Wings Over India

Arrive in Mumbai, the illustrious gateway of India, where you are met and privately transferred to your luxurious hotel.

Explore Mumbai on a visit that appeals to all of your senses, heading to a railway station to watch the famous dabbawalas, who deliver thousands of hot home-cooked meals in time for lunch. After savoring lunch at a local restaurant, visit a local spice market. Return to your hotel, where this evening you enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner.

Fly by private charter to Jaipur in the heart of Rajasthan. Travel to the southeast toward Ranthambore National Park. Along the way, stop for an exciting camel cart ride in the Rajasthani countryside followed by lunch at Talabgoan Castle. This evening at your hotel, listen to a special talk on Ranthambore’s wildlife and enjoy a Scenic Sundowner.

Explore Ranthambore National Park on two thrilling game drives, spotting crocodiles, sloth bears, leopards or perhaps the rare and majestic Bengal tiger. Alternatively, you may choose to visit Ranthambore Fort this afternoon, which offers panoramic views of these former royal hunting grounds.

Travel overland to Jaipur, where you settle into your stunning villa set in a beautiful garden with a private plunge pool and featuring exotic design touches, such as local textiles, in a fantasy of pinks, purples and greens. Later this afternoon, visit the local bazaar, taking in the colors and vibrancy of local life.

Visit the Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built of red sandstone and overlooking a lake, it features opulent and influential design flourishes worthy of the Rajput rulers who once called it home. Savor lunch at a local restaurant, and then visit the City Palace and Jantar Mantar Observatory, an open-air array of astronomical instruments built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II that includes the world’s largest stone sundial.

This morning, enjoy one of these Design Your Day options. Cycle on the Streets of Jaipur, stopping for chai at a local cafe, visiting a market and feeding cows for good karma. Visit Badal Mahal to interact with local women receiving training in craft making, supported by A&K Philanthropy. Learn how Rajasthan has Historically Managed Water Resources during a walk outside of Nahargarh Fort. Later, join the pandit (Hindu priest) for a Hindu blessing ceremony in the hotel. Savor lunch and a Chef’s Table cooking demonstration, learning about the use of Indian spices in local specialties. Enjoy your evening at leisure.

Today, fly to Agra via private charter. Upon arrival, explore the peerless Taj Mahal, a travel moment that never fails to amaze. Later, reboard your jet for a flight to Varanasi, a city of more than a thousand temples and shrines sacred to Hindus and Buddhists.

Discover Sarnath, the place chosen by Buddha to deliver his first sermon. Explore the ruins of a once-flourishing Buddhist monastery and look around a museum of Buddhist art and sculpture. At dusk, beside the Ganges River, witness the aarti ceremony, as lantern-bearing priests bid the gods a restful slumber.

Rise early for a private sunrise cruise on the Ganges River to observe activity along the ghats (stone steps leading down to the river), where locals and pilgrims cleanse themselves, literally and spiritually. Later, fly to Delhi for a farewell dinner.

Explore Delhi, old and new, visiting Jama Masjid. Then, ride by rickshaw through Chandni Chowk bazaar and encounter Humayun’s Tomb — an architectural precursor to the Taj Mahal. Stop for lunch at a restored 19th-century mansion, and enjoy views of Old Delhi from the haveli’s rooftop.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departing flight.