Taj Mahal & the Treasures of India - Pushkar Fair

Arrive in Mumbai, where you are met by an Abercrombie & Kent representative and transferred to your hotel.

Explore the city's classic sites, beginning with the Gateway of India, an 26-metre-high arch with a design that reflects India's Muslim and Hindu traditions. Visit the Prince of Wales Museum and Mani Bhawan, a museum dedicated to the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi. Next, see the Dhobi Ghat, the largest open-air laundry in the world and a wonderfully colourful spectacle to behold. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner.

Fly to Udaipur this morning and settle into your stunning palace hotel set in the middle of scenic Lake Pichola. Relax this afternoon before embarking on a private cruise past Jag Mandir, a marble palace on an island in Lake Pichola, followed by a Scenic Sundowner and dinner at your hotel.

Explore the City Palace, a marble complex that offers unforgettable views of Lake Pichola and its surroundings. 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.

Early this morning, drive to the otherwise quiet, secluded desert town of Pushkar, sharing the road with camels, trucks, cattle, water buffalo and rickshaws as you approach. Spend the next two days experiencing the bustling Pushkar Fair, a colourful whirl of activity drawing people from all around the globe.

Enjoy another opportunity to experience the Pushkar Fair. See painted and adorned camels and cattle being traded; peruse stalls selling camel tassels and woven gypsy dowry bags; and witness Hindu devotees as they throng the ghats around Pushkar Lake in order to bathe, cleanse their sins and attain a place in heaven.

Travel overland 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.

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.

Make a return visit to the Taj Mahal this morning, when the rising sun lends a warm pink tint to its marble face. This elaborate mausoleum, created by the emperor Shah Jahan in memory of the most beloved of his wives, is the apex of Mughal architecture, its gem-encrusted marble skin giving it a shimmering, intangible quality. Proceed to Agra Fort, a 16th-century Mughal monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site where Shah Jahan was once held prisoner.

Depart by express train to Jhansi. After lunch continue to Khajuraho, located outside of remote Panna National Park. Meet with a member of the nomadic Pardhi community to learn about their role in the continuing effort to repopulate Panna National Park with the Bengal tiger, an A&K-exclusive insider access moment.

Rise early this morning for a game drive in Panna National Park by four-wheel-drive vehicle, spotting crocodiles 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. Return to the lodge to savour an Indian cooking demonstration, as your lodge's chef prepares local delicacies for lunch. Enjoy an afternoon game drive before returning to Pashan Garh for dinner.

Explore the magnificent Hindu and Jain temples of Khajuraho, adorned with intricate stone carvings depicting all aspects of life. Fly to Varanasi early this afternoon, a city sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. At dusk, head to the banks of the sacred Ganges River to 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 (stone steps leading down to the river), where locals and pilgrims cleanse themselves, literally and spiritually. Later, fly to Delhi and settle into your hotel, where you later gather for a farewell cocktail and dinner.

Visit the great Jama Masjid, the most important mosque in India. Completed in 1656, its two minarets, made from red sandstone and white marble, each stand 40 metres tall. Then, take an exciting rickshaw ride through the carts and stalls of Chandni Chowk bazaar, one the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. After lunch, explore 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.

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