India’s tigers, temples & the Taj Mahal

Begin your holiday in style with included airport lounge access, before boarding your flight to Delhi, arriving on day two.

Arrive in Delhi where you’ll be met for an included private transfer to your hotel, whose sprawling lawns and swimming pool framed by cabanas and sun loungers provide a wonderfully relaxing contrast to the city bustle outside. Perhaps spend the rest of your first day in India indulging with poolside cocktails and fine dining that spans everything from rich curries to tried-and-tested international favourites.

Then, the following day, you'll get to grips with the Indian capital's culinary scene on a chef-led tour of its colourful markets and famous street-food stalls, before embarking on a tour of the city's historic sights, accompanied by an expert local guide. Along the way you’ll explore the city’s rich history and clash of cultures showcased in ancient temples and imposing forts. 

This morning, a private transfer will bring you across the plains to Agra, the erstwhile capital of the great Mughal Empire. During its 16th- and 17th-century heyday, the city was a centre for arts, science, commerce and culture, it’s status echoes in a collection of impossibly grand architectural masterpieces, not least the impressive Agra Fort – arguably India’s finest – and, of course, the iconic Taj Mahal.

You’ll have the chance take it in twice, first in the evening as the glow of setting sun casts its changing colours across the building’s white marble façade, then again, the next morning at sunrise, when this ultimate monument to love is at its evocative best. You’ll then head on, through vibrant streets and past busy markets, to Agra Fort where your expert guide will introduce you to its former royal residences.

Heading south, your private driver will bring you first to the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, its audience halls and temples providing a further glimpse of the Mughal’s flair for architecture on the grandest scale. You’ll then head on to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital where a chaotic maze of city streets is framed by the likes of incense-scented markets, pretty pink-washed havelis and spectacular Rajput palaces.

It’s all the backdrop for your private guided tour on day seven, which begins with a drive to the city’s desert outskirts for a visit to the magnificent Amber Fort, its terraced ramparts looking out to sweeping views of Moata Lake. You’ll then return to the city centre to explore the collections at the City Palace Museum and visit the Palace of the Winds and explore Jantar Mantar – one of India’s five great observatories. End the day with a truly memorable experience as you join a local family for a cookery demonstration and dinner in their home. It's the perfect showcase for traditional Rajasthani food and hospitality.

Head back across the Rajasthan desert to Delhi for a further night in the capital before your flight to Madhya Pradesh. Spend the rest of the day relaxing at your airport hotel as you look forward to a full week of national park adventures further south.

Stay: JW Marriott, Aerocity

It’s time to leave the colour and chaos of the north behind as you board a flight to Jabalpur for a private transfer on to your luxury Relais & Château lodge in a secluded corner of Bandhavgarh National Park. Here, across three memorable days, you’ll begin your quest to see tigers in the wild, joining top guides and trackers on included jeep safaris deep into the park’s vast forests, which are home to the highest density of tigers in India.

You’ll also look out for sambar deer, barking deer, hornbills and kingfishers before returning to your lodge for poolside relaxation, indulgent spa treatments and the chance to relax in your private villa complete with sunken outdoor bath and a veranda looking out across the forest.

After breakfast and a final morning game drive in Bandhavgarh, you’ll head on to Kanha National Park and your next luxury lodge – the delightful Siginawa. Set in 58 pristine acres, each of the lodge’s 12 slate-stone cottages offers complete privacy, while dotted throughout the grounds, small watering holes are favourite spots among the native wildlife. You’ll be introduced to the local flora and fauna by knowledgeable owners Nanda and Latika, both avid wildlife enthusiasts.

Each day, between included meals and soaks in the heated pool, you’ll head out on game drives in search of tigers, langurs and leopards, taking in the park’s meadows, forests and lakes from remote dirt tracks and spectacular viewpoints alike.

End your stay in Madhya Pradesh with a final game drive before an included transfer to Nagpur and a flight to Mumbai. It’s an old cliché, but Mumbai really is a city of contrasts, home to India’s glamorous film industry, the country’s highest population of millionaires and also Asia’s largest slums.

Check into your hotel before exploring the city at your own pace, perhaps taking in the grand architecture of the Gateway to India and the Victorian railway station, or taking a stroll along the sweeping curves of Chowpatty Beach to pick up some delicious bhel puri from a local market stall.

Leave India behind as you transfer to the airport in time for your flight home, arriving the same day.