Mystical India

Depart U.S. for Delhi, India on an overnight flight.

Spend today en route to Delhi, India’s capital and second largest city. Arriving after midnight, transfer directly to your hotel.

Overnight: Taj Palace, New Delhi

The morning is at leisure before meeting with your tour director for a briefing on the journey ahead followed by time for an early lunch on your own.

Encounter Old Delhi, capital of Muslim India between the 12th and 19th centuries. Stop at Raj Ghat, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial consisting of a simple black marble slab honoring India’s beloved political and spiritual leader of India’s independence movement. Gandhi was renowned for his advocacy of civil disobedience as a form of nonviolent resistance.

Drive past Lal Qila, the Red Fort complex of palaces considered the greatest of all Delhi’s earlier cities and today a UNESCO World Heritage site. From here, visit India’s largest mosque, the red sandstone and marble Jama Masjid, completed in 1656 as the last monument commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal. Ride rickshaws through bustling and colorful Chandni Chowk market, one of Delhi’s oldest and busiest, and where Mughal emperors once shopped.

Return to your hotel late this afternoon and enjoy a welcome dinner here tonight.

Overnight: Taj Palace, New Delhi

Meals: B, D

Have another day to discover Delhi, India’s energetic capital, which has been inhabited continuously since the 6th century BCE. At 573 square miles and boasting over 30 million inhabitants, Delhi prides itself both on its rich history and vibrant contemporary culture.

Begin with a trip to Qutb Minar (also known as Qutub Minar), one of Delhi’s most visited and striking monuments. Sultan Qutb al-Din Aibak laid the foundation for the monument after defeating the last Hindu Kingdom in 1200 CE. With a height of 240 feet, this red stone tower ranks as the highest brick minaret in the world. Next, pass by India Gate, the majestic 137-foot-high arch that stands over an eternal flame to honor the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting alongside the British during World War I and the Afghan wars. Following lunch at a local restaurant, visit a Sikh temple (gurdwara), then learn more about Gandhi at the Gandhi Smriti (or “Gandhi Remembrance”), a museum located in the building where this Indian icon spent his last days before being assassinated. 

Return to the hotel late this afternoon and have the remainder of the evening free for exploration (or relaxation) with dinner on your own. The hotel has a variety of restaurants, and your tour director will also be available to provide recommendations.

Overnight: Taj Palace, New Delhi

Meals: B, L

Depart Delhi this morning and travel southwest by motorcoach on the day-long journey to Jaipur, one of the great cities of the Rajput—an Indian cultural caste associated with warriorhood and great courage in battle. Upon arrival in Jaipur this afternoon,  have lunch at the hotel.

Later this afternoon, have some time to explore the colorful market of Jaipur, followed by dinner together at the hotel.

Overnight: Taj Amer, Jaipur

Meals: B, L, D

Jaipur was the home of India’s legendary Hindu warriors, whose historic forts, palaces, and gardens lend a timeless quality to this storied region. Called the “Pink City” for its buildings of rose-hued sandstone, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jaipur retains the exquisite symmetry of its original construction, as well as the eight historic gates that protected the city centuries ago. 

Drive past Hawa Mahal, the elaborately carved “Palace of the Winds,” whose rose-colored sandstone façade allowed the ladies of the court to view the streets of the city from behind its 953 small windows—and also allowed cooling breezes to enter.  Continue to Jantar Mantar, the incredible open-air Royal Observatory (c. 1728) housing oversized astronomical instruments and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; and City Palace, the former residence of the Maharajas of Jaipur and built in the shape of the city itself. It is now converted to a museum that houses the rulers’ magnificent art collections.

After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the Kachhawah Rajputs as their capital from 1037 to 1728 and considered the pinnacle of Rajput architecture. Tour the unoccupied citadel, approaching by jeep to admire the fresco-covered portal, the impressive room of mirrors, walls of jewel-encrusted marble, and the royal apartments offering beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding valleys. Late this afternoon, return to your hotel; dinner tonight is on your own.

Overnight: Taj Amer, Jaipur

Meals: B, L

In the morning, visit Birla Mandir, the Hindu temple made of pure white marble that enshrines Lord Vishnu and counts as one of Jaipur’s most popular attractions. Tour a local market before heading to nearby Sanganer to watch villagers engage in traditional block printing and handmade papermaking. Using centuries-old techniques, artisans craft coveted hand-printed textiles and unique paper goods. Sanganer is also known for its distinctive blue pottery, which you see the craftspeople paint freehand.

After some time at leisure this afternoon, tonight you are dinner guests of a multigenerational Rajasthan family in their home. This provides a fascinating window on Indian life and an opportunity to witness up close the traditional society from which India is transitioning into a more urban lifestyle.

Overnight: Taj Amer, Jaipur

Meals: B, D

Leave Jaipur this morning for Ranthambore National Park. Bordering the outer fringes of the Thar Desert and encompassing the former hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Jaipur, Ranthambore is now a 512-square-mile nature preserve (one of India’s largest) that is home to diverse plant life, historic ruins, and hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and, of course, the elusive Bengal tigers. This afternoon, take a game drive through the park, whose mission is to help preserve and protect the endangered Bengal tigers. Dine tonight at your lodge.

Please note: Road conditions in and around Ranthambore are poor; about two hours of the drive will be on bumpy or unpaved roads. Additionally, the canters (open 20-seat vans) used for game drives provide minimal shock absorption; be prepared for very bumpy drives.

Overnight: AamaGhati Wildlife Resort

Meals: B, L, D

On today’s morning and afternoon game drives, look for wildlife (though tiger and leopard sightings are not guaranteed). One of India’s best known national parks, Ranthambore belongs to India’s groundbreaking Project Tiger, dedicated to preserving and protecting the once plentiful Royal Bengal tigers that roamed the land here. Now threatened by poachers, illegal logging, and encroaching civilization, India’s tiger population has decreased significantly; it is believed that just 80 tigers currently live in Ranthambore (a number that actually represents a net gain in the past decade or so). Nationally, Project Tiger has seen the Bengal population in India rise to between 2,603–3,346 individuals (the latest count in 2018) from the estimated 1,800 when the project launched in 1973. The park’s varied landscape of beautiful lakes, lush grasslands, deep ravines, wooded valleys, and open scrub also features picturesque ruins of old fortifications and the thousand-year-old Ranthambore Fort, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

On the way back to the lodge, visit an organization called Dhonk, which works with members of the Mogya tribe, a traditional hunting community. Here, see tiger conservation in action: families who once relied on poaching the big cats now have an alternative means of earning income through crafts and artwork. Meals today are at your lodge.

Overnight: AamaGhati Wildlife Resort

Meals: B, L, D

This morning we embark on the five-hour drive to Gadoli, stopping along the way to visit with village children at a recently built local library. After lunch at the retreat, set out on a camel safari (via camel cart) through the surrounding villages to meet the local Meena tribespeople who live in mud huts that they decorate inside with floral and animal designs. Largely an agricultural people, the Meena have maintained much of their traditional culture and customs. Late this afternoon, return to your lodging where tonight you enjoy dinner accompanied by a local folk dance performance.

Overnight: Dera Village - The Clement Retreats 

Meals: B, L, D

Leaving Gadoli this morning, travel to the village of Abhaneri to witness an architectural marvel: the Chand Baori step well. To overcome the perpetual issue of water scarcity during summer months, inhabitants of northern India began constructing unique step wells in the 6th century CE to collect this necessary resource. An estimated 3,000 of these baori once gave villagers multiple routes of access to the pools of water below and provided a gathering place with respite from the heat. The 9th-century ruler King Chand built this astounding structure—one of India’s largest and most visually arresting—with 3,500 symmetrical steps on three of its sides, each descending 13 stories into the 100-foot-deep well. Ruins of an elaborately sculpted temple dedicated to Harshat Mata, Goddess of Joy and Happiness, stand opposite the step well. 

Continue to the ancient Mughal stronghold of Agra, arriving early this afternoon. After lunch on your own, proceed to the Itimad-ud-Daulah, often called the “Baby Taj,” the two-story marble mausoleum that inspired the Taj Mahal. Then, get a preview of tomorrow’s excitement as you view the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh, an idyllic garden complex located directly across the Yamuna River, opposite the fabled mausoleum. Tonight, dine together at the hotel.

Overnight: Tajview, Agra - IHCL SelecQtions

Meals: B, D

Early this morning, embark on a tour of the Taj Mahal, the magnificent tomb of white marble built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, who had implored her husband to build a monument symbolizing their undying love for each other. Some 20,000 laborers and artisans from around the world spent 22 years constructing what became Mumtaz’s mausoleum, which was begun in 1632. Along with its exquisite symmetry, the Taj features striking examples of pietra dura, a decorative art in which craftsmen embed precisely cut semi-precious stones in marble to form dazzling patterns. 

Return to your hotel for breakfast, and then visit the imposing Red Fort of Agra, comprising fairytale palaces, two beautiful mosques, audience halls, pavilions, courtyards, and gardens, all surrounded by a massive wall, a moat, and yet another wall.  Your tour here features the Hall of Public Audience and the Royal Pavilions. An architectural and strategic masterpiece, the Fort is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In a cruel twist, Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal and whose grandfather built the original Agra Fort, was imprisoned here at the end of his life by his own son—in a room looking out on the Taj Mahal down the river. For lunch, take an Indian cuisine cooking lesson from local residents, along with a meal together in their home. The remainder of the day is at leisure; dinner tonight is on your own.

Please note: Should the weather impede your visit to the Taj Mahal early this morning, you will conduct your visit after breakfast before your visit to the Red Fort of Agra.

Overnight: Tajview, Agra - IHCL SelecQtions

Meals: B, L

Begin a long day of travel this morning, departing by coach for Delhi where you have lunch at the airport. Late this afternoon, board a flight to Varanasi, Hinduism’s holiest city and a center of learning, civilization, and religion since time immemorial.  Lacking in important architecture, elaborate palaces, and ancient fortresses, Varanasi nonetheless exudes an allure and mystique unlike any other Indian city, thanks to its role as a sacred place of pilgrimage. Tonight, enjoy dinner together at your hotel.

Overnight: Taj Ganges, Varanasi

Meals: B, L, D

Before breakfast today, those who wish can join in a private yoga session; this ancient meditation technique has been practiced in India for centuries. 

Visit nearby Sarnath, where after achieving enlightenment the Buddha delivered his first sermon and founded the Sangha—the first monastic community—in the 6th century BCE. A Turkish invasion at the end of the 12th century CE left the city in ruins; it lay forgotten until the 19th century when excavation and restoration efforts began. One of Buddhism’s four holiest sites, Sarnath draws pilgrims from the world over. See some of the temples and stupas (monuments designed to house Buddhist relics) and then tour Sarnath Museum, which houses a superb collection of Buddhist artifacts from excavations here. Highlights include a statue of the Buddha turning the wheel of law, and the celebrated Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka, a sculpture of four lions that once topped a column erected during the emperor’s reign which dates to 250 BCE. The national emblem of India since the country’s independence, the Lion Capital’s image appears on all Indian currency, passports, official seals, and government buildings. 

Back in Varanasi tonight, attend a traditional aarti offering ceremony: as you cruise along the Ganges, watch as devout Hindus offer their lit lamps to the deities. Following this moving experience, have dinner tonight at the hotel.

Overnight: Taj Ganges, Varanasi

Meals: B, D

Early this morning, return to the Ganges, where Hindu pilgrims perform their time-honored rites along the ghats (steps) leading to the sacred river. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges at least once in a lifetime is both a duty and a privilege; it can help lead to the forgiveness of sin and the attainment of salvation. Visit several of the important ghats by boat as we experience the spiritual mystique of these hallowed waters. Stroll down narrow lanes and alleyways lined with houses and shops and pass cyclists, cows, and city denizens of all kinds.

Returning to your hotel for breakfast, have some time at leisure with lunch on your own before this afternoon’s performance.  Arrive at the home of a famous sitar player and enjoy a private classical performance. The home is also a music school, so you may hear some students practicing. 

Tonight, celebrate your journey at a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers.

Overnight: Taj Ganges, Varanasi

Meals: B, D

Fly to Delhi and then transfer to your hotel, which is conveniently located near the airport. Depending on flight times, you will have either the morning or afternoon at leisure today. Have the evening free as well, with dinner on your own.

Overnight: Pullman New Delhi Aerocity

Meals: B

Very early today, transfer to the airport for your return flights to the U.S.