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Uncover India's exotic wonders in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Search for tigers in Ranthambhore National Park and spend two nights revelling in colonial splendour at a five-star luxury hotel in the historic Himalayan hill station of Shimla. Join us for a thrilling adventure on a tour of India filled with unforgettable sights - from the ancient stronghold of Amber Fort to the chaos of old Delhi and the unmistakeable, unparalleled sight of the Taj Mahal at sunset and sunrise.Extend your holiday and visit Goa, with white sand beaches backed by swaying palms, is a perfect ending to your holiday. It’s a charming blend of Portuguese and Indian cultures, laid back, green and generally untouched by mass tourism.
Highlights
- Watching the sun set (and rise) behind the Taj Mahal
- Riding the 'toy-train' through the Himalayan foothills from Kandaghat to Shimla
- Spend four nights in a beachfront resort in Goa
- Exploring Old and New Delhi
- Agra, the Indian City of Love, and its ancient palace/fort
- Searching for Ranthambhore's tigers on two included safaris
- Dinner with a local family in Jaipur
- A night in a cottage in Vanaashrya
- Spending two luxurious nights in the five-star Oberoi Cecil Hotel
Inclusions
- 11 nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation in a series of four-star and five-star standard hotels in Delhi (2 nights), Shimla (2), Jaipur (2), Agra (1), Ranthambhore (2) and Vanaashrya (2), plus two nights on the aircraft
- Four nights' half-board accommodation in Goa
- 11 lunches
- Return flights to Delhi via Doha returning from Goa via Doha.
- An internal flight from Delhi to Goa
- All rail travel in India
- Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers
- The services of a friendly, experienced tour manager
Day 1
Begin your Indian holiday with an overnight flight from the UK to Delhi via Doha.
Day 2
You'll arrive in Delhi, this morning, meet your tour manager and transfer to your first hotel. After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of some of the city’s major sights, including the historic Red Fort, Jama Masjid Mosque and Raj Ghat (Gandhi’s cremation site), as well as the Raj-era grandeur of New Delhi. Complete the day with an exhilarating rickshaw ride before dinner at the hotel.
Day 3
This morning you'll catch the train to Chandigarh. From here, you'll journey up to Kandaghat to board the "toy train" to Shimla. Relax as the narrow-gauge route winds its scenic way into the foothills of the Himalayas, along the line opened by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, in 1903, to where the magnificent Oberoi Cecil Hotel waits to welcome you.
Day 4
This morning we'll rejoin the 'toy train' for a short journey through the mountains to Tara Devi 's Hindu Temple. Enjoy lunch at Clark's Hotel, the first hotel of the now world famous Oberoi chain, before heading out for a guided tour of Shimla. We'll visit the Viceregal Lodge, where the Partition of India was mapped out, stroll across the Ridge (the road-cum-square that's the centre of community activity in Shimla) and see the very English spires of Christ Church before joining the crowds at Scandal Point, Shimla's traditional meeting place, for an afternoon gossip.
Day 5
Today we'll retrace our steps, heading back down to Chandigarh for the return rail journey to Delhi.
Day 6
After a morning drive to Jaipur, and lunch when we arrive in the city, you'll have the afternoon free to relax or join our optional excursion to Elefantastic. This conservation sanctuary is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary animals, and you'll the chance to get up close to some of its rescued elephants.
Day 7
After breakfast you'll visit the former Rajput capital, Amber, and its vast fort, climbing by jeep to visit the Royal Halls and take in the magnificent views from the ramparts.
After lunch, you'll take a guided tour of Jaipur to see the City Palace museums and ancient astronomical observatory of the City Palace, and drive past the 18th-century Palace of the Winds with its ornate windows and screened balconies.
This evening, enjoy a special dinner at historic Nokha House, hosted in traditional Rajasthani style by the Rathore family.
Day 8
Bid farewell to Jaipur after breakfast, and journey to Agra, the fabled City of Love. After a visit to the royal pavilions, palaces and courtyards of majestic Agra Fort, you’ll make your first visit to the incomparable Taj Mahal, a monument to undying love, to see it in all its glory at sunset.
Day 9
Today's early start will be rewarded by another unforgettable view of the Taj Mahal, from across the Yamuna River as the sun rises. We'll return to the hotel for breakfast, and then leave Agra behind as we head to Abhaneri. This ancient village is home to Chand Baori, one of the oldest and most intricate stepwells in India, its 13 storeys and 3500 steps offering access to water and much-needed refuge from the sun's heat. After lunch at Umaid Lake Palace, a Heritage resort hotel laid out in the style of a Mughal residence, and a tour of its 20-acre landscaped gardens, we'll continue to Ranthambhore National Park. This former royal hunting ground is now a key centre for Project Tiger, and its grasslands, streams and beautiful pools are home to striped hyenas, sambar deer, sloth bears and of course tigers.This evening, prior to tomorrow's adventures, enjoy a 'tiger talk' with a local naturalist.
Day 10
Today revolves around two open-air vehicle safaris in Ranthambhore National Park, one in the morning and one after lunch. Join an expert naturalist guide to search your surroundings for signs of tigers, leopards and the many other species that make their home in the park.
Day 11
This morning, rest and relax, or join the optional excursion to ancient Ranthambhore Fort, which sits atop hills above the National Park, and rewards those prepared to climb its 273 steps with stupendous views. In the afternoon we'll bid farewell to Ranthambhore, and make our way into the Aravali Hills, heading to the jungle resort of Vanaashyra. We'll stop en route at the fascinating ruins of Bhangarh Fort for a welcome tea or coffee, before continuing to Vanaashyra.
Day 12
Spend the day relaxing in the resort after your time spent sightseeing. Why not ride a camel-drawn cart into the local village and enjoy a cookery demonstration before dinner?
Day 13
Fly from Delhi to Goa, meet your guide at the airport and transfer south along the coast to your hotel, for a four-night stay. Spend the rest of the day relaxing by the expansive pool or enjoying an ayurvedic massage in the hotel’s tranquil spa.
Day 14-16
Spend a few days soaking up the southern Indian sun, perhaps by the hotel’s pool, or venturing further afield to explore the beaches that lie just a moment’s walk from your hotel. Why not join us on an optional excursion to Aguada Fort and the Basilica of Bom Jesus?
Day 17
Bid a fond farewell to Portuguese-influenced Goa, as you transfer from your hotel to the airport in the late evening, and board your flight home via Doha.
Day 18
Arrive back home after a spectacular holiday.
