SHARE IT - SAVE UP TO 10% ON ALL HOLIDAYS
Explore the teeming, colourful cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur on this superb-value Indian holiday. Step into a landscape said to have inspired Kipling as you spend two nights 'on safari' in Ranthambhore National Park, the home of the legendary Tigers of Ranthambhore, and see the Red Fort, the Palace of the Winds and the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal. It's the perfect introduction to one of the world's most fascinating and alluring destinations.Extend your holiday with a visit to Kerala. See Kochi’s famous Chinese fishing nets as well as enjoying a spice plantation visit and a houseboat cruise on the backwaters. You’ll also visit Periyar National Park for a chance to see the wildlife.
Highlights
- The sights and sounds of New Delhi
- The historic Red Fort, the India Gate war memorial and the ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
- Conclude your holiday with five nights in colourful Kerala
- Taking a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi
- A guided tour of Agra, India's city of love
- The magical Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Chand Baori, Abhaneri's astonishing 13-story stepwell
- Searching for Ranthambhore's tigers on two included safaris
- Exploring the ramparts, gates and cobbled paths of Jaipur's Amber Fort
- Jaipur's exquisite Palace of the Winds
- Dinner with a local family in Jaipur
- Staying in cottages at Vanaashrya Resort
- Enjoy a camel cart ride and an Indian cookery demonstration
- Visit the fascinating Heritage Transport Museum in Delhi
Inclusions
- Eight nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation in a series of four-star and five-star standard hotels, 2 nights Delhi (1 at arrival and 1 at departure), 1 night Agra, 2 nights Ranthambore, 2 nights Jaipur, 1 night Vanaashrya, plus one night on the aircraft
- Five nights' half-board accommodation at hotels in Kochi (2 nights), Periyar (1) and Alleppey (2)
- Six lunches
- Return flights to Delhi via Abu Dhabi returning from Kochi via Abu Dhabi
- An internal flight from Delhi to Kochi
- 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 Abu Dhabi.
Day 2
Arrive in Delhi to be greeted by your tour manager, then transfer to your hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, you'll have a chance to explore the ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque and the ornate Qutb Minar tower.
Day 3
This morning, a guided tour of the Old City will introduce you to Jama Masjid Mosque and Raj Ghat, Gandhi's famous cremation site close to the Yamuna River. You'll also see the legendary Red Fort, the residence of the Mughal emperor for nearly 200 years (until 1857), and take a rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk. Before evening falls, you'll also see some of the city's Imperial highlights, including the India Gate war memorial, the vast boulevard of the Rajpath and Parliament House. Later, we'll travel to Agra, India's City of Love and site of the exquisite Taj Mahal. Built as a monument to undying love by grief-stricken Shah Jahan - after the death of his beloved wife - the Taj is seen in all its glory at sunset. Your guided tour of Agra will also take in the royal pavilions, palaces and courtyards of Agra Fort.
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 visit Abhaneri, a small town famed for its amazing baoris (stepwells). See the mighty Harshat Mata Temple, and discover the architectural beauty of the Chand Baori stepwell and its intricate carved panels. Descending 13 stories and approximately 30 m (100 ft) into the ground, this is one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India.Leaving Abhaneri, you'll travel to Ranthambhore National Park, stopping en route for lunch at the Umaid Lake Palace, a lovely heritage hotel set amid landscaped gardens. Ranthambhore is not only one of the largest national park in northern India, it's also one of the best examples of conservation in the whole country. Once the hunting ground of Indian princes, the park stands atop a 600-metre-high hill range and is home to a number of India's famous, elusive (and still endangered) tigers. Relax for the afternoon, then enjoy an evening tiger talk with a local naturalist: the perfect preparation for tomorrow's adventure.
Day 5
This morning, search for some of the park's most revered inhabitants: striped hyenas, sambar deer, sloth bears and, of course, tigers (and perhaps even a leopard) as you enjoy the first of two tours led by an expert naturalist guide. After lunch, your second guided safari will offer another opportunity to look out for tigers and many other extraordinary wild animals at close quarters in their natural environment.
Day 6
This morning, after the chance to climb up the 273 steps to Ranthambhore Fort on an optional excursion, we'll travel through Rajasthan to Jaipur, nicknamed India's pink city, where you'll stay for the next two nights. Settle into your heritage hotel in downtown Jaipur, and enjoy the on-site facilities, including a relaxing and cooling outdoor pool.
Day 7
Visit Amber, the ancient capital of the Rajput Empire. Discover its magnificent palaces and temples dominated by the stronghold of the Amber Fort, and take the time to see the royal halls and the unrivalled views from the ramparts. After an included lunch, you'll tour Jaipur to see the City Palace Complex, with its museums, and Jantar Mantar, the ancient astronomical observatory. In the evening, you'll enjoy dinner with a local Rajasthani family in the city.
Day 8
This morning you'll head north to Vanaashrya. En route you'll stop for tea or coffee at Bhangarh, a ruined fort dating from the 17th Century. After a relaxing afternoon, you can take a camel cart to visit the local village and enjoy a pre-dinner cookery demonstration. You'll spend the night in your private cottage, a place designed to give you a sense of the India of the past with the little luxuries of the present day (like air conditioning).
Day 9
As we make our way back to Delhi, we'll stop at the fascinating Heritage Transport Museum, which showcases the development of road, rail and air transport in India.
Day 10
Begin your extension with a flight to the southern Indian jewel of Kochi, where you will be met by your tour guide and escorted to your first hotel - the four-star deluxe Trident. Check-in, rest and relax, or take a dip in the courtyard pool, prior to taking dinner in the hotel's restaurant.
Day 11
Begin your exploration of Kerala, 'God's Own Country', today, with a tour of historic Kochi. Take in the Portuguese-built and peculiarly named Dutch Palace, the spectacular Paradesi Synagogue and the area's photogenic Chinese fishing nets. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Kathakali dance show.
Day 12
This morning travel to Periyar, inland from Kochi, to spend one night in the Greenwoods Hotel. After checking into your hotel, enjoy an enlightening tour of a local spice plantation. In the evening, relax in your hotel, taking advantage of its spa, swimming pool and treehouse cafe.
Day 13
Rise early on the fourth day of your extension to take to the waters of Lake Periyar for a wildlife boat tour, after which we transfer to our third and final stop, coastal Alleppey. Check in to your resort hotel set on the lush banks of the Punnamada Lake, and spend the rest of the day recharging your batteries.
Day 14
Get to know Kerala's famous backwaters, today, as you take lunch on a traditional kettuvallam houseboat and relax as life plays out on the area's labyrinthine banks. Later, return to your hotel and enjoy a restful evening looking back on your journey through India.
Day 15
On your final day in India, transfer from Alleppey to Kochi, and board your flight back to the UK via Abu Dhabi.