North India: Taj, Tigers & Palatial Beauty (2024)

Prepare for sensory overload as you step off the plane in Delhi, where your private Flash Pack transfer will take you right to the heart of the action. Cruising through the multi-lane streets of this buzzing metropolis, you’ll feel exhilarated by its sheer size and volume. This is a city which has seen the rise and fall of many emperors, with grand monuments, palaces and forts standing testament to its mighty leaders. Relax at your boutique hotel before meeting your group and Pack Leader and diving into the vibrant streets on an orientation tour of the city. Tonight, you’ll get to know your fellow travelers over a welcome feast of delicious spice-laden dishes.

This morning is all about embracing the chaos of Old Delhi. This 17th-century walled area is the beating heart of the city – which you’ll experience as you navigate the narrow alleys, past rickshaws and spice stalls, craft workers and haggling merchants. You’ll join a local chef for a culinary tour, with a chance to meet local residents and find out what living here is like. Later, you’ll continue to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, a beautiful Sikh temple providing a free lunch for anyone who enters its doors. The rest of the day is yours, whether you choose to spend it by the hotel pool or browsing Delhi’s ancient bazaars, where you’ll find everything from rich textiles and silver jewelry to elephant dung paper.

Leave the bright lights of Delhi behind as you take the train south to Agra. Upon arrival, you’ll visit the mighty Agra Fort – one of the finest Mughal palaces in India. Walking through the chambers and courtyards of this red-sandstone and marble city, your guide will bring the past to life with stories of past rulers. This afternoon, you’ll experience a very different side to the city – one that few visitors get to see. Crossing the Yamuna River, you’ll explore an authentic Mughal village where many people still live without electricity or plumbing. You’ll share tea and pakoras on a rooftop overlooking the Taj Mahal and discover what ordinary life is like in the shadow of the world-famous monument.

Today’s highlight? The majestic Taj Mahal aglow with morning sunrise. Witness the perfect symmetry of the domes and minarets as they turn from pale pink to sparkling white – a moment of pure magic. Built as a mausoleum for his wife by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, it’s the ultimate monument to love and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Breakfast will be waiting for you back at the hotel, then it’s time to continue your journey south to Ranthambore National Park. Once a maharajas’ hunting ground, this vast jungle scrub is now one of the best places in India to spot wild tigers. As you check into your hotel for dinner, your feline neighbors will be just waking up from their afternoon slumber.

You’ll be up at dawn for your first safari, hoping to spot a tiger from your open-top Jeep. This is a fantastic time to spot the mighty predators, prowling through long grasses or ambling along dusty tracks. Keep a lookout for other wildlife, too; the park is home to leopards, sloth bears and hyenas, all roaming through the diverse ecosystem. At the centre of Ranthambore are the ruins of a 10th-century fort, as well as ancient temples, hunting pavilions and crocodile-filled lakes, entwining history with the landscape – worth a visit in themselves. Back at the resort, relax through the heat of the day, before heading back into the jungle for your dusk safari, just as the tigers are stirring for their nightly hunt.

After breakfast, you’ll set off on the road to Rajasthan’s colorful capital: Jaipur. You’ll be met with a rich array of sights and sounds in this dynamic city, with its famously pink historical architecture, decadent palaces and beautifully preserved courtyards. Take a couple of hours to relax by your hotel pool before getting ready for some serious fun – Bollywood style. On the roof of an old haveli, your group will enjoy a private dance workshop, where you’ll learn to shimmy, shake and groove along to the movie hits – it’s the ultimate feel-good exercise.

Take advantage of the morning cool for a sunrise bike through the city. Visit the vegetable and flower markets, taste traditional breakfast snacks and join the locals as they offer temple prayers. Just out of town is Jaipur’s star attraction – the formidable Amber Fort – and you’ll be heading here next. This hilltop honey-hewed palace is a masterpiece of Rajput architecture. Within this incredible setting, your group will take part in a special Hindu ceremony to receive a blessing from the gods. Spend the afternoon exploring Jaipur’s other sights: the City Palace, the royal observatory of Jantar Mantar and the ornate facade of Hawa Mahal – poetically known as the Palace of the Winds. Why not end your day with an optional cooking class in a local home?

The Thar Desert is calling and you’ll soon be swapping city life for golden sand dunes as you travel west to Jodhpur. This 500-year-old trading settlement is dominated by the Mehrangarh Fort, looming larger-than-life over the jumble of Brahmin-blue houses that cluster around its base. Together with your group, you’ll take a tuk-tuk ride into the city to explore the medieval bazaars. Spreading out from the clock tower, you’ll discover a tangle of ancient incense-scented alleys where traders barter, vendors haggle and tiny shops overflow with exotic wares. Enjoy some free time to relax or explore, before joining your group for dinner at the historic Khas Bagh haveli.

A new day, another city; and today you’re headed for Deogarh. This ancient town on the banks of the Betwa River is famed for its stunning hilltop Mahal: an authentic maharaja’s palace replete with domes, turrets and battlements. The rambling historic building is now a heritage hotel, still run by its princely owners – and you’ll be bowled over to realize that this is where you’ll be staying. After your action-packed adventure so far, you’ll have the rest of today free to luxuriate in your historic surroundings. Soak up the views over the surrounding countryside and sip mango lassi by the pool, feeling like you’ve slipped into a regal vision of 17th-century India.

Back in your private minibus, your next stop? Udaipur – once the summer pleasure resort for the royal family. On the shores of placid Lake Pichola against a backdrop of craggy green hills, it has arguably the most romantic setting of any Rajasthani city. En route, you’ll stop off to visit the intricately carved Ranakpur temples – an incredible feat of Jain devotion – and for a luxurious lunch at the Mountbatten Lodge. Then, after checking into your final hotel, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy. You’ll want to head straight to the Old City where remnants of the 16th-century wall tangle around the lake with its bathing ghats and island palaces.

Start your final day with a visit to the lakeside City Palace, crowned with ornate turrets, cupolas and balconies. At almost 250 meters in length, it comprises 11 different mahals (palaces) with a single breathtaking facade. Part of the palace is now a museum, where you can explore extravagant rooms decorated with glittering mirrors, priceless artwork and curios of a bygone era. Later afternoon, your group will head down to the lake for a picturesque sunset boat cruise, the delicate pink sky reflecting in the shimmering water. Return to your hotel for a final farewell dinner, toasting your new-found friends who’ve been with you on this incredible adventure.