Classic Rajasthan

Arrive in Delhi at 08.45 hrs and group transfer to The Claridges Hotel where two nights are spent. Located in the heart of the city, The Claridges has been a landmark in Lutyens Delhi since the 1950’s. Rooms are sumptuously furnished and overlook the swimming pool, landscaped gardens and the surrounding diplomatic avenue. The hotel has an impressive array of dining options and facilities including a gym, spa and swimming pool.

Lunch under own arrangements. Visit the Jama Masjid Mosque, India’s largest and one of the buildings not demolished after the Mutiny, followed by rickshaw rides through Old Delhi’s bustling and vibrant Chandni Chowk market place. Dinner at the hotel

Visit Lutyens’ Rashtrapati Bhavan, once the Viceroy’s Palace, followed by its Moghul Gardens.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon panorama of Lutyens’ Delhi including the Church of Redemption (the Anglican Cathedral), the India Gate, Teen Murti Bhavan (initially the Governor General’s house, then Nehru’s residence, now a Museum). Visit Humayan’s Tomb, the first great Mughal garden tomb built in 1565. Dinner under own arrangements.

Drive to Agra (journey time approx. 4 hrs) and check into the Tajview Agra hotel where one night is spent. Spread over six acres of manicured gardens the hotel could hardly be closer to the Taj Mahal and offers the finest amenities and some of the most spectacular views of Agra’s most famous monument.

Lunch at the hotel. Visit the impressive 16th century Agra Fort, which was started in 1565 by Akbar with later additions made by his son, Jahangir, and grandson, Shah Jahan. Continue to the white marble Tomb of Itimad ud Daulah, known as the Baby Taj, considered to be the forerunner of the Taj Mahal and profusely decorated with non-precious stone inlay work. End the afternoon with a visit to the Taj Mahal, the world’s greatest monument to love and devotion with its superb craftsmanship of semi-precious stones inlaid into the marble in beautiful patterns, a process known as pietra dura. Dinner at the hotel.

After a dawn return to the Taj Mahal, drive to Fatepur Sikri, the deserted red sandstone city that was built by Emperor Akbar as his splendid capital and palace in the late 16th century.

Continue to Bharatpur and lunch at a local restaurant. Board the Kota Jan Shatabdi train in Bharatpur (journey time 2 hrs 20 mins) to Sawaimadhopur. Transfer to Ranthambore where two nights are spent at the Dev Vilas Hotel built in Indo-Saracen style reminiscent of the Shikaar or hunting lodges built by the Maharajahs. Dinner at the hotel.

Morning game viewing. Drive to Jaipur (journey time approx. 4 hrs), known as the ‘Rose City’, having been painted pink in 1876, where two nights are spent at the Samode Haveli Hotel, a traditional Indian mansion built 225 years ago as a residence of the rulers of Samode. It is set in a verdant garden with rooms arranged around a series of intimate courtyards and facilities include a large Moorish-style pool and a spa offering a range of massages.

Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the Spice Court with a puppet show and cultural dances.

Morning visit to the impressive Amber Fort which dates from the 16th / 17th century, where the majestic 18km ramparts rise steeply above its hilltop site. Within, a series of courtyards lead to a rich interior of lavishly decorated pavilions, rooms and apartments – gold and silver, coloured and mirrored glass, carved marble, plaster and wood and exquisite wall paintings abound.

Lunch at the City Palace. Afternoon at leisure to explore the bazaars which teem with people, camels, horses and a multitude of vehicles. Dinner under own arrangements.

Visit the City Palace Complex, Jai Singh’s model palace, with its magnificent Hawa Mahal, known as the Palace of the Winds, an elaborate five storey façade of windows and tracery from where the ladies of the court used to sit and observe the outside world and enjoy the cooling breezes (hence the name). Visit Govind Devi Temple, with its series of courtyards and gardens and also the 18th century Royal Observatory with its monumental sundials and signs of the zodiac.

Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon flight to Udaipur. On arrival transfer to Amet Haveli, situated on the Western Banks of Lake Pichola, where two nights are spent. The hotel offers a unique panoramic of the old city, lake Pichola, Ghanghaur Ghat, Mohan Mandir, Lake Palace, Jagmandir and the beautiful Aravali ranges. Dinner at the hotel.

Morning visit to the grand City Palace Complex which towers over Lake Pichola, started in 1567 by Maharana Udai Singh with carefully integrated subsequent additions. Within are a series of courtyards, corridors and gardens, along with a fascinating collection of museums.

Cooking Demonstration with lunch. Afternoon visit to the superb 17th century Jagdish Temple noted for its imposing 25-metre pagoda covered with bas-relief of horsemen, dancers, musicians and elephants, along with black stone images of Vishnu as Jagannath. Also visit the small Saheliyon-Ki-Bari ornamental garden and enjoy a cruise on Lake Pichola. Dinner under own arrangements.

Visit the Jain Temples at Ranakpur dating from the 15th century.

Lunch at a local restaurant in Ranakpur. Drive to Jodhpur (journey time approx. 4 hrs) with its white and blue painted houses dominated by an impressive hilltop fortress. Check in at the Balsamand Lake Palace, built of red sandstone originally as the summer palace of the Jodhpur royalty and surrounded by lush gardens, where two nights are spent. Dinner at the hotel.

Full day city tour of Jodhpur including the formidable Mehrangarh Fort which spreads over five kilometres of perpendicular hill and houses a palace intricately adorned with long carved panels and latticed windows exquisitely wrought from red sandstone. It also has a museum with a rich collection of items from palanquins to howdahs, royal cradles, miniature paintings and costumes. Also visit the magnificent white marble Jaswent Thada Cenotaph.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon visit to the vibrant and colourful Sadar Market in the old city. Dinner under own arrangements.

Transfer to the airport for a late morning flight to Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay.

Lunch under own arrangements (snack provided on the flight). Transfer to the luxurious Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel where two nights are spent. Built in 1903, bringing together Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles, the hotel has panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India, built to receive George V and Queen Mary for the 1911 Durbar and itself a city landmark. The renowned American architect, Melton Bekker, conceived the Tower wing in 1973 with its arched balconies topped by a jagged diadem. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the hotel.

Morning tour on foot and by coach passing a stunning panorama of mostly late Victorian Gothic architecture built by the British such the Wellington Fountain, Prince of Wales Museum, and Elphinstone College. Drive past the High Court and the Central Telegraph Building and the monumental Victoria Terminus, on past Andrew’s Church, the Writer’s Building, the old docklands wall and the Customs House of 1665 to St. Thomas’s Cathedral.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Optional either for shopping at Fab India or to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, now called Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, classical without and a Victorian ironwork fantasy within. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Group transfer to the airport. Suggested flight (not included in the cost of the tour) British Airways BA 256 departing Mumbai at 13.15 hrs arriving London Heathrow at 18.10 hrs.