Day 1: Arrive Delhi
VIP airport greeting with flower garlands. Transfer to The Imperial or similar heritage hotel. Afternoon: private guided tour of Humayun’s Tomb and Lodhi Gardens. Welcome dinner at Indian Accent — consistently ranked among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Overnight Delhi.
Day 2: Delhi’s Two Worlds
Morning: Old Delhi rickshaw ride — Chandni Chowk’s spice market, Jama Masjid, and a chai stop at a 100-year-old stall. Afternoon: New Delhi — Qutub Minar, India Gate, and the Crafts Museum for India’s finest handlooms. Evening: sound and light show at Red Fort. Overnight Delhi.
Day 3: Delhi to Agra — The Taj
Drive to Agra. Afternoon: Agra Fort and a visit to a pietra dura workshop where descendants of the Taj’s original artisans demonstrate the marble inlay craft. Evening: high tea on a rooftop with Taj Mahal views. Overnight Agra.
Day 4: Taj Mahal Sunrise & Jaipur
Dawn visit to the Taj Mahal in near-solitude. After breakfast, drive to Jaipur (4.5 hrs) via Fatehpur Sikri. Check into Samode Haveli or similar heritage mansion. Evening: private Rajasthani folk dance performance in the haveli courtyard. Overnight Jaipur.
Day 5: Jaipur — The Pink City
Morning: Amber Fort by decorated elephant, followed by a visit to a traditional miniature painting school where you’ll try your hand at this delicate art form using squirrel-hair brushes and natural pigments. Afternoon: City Palace, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal. Evening: private dinner at a restored Rajput haveli. Overnight Jaipur.
Day 6: Jaipur to Jodhpur
Drive to Jodhpur (5 hrs). Check into Rohet Garh — a 16th-century fortified manor on the edge of the Thar Desert, converted into a luxury heritage hotel by the royal family of Rohet. Afternoon: guided walk through the manor’s stables, gardens, and the family’s private collection of Marwari horses (known for their inward-curving ears). Evening: sundowner cocktails overlooking the desert. Overnight Rohet Garh.
Day 7: Bishnoi Village Safari & Mehrangarh Fort
Morning: jeep safari into Bishnoi villages — the Bishnoi community has been practicing environmental conservation for over 500 years, protecting trees and wildlife with their lives (the original Chipko movement). Visit potters, weavers, and block-printers in their homes. Afternoon: Mehrangarh Fort — the premium audio guide takes you through royal palanquins, howdahs, armoury, and the zenana. Jaswant Thada cenotaph at golden hour. Overnight Jodhpur.
Day 8: Jodhpur to Luni — The Castle Life
Morning at leisure in Jodhpur. Short drive to Luni village to check into Fort Chanwa — a 19th-century red sandstone castle with 55 rooms, each with unique character. Afternoon: village walk — visit a potter shaping clay on a kick-wheel, a dhurry (rug) weaver at his loom, and a family of traditional musicians. Evening: dinner in the castle courtyard under lantern light. Overnight Fort Chanwa.
Day 9: Luni to Udaipur via Ranakpur
Drive through the Aravalli Hills. Stop at Ranakpur Jain Temple — the 1,444-pillar marvel. Arrive in Udaipur and check into a haveli on Lake Pichola. Evening: sunset boat cruise past the Lake Palace Hotel and Jag Mandir. Overnight Udaipur.
Day 10: Udaipur — City of Lakes
City Palace, Crystal Gallery, and a private cooking class with a Rajput family — learn to make laal maas (fiery mutton curry), dal baati churma, and gatte ki sabzi. Enjoy your creations for lunch. Afternoon: Sahelion-ki-Bari and a walk through Udaipur’s old city lanes — silver jewelry, miniature paintings, and leather-bound journals. Evening at leisure. Overnight Udaipur.
Day 11: Udaipur to Pushkar — The Holy City
Drive to Pushkar (5 hrs) — one of the world’s oldest cities and home to the only Brahma temple in India. Check into a luxury tent resort. Afternoon: walk around the sacred Pushkar Lake and its 52 ghats where pilgrims bathe. Visit the Brahma Temple and the colorful Pushkar bazaar — famous for leather goods, silver jewelry, and Rajasthani textiles. Optional: sunset camel ride on the outskirts of town where the famous Pushkar Camel Fair is held each November. Overnight Pushkar.
Day 12: Pushkar to Ranthambore
Drive to Ranthambore (5 hrs). Check into a luxury wildlife resort. Afternoon jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park — your naturalist tracks tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles. Visit the 10th-century Ranthambore Fort ruins within the park. Overnight Ranthambore.
Day 13: Ranthambore to Delhi
Morning jeep safari — second chance to spot the elusive Bengal tiger. After breakfast, drive to Delhi airport (or train option). Farewell dinner: a 7-course tasting menu at a modern Indian restaurant, deconstructing regional classics with contemporary techniques. Overnight Delhi.
Day 14: Departure
Private transfer to Delhi Airport. Depart with memories of royal Rajasthan — the elephants of Amber, the tigers of Ranthambore, the castles of Rohet, and the lakes of Udaipur.
