Get ready for a thrilling 14-day adventure exploring Indian culture, landscapes, and food. From Rajasthan's majestic forts to the wildlife of Ranthambhore, and the bustling cities of Agra, Udaipur, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Delhi, it's an experience not to be missed.


Trip highlights:

  • Get up close and personal with India’s incredible wildlife. With a bit of luck, we might even spot the regal ruler of this kingdom, the magnificent tiger!

  • Relish authentic Indian cuisine in the most intimate settings. Dine with local families, sample Agra's bustling street food, and enjoy a mesmerizing desert feast under the starry Pushkar sky.

  • Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, our dreamy stay in Jaipur, has been winning hearts since 1928, with its tasteful decor, traditional charm, and impeccable service. It's not just a stay; it's a royal experience!  
    Click here to reserve your spot!

    Itinerary

    Day 1

    Welcome to Mumbai, India!

    • Welcome dinner:  Let's kick off our adventure by treating our taste buds to some divine Mangalorean seafood at a superb local restaurant!

    Meals Included: Dinner

    Accommodations: The Gordon House Hotel

    Day 2

    Mumbai

    • Guided City Tour:  Start out at Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry. Here you’ll enjoy a snapshot of life in the city that most visitors don't see, as locals work and children play beneath colourful rows of drying clothes. Continue to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to admire its stunning Victorian Gothic architecture, then visit the Prince of Wales Museum. Stop by the sprawling Crawford market; built in 1869 and selling everything from fruit to jewellery, this is one of the city’s most popular shopping spots
    • Free Leisure Time in the Afternoon 

    Meals Included: Breakfast

    Accommodations: The Gordon House

    Day 3

    Udaipur

    • Midday Flight to Udaipur (included in cost of the trip)
    • Lake Pichola Boat Ride: Enjoy a boat ride on the peaceful Lake Pichola, offering a different perspective of Udaipur’s heritage buildings and rolling hills.
    • Dinner at lakeside restaurant: Finish the day with dinner at a lakeside restaurant, from where you can watch the surrounding landscape turn brilliant shades of gold as the sun goes down.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

    Today’s flight is approximately 1.5 hours

    Accommodations: Hotel Rampratap Palace

    Day 4

    UdaipurErawan National

    • City Palace Tour: This marvellous building overlooks Lake Pichola and is Rajasthan’s largest palace. Explore its elegant interior as your local guide shares information on its history and architecture.
    • Cultural Performance: In the evening, see a different side of Indian culture as you head to a haveli (a traditional Indian mansion) for a dance performance. Sit in the haveli’s gorgeous courtyard and watch performers in typical Rajasthani folk costumes perform traditional Indian dances.

    Meals Included: Breakfast

    Accommodations: Hotel Rampratap Palace

    Day 5

    Bundi

    • Leader-Led Orientation Walk: Head out on an orientation walk with your leader and wander narrow streets packed with blue Brahmin houses, bazaars, temples and shops, and mingle with locals in the downtown market. Visit the ancient and ornately carved baoris, which once provided water to the city, and learn about Rudyard Kipling's place in the town's history.
    • Home-Cooked Dinner: This evening’s dinner will be one to remember as you will dine with a local Rajput family in Bundi. The family will welcome you into their home, prepare a traditional home cooked meal and share stories and photographs of their lives and their ancestors.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

    Today’s total driving time is approximately 5 hours.

    Accommodations: The Hadoti Palace

    Click here to reserve your spot!

    Day 6

    Pushkar

    • Bundi Palace: This morning, explore the expansive 17th-century Bundi Palace, built during the reign of Rao Raja Ratan Ji Heruled and which looms large over the town. The palace, described by Kipling as ‘the work of goblins rather than of men’, provides sweeping views across Bundi.
    • Walking Tour of Pushkar: Pushkar is one of India’s holiest cities. Head out on an orientation walk with your leader to get acquainted with the city’s colourful streets, religious sites and centrepiece lake.

    Meals Included: Breakfast

    Today’s total driving time is approximately 4 hours.

    Please note that due to animal welfare concerns, we won’t include a camel ride in Pushkar on this trip.

    Accommodations: Brahma Horizon Hotel

    Day 7

    Pushkar

    • Sunrise at Savitri Temple: You may like to start the day with an optional visit to the Savitri Temple – set on a hill overlooking the city, this popular pilgrimage site is an incredible place to watch the sunrise.
    • Brahma Temple: Visit the ghats and religious temples that fringe Pushkar lake and observe the devout worshiping by the holy waters and at the Brahma Temple.
    • Private Traditional Dance Performance & Dinner on Sand Dune: Head to Pushkar’s nearby sand dunes, first stopping off for tea or coffee while watching the sun set over the vast landscape. Continue to a different dune where you will enjoy a traditional Rajasthani dinner while watching dancers from the local community perform the traditional Kalbelia style of dance – an experience that will completely immerse you in the culture of the region.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

    Accommodations: Brahma Horizon Hotel

    Day 8

    Jaipur

    • Jaipur Walking Tour: Join your leader on a walking tour of the city. Explore buzzing bazaars filled with handcrafted textiles, folk art, and the local speciality of semi-precious stones, and stroll streets teeming with camel carts, rickshaws, trucks and bicycles.
    • Dinner With A Local Family: Visit the home of a local Brahmin family for a wonderful meal and to learn about their culture and way of life. The use of onion and garlic is prohibited in Brahmin cooking, but your friendly hosts will be happy to explain how they make their food so delicious. 

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

    Today’s total driving time is approximately 3 hours.

    Accommodations: Hotel Narain Niwas Palace

    Day 9

    Jaipur

    • Amber Forte: Begin the day with a visit to the extravagant Amber Fort – the jewel of Jaipur. It is quite a sight, with its soft shades of red, sandstone and white marble with elaborate Hindu-style flourishes. Your local guide will share the stories of a fallen empire as you explore ornate rooms, lavish murals, frescoed arches and delicate jali work.
    • Private Royal Haveli Visit With Owner: Hop on a rickshaw and travel to a royal haveli. Haveli’s are old mansions which were ornately decorated as a display of wealth, many of which remain across the city today. Here you will meet the owner of the haveli who will give you a tour of the property and share fascinating photographs and stories of his ancestors who once ruled the nearby provinces. Enjoy drinks on the rooftop.
    • Balloon Safari (Optional - Cost $280): Experience India from a very exclusive perspective as you drift over traditional local villages, spectacular forts, breathtaking landscapes and hidden palaces in a hot air balloon.  

    Meals Included: Breakfast

    Accommodations: Hotel Narain Niwas Palace

    Day 10

    Ranthambore National Park

    • Free Day:This morning you will say goodbye to Jaipur and make the journey to Ranthambore. Ranthambhore’s treasured national park is one of the best places in the world to spot tigers, and also plays host to ancient temples, mosques and a vast array of wildlife. On arrival, you may like to take a stroll around town or put your feet up and relax beside the pool in anticipation of an exciting day of wildlife spotting tomorrow.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Today’s total driving time is approximately 4 hours.

    Accommodations: The Sher Garh Resort

    Day 11

    Ranthambore National Park

    • Wildlife Safari: Rise early for a morning safari. Ranthambore National Park is one of the original Project Tiger reserves – a place where nature has reclaimed ancient fortresses and temples and is teeming with wildlife. In four-wheel drive safari vehicles, take game drives to search for animals, including the majestic tiger which stalks through the jungle.  Enjoy some downtime at the resort in the afternoon, then venture back out for an evening safari through the park – another chance to spot some of this region’s resident tiger population.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Accommodations: The Sher Garh Resort

    Day 12

    Agra

    • Taj Mahal: Head out at sunset to visit India's most iconic structure – the spectacular Taj Mahal. Meet with an expert Taj Mahal guide who will illuminate the fascinating history of this world-famous building as you tour it at sunset.
    • Street Food Tour: This evening, a foodie expert will join you on a street food tour away from the main tourist trail and help you understand Agra’s cuisine and culture. Stop by a 19th-century shop serving up age-old recipes from the Braj region of India, and visit hyperlocal eateries most visitors to Agra never see.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

    Today’s total driving time is approximately 6 hours.

    Accommodations: Crystal Sarovar Premiere Hotel

      Day 13

      Delhi

      • Old Delhi Walking Tour: Navigate the city’s metro system and arrive in Old Delhi where you’ll wind through its lanes and markets. It’s not the real Delhi without a traffic jam so hop aboard a traditional rickshaw and weave your way around the streets surrounding the Chandni Chowk marketplace. Stop by India’s oldest and largest mosque, the Jama Masjid, then head into the Sikh temple of Sheeshganj Gurudwara for a moment of peace and to observe the spiritual side of this bustling metropolis.
      • Farewell Dinner: Join your leader and group for a final dinner at one of Delhi’s oldest restaurants that has been delighting visitors for more than 80 years.

      Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

      Today’s total driving time is approximately 4 hours.

      Accommodations: Jaypee Siddharth Hotel

      Day 14

      Delhi

        Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning

      Meals Included: Breakfast

      Click here to reserve your spot!


      PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

      • We are traveling in December 2023, but you can travel anytime!
      • The information in the itinerary provides an example of daily activites, but are subject to changes based the final itinerary.
      • This is a premium trip. Wherever possible, 4- or 5-star hotel accommodations have been booked.
      • Visit www.culturepursuits.com to learn more about us and our services!



      We are Kenia & Kevin Collins, Owners of Culture Pursuits

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       Get the latest information about this trip to India!