TIGERS, TAJ MAHAL & PALACES

24 February – 04 March 2027

Start/end: Delhi India

TOUR OVERVIEW:

Your tour starts in Delhi, the capital of the country. India’s famous cultural destination Agra and Jaipur needs no introduction – visit UNSECO world heritage declared monuments – the Taj Mahal, City Palace Jaipur and the stunning Amber Fort, names which echo the former glory of the Mughal and Rajput rulers. You will then fly to central India to visit 2 best project tiger national parks – Tadoba & Pench. The jungles of central India were the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.

Destinations

 Delhi –Historic, modern, vibrant, chaotic and intense, Delhi is a heady mixture of experiences. Old Delhi, is chaotic with medieval winding alleys, crammed with cycle rickshaws, colourful shops and noisy street traders; New Delhi, has spacious, sweeping boulevards and magnificent buildings built by the British in 1911. Old Delhi is home to the bustling shopping artery of Chandni Chowk, Shah Jahan’s Red Fort (Lal Qila) and India’s largest mosque, the Jami Masjid, whereas New Delhi is home to some of the capital’s most distinguished addresses. It has an array of museums, gardens, temples and mausoleums.

 Agra – the city of love, is home to the iconic Taj Mahal, a stunning mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Jaipur – known as the “Pink City,” is steeped in history and culture, with magnificent palaces, forts, and temples. It is also a shopper’s paradise, with bustling markets offering traditional textiles, jewelry, and handicrafts.

 Tadoba National Park – The park has been referred to as “The Jewel of Vidharba”.  It is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, is a rich dry deciduous forest, a great place to walk and enjoy nature. This splendid park houses more than a thousand species of plants, 28 species of mammals, 181 species of birds, around 20 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians, besides large variety of fishes, insects and other life forms.

 Pench National Park – Pench has been included under the umbrella of Project Tiger as the 19th Project Tiger Reserve. Located in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh is comprises of 758 sq. kms out of which a core area of 299-sq-km is the National Park and 464-km the buffer area of Southern Indian tropical moist deciduous forest mixed with tropical dry deciduous teak bearing forests and dry mixed deciduous forest. With the three types of forest a diversity of fauna abound within this natural system. 39 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians and over 170 varieties of birds have already been listed.

Day 1 – 24 Feb’27, Wed                      Arrival Delhi

VIP meet and greet on your arrival in Delhi. You will be received by meet and greet airport service staff at the aerobridge. He will then assist you through immigration and baggage. You will then be greeted by our company representative, as you walk out of the airport. He will accompany you to the car and transfer you to your hotel.

Spend the rest of the day at leisure at the hotel.

 Overnight at The Park New Delhi or similar– Luxury Room

Meals – None

Day 2 – 25 Feb’27, Thurs                    Delhi

After breakfast at the hotel, start the sightseeing by heading to the apparent chaos which is Old Delhi. Take a cycle rickshaw ride through the narrow alleys and vibrant shopping bazaars, savour the aromas of the famous spice market. They are a true local’s form of transport, which still ply the lanes of Old Delhi picking people up and dropping them off, weaving almost impossibly in and out of the people, cows, motor bikes and hand carts. Also visit Jami Masjid, the largest mosque in India.

 Aftenoon visit: Vijay Chowk vantage point for grand sweep of British Raj Era Buildings; Humayun’s Tomb – first Mughal garden tomb and inspiration for several later monuments such as the incomparable Taj Mahal; Gandhi Smriti – museum dedicated to life of Mahatma Gandhi Bangala Sahib Gurudwara, Delhi’s largest Sikh temple and marvel at the kitchens which feed tens of thousands of people every day.

 Overnight at the hotel.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 – 26 Feb’27, Fri             Delhi / Agra (210 kms, 4 hours)

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and drive to Agra – home to The Jewel Box in marble.

Afternoon visit the impressive Agra Fort. Hand in hand with the Taj Mahal is the Agra Fort, undoubtedly one of the most impressive forts built by the Mughals. Where the Taj Mahal is about love and romance, the fort is about dominance and valour, a show of the might of the Mughals. More a walled city than fort, being 2.5 kms in circumference, the sheer scale of the fort is what astounds. Courtyard after courtyard built of sandstone and marble, this fort has been a military fortress, palace and prison.

 End your day with an evening visit to Mehtab Bagh, the Mughal Garden opposite the Taj Mahal, from which a wonderful view can be seen.

 Overnight Taj View Agra or similar– Deluxe Pool View Room

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 – 27 Feb’27, Sat            Agra / Jaipur (240 kms, 5 hours)

 Early morning you will visit the Taj Mahal. Often cited as the most beautiful building in the world as well as being one of the world’s seven wonders, the exquisite Taj Mahal is as immaculate today as when it was first constructed. It is arguably at its most atmospheric during sunrise and we recommend an early start to be first through the doors.

 Return to the hotel for a late breakfast.

After breakfast check out and drive to Jaipur – the pink city.

Arrive at Jaipur and check into your hotel.

Cooking a Curry – This evening discover the secrets behind Indian recipes with a hands-on cookery lesson with your host family. Of course, you also get to sample what you make and a unique insight into the life of a local family. 

 Overnight at Dera Mandawa or similar–Standard Room

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 – 28 Feb’27, Sun                        Jaipur

After breakfast at the hotel, visit the Amber fort for guided tour of the Fort which stands boldly on a hill, overlooked by the less visited Jaigarh Fort. A journey through the fort showcases the extravagant lives of the Maharajas as well as fascinating architectural features and provides wonderful photo opportunities. 

 Later, proceed for city sightseeing tour visiting City Palace complex, part of which is still the residence of the former ruling family. Built almost three hundred years ago for the rulers of Jaipur state, it is the heart of the bustling walled city. Here you will find palaces, pavilions, gardens and temples as well as an impressive museum and a Krishna Temple still visited every day by hundreds of devotees. Within City Palace Complex also visit the Jantar Mantar, a still accurately functioning astronomical observation site built by Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, and completed in 1734. Its 20 structures are marvels of sculptural beauty designed as “instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens,” and exude a grandeur and fascination that should not be missed.

 End your day strolling through the bazaars of the old city which are a vibrant array of clothes, fabrics, leather goods, flowers, jewellery, fruit, vegetables and more. Autos and cycles and camels, elephants and cows all ply the streets interspersed with women in brilliantly coloured saris, picking their way through and bargaining fiercely for their goods!

 Overnight at the hotel.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 Day 6 – 1 Mar’27, Mon                       Jaipur / Delhi / Nagpur / Tadoba

 After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board flight for Nagpur via Delhi.

 Jaipur / Delhi  Delhi / Nagpur 

Upon arrival in Nagpur drive (150 Kms, 2.5 hours) to Tadoba. Arrive at Tadoba and check into your lodge. Evening watch a presentation on the park by the lodge naturalist.

 Overnight at the Wagoba Eco Lodge or similar– Cottage

Meals – Breakfast, lunch – light snacks at airport or flight & Dinner

TOUR COST INCLUDES:

• Accommodation in single / double room in above mentioned hotels / jungle lodges
• All meals from breakfast on Day 1 till lunch on Day 10.
• Arrival & Departure transfers in private air-conditioned chauffeur driven vehicles
• Game drives in 4WD exclusive vehicles in the National parks as mentioned in the itinerary
• Sightseeing tours in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra as mentioned in the itinerary
• Services of accompanying English speaking guide for Delhi / Agra / Jaipur and English speaking naturalist guide for the national park.
• Monument entrance fee in Delhi, Jaipur & Agra
• 1 FOC Foreign Tour Leader travelling with the group and staying in 1 SGL occupancy room
• Bottled drinking water in the vehicle during transfers and on road journeys
• All presently applicable taxes

For more information or to make a deposit contact Karen

karen @ soulful.travel