India - Tigers & the Taj Mahal for Solo Travellers - EXCLUSIVELY FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS

EXCLUSIVELY FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS

Uncover northern India’s greatest cities on this perfect introduction to one of the world’s most fascinating and alluring destinations. Join a group of friendly, like-minded solo travellers, and explore the teeming, colourful, spectacular cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur that make up the world-famous, fascinating Golden Triangle. See sights like the Red Fort, the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal and the Palace of the Winds. Spend two nights on safari in Ranthambhore Park, a one-time hunting ground of Indian princes, and complete your holiday with a night in a luxury jungle resort.

Highlights

The magical sight of the Taj Mahal at sunrise
Searching for Ranthambhore's tigers on two safaris
The astounding sights and sounds of New Delhi
The historic Red Fort, the India Gate war memorial and the ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
Take a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi
A guided tour of Agra, India's city of love
Room with a Taj Mahal view in Agra
Explore the ramparts, gates and cobbled paths of Jaipur's Amber Fort
Jaipur's exquisite Palace of the Winds
Chand Baori, Abhaneri's astonishing 13-storey stepwell
Dinner and a puppet show with a local family in Jaipur
Staying in cottages at Vanaashrya Resort with dinner, drinks and a local dance performance included
Enjoy a camel cart ride and an Indian cookery demonstration

Inclusions

Eight nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation in a series of four-star and five-star standard hotels in Delhi (2 nights), Agra (1), Ranthambhore (2), Jaipur (2) and Vanaashrya (1), plus one night on the aircraft
A Welcome Lunch on your first day in India
Five other lunches
Return flights to Delhi
Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers
The services of a friendly, experienced tour manager

Day 1

Your Indian holiday begins with an overnight flight from the UK to Delhi via Doha.

Day 2

Arrive in Delhi, this morning, to be greeted by your Tour Manager, and transferred to your hotel. Later, after an included Welcome Lunch and time to freshen up, join your tour manager on a guided tour, and explore the ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the ornate Qutb Minar tower that rises above them.

Day 3

Today's guided tour will introduce Delhi's vibrant Old City. Drive by the historic Red Fort, Jama Masjid Mosque and Raj Ghat – Gandhi’s cremation site close to the Yamuna River – and enjoy an exhilarating rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk. You’ll also experience the grandeur of New Delhi, built by the British Raj to reflect the glories of the Empire. Highlights will include the historic India Gate war memorial and the vast boulevard of the Rajpath. Later, we'll travel to Agra, India's City of Love and site of the exquisite Taj Mahal. After a visit to the royal pavilions, palaces and courtyards of majestic Agra Fort, you’ll make your first visit to the Taj, a monument to undying love, to see it in all its glory at sunset.

Day 4

Start your day with the unforgettable view of the Taj Mahal at dawn, seen from across the Yamuna River. After breakfast, you'll journey to Abhaneri, a small town famed for its amazing baoris (stepwells). Discover the intricate beauty of Chand Baori, one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India, and its carved panels. Leaving Abhaneri, you'll travel to Ranthambhore National Park, stopping en route for lunch at the sumptuous Umaid Lake Palace, a lovely heritage hotel and organic retreat that grows produce for its fine restaurant. Once the hunting ground of Indian princes, Ranthambhore is landscape of thorn trees, scrub and grasslands dotted with beautiful ponds, streams and lakes is a perfect habitat for the famous, elusive (and still endangered) Tigers of Ranthambhore, and other species. Relax for the afternoon, then enjoy an evening tiger talk with a local naturalist: the perfect preparation for tomorrow's adventures.

Day 5

Today’s two canter (open-air vehicle) safaris in Ranthambhore Park are sure to be among the highlights of your entire holiday. In the company of a knowledgeable naturalist guide, you'll go in search of the park's most animal inhabitants: striped hyenas, sambar deer, sloth bears and, of course, tigers (and perhaps even a leopard).

Day 6

Rest and relax this morning, or join our optional excursion to climb the gradual, 273 steps to ancient Ranthambhore Fort, which sits atop a 600-metre-high hill range, and offers stupendous views of the park below. This afternoon, after lunch at the hotel, you’ll bid farewell to Ranthambhore and journey to the Pink City of Jaipur, where you'll stay for the next two nights.

Day 7

After breakfast, visit Amber, the ancient capital of the Rajput Empire. Climb by jeep to the city's vast sixth-century hill-top fort to wander its Royal Halls and take in the magnificent views from the ramparts. After an included lunch, you'll tour Jaipur to see the City Palace complex, with its museums and ancient astronomical observatory, and drive past the innumerable windows and screened balconies of the 18th-century Palace of the Winds. We'll also visit a local school. Later, enjoy a special dinner at the Nokha House, hosted in traditional Rajasthani style by the Rathore family. The evening will include a puppet show and the chance to get a henna tattoo.

Day 8

Bid farewell to Jaipur and journey across the desert plain into the Aravali Hills to the jungle-resort of Vanaashyra. En route you'll stop at Bhangarh, a ruined fort dating from the 17th Century. This afternoon, take a camel cart to visit the local village and enjoy a pre-dinner cookery demonstration. Later, relax with an included drink or two and watch a local dance display prior to dinner. You'll spend the night in a private cottage designed to give you a sense of the India of the past with the little luxuries of the present (like air conditioning).

Day 9

Today we head back towards Delhi where you'll spend the final night of your holiday. En route, we'll stop at the fascinating Heritage Transport Museum, with its impressive collections covering the development of India’s road, rail and air-travel industries, as well as transport-related toys and memorabilia.

Day 10

Transfer back to the airport and board your flight home after a wonderful introduction to India.

Further Information

Taj Mahal restoration work

The white marble of the Taj Mahal is being gradually cleaned in a process that will take up to four years. Parts of the monument's surface may be covered during this process though your visit and access to the main dome is not likely to be restricted.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour.

Passports and visas

British citizens require machine-readable passports when travelling overseas. Your passport must contain two blank pages and be valid for 180 days after your return date from India. A visa is also required for entry to India. Full details of how and when to apply will be sent out about eight weeks before departure. British CITIZENS and some other European nationals satisfying certain conditions may use the online e-Tourist Visa application process at a cost of $10 (US) per person for entry to India for arrivals in the months of April, May and June or $25 (US) per person for arrivals in other months. Other British passport holders, who are not British CITIZENS, must apply for a full visa which costs £112. You may also, at extra cost, use the services of CIBT, our recommended visa handling partner, who will handle the whole process for you. Note that all travellers of Pakistani descent, regardless of citizenship, will generally be subject to more detailed processing by the Indian authorities, which can take up to four months from application.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

On your flight

Flights from London leave in the evening and land at your destination the next day. All return flights leave in the morning and land in the UK on the same day. On-board meals will usually include dinner and breakfast on outbound flights, and lunch and a snack on the flight home. Drinks are complimentary. Flights from Manchester leave in the afternoon and fly via Abu Dhabi where a change of aircraft is necessary in both directions. Return flights are overnight, and arrive back in the UK in the morning. Meals appropriate to the time of day will be served.

Luggage allowance

You are permitted to take one suitcase per person on the aircraft, which should not exceed 23kg.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made. In many developing countries access is sometimes not as easy as at home. Should you have walking difficulties, getting around monuments and attractions may be harder and, in some cases, impossible. Should you have any concerns whatsoever please do contact us prior to travel.

Travel vaccinations

Requirements and advice can vary over time, and from person to person, so please contact your GP about eight weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or any other preventive measures.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Changes to your hotels

Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in alternative hotels, of a similar standard, nearby. Full details of your hotels will be sent with your Final Travel Documents.

Road Conditions

In developing countries road networks are continually being improved and expanded, which can mean that, from time to time, roadworks and rough road surfaces can extend journey times. Many roads do not have separate pavements or safety barriers, and great care should be taken when crossing or walking alongside roads.