Tiger Safari, the Taj Mahal & Rajasthan - Solos

Start your Indian adventure with an overnight flight to Delhi.

Touch down in the Indian capital, meet your friendly local tour manager and transfer to your hotel for check-in. After some time to freshen up, enjoy an introduction to the city’s most historic landmarks, taking in the sights of the famed Kartavya Path, otherwise known as the Rajpath, including the India Gate at its eastern end and the government buildings to the west. You’ll also make a stop at Mahatma Gandhi’s final resting place, Gandhi Smriti.

Next, enjoy a visit to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, one of India’s most significant Sikh temples with a visit to the community kitchen. Engage with the locals, watch a typical dinner service and perhaps try some dishes before heading back to your hotel for dinner.

Enjoy breakfast this morning and leave Delhi behind as you head south to your second Golden Triangle city, Agra, India’s magnificent ‘City of Love’.

On the way, you’ll stop at the imposing Agra Fort, a grand sandstone fortress and an intricate maze of courtyards, palaces, and mosques within the Mughal fort.

As dusk then falls over Agra, you’ll continue to the Taj Mahal, the famed monument of eternal love, glistening as the sun sets. This UNESCO-listed mausoleum, encircled by expansive Mughal gardens, is one of the country’s greatest architectural achievements and a wish-list spectacle, completed in 1648 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

This morning, you’ll have the chance to see Agra’s most famous monument at sunrise on an optional tour. Return to the hotel for breakfast and bid the city farewell as the tour continues across the Indian countryside to the third and final Golden Triangle city, Jaipur.

On the way, pause in the town of Abhaneri and enjoy some time to explore the nearby Chand Baori, one of the biggest stepwells in the world. With intricately geometrically designed staircases, this architectural wonder serves as a source of water and a place of respite in the desert heat. Adjacent to the stepwells, you’ll find the Harshat Mata Temple, an ancient place of worship dedicated to the goddess of happiness and joy, Harshat Mata. Continue to Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’, and check into your hotel before rejoining your fellow travellers for an evening visit to the Birla Mandir, or Laxmi Temple, for a captivating aarti ceremony of light.

Enjoy dinner back at the hotel.

Rise early this morning and get ready for a memorable day’s sightseeing with breakfast at the hotel.

Afterwards, head for Amber, the former capital of the Rajput empire, on the outskirts of Jaipur. Here, you’ll climb the steep terrain by Jeep to the towering Amber Fort, which watches over the city from its majestic hilltop position. You’ll explore the Royal Hills of this 6th-century hilltop structure and take in the magnificent views from the red sandstone ramparts.

Today’s exploration of Jaipur then continues with a sightseeing tour. You'll visit the City Palace, a magnificent complex that blends Rajput and Mughal architectural styles and the Jantar Mantar, an amazing astronomical observatory, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 18th century. You'll also drive past the Hawa Mahal – or Palace of the Winds – a striking pink palace with intricate latticework that allowed royal women to watch street processions without being seen.

Then you’ll board electric, eco-friendly rickshaws operated by women drivers from low-income households for an exhilarating journey through the lanes of the city market. Later this evening, join a friendly local family for a cooking demonstration and settle in for a true Indian feast in the company of your hosts.

Today you’ll travel to desert-fringed Jodhpur, the ‘Blue City’, with its maze of medieval streets, sapphire-hued buildings, and lofty 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort.

Today, after breakfast, you’ll embark on a guided tour of Jodhpur. You’ll begin by exploring Mehrangarh Fort, with its sandstone butte protecting a complex of ornate palaces, courtyards, and a museum. You’ll also enjoy a walking tour through city’s the narrow alleyways lined with traditional indigo-coloured houses before you visit the white marbled Jaswant Thada memorial, an assortment of domes and tiered gardens built in honour of Rajput’s Marwar rulers. Afterwards, take in the Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum, positioned on Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur.

There’ll be some free time this afternoon before dinner.

Venture out on an open-air Jeep safari to Bishnoi Village. Keep an eye out as drive through the surrounding countryside for the chance to spot native Chinkara deer which are known to graze nearby. You’ll also drive close to Guda Lake, a popular watering hole for blackbuck, desert foxes and jackals as well as a host of colourful bird species.

Upon arrival, join your tour manager for a walk around the village, gaining intriguing insights into the culture of the Marwar people and observing them go about their daily lives. The residents follow a 15th-century religious creed that includes a variety of instructions to preserve the environment – earning them the title of the world's first eco-warriors. While here, you’ll visit a local family for further insight into the inner workings of the village. Next, transfer to Udaipur, the ‘City of Lakes’, home to a collection of magnificent royal residences. On the way, you’ll learn about the rich history of one of India’s lesser-known religions, Jainism, with a stop at the famous Ranakpur Jain Temple. This vast complex, home to intricate carved halls and five magnificent Shikhara towers, is dedicated to Rishabanatha, the first prophet of Jainism and features breath-taking carved reliefs to be admired.

Back on the road, continue to Udaipur and check into your next hotel ahead of dinner in the company of your fellow travellers.

Fuel up on breakfast and venture out for a guided tour of Udaipur, stopping by the majestic City Palace, a grand structure of towers and balconies and Rajasthan’s largest palace. The tour will also visit Jagdish Temple, a towering Hindu shrine and the beautiful gardens of Saheliyon-ki-Bari, the ‘Gardens of Maidens’, adorned with marble fountains and encompassing lush lawns.

For lunch, you’ll visit the leafy Garden Hotel for a special Thali lunch during which you’ll sample Udaipur’s authentic regional cuisine. You’ll then have the chance to visit their vintage car museum, which houses a collection of cars owned by the royal family of Udaipur.

Later in the afternoon, you’ll board a boat for a scenic cruise across the waters of Lake Pichola, an ideal way to take in the shoreside attractions from a different angle.

Today, you’ll get a glimpse into the lives of Rajasthan’s local women with an illuminating visit to a local Sadhna workshop, a collective of over 500 female artisans. The Sadhna initiative aims to provide a sustainable livelihood, training and fair wages to women across the region, allowing them the freedom to produce clothes and furniture from the safety of their own homes. Meet the people behind the collective, watch local women at work and peruse their crafts, from traditional sarees and satchels to tablecloths and decorative pieces.

Afterwards, you’ll head back to the hotel and will be free to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own pace. If you’d like to make a few final memories in Udaipur, you can wander around the local markets or revisit some of your favourite spots from the previous day.

Wake up early this morning, take a packed breakfast from the hotel and head to the station for an onward rail journey to wildlife-rich Ranthambhore. Once the hunting ground of Indian princes, Ranthambhore is a perfect habitat for the famous, elusive tigers of Ranthambhore, and other species.

Rest and relax upon arrival, enjoying an included lunch at the hotel ahead of an evening tiger talk with a local naturalist: the perfect preparation for tomorrow's adventures.

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.

As the sun rises over the treetops, you’ll venture off to witness the park’s incredible biodiversity. 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.

Breakfast will then be served back at the resort, followed by some time to relax, perhaps by the swimming pool, before lunch.

Later, gear up for an afternoon safari game drive – another chance to spot more animals on your wish-list and survey more of the prey-rich woodlands and bird species before dinner.

Depart wildlife-rich Ranthambore this morning, after breakfast at the hotel, and soak up views of the surrounding countryside as you travel north to your last hotel in Gurugram, only a short distance from Delhi.

Check into your resort hotel and maybe cool off with a dip in the pool, or make the most of its ayurvedic spa for a relaxing end to your holiday? Enjoy dinner this evening alongside your new like-minded friends.

After breakfast, head to Delhi airport today for your return journey home, arriving in the UK later this afternoon.