Private India & the Taj Mahal

Arrive in Mumbai, where an A&K representative meets and transfers you to your iconic hotel.

This morning, explore the city’s classic sights, including Victoria Terminus Station and the Gateway of India. Then travel to the Churchgate Railway Station to observe local dabbawallas at work as they prepare to deliver hundreds of thousands of home-cooked meals to working professionals throughout the city with astonishing accuracy. This afternoon, visit Mani Bhawan, a museum dedicated to the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi. Finish today’s exploring with a photo stop at the Dhobi Ghat open-air laundry, a wonderfully colorful spectacle to behold.

Today, fly to Udaipur and check into your palace hotel. Enjoy early afternoon at leisure. Later this afternoon, cruise past Jag Mandir, a marble palace on an island in Lake Pichola.

Visit the City Palace, a marble complex of palaces and galleries overlooking the lake; tour the Crystal Gallery in Fateh Prakash Palace; and stroll through the gardens at Sahelion Ki Bari (Garden of the Maids of Honor). After lunch at a local restaurant, return to your hotel. Enjoy the late afternoon at leisure.

Fly to Jaipur and check in to your hotel, the former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Then, explore the City Palace, a unique and arresting complex of several palaces, pavilions, gardens and temples. Located within the palace’s gates is the Mubarak Mahal, or “Auspicious Palace,” which contains textiles including the royal formal costumes, Sanganeri block prints, Kashmiri pashminas and silk saris. Then, visit Jantar Mantar, an open-air array of astronomical instruments, before returning to your hotel.

Today, view the Palace of the Winds, built so women of the royal household could observe street life without being seen. Proceed to explore the beautiful Mughal-style Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stop at a local restaurant for lunch, and afterward, explore the bazaars of Jaipur, taking in the vibe of local life and shopping for keepsakes from your journey. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Drive to Agra, observing the colorful rural life of Rajasthan on your journey. Upon arrival, catch your first glimpse of the breathtaking Taj Mahal from your luxurious room. Visit the Taj Mahal in the late afternoon, as the setting sun bathes it in a soft orange glow.

Visit the masterpiece again to watch how the rising sun lends a warm pink tint to its marble face. This afternoon, visit Agra Fort, once the prison of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal after the death of his beloved wife.

Depart by express train to Jhansi, and continue overland to remote Panna National Park, checking in to your wilderness lodge.

Today, set out on morning and afternoon game drives in a 4x4 vehicle, spotting crocodiles, deer or perhaps the elusive Bengal tiger. Learn how a successful conservation program has grown the park’s tiger population, increasing the odds of a sighting.

This morning, drive to Khajuraho to see its profusely sculpted Hindu and Jain temples. Fly to Varanasi, a city sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. At dusk, head to the banks of the sacred Ganges River to witness the entrancing aarti ceremony.

Rise early for a sunrise cruise on the Ganges River, seeing where the locals and pilgrims cleanse themselves on the ghats. Enjoy an orientation tour of the city, including a visit to the Bharat Mata temple, a site devoted to a unified India and the mother goddess that personifies its national identity. Later, fly to Delhi and check in to your hotel.

Visit the great Jama Masjid, and set off on an exciting rickshaw ride through the Chandni Chowk bazaar, one of the busiest and oldest markets in Old Delhi. After lunch, tour New Delhi, viewing the India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan, and visiting Humayun’s Tomb, the last resting place of an esteemed 16th-century Mughal emperor, which prefigures design techniques later perfected in the Taj Mahal.

Transfer to the airport to board your homebound flight.