India
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Day One: Welcome to India
Arrive at Delhi International Airport to a traditional greeting of marigold garlands, followed by a private transfer to your hotel.
Come evening, it’s time for a culinary tour through the labyrinthine lanes of Chawri Bazaar and Chandni Chowk by cycle rickshaw, tasting some of the city’s best street food and heading behind the scenes to meet the chefs, bakers and families who have been providing fabulous food here for generations.
Overnight in Delhi
We offer a variety of hotel classes to suit different budgets. You can choose the style that’s right for you.
Select from Classic, Premium or Deluxe when booking, and click hotel name below for more details.
Classic - The Suryaa
Premium - Le Meridien
Meals included: None
Day Two: Discovering Agra
You’ll be picked up from your hotel and transferred by car to Agra, the 16th and 17th century capital of the grand Mughal Empire. Then it’s time to explore this buzzy city of monuments and markets. Make for its second most famous UNESCO World Heritage site first – Agra Fort. Built as a military defence in the 16th-century, this red-brick, palatial city was converted into a palace by Shah Jaden a century later. Marvel at its marble stonework and countless courtyards, then drive through the city, past bustling bazaars and through tuk-tuk traffic jams, to Itimad-ud-Daulah, the tomb of a Persian nobleman that’s nicknamed the Baby Taj. Enjoy a free evening to tour the town, before tomorrow’s early start.
Overnight in Agra
Classic - Crystal Sarovar Premier
Premium - ITC Mughal
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Three: Marvel at the Taj Mahal
You’ll rise before dawn to visit the Taj Mahal in the glorious Indian sunrise, when its marble exterior is at its most beautiful, reflecting the rose and golden tints of the sky. A monument to love built more than 350 years ago, the Taj was commissioned by Shah Jahan to commemorate his third wife, who died in childbirth. It took 20,000 craftsmen more than 18 years to complete. Return to the hotel for breakfast and check-out before departing for Bharatpur to board a train to Ranthambhore.
Overnight in Ranthambhore
Classic - The Tigress
Premium - Nahargarh Fort
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day Four & Five: Tiger Time
Spend two days wildlife-spotting in Ranthambore National Park, once the hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Jaipur. Wake early both mornings, for game drives in your own exclusive private vehicle in search of the park’s animals with an expert naturalist guide – it’s the best time to spot the region’s famed diurnal tigers, as well as leopards, jackals, sloth bears, samba deer and mongoose. Return to the hotel by 10.00am for breakfast and time to relax, before a longer afternoon drive through the wilderness. You’ll pass through rugged terrain, with rocky ridges, hills and open valleys dotted with lakes and pools.
Overnight in Ranthambore
Classic - The Tigress
Premium - Nahargarh Fort
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day Six : Explore the Pink City
Post breakfast and hotel check out, head by car for the four hour drive to Jaipur, known as the Pink City thanks to its profusion of terracotta buildings. In the afternoon, visit Jaipur’s star attraction: the City Palace and its accompanying museum, packed with an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal Art.
Overnight in Jaipur
Classic - Holiday Inn City Centre
Premium - Marriott Jaipur
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Seven: Amber Fort to the Camel Fair
Following breakfast, you’ll check out of your hotel and head out of town to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Amber Fort, with its huge ramparts and cobbled paths overlooking Maota Lake. Then start the two hour car journey towards Pushkar. You’ll arrive in the little temple town – one of the holiest centres of Hinduism – with plenty of time to explore. Ancient legend tells the story of Lord Brahma, creator of the universe, battling with the demon Vajra Nabh and slaying him with a lotus blossom: the petals flew to earth, creating the lakes around Pushkar. Brahma then performed yagna, a sacred rite, which was attended by all the gods and goddesses and a temple was created on the site of the ceremony, now one of five pilgrimage sites for the Hindu religion.
Dotted with 400 temples, Pushkar is a special place – and during the camel fair, the town is even more captivating: 400,000 visitors descend to see 30,000 camels race and take part in beauty contests, as well as to watch temple dancing and music and to wander the bazaar.Then, come evening, the air reverberates with the sound of bells, and the water is lit by hundreds of oil lamps floating on leaves, to magical effect.
Overnight in Pushkar
Classic - Jagat Palace Pushkar
Premium - Pushkar Palace
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Eight : Among the Madness
A day to to immerse yourself in the extraordinary atmosphere of the Camel Fair. Take in the colourful and frenetic scene: the air rings with music and bartering; camel traffic jams fill the streets; and crowds assemble to watch dancers and carnival processions or shop from hundreds of street vendors. Over the course of the day, hundreds of devotees will dip in the lake, believing it to have the power to give fertility and beauty as well as cure disease. Then, come evening, there is a spiritual walk around the lake and evening Maha Aarti ceremonies at Varah Ghat beside the sacred lake.
Overnight in Pushkar
Classic - Jagat Palace Pushkar
Premium - Pushkar Palace
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Nine: Return to Delhi
After a final breakfast in Pushkar , you’ll have a little time before the transfer to Ajmer railway station, ready to make the seven-hour trip back to Delhi by super-fast Shatabdi train. These trains are air-conditioned and provide meals and drinks. After whizzing past empty countryside and built-up cities, you’ll arrive late in the evening and will be transferred to a hotel for the night.
Overnight in Delhi
Classic - Vivanta Dwarka
Premium - Vivanta Dwarka
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Ten: Homeward Bound
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred back to Delhi International airport, ready for your flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overall meals included: 10 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners.
What's included:
- Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
- Private transfers and train tickets, unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Mandatory taxes and service fees
- Entrance tickets and permits unless stated otherwise
- 4 x safari game drives though Ranthambore National Park in private vehicle with driver and expert naturalist guide.
- Culinary street food tour by rickshaw in Delhi
What's not included:
- International flights to/from experience:
call 0208 432 0885 for AX specially negotiated flight rates - Optional extras listed
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the tour
- We cannot guarantee the included hotel breakfast for early departures
- Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
To travel solo, contact us on 0208 432 0885.
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £400 per person and take approximately 9 hours.
Experience start point: New Delhi (DEL). Suggested arrival by 11am.
End point: New Delhi (DEL).
Prices for departures to 30th October include a 20% Pioneers Club discount and are subject to Pioneers Club terms & conditions. Click here for more information.
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