India's Natural Diversity and Cultural Heritage

Depart from your home city on independent flights to Delhi, India.

Arrive Delhi after mid-day or late evening and transfer to your hotel.

Overnight: Taj Mahal Hotel

After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Delhi.

Visit Humayun's Tomb (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Humayun. Commissioned by his wife in 1569-70, it is the first Persian-style garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent. This architectural marvel set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture, which reached its pinnacle with the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Old Delhi pulses with energy and color. Its bustling bazaars are threaded with narrow, twisting lanes, flanked by tall, leaning houses, all filled with the sights, sounds, and aromas of the Indian subcontinent.

In Old Delhi, drive past the Red Fort, surrounded by shops and bazaars (built by Emperor Shah Jahan, the creator of the Taj Mahal), the Jama Masjid Mosque with its tapering minarets and stunning marble domes, and Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi’s active business center. Experience the vibrant energy of everyday Indian life as you pass through, with chattering voices all around. Enjoy a rickshaw ride through the streets of Chandni Chowk.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, drive past India Gate, a prominent Delhi landmark built in 1931 to commemorate the soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. You’ll also pass Rashtrapati Bhawan (the President’s House), other government buildings, and the Parliament.

Visit the Gandhi Smriti Museum (Gandhi’s Remembrance) located in Birla House, where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life and was assassinated. The museum houses numerous artifacts associated with Gandhi's life and death. Visitors can tour the building and grounds, view the preserved room where Gandhi lived, and visit the site on the grounds where he was shot during his nightly public walk. The Martyr’s Column now stands at the place where Gandhi was shot during his prayers.

Welcome cocktail dinner.

Overnight: Taj Mahal Hotel

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, transfer to airport catch a flight to Raipur. Upon arrival, drive approximately 4.5 hours to Kanha National Park, with hot/packed lunch en route. Reach your hotel by evening.

Overnight: The Bagh

Meals: B, L, D

Today, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives by Jeep at Kanha National Park.

One of the country's largest national parks (covering 1945 sq. km including a 'core zone' of 940 sq. km), Kanha National Park is also part of Project Tiger, one of India’s most significant conservation efforts. As the setting for Kipling's The Jungle Book, you'll explore different habitats by Jeep and, for tiger viewing, by elephant. These habitats include sal forests, bamboo thicket, dadar (plateau grasslands), meadows, and mixed forests. This beautiful, wooded area is home to many rivers and streams, supporting a remarkable variety of wildlife. 

Some of the species you might encounter include the endangered hard-ground Barasingha (the only place where this subspecies remains), barking deer, spotted deer, the largest bovine gaur, golden-backed jackal, jungle cat, common langur, sloth bear, wild boar, wild dog, the elusive Chausingha, and, of course, the tiger.

Overnight: The Bagh

Meals: B, L, D

Continue exploring Kanha National Park with morning and afternoon game drives.

Overnight: The Bagh

Meals: B, L, D

Continue exploring Kanha National Park with morning and afternoon game drives.

Overnight: The Bagh

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast transfer to Raipur airport (4.5 hours drive) to catch a flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to the airport hotel.

Overnight: Radisson Blu Plaza

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, drive approximately 4.5 hrs drive to Jaipur, arriving in time for lunch.

In the afternoon, visit Jhalana Amagarh Forest, part of Aravalli Range. Before commencement of the Leopard Safari in 2018, this area was conserved as a forest block by the Forest Department. Its historical significance is marked by the presence of Shikar Oudhi (Hunting Place), located somewhere in the central region of Jhalna Leopard Safari Park. Spanning an area of 23sq km, Jhalana Leopard Safari Park is home to 30-35 leopards. Situated in the heart of Jaipur, close to the airport, Jhalana is quickly becoming a popular destination for spotting leopards in the wild. As the apex predator here, the otherwise shy leopard enjoys little competition, which makes them more confident and thus easier to spot.

Overnight: Jai Mahal Palace

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, visit Amber Fort, located on the outskirts of the city (approximately 11 km away). High above the town and surrounded by defensive fortification walls, this impressive fort was built by Raja Man Singh in the early 17th century. It features mighty gates, temples, huge ornate halls, palaces, pavilions, and gardens. Amber Fort is a perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. From the top the fort, you can enjoy excellent views of the surrounding countryside and the town below. Ride uphill and downhill by Jeep.

After lunch at a local restaurant, explore the Pink City, the old part of Jaipur painted in pink. Visit the City Palace, an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The vast palace complex occupies one-seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. Originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh, the palace has been expanded by many of his successors. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens, and buildings. The City Palace Museum displays Afghan and Persian carpets, miniature paintings, and astronomical manuscripts in Persian and Sanskrit, among other items. Adjacent to the City Palace is the Jantar Mantar Observatory, built between 1728 and 1734 on a grand scale,. This collection of 17 astronomical instruments, made of stone and marble, includes a 27.4-meter-high sundial accurate to within two seconds! The Central Museum, known as the Albert Hall is well worth a visit. Founded in 1876, it houses a large collection of antiques and interesting artifacts.

Later in the afternoon, drive to Ranthambore (approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.)

Overnight: Sawai Madhopur Lodge

Meals: B, L, D

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives by canter/Jeep at Ranthambore National Park.

Famous for its tigers, Ranthambore is one of the best places in the country to see these majestic predators in the wild. The varied topography of the national park is also home to animals like the jackal, mongoose, sloth bear, and leopard.

Surrounded by the Vindhya and Aravali hill ranges and located very close to the outer fringes of the Thar Desert, Ranthambore also offers desert land and plains, home to various species of birds.

Overnight: Sawai Madhopur Lodge

Meals: B, L, D

Continue with morning and afternoon game drives by canter/Jeep at Ranthambore National Park.

Overnight: Sawai Madhopur Lodge

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, drive to Bharatpur (approximately 4 hours). Check into your hotel, followed by lunch.

In the afternoon, visit Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary. 

More popularly known as Bharatpur, the marshes of Keoladeo were once the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas. The sanctuary was developed in the late 19th century by creating small dams and bunds in a natural depression to collect rainwater, which was then channeled through an irrigation canal. Over the years, the lakes attracted great numbers of waterfowl. Part of the park lies under water, the extent and volume depending on the intensity of the rains, while the remaining area is covered in dry deciduous forests and extensive grasslands. Acacia trees grow on the raised ground outlining the wetlands, where resident water birds nest, often in large mixed colonies—a spectacular sight during the monsoon. The park is also an excellent place to observe mammals such as golden jackals, striped hyenas, fishing cats, jungle cats, nilgai, sambar, blackbuck, and wild boar.

In the evening, enjoy a Raas Leela dance performance. The term "Raas Leela" roughly means "Dance of Devine Love". The dance form tells the story of Krishna, Radha, and the Gopis, and is considered as Krishna's favorite thing to do.

Overnight: The Bagh

Meals: B, L, D

Make an early, pre-breakfast visit to Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary.

After a leisurely breakfast, depart Bharatpur for Agra (approximately 1.5 hours), arriving in time for lunch at your hotel.

In the afternoon, visit the Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built by Emperor Akbar, it is perhaps the best-preserved fort in India. Construction of this crescent-shaped fort, which spans 2.5 kilometers in circumference, began in 1565. Enclosed within the towering double outer walls, which reach up to 20 meters high and are interrupted by a series of massive gates, the fort feels like a city within a city. Initially a military structure, the fort was expanded under the rule of Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan, who added many palatial buildings. Today, these structures stand as silent witnesses to the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire and serve as exemplars of Islamic architecture and decoration.

In the eveing, gather for a farewell dinner.

Overnight: Oberoi Amarvilas

Meals: B, L, D

Enjoy a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal to view the marble sparkle in the light of dawn.

The Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved consort, Mumtaz Mahal. This beautiful mausoleum, made of pure white marble, is an architectural marvel. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 1653, with an estimated 20,000 people working on the project. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic traditions.

After breakfast, drive to Delhi (approximately 4 hours), with a packed lunch to enjoy en route. Check-in at the airport hotel for day-room use.

Overnight: Radisson Blu Plaza

Meals: B, L, D

Early morning (pre-dawn) transfer to Indira Gandhi International Airport for return flights.