India – Tigers & the Taj Mahal with Shimla

Tour Itinerary

• Days 1 - 2 • UK - Delhi

  Your Indian holiday begins with an overnight flight from the UK to Delhi. Be greeted by your tour manager and transfer to your hotel.

• Day 3 • Delhi - Jaipur

  Today's guided tour will introduce Delhi's vibrant Old City. Drive by the historic Red Fort, Jama Masjid Mosque and Raj Ghat and enjoy an exhilarating rickshaw ride.You’ll also experience the grandeur of New Delhi, built by the British Raj to reflect the glories of the Empire. Later, after an included lunch in Delhi, travel to Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’.

• Day 4 • Amber Fort

  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. End the day with an authentic dinner hosted by a local family.

• Day 5 • Jaipur - Ranthambore National Park

  Depart Jaipur this morning and travel to Ranthambhore National Park. 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.

• Day 6 • Ranthambore National Park

  Wake early this morning and board your vehicle to explore the wilderness of Ranthambore National Park, an opportunity to explore the untamed landscapes alongside your knowledgeable naturalist guide. Keep your eyes peeled for the Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears, jackals, wild dogs, and hyenas that call Ranthambore National Park home. Your naturalist guide will share their expertise, providing insights into the behaviour, habitats, and unique characteristics of the animals you encounter.

• Day 7 • Agra

  Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before setting off for Agra, India's City of Love. Upon arrival, take in the royal pavilions, palaces and courtyards of majestic Agra Fort, which has stood watch over the city for over 500 years and was once the royal residence of the city’s Mughal emperors. You’ll then head out under the evening light to the Taj Mahal, to see it in all its glory at sunset and enjoy a guided tour.

• Day 8 • Vanaashrya

  Enjoy lunch at Umaid Bhawan Palace, a hotel set in an opulent building that was once home to the Jodhpur royal family. You can enjoy your meal while looking out over the beautiful, manicured gardens. Following lunch, journey across the desert plain into the Aravali Hills to the jungle-resort of Vanaashrya, where you’ll spend the next two nights.

• Days 9 • Vanaashrya

  Enjoy a leisurely start to the day with breakfast at the hotel and the rest of the morning at you own pace, perhaps with a swim in the pool or time spent reflecting on your journey through India.

• Day 10 • Vanaashrya - Delhi

  After breakfast, check out of your hotel before being driven from Vanaashrya to the next hotel in the town of Dwarka, located within suburban Delhi. Enjoy a relaxed evening and dinner.

• Day 11 • Delhi - Shimla

  Step aboard the iconic ‘Toy Train’ for an onward journey, climbing through stunning mountain scenery to Shimla. Check into your hotel, overlooking the Himalayan mountains, before dinner.

• Day 12 • Shimla

  After breakfast, head out on a guided tour of Shimla. The Viceregal Lodge, in which the map of Indian Partition was drawn, is your first stop, and you’ll be free to admire its teak-panelled interiors. You’ll then pass the Gaiety Theatre, with its distinctly colonial architecture, and if time permits, have a look inside before taking a leisurely stroll along Mall Road, one of Shimla’s main retail areas.

• Day 13 • Shimla

  Today, you can choose to enjoy a day of leisure, exploring at your own pace, or relaxing at the hotel. Alternatively, join an optional walking tour covering the backstreets of Shimla.

• Day 14 • Chandigarh - Delhi

  Enjoy breakfast in your Shimla hotel ahead of a drive to bustling Chandigarh, the shared state capital of both the Punjab and Hariyana. From here, travel by rail to Delhi and check into your hotel in Dwarka.

• Day 15 • Delhi - UK

  Following your last breakfast, travel to Delhi airport for your day flight home. You’ll arrive back in the UK later this evening.