Taj & Tigers Platinum Tour

Board your overnight flight from the UK to Delhi Airport DEL.

Arrive at Delhi Airport.

Meet and greet at the airport folloed by private transfers to your hotel.

ACCOMMODATION: The Oberoi Delhi (Premier Room).

After breakfast set off on a sightseeing tour of Old Delhi.

Old Delhi: Former Mughal capital with remnants of Emperor Shah Jahan's grandeur, now centered around the bustling market of Chandni Chowk, offering a variety of goods.

Rickshaw Ride in Old Delhi and Jama Masjid: Enjoy a rickshaw tour through Chandni Chowk and visit Jama Masjid, one of India’s largest mosques, built from 1644 to 1658 with impressive gateways, towers, and minarets.

Raj Ghat: Visit the simple black marble platform marking Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation site, set in a park with trees planted by notable figures like Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower.

Transfer to the railway station to board your train to Agra at approximately 8am, when you arrive you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 

Later visit Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of India’s finest Mughal forts. Built in 1565, it was home to four generations of Mughal emperors until 1638. The fort features a maze of buildings, including the Jahangir Palace, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, and two beautiful mosques. Many structures have been destroyed over time, but it remains a city within a city.

In the evening, behold the majestic Taj Mahal, another UNESCO World Heritage site, and immerse yourself in the unparalleled beauty of the ultimate "monument of Love." Experience its awe-inspiring grandeur, a thousandfold more breathtaking in person, as the radiant sun either ascends or descends, casting a golden hue upon the shimmering white marble.

ACCOMMODATION: The Oberoi Amarvilas (Premier Room).

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

After breakfast, depart from the hotel and embark on a journey to Ranthambhore, making a stop at Fatehpur Sikri along the way, a UNESCO Heritage site. 

Emperor Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri in 1569 to honor Saint Sheikh Salim Chishti, who prophesized Akbar's heirs. The city served as Akbar's capital for 14 years before being abandoned due to water scarcity. Visit the well-preserved "Ghost City" with its Jama Masjid, Salim Chishti’s tomb, Panch Mahal, and other grand palaces.

Afterward, proceed to Bharatpur and savour a delightful lunch at the local restaurant, Laxmi Vilas Palace Bharatpur. Following lunch, resume your journey to Ranthambore.

Upon reaching your destination, check into the hotel and unwind.

ACCOMMODATION: Oberoi Vanya Vilas (Premier Room).

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast.

Today you get the chance to go for an early-morning and afternoon game drive.

Dawn is ideal for spotting the elusive Bengal Tiger in Ranthambore National Park, home to leopards, wild boars, and various deer species. Game drives offer a chance to see tigers in their natural habitat, part of India’s Project Tiger conservation effort.

After the safari, return to the hotel for breakfast and relaxation by the pool; later, enjoy a second game drive. The park also features historical attractions, including the 10th-century Ranthambore Fort.

ACCOMMODATION: Oberoi Vanya Vilas (Premier Room).
The Oberoi Vanya Villas has a special tower in its grounds which overlook a part of the National Park.

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

After breakfast you'll drive to Jaipur and check in at your hotel, with free time for lunch (at own expense).

Post lunch take part in a 'Block Printing and Textiles of Jaipur' demonstration.

Hand Block Printing is one of the most famous traditional arts of Rajasthan. See how the prints are hand made with small wooden blocks using different coloured dyes extracted from nature.

During this demonstration develop a fuller appreciation and outlook into a world filled with colour and seeped in tradition and old-world techniques. 

Later on visit the local market (Javeri bazar) to see or by some some local handicrafts.

ACCOMMODATION: Raj Vilas (Premier Room).

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast.

After breakfast, visit the UNESCO-listed Amber Fort, ascending by Jeep. The rugged exterior conceals a beautiful interior with painted miniatures, precious stones, and mirrors embedded in plaster.

Stop briefly for photos at Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds.

Continue to the Maharaja’s City Palace, a former royal residence now partially a museum. Built by Sawai Jai Singh II, it includes Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal.

After lunch (at your expense), visit Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO site with medieval geometric devices for tracking constellations, observing orbits, and measuring time. It's one of the largest astronomical observatories in the world.

Later drive back to hotel.

ACCOMMODATION: Raj Vilas (Premier Room).

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast.

In the morning, embark on a journey to the Leopard Sanctuary and partake in a shared Jeep Safari for the chance to observe leopards in their natural habitat.

The Leopard Sanctuary is currently home to over 40 leopards and 5 cubs! Besides leopards, visitors can also encounter Striped hyenas, Indian civets, desert cats, jungle cats, desert foxes, jackals, porcupines, jungle rats, monitor lizards, and mongooses, as well as Sambar deer, spotted deer (chital), Blue Bull (Nilgai), and various snake species. Situated amidst the leopard reserve, the sanctuary features an animal-spotting platform where you can also witness the breathtaking sunrise.

(ADVANCE BOOKING OF AT LEAST 5 DAYS IS REQUIRED).

ACCOMMODATION: The Oberoi, Gurgaon (Premier Room).

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast.

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

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

The Gurdwara includes a temple, kitchen, holy pond, school, and art gallery. Practicing 'langar' (free kitchen), it serves 10,000 meals daily. At Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in central Delhi, everyone is welcome to a meal. Fascinated by the busy 'langar', which serves 180 people every 15 minutes, visitors see people of all castes, religions, and ages sitting on mats. Volunteers distribute chapatti, spiced basmati rice, dal, a spicy potato dish, and turmeric-based sauce with onion pakora. The community includes those relying on the food, socializing, or helping serve.

Next, head off on a sightseeing tour of New Delhi.

Visit Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the earliest example of Mughal architecture in India, recently renovated with restored gardens and fountains. Architecturally inspired by Samarkand, it influenced the design of the Taj Mahal.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant near India Gate (at your own expense).

Then, visit the Qutub Minar complex, home to India's first mosque, Quwwat-ul-Islam, built from the stones of demolished temples, signifying the political victory of Islam in northern India. The Qutub Minar, started in 1199 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, features elegant balconies and carvings.

Finally, drive past India Gate, the Presidential Palace, and Parliament House, admiring the colonial architecture by Edwin Lutyens.

If there’s still time at the end of the day and you wish to see more please talk to your guide who can show you the sights of Dilli Haat or Sunder Nursery.

ACCOMMODATION: The Oberoi Delhi (Premier Room).

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast.

This is a fantastic opportunity to live like a local and join an Indian family for dinner at their residence as well as take part in festive rituals.

The men will participate in turban tying and the women will be presented a ceremonial scarf, signifying compassion. All the guests will be honoured with a Tikka. The Tikka, a red vermilion, paste is applied with the thumb in a single upward stroke to the guests’ forehead to signify the energy of spiritual enlightenment and wisdom. The welcome reflects the rich culture and tradition of Indian society.

This is an exciting moment for you to observe and experience true Indian culture up close. You will get an opportunity to roll the chapatis and understand the ingredients of Indian cuisine.

In the evening, experience local culture as you witness the Aarti Ceremony at Birla Temple in Jaipur.

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, the Birla Mandir is a fabulous architectural landmark of Jaipur. The temple offers the chance to see the enchanting Aarti (religious ceremony) from close quarters. The Aarti is performed by a holy man. The temple was originally known as Lakshmi Narayan Temple. It is situated below the Moti Dungri Fort in Jaipur. Made of pure white marble, the architecture is slightly different from those of the traditional ancient Hindu temples, as it was built with a modern approach.

The ceremony is a fundamental part of Hindu culture; representing the elements of fire, earth, water and air as well as the senses. The priest has a tray with a small bell, lamp (diya) and offerings of food, water, flowers and incense. The lamp is passed around the deity, accompanied by singing and the ceremony ends with everyone sharing the food, which has been offered to the Gods.