A Private India Tour – Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Jaipur, Mumbai

Day 1: Arrive Delhi (Welcome To India!)

Upon arrival in Delhi, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for your next two nights’ accommodation. The remainder of the day is at leisure, allowing time to rest after your journey or begin absorbing the rhythm of the city at your own pace.

Day 2: Delhi (Old & New Delhi Discovery)

Delhi reveals itself in vivid contrasts—Mughal grandeur and modern nationhood sharing the same horizon. In Old Delhi, the red-sandstone walls of the Red Fort and the vast Jama Masjid anchor a world of living lanes and bazaars, best experienced through Chandni Chowk’s hum of spice stalls, silver shops, and sari merchants.

From there, the day moves through layers of history: the ruins of Kotla Firoze Shah with its ancient Ashoka Pillar, and the quiet simplicity of Raj Ghat, Gandhi’s riverside memorial. New Delhi shifts the mood to broad boulevards and imperial geometry—Rashtrapati Bhavan, the government quarter, and India Gate—before returning to the Mughal artistry at Humayun’s Tomb and the enduring monuments of Delhi’s earliest Islamic era at the Iron Pillar and Qutub Minar. (B)

Day 3: Delhi / Varanasi (From The Capital to India’s Spiritual Heart)

A morning flight brings you to Varanasi, India’s spiritual epicenter, where devotion has shaped daily life for millennia. Nearby Sarnath offers a contemplative counterpoint—the quiet ruins of monasteries and stupas marking the site where the Buddha first set the Wheel of Dharma in motion, their foundations stretching back more than two thousand years.

As evening falls, proceed to the banks of the Ganges to witness the Ganga Aarti ceremony. Priests perform synchronized rituals of fire and prayer as chanting carries across the river, offering a powerful introduction to Varanasi’s living spiritual traditions. Overnight in Varanasi. (B)

Day 4: Varanasi (Life Along The Ganges)

Before sunrise, set out by boat along the Ganges to witness Varanasi at first light. From the river, observe pilgrims descending the ghats, priests murmuring prayers, and incense rising into the cool morning air. The riverfront becomes a living tableau of devotion, where rites of purification and remembrance continue much as they have for centuries.

Return to your hotel for breakfast, then explore key spiritual landmarks that reflect the city’s layered religious heritage, including the Kashi Vishwanath (Golden) Temple, Durga Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, and Aurangzeb Mosque. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. (B)

Day 5: Varanasi / Agra (Aboard the Vande Bharat Express)

The morning is at leisure in Varanasi before boarding the modern Vande Bharat Express for your afternoon rail journey to Agra (approx. 7 hours). India’s newest generation of high-speed trains, the Vande Bharat offers comfortable seating, large panoramic windows, and attentive onboard service. As the landscape unfolds beyond the glass—fields, villages, and passing stations—the journey provides a relaxed vantage point on everyday life across the North Indian plains. Upon arrival in Agra, transfer to your hotel and settle in ahead of tomorrow’s exploration. (B)

Note: The Vande Bharat Express does not operate on Wednesdays.

Day 6: Agra (The Taj Mahal & Agra Fort)

At dawn, encounter the Taj Mahal as the first light softens its luminous marble and intricate inlay work. Commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal, the monument remains a masterwork of proportion and poetic symmetry—at once intimate in sentiment and monumental in scale.

Later, explore Agra Fort, Akbar’s red-sandstone citadel overlooking the Yamuna River, where palaces and audience halls reflect the authority and refinement of the Mughal court. As evening approaches, cross the river to Mehtab Bagh—the restored “Moonlight Garden”—for a serene sunset perspective of the Taj Mahal, its marble silhouette glowing softly in the fading light. Overnight in Agra. (B)

Note: The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.

Day 7:  Agra / Ranthambore (Journey into the Wilderness)

After breakfast, drive to Fatehpur Sikri, the 16th-century Mughal capital built by Emperor Akbar. Constructed in striking red sandstone, its palaces, arcaded courtyards, and the monumental Buland Darwaza reflect a refined fusion of Islamic, Hindu, and Persian design.

Later, continue to Bharatpur for a 2.5-hour train ride to Sawai Madhopur, gateway to Ranthambore National Park. The rail journey passes through rural Rajasthan before arrival and transfer to your hotel, where dinner is served this evening. (B,D)

Day 8: Ranthambore (In Search of the Bengal Tiger)

Spend the day exploring Ranthambore National Park on guided game drives with a naturalist. Spanning nearly 400 square kilometers of lakes, dry forests, and rocky escarpments crowned by the ancient Ranthambore Fort, the reserve offers one of India’s most evocative wildlife settings. Sightings may include the Royal Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth bear, chital and sambar deer, langur monkeys, and an array of birdlife. Ranthambore’s tigers are known for their relative comfort in daylight, creating strong opportunities for observation. Lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at your lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Ranthambore / Jaipur (From Tiger Country to The Pink City)

Begin the morning with one last immersion in the wilderness—either an early game drive or a hike up to Ranthambore Fort for sweeping views over the reserve—before continuing by road to Jaipur (approx. 3.5 hours). The route crosses rural Rajasthan, with open farmland, small villages, and roadside life gradually giving way to the Pink City’s ordered streets and hilltop fortresses. On arrival, check in to your hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure. (B)

• Prices are per person, based on double occupancy
• Price includes all entrance fees, domestic air taxes, hotel taxes & service charges
• Prices exclude transpacific airfares, personal expenses, gratuities to guides, drivers and bell persons
• Low Season (LS): April 16 – September
• High Season (HS): October – April 15
• *Taj Mahal in Agra closed on Fridays. Elephanta Caves in Mumbai closed on Mondays
• A visa is required for India (eVisa may be obtained online here ). NOT included in package.
• All flights, hotels and land arrangements are subject to availability at time of reservation.