Taj Mahal & the Treasures of India

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

Explore the city's classic sites, including the Gateway of India, whose design reflects India's Muslim and Hindu traditions. Visit the Prince of Wales Museum and Mani Bhawan, dedicated to the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi. Next, see the Dhobi Ghat, the world's largest open-air laundry, a wonderful spectacle to behold. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner.

Fly to Udaipur and settle into your stunning palace hotel set in the middle of scenic Lake Pichola. After time to relax, embark on a private cruise past Jag Mandir, a marble palace on an island in Lake Pichola. Then, admire the vibrant sunset from your island hotel on a Scenic Sundowner followed by dinner.

Visit the stunning City Palace, a marble complex that offers unforgettable views of the lake. Continue to the Crystal Gallery in Fateh Prakash Palace. Stroll through the Sahelion Ki Bari (Garden of the Maids of Honour). Enjoy a Chef's Table cooking demonstration, followed by lunch, learning about the preparation of royal Mewar cuisine in a local family's home.

Fly to Jaipur and check in to your hotel, the former residence of the Maharajah of Jaipur. Later, 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.

View the Palace of the Winds — built so the women of the royal household could observe street life without being seen. Explore the Mughal-style Amber Fort, a red sandstone and marble palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This afternoon, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities.

• Practice Yoga During a Private Session at historic Rambagh Palace.
• Visit Badal Mahal to interact with local women receiving training in craft making, supported by A&K Philanthropy.
• Discover 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 colourful 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.

Return to the Taj Mahal the next morning, when the rising sun lends a warm pink tint to its marble face. Visit the Agra Fort, once the prison of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal after the death of his beloved wife.

Board a train to Jhansi. After lunch, continue to remote Panna National Park, a haven for India's wildlife, and check in to your wilderness lodge. Then, on an A&K-exclusive experience, meet with a member of the local Pardhi community to learn their role in efforts to restore the Bengal tiger to the park.

Rise early for a 4x4 game drive in Panna National Park, spotting crocodile and searching for tiger. Learn how a conservation program has grown the park's tiger population, increasing the odds of a sighting. Return to the lodge to savour an Indian cooking demonstration, as your lodge's chef prepares local dishes for lunch. Enjoy another game drive before returning to Pashan Garh for dinner.

Drive to Khajuraho to see all of life — joy, love, divinity, war — depicted in detail on every inch of its 85 Hindu and Jain temples. Then, fly to Varanasi, a city of more than a thousand temples and shrines, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. At dusk, beside the Ganges River, witness the aarti ceremony. Chanted prayers and rhythmic drumming fill the air as you watch lantern-bearing priests bid the gods and goddesses a restful slumber.

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

Visit the great Jama Masjid, the most important mosque in India, completed in 1656. Then, ride by rickshaw through the narrow alleys and stalls of Chandni Chowk bazaar, one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, a vital part of the daily life of locals and a must-see destination for visitors. After lunch, tour New Delhi, including Humayun's Tomb, the last resting place of an esteemed 16th-century Mughal emperor and an architectural precursor of the Taj Mahal.

Transfer to the airport early this morning for your flight home, or begin your post-tour extension to Kathmandu.