North India tailormade holiday
| country: | India |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £1950 (16 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Planning a honeymoon with a little added spice? Want to take the family on a journey of a lifetime? Or simply prefer to travel on your own, with a partner or a few close friends? Whatever the reason India is an exciting destination offering something for everyone.
It's hard to imagine a more exciting, exhilarating, romantic or exotic place to visit than India. As one traveller we spoke to put it: 'It's the only place on the planet where everything that has ever happened in the history of the world is happening every minute of every day right under your nose!' An exaggeration... but not much of one.
A vast subcontinent, India simply groans with history and culture, life and vitality, and a diversity of people, scenery, religions and architecture to rival any on earth. For the inquisitive traveller, it is simply unmissable.
See below for a sample itinerary.
It's hard to imagine a more exciting, exhilarating, romantic or exotic place to visit than India. As one traveller we spoke to put it: 'It's the only place on the planet where everything that has ever happened in the history of the world is happening every minute of every day right under your nose!' An exaggeration... but not much of one.
A vast subcontinent, India simply groans with history and culture, life and vitality, and a diversity of people, scenery, religions and architecture to rival any on earth. For the inquisitive traveller, it is simply unmissable.
See below for a sample itinerary.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | London to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check in. Accommodation - Claridges Hotel (New Wing Deluxe) |
| Day 2: | Delhi. After breakfast you will be able to have a guided sightseeing tour of India’s capital. After lunch you can visit the old town with a trip to the Red Fort and a walk through Shahjahanabad to the Jama Majid. Accommodation - Claridges Hotel (New Wing Deluxe) |
| Day 3: | Delhi - Agra. Early morning train to Agra. Upon arrival you will be picked up and taken to the hotel where you can leave your luggage, and then relax. After checking in you will visit the Red Fort and Akbar’s Tomb and finish your tour at the Taj Mahal. Accommodation - The Taj View Hotel (Superior Taj View) |
| Day 4: | Agra - Bundi. Early morning drive west to Fatipur Sikri. Two hours at this extraordinary site before heading on to Bharatpur to catch the 1020 train to Kota. Arriving at 1430 you will then be picked up and taken the short distance to Bundi. Afternoon free to have a look around. Accommodation - Hotel Bundi Haveli |
| Day 5: | Bundi. Tour of the small city of Bundi seemingly untouched by modernization. Bundi is famous for its bangle makers and brass pottery but the real attraction is the stunning fort which you will visit at leisure. In the afternoon you will be able to travel out to see the royal family’s mausoleums and Kipling’s palace and the bazaar. Accommodation - Hotel Bundi Haveli |
| Day 6: | Bundi - Jhalawar. Visit the charming village of Manpura, before heading on towards Jhalawar. Picnic lunch at the spectacular Gagron Fort. You will reach Prithvi Vilas, home of the Maharaja of Jhalawar in the mid afternoon. From here you will be able to travel out to the nearby pilgrimage town of Jhalrapatan, one of the purest towns that remains to be seen in India today. Right outside the city walls are the famous temples of Chandrabhaga. This evening promises to bear a real treat as you get to stay with the Maharaja and his charming wife in their extraordinary home-cum-museum. Accommodation - Prithvi Vilas |
| Day 7: | Jhalawar - Bijaipur. Today will be quite a long drive as you travel from Jhalawar to Bijaipur. However it will also be interesting as you travel through rural India, and what is known as the opium belt where the poppy is cultivated for the pharmaceutical industry. Arrive Castle Bijaipur in the late afternoon. Accommodation - Castle Bijaipur (Deluxe Room) |
| Day 8: | Bijaipur. In Bijaipur you can take some of the Nawab’s fabulous Marwari horses and ride out through the hills and forests to a lake and a ruined 5th century fire worshipers. Alternatively you can walk (with a little help from a jeep) or cycle passing through some of the most unspoilt villages in the whole of Rajasthan. Alternatively you can employ the services of the local guru for a yoga session or just relax by the pool. Accommodation - Castle Bijaipur (Deluxe Room) |
| Day 9: | Bijaipur. Day at leisure at this lovely property. Accommodation - Castle Bijaipur (Deluxe Room) |
| Day 10: | Bijaipur - Chhatra Sagar. Transfer by car to Chhatra Sagar; the drive will take 6 to 7 hours. This is a truly magical place, which comprises eleven delightful tents perched on a dam, overlooking a lake teeming with birds. Each tent faces directly onto the lake and includes a fixed bathroom, small sitting area and dressing room. Arrive in the mid afternoon, check into you your luxury tents and relax with the gorgeous views before a sundowner and meal al fresco under an extraordinary canopy of stars. Accommodation - Chhatra Sagar (Tent) |
| Day 11: | Chhatra Sagar. All day to relax and totally enjoy this amazing camp. After breakfast Haj, the manager and family owner of the property, will show you around the area including local temples, farms, the village school and introduce you to the people and their professions. After lunch you will be free for walks and more bird watching. Accommodation - Chhatra Sagar (Tent) |
| Day 12: | Chhatra Sagar - Deogarh. Set off to Marwar Junction to catch the regional train to Deogarh. This wonderful two-hour train journey takes you high up through the spectacular Khamli Ghats and onto the central Aravelli plateau. This is not for the faint hearted – only 3rd class and very rudimentary – we can organise an escort guide for you for this section if you’d prefer. Enjoy an early evening walk through this lovely quiet town or jeep safari to local villages before having dinner on the palace rooftop. Accommodation - Deogarh Mahal (Deluxe Suite) |
| Day 13: | Deogarh. Day at leisure at this stunning property. Accommodation - Deogarh Mahal (Deluxe Suite) |
| Day 14: | Deogarh - Udaipur. Morning drive to Udaipur. Lunch we would recommend at a local hotel before continuing on to the Jain Temples at Ranakpur. Then drive on to Udaipur and check into the Fatah Prakash Dovecote on the Lakeside and have the rest of the day at leisure. At 16.00 you will go for a boat ride on the lake. Accommodation - Fatah Prakash Dovecote |
| Day 15: | Udaipur. Day at leisure. Accommodation - Fatah Prakash Dovecote |
| Day 16: | Udaipur - Mumbai - UK. |
how this holiday makes a difference
In India we have developed unique relationships with many people, some of who help us with our tours, others that simply live in the different regions to which we travel and through. Through our form of interactive, socially conscious tourism we have helped them adapt to the modern, changing world by providing an important additional income.
In addition we sponsor the following projects: In Ladakh the “Ladakh Project” has brought solar lighting to families in the remote Nubra Valley; enabling them to grow and harvest crops and stockpile supplies to get them through the harsh winters. In arid Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we have implemented tree planting schemes (a hands on experience for some of our trips!) as well as helping directly with the financing of rural village schools. In Calcutta we support the Hope Foundation, an organisation devoted to helping and improving the living conditions of street children by offering education, health services and nutrition and to help give them a better chance in life.
All our tours employ the services of local guides and drivers, stay in locally owned hotels and guesthouses – often staying in our guides villages and homes, which again diverts important funds directly into the area. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the locals financially, and our clients with the unique experience and social interaction.
When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration.
We also support several NGOs around the world such as the TESFA community project in Ethiopia, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit.
In addition we sponsor the following projects: In Ladakh the “Ladakh Project” has brought solar lighting to families in the remote Nubra Valley; enabling them to grow and harvest crops and stockpile supplies to get them through the harsh winters. In arid Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we have implemented tree planting schemes (a hands on experience for some of our trips!) as well as helping directly with the financing of rural village schools. In Calcutta we support the Hope Foundation, an organisation devoted to helping and improving the living conditions of street children by offering education, health services and nutrition and to help give them a better chance in life.
All our tours employ the services of local guides and drivers, stay in locally owned hotels and guesthouses – often staying in our guides villages and homes, which again diverts important funds directly into the area. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the locals financially, and our clients with the unique experience and social interaction.
When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration.
We also support several NGOs around the world such as the TESFA community project in Ethiopia, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit.