Itinerary Day 1 | Fly to India Fly overnight to India’s capital, Delhi.
sloth bears and leopards. Watch the trees for colourful birds and stop at lakes to witness basking soft-shelled turtles and crocodiles. If you’re extremely lucky, you may spot some of the park’s Bengal tigers, which are safeguarded here by the wildlife conservation scheme, Project Tiger. Afterwards, enjoy dinner at your lodge and relax for the evening. (B, L, D) Day 8 | Travel to Agra Take an optional, early-morning game drive in Ranthambore, bookable locally. Afterwards, have breakfast before making the drive north-east to Agra (5hrs). Stay at the 5-star Trident Agra, a modern hotel that lies just 10 minutes from the Taj Mahal. Settle into your deluxe room and enjoy the Trident’s peaceful six-acre grounds with tropical gardens and outdoor swimming pool. (B) Day 9 | Visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and travel to Delhi Get up before dawn to watch the sunrise over the Taj Mahal, India’s most famous UNESCO site. Return to the hotel for breakfast before visiting Agra Fort, the city’s walled fortress that’s also set on the Yamuna River. Drive north to Delhi (4.5hrs), where you’ll spend your last night back at the Suryaa Hotel. (B) Day 10 | Fly home from Delhi After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Delhi Airport for your return flight. (B) For the full itinerary for this tour visit: vjv.com/ranthambore
Day 2 | Arrive in Delhi and visit Old Delhi’s highlights Arrive in Delhi and transfer to the 4-star Suryaa Hotel for the night. Afternoon tour of Old Delhi’s highlights. Start at the capital’s largest mosque, Jama Masjid, where you can trawl 17th-century marble and red-sandstone buildings and watchtowers. Drive past the Red Fort, catching a glimpse of this sandstone fortress built in elaborate Mughal style by Taj Mahal creator, emperor Shah Jahan. Continue to the banks of the Yamuna River, where you’ll visit the poignant Raj Ghat memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, set in a tranquil park. Day 3 | Visit Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar and travel to Sariska Morning tour of UNESCO-listed Humayun’s Tomb, the blue-print for India’s garden tombs, including the Taj Mahal. Stop at one of India’s first Muslim monuments, Qutub Minar, also protected by UNESCO and famed for its namesake 12th-century tower. Drive four hours south to Sariska Tiger Reserve. This protected area in Alwar spans over 800 square kilometres, once a hunting ground for the Alwar royal family, now home to a host of exotic wildlife, including a population of 31 Bengal tigers. Check into the boutique Sariska Safari Lodge and enjoy dinner. (B, D) Day 4 | Go on safari and visit Bhangarh Fort en-route to Jaipur Embark upon a shared Jeep safari in Sariska Tiger Reserve. An expert guide will help you spot resident wildlife, from hyenas and jackals to wild boar, four-horned antelopes, langurs and rhesus monkeys. Watch out for some of the park’s 225 species of birds, including the crested serpent eagle, and if you’re fortunate, you may catch a glimpse of a shy Bengal tiger. Later make the drive to Jaipur (2.5hrs), stopping at Bhangarh Fort on the way. On arrival in Jaipur, check into the 5-star KK Royal hotel for two nights. (B) Day 5 | Discover Jaipur’s palaces and royal observatory Visit some of Jaipur’s most famous sites in the rose-hued Old Quarter. Start at the City Palace, where highlights include an art gallery and an armoury that showcases engraved weapons and a museum home to an impressive royal costume display. Continue to Jai Singh’s observatory, Jantar Mantar, which is one of five the ruler built across India. Finally, make a photo stop at the pink-hued Palace of Winds, Hawa Mahal. (B) Day 6 | Explore the Amber Fort and drive to Ranthambore Visit Amber Fort on the outskirts of Jaipur. This UNESCO fortress was built in 1592 and sprawls across a hilltop above Maota Lake. Afterwards drive south to Ranthambore National Park (3.5hrs). This former hunting ground covers 1,334 square kilometres of jungle and grassland that now serves as a sanctuary for native wildlife, including sloth bears and around 80 Bengal tigers. Stay at the 4-star Ranthambore Regency for two nights, a family-run eco-lodge in the jungle
that lies just 10 minutes from the park. (B, D) Day 7 | Enjoy morning and afternoon safaris in Ranthambore
Discover Ranthambore’s legendary wildlife on a morning and afternoon game drive. Travel with a guide on a 20-seat, open-top bus called a canter. Along the way, look out for striped hyenas, boar, flying foxes, langurs and macaques,
27 For more information & to book online visit vjv.com or call us on 020 3553 3945
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