Epic India - Royal Rajasthan - 13 nights

Arrive  at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Once through immigration and customs, you will be met by your driver and transferred to The Imperial New Delhi Hotel.  You have 2 nights here.

Overnight - The Imperial  

Today, you will have the opportunity to plunge deep into the beating heart of Delhi as you take a guided sightseeing tour of the Chandni Chowk.

We recommend you start sightseeing at 10.00 am. Please speak with your guide.

Immerse yourself in the colourful stalls and crowded alleyways of this historical market on a rickshaw ride and visit the Jama Masjid, the largest and most splendid mosque in India.

Chandni Chowk: Once the grandest of markets in India. Even though today Chandni Chowk appears choked with congestion, it retains its historical character.

Jama Masjid: The Jama Masjid is the principal mosque of Old Delhi. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is the largest and best-known mosque in India. It lies at the origin of a very busy central street of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk.

Spice Market: Located in ‘Khari Baoli’ a street in Old Delhi known for its wholesale grocery and Asia's largest wholesale spice market selling all kinds of spices, nuts, herbs and food products like rice and tea. The market is operating since the 17th century.

Later in the afternoon you will embark on a drive through New Delhi's former colonial expanse, stopping by the magnificent president's Palace, known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the World War I memorial of the India Gate.

Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House): The official residence of the President of India stands at the opposite end of the Rajpath from India Gate. Completed in 1929, the palace like building is an interesting blend of Mughal and western architectural styles, the most obvious Indian feature being the huge copper dome. Prior to independence this was the viceroy’s residence.

India Gate: This 42m high stone arch of triumph stands at the eastern end of the Rajpath. It bears the names of 85,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the campaigns of WW I the North West frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco.

Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb, India's first garden-tomb and Qutub Minar’; the world’s tallest brick minaret.

Humayun’s Tomb: Humayun's tomb is a complex of buildings built as the Mughal Emperor Humayun's tomb, commissioned by Humayun's wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562. It was the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

The Qutb Minar: standing at 72.5 meters, it is the world's tallest brick minaret. Construction commenced in 1193 under the orders of India's first Muslim ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak. The Qutb Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture.

Overnight -  The Imperial 

This morning, you will be met and driven to Agra, approximatey a 4 hour drive.

Agra: The city of Agra flourished under the patronage of the emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan and attracted artisans from Persia and central Asia. Agra is where Emperor Shah Jahan engraved his immortal love for his Empress in marble, the Taj Mahal. Agra is still famous for handicrafts products such as inlay work on marble, carpets, jewellery, zari and embroidery work.

You will be met on arrival and assisted to check-in at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra. Once you have settled in, you will embark on a guided tour of the Agra fort and the Taj Mahal; to view it by Sunset.

Agra Fort. For many years through the Mughal rule, especially during the period when Agra was the capital of the kingdom, Agra Fort was renovated and reworked extensively with marble and pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Diwan-e-Am and Diwan-e-Khas (halls of public and private audience), Jehangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (mirrored palace), and Musamman Burj.

Taj Mahal: Said to be one of the most elegant and a harmonious building in the world, Taj Mahal is the manifestation of the wealth and luxury of Mughal art as seen in its architecture, garden design, painting, and calligraphy.

Please Note: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has declared that the Main Dome & 04 Cupola’s would undergo clay packing W.e.f. April 2018 till November 2018.. At present as per the ASI’s timeline the entire work on the main building of the Taj Mahal would be completed till November 2018.

Overnight - The Oberoi Amarvilas

This morning you rise early and revisit the Taj Mahal at sunrise.

You return to your hotel for breakfast.

Mid-morning you check-out and drive for about 5 ½ hours to Jaipur, enroute visiting the deserted Mughal walled city of Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri: Built by Emperor Akbar in the mid-16th century as a new capital city. It is a fine example of a Mughal walled city with defined private and public areas and imposing gateways. Its architecture, a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles, reflects Akbar’s secular vision as well as his style of governance.

Jaipur: Founded in 1728 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, Jaipur is where modernity and tradition exist side by side. The walled city, vibrant with colours, houses the City Palace, an astronomical observatory and a bustling bazaar where artisans fashion puppets, silver jewellery, lac bangles and other handicrafts in their workshops. At a short distance is the Amber Fort Palace at Amber.

You will be met on arrival and assisted to check-in at the Taj Rambagh Palace.

The remainder of the day will be at leisure to unwind after the long drive

Overnight - Taj Rambagh Palace

This morning you will embark on a guided tour of the stunning Amber fort.

We recommend you start the tour at 8.00 am. Please speak with your guide.

Amber Fort: It was once the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted to present day Jaipur. Amber Fort is known for its unique artistic style, blending both Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) elements, and its ornate and breathtaking artistic mastery.

This will be followed by visit to Jaipur City Palace, marvelling at the ancient astronomical instruments in the Observatory Tower and admiring the Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds):

City Palace: A wonderful combination of Mughal and Rajput forms of architecture, it is now partly a museum housing miniature paintings, manuscripts, Mughal carpets, musical instruments, royal costumes and weapons, giving invaluable insight into Jaipur's royal past.

Observatory Tower or the Jantar Mantar was built between 1728 and 1734 and it houses precise instruments for measuring “the harmony of heavens”.  Each instrument serves a particular function and gives an accurate reading.

Hawa Mahal (Photo stop only): perhaps Jaipur’s most famous building; the Hawa Mahal is the pink sandstone façade of a palace built for the ladies of the harem by Sawai Pratap Singh.  The façade contains 953 small casements under a huge curve, each with a balcony and crowning arch.  The windows enable cool air (Hawa) to circulate and the zenana to watch processions below without being seen.

Later this afternoon you will be driven to the Tented Camp at Dera Amer in Kukas Village in the Amber forest valley.  Lunch will be at the camp.

Within a 5 minutes’ walk you can visit the medieval temple of Gopal ji or the homes of the Meena Tribals who have inhabited this area since ancient times and interact with them on their farms and visit the rural school for their children. 

Once back before sunset you will be taken for your sundowners, private bon fire and barbecue, and dinner at your convenience.

Overnight - Dera Amer Camp

This morning you might like to do some bird watching walk before breakfast if you are keen, accompanied by your in house naturalist.

At about 10.00 am this morning you will be met and driven for about 3 ½ hours to Ranthambhore National Park.

Ranthambhore: Tucked between the rugged Aravalli and Vindhya hills, the Ranthambhore National Park boasts a spectacular landscape filled with boulder-strewn highland plateaus, lakes and rivers - dotted with old forts and abandoned mosques - creating a wonderful atmosphere for both bird and mammal viewing. Ranthambhore is perhaps most famous for being one of the original 'Project Tiger' reserves and it still affords one of the best opportunities anywhere in India of seeing a tiger. At the centre of the park lay the ruins of the 10th to 16th century Ranthambhore Fort which dominates the leafy forests from its perch atop a dramatic rocky outcrop.

You will be met on arrival and assisted to check-in at The Oberoi Vanyavilas where you spend the next 3 nights.

This afternoon you embark on a scheduled afternoon game drive in an exclusive jeep.

Overnight - The Oberoi Vanyavilas

These days are spent on special full day ‘route free’ safaris in an exclusive jeep.

Full day safari can begin as soon as the gates open in the morning to allow visitors into the park and will end with sunset closing. However you can exit the park for lunch at the lodge before returning back to the park.

There are no set places within the park for lunch but if you take packed lunch then they can drive to a place (just outside the park limits) earmarked for such food stops and later continue the drive.

Park drives in Ranthambhore are in open 4x4 jeeps. You will be accompanied by an experienced naturalist who will explain and point out interesting flora and fauna.

Ranthambhore is one of India’s finest examples of dry deciduous forest interspersed with grassland. It is where geographical zones merge and it is possible to see the tigers from the overhead area. The entire forest has scattered battlements & spillovers of the Ranthambhore Fort, where tigers are said to frequent the ruins.

Ranthambhore was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and was also one of the original project Tiger reserves. The mammalian diversity of the park mirrors its significance as a premier conservation site-apart from its flagship attraction, the forest is home to the leopard and the sloth bear, the jackal, hyena among the carnivores, besides a wide variety of ungulates, the most prominent of which are the Nilgai, and the majestic Sambar. Ornithologists have no cause for complaint either-the reserves woods and lakes shelter over 250 species birds making it an important bird sanctuary in its own right. Easily the most visible of these, is the plucky rufous treepie, which is famous for its catwalks on top of safari jeeps and vans. Other fascinating water-birds such as the painted stork and the purple heron can be seen in large numbers along the parks many lakes and water-bodies. The crested serpent eagle and the fishing eagle are among the raptors that top of the avian hierarchy.

Overnight -  The Oberoi Vanyavilas

You enjoy a last scheduled morning game drive in an exclusive jeep.

At 11.00 am you begin the drive to Shahpura Bagh,  about 4 ½ hours drive.

Shahpura Bagh: Heavily wooded and hemmed in by two lakes, Shahpura Bagh is a stately estate that welcomes guests to its beautiful, verdant wetlands. According to legend, the region owes its lush beauty to Rajadhiraj Nahar Singh of Shahpura, who, fearing a period of drought, mortgaged his family’s private property and jewels to bring water to his people. The man-made lakes he had created now form the heart of a rich wetland refuge that forms a haven for local birdlife.

Arrive and check-in at the Shahpura Bagh Estate where you spend 2 nights.

Later in the evening you will take a short drive to Dhikhola fort. Dhikhola is a quaint and rustic village where time has stood still. You can also explore the village and the fort owned by the family.

Overnight - Shahpura Bagh 

This morning you will have the opportunity to experience rural life on an excursion to the nearby village.

Explore the largest lake, Nahar Sagar, visit quaint villages en route and relax in the shade of century old trees. Guests wanting a feel of authentic rural India with all its charming idiosyncrasies would do well not to miss this excursion.

A trip into Shahpura reveals the town’s rich multi-cultural vibrancy and its fascinating arts and crafts tradition. Sit with the Joshis and watch a traditional Phad, a painting depicting mythology and history, come to life.

Explore the many goods on sale in the marketplace. Get a leather mojari, or local footwear, made to your size. Understand the local people's way of life; mingle with artisans and farmers and innocent children.

Overnight -  Shahpura Bagh

This morning you leave on a leisurely drive to Udaipur, around a 3 ½ hour drive.

Udaipur: Delicate, feminine and elegant, Udaipur is known by many names – City of Sunrise, Jewel of Mewar and City of Lakes. Undoubtedly one of India’s most romantic cities, it nestles between the glassy waters of its famous lakes and the ancient Aravalli Hills. Although it is one of Rajasthan’s largest cities, modern Udaipur manages to retain a charming small town vibe. 

You will be met on arrival and assisted to check-in at Taj Lake Palace, located in the middle of Lake Pichola.  It is a dream of white marble and mosaic glistening in the moonlight, very reminiscent of the most beautiful tourist cliché in the world; the Taj Mahal.

The remainder of the day will be at leisure. You have 2 nights to enjoy the surrounds.

Overnight -  Taj Lake Palace

You will set off on an excursion to the Temples at Eklingji and Nagda.

Eklingji, a small town dotted with temples, is 45 minutes’ drive to the North of Udaipur. It is a complex of 108 ancient temples, incised out of sandstone and marble. The 15th century temple was originally built in 734 AD, to propagate the blessings of Lord Shiva.

Deserted Nagda, which lies 2 km north, is a far cry from this vibrant place of worship. All that survives of the site of the ancient capital of Mewar, which dates back to 626 AD, are the ruins of the Saas Bahu, a 10th century Vaishnavite twin temple (Saas meaning ‘mother-in-law’ & Bahu ‘daughter-in-law’) and the remains of the Jain Temple of Abhudji

Drive back to Udaipur visit the City palace and the crystal gallery

City Palace: The City Palace in Udaipur was built by the Maharana Udai Singh. It is located on the east bank of the Lake Pichola and has several palaces built within its complex. The Palace was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in Rajasthan, a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles.

Crystal Gallery: Located in Fateh Prakash Palace, these unique museum houses a collection of crystal items like ornaments fountains, vases, crockery, furniture and beds. This fascinating show can be appreciated at the Durbar Hall through a guided tour.

Later embark on an afternoon boat cruise on the tranquil waters of Lake Pichola. From the boat you will be able to view the city of Udaipur as it rises majestically above the lake in the middle of the Rajasthan desert.

Overnight - Taj Lake Palace 

Today you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Delhi.

You will be met on arrival and transferred to the Trident Gurgaon, set amongst 7 acres of landscaped gardens, walkways, courtyards, reflection pools and fountains. The hotel is located in the central business district of Gurgaon, a part of the New Delhi National Capital Region.

Overnight - Trident Gurgaon 

You are met and transferred to the International Airport in time for your flight back home.

End of Arrangements