Golden Triangle & Rajasthan with Tiger Safari

Your journey of a lifetime begins in New Delhi. Arrive at the international airport, where you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. It is recommended that you spend your first day at leisure to recuperate from your international journey.

Few places on earth combine beauty, history and escapism to such dazzling effect as the great city of Delhi- the sprawling and fascinating capital of India. The title “A Tale of Two Cities” is apt as Delhi bridges together two different worlds. The Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, contrasts with the British-built centre of New Delhi. On this journey you will scratch the surface and discover a land sprinkled with dazzling gems of India’s “golden” legacy.

OVERNIGHT IN DELHI

After breakfast, a daytime tour takes you through the Indian Capital. In Old Delhi visit the legendary Red Fort and Raj Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. Then awaken the senses with an exhilarating rickshaw ride through the bustling Chandni Chowk and its back roads.

Experience the Art Metro Train Ride in Delhi with a Guide. Quick, air-conditioned, Delhi’s new metro is the smart way to take in the history, colors and flavors of this vibrant city. The silvery, sleek new metro system, in its latest stage of expansion, makes the city a much more straightforward place to visit, allowing passengers to zip about in air-conditioned comfort, avoiding its notoriously polluted and congested roads.

New Delhi offers a fascinating contrast: here, you will stroll along the wide, straight boulevards and pass the monuments of the Empire. Walk to the tallest stone tower in India, Qutub Minar and continue to the mighty India Gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the gate is a memorial to the 82,000 soldiers from the undivided British Indian Army who died in 1914-21 during the First World War. In testimonial to their immense bravery, 13,300 names are inscribed on the monumental gate. You will also see the Amar Jawan Jyoti, built following the Bangladesh Liberation war, bounded by four eternal flames beneath the Memorial Archway. Continue to the Rastrapathi Bhawan, Humayun Tomb and the Lotus Temple. Return to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN DELHI

After breakfast, get ready to experience the Taj Express way from Delhi to the Mughal city of Agra and your hotel for check-in. Once the most important city in India, it was subjected to a great deal of ambitious
architecture. Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, introduced the first Persian garden on the banks of Yamuna River.

In the afternoon check in and relax at the hotel. In the evening feel the romance in the air as we arrive at the spectacular Taj Mahal.

Discover a love poem in stone as you behold the sight of the sun
striking its cupid arrow onto the huge golden trinket. The Taj was built by Shah Jahan as the resting place for his beloved Queen Mumtaz
Mahal. What else but great love could have inspired such outstanding beauty? Late evening transfer to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN AGRA

This morning after breakfast you will drive to Ranthambore. Once you reach Ranthambore, check in to your hotel and rest of the day will be at leisure.

OVERNIGHT IN RANTHAMBORE

After breakfast, visit the Tiger Forest. The park is famous for being the best place in India to get close to free-ranging tigers. Located in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, the 400 sq km reserve, described as the “tiger friendly land” is home to approx. 30 tigers. Watching them hunt in the dense undergrowth, it is impossible not to be impressed with the sheer size and markings of a fully grown adult, but equally spectacular is seeing how they interact with their cubs. The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including leopard, Nilgai, wild boar, Sambar, hyena, sloth bear and Chital. There are also a host of birds, so keep your eyes open for delicately hued storks, slender and elegant doves, and great white pelicans. In the afternoon, explore the Ranthambore Fort soaring above the jungle.

Founded in 944 and initially named as “Ranath Bhawar Garh” which means “a place of Rajput warriors”, the fort is today territory for the most famous Ranthambore tigress – the Machali. Machali’s daughter T19 is the current queen tigress of the park and gave birth to three surviving cubs. Walk up the steps to the fort to catch a glimpse of the mightiest tiger of Ranthambore. It was here in 1283 AD where ruler Raja Hammir Dev was crowned and controlled Ranthambore until he was defeated by the army of Ala-ud-din Khilji in AD 1301. Once inhabited by the Mughals who used it as a prison fortress, the fort was given back to the Maharaja of Jaipur and remained with them until India gained independence in 1947.

OVERNIGHT IN RANTHAMBORE

After breakfast and hotel check-out, you will drive to the Pink City, Jaipur. Check in to your Jaipur hotel. Later we have lined up an evening of drama and atmosphere at the world-famous Sound and Light Show, an entertaining way to discover the history of Jaipur and Amber Fort.

OVERNIGHT IN JAIPUR

This morning after breakfast drive past the Hawa Mahal-a Palace of winds. In the afternoon visit the City Palace and museum, before continuing to Jantar Mantar, a structural masterpiece displaying the science of early Indian architecture. Return to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN JAIPUR

After breakfast and hotel check-out, you will drive to the sacred city of Hindus, Pushkar. Enjoy the ripples on the golden dunes creating mystical mirages, providing a glimpse of the desert lifestyle through remote villages. Pushkar is quite unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan.

It’s a prominent Hindu pilgrimage town and devout Hindus visit at least once in their lifetime. The town envelopes a holy lake, said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus flower. It is home to one of the world’s few Brahma temples. The main street is one long bazaar, selling anything from hippy-chic tie-dye to didgeridoos. Although brimming with commercialism and banana pancakes, the town is still enchantingly small and authentically mystic.

After hotel check-in, there is no better way to start your stay in Pushkar than with a walk around the Brahma Temple. Bhrama is the very God who created the universe and the temple is magnificently painted with red and blue. Here you will visit the complex with its 52 bathing ghats and 400 milky blue temples. The town often hums with puja (prayers) creating an enchanting soundtrack of chanting, drums, and gongs, and devotional songs. Return to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN PUSHKAR

In the morning, bid farewell to Pushkar and drive to the Blue City, Udaipur. Udaipur sits jewel like on the shores of the Pichola Saga, placid blue lakes, encircled by an amphitheatre of barren hills, ice-whipped palaces and exotic gardens. On arrival, check into the hotel. Arabian Nights a plenty can be found during a leisurely evening walk. From the washing ghats admire a bright orange sun setting over Udaipur’s maze of marble towering over Lake Pichola like a beautiful tapestry. Watch as the last stroke of sunlight sends a blazing ripple through the water, ending in darkness. Delight in delicious Indian cuisine at one of the fine downtown restaurants for an optional dinner. Return to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN UDAIPUR

After breakfast, the day will begin with an enlightening city tour. Udaipur is a place of enchanting scenery, some truly breathtaking edifices, like the City Palace and museum along with the shimmering bronze statue of Maharana Pratap. You will also visit the Jagdish Temple which was built in 1651 AD and the small, quaint ornamental garden, Saheliyon-ki-Bari.

Your two hour afternoon boat ride across Lake Pichola is fittingly spectacular as it allows you to drift past the washing and bathing ghats whilst enjoying picturesque views of the Lake and City Palace. Return to the hotel.

OVERNIGHT IN UDAIPUR

After breakfast, it is time to head home via transfer to the International airport to board your international flight back home or onward flight to your next destination. If time permits, step outside onto the city’s lively streets. A souvenir is the perfect way to end such a magical holiday.

Between the beautiful buildings, you will find the treasures of overflowing markets.

END OF TOUR