sacred art, including the rock-cut temples of Elephanta Island. This extension offers a fascinating urban finale to the journey, adding Mumbai’s energy to the palaces, tiger country, and lakeside beauty of Rajasthan.
Overnight: Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai (three nights)
Meals: 2B, 2L, 2D
$2,390 per person, double occupancy
$2,940 single occupancy
$500 discount, triple occupancy
Note: Extension pricing reflects credit of main tour costs on Jan 1st not used: Udaipur to Delhi flight, day hotel room and dinner in Delhi
The opportunity to register for the extension will be provided directly from the tour operator following the participants confirmation on the program
What to Expect
Activity Level 3
The tour staff is responsible for the group as a whole and will not be able to assist individuals. For the most satisfying experience (and in fairness to your fellow travelers), please note that this tour is a fast-paced, moderately strenuous program that is at times physically demanding and requires you to be in good health.
To take full advantage of the outstanding opportunities this journey offers, there will be a few early morning departures, with activities throughout the day and into the evening. Daily activities can involve one to two miles of walking over the course of a day, sometimes on narrow and crowded streets with uneven footing, and climbing stairs (often without handrails). Sightseeing within historic palaces and temples is on foot. Shoes must be removed in temples, but socks can be worn. Morning and evening game drives will be in 4-wheel drive vehicles. Transportation between cities and games parks is in modern, air-conditioned motor coaches. Generally, the drives are one to two hours, however, the drive to Ranthambhore National Park exceeds 5 hours and the drive from Ranthambhore to Jaipur is more than 3 hours. We may encounter congested multi-lane highways and bumpy, narrow roads. Stops will be made along the way, and photo opportunities abound. In addition, this itinerary includes two short on-tour flights (booked in economy class) from Jaipur to Udaipur and from Udaipur to Delhi.
This program is not suitable for those with a serious medical condition, a medical issue that might be adversely affected by strenuous travel, or limited mobility. The prospect of illness or hospitalization while traveling in India should not be taken lightly. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in this expedition, please call us.
The tour staff is responsible for the group as a whole and will not be able to assist individuals. For the most satisfying experience (and in fairness to your fellow travelers), please note that this tour is a fast-paced, moderately strenuous program that is at times physically demanding and requires you to be in good health.