India’s Golden Triangle, Taj & Tigers Tour with Singapore & Vietnam Voyage

● Flight to Delhi with major airline

● Arrive Delhi, begin your fully escorted 8nt tour with a transfer to your Delhi hotel for a welcome meeting, rest of the day at leisure.

● Delhi Old City tour and journey to Agra & Taj Mahal at sunset. Start your day with a visit to Jama Masjid Mosque (c1644), then take a rickshaw ride through the bazaar and spice markets of Chandni Chowk and Khari Baoli. Take a photo stop outside the Red Fort (c1638) then visit Raj Ghat – the memorial to the father of India – Mahatma Ghandi. Then transfer to Agra aboard your air conditioned coach to chek in at your hotel BB) and (time permitting) visit a local artisans art gallery & Workshop. This evening visit the Mehtab Bagh Gardens for your first view of the magnificent Taj mahal as the sun sets. (BB)

● At the break of dawn enjoy a sunrise guided tour of the Taj Mahal. Later in the morning head to the Red Fort of Agra, a UNESCO World Heritage sight and home to the 16th Century Mughal Emperors. Dating back as far as 1080 AD this Red Sandstone fort displays a fusion of Hindu & Islamic influences. Walk with your guide as you learn of the different stories, history, architecture and functions of the inner palace.

● Today morning after breakfast we will commence our scenic journey to the off-the-track regions of Sawai Madhopur (250 Km) that is home to the iconic – Ranthambhore National Park (drive includes enroute stop for clean restrooms). Upon arrival at your retreat/lodge located in Ranthambhore National Park, you will be met for your Check- in formalities and next day safari timings/briefings. Enjoy rest day at leisure (perhaps by the poolside or hotel spa treatments on your own). Followed by Lunch & Dinner arrangements at your retreat/lodge (including a variety of Indian, and continental spreads). One of the biggest and most renowned national parks in Northern India, it gets its name from the thousand-year-old fortress, which looms above the forest skyline. Once considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is a major wildlife tourist attraction that has drawn the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers. Spread over 1410.64 sq.km including core and buffer area, Ranthambore is situated between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges, dotted with water pools and fruit trees. Well known for the diurnal activity of tigers, Ranthambore is a very special and unusual area where a natural present meets a historical past. Sambar, cheetal, chinkara, nilgai and languor make their home here (B,L,D)

● Today morning after an early breakfast, open-jeeps will be ready to welcome you and begin your 1 x Morning Safari for sunrise into the Ranthambhore National park. You will be met by our expert naturalist and jeep driver (safari on shared basis). After safari we will return back to your camp/hotel in the afternoon. Rest of the day free to relax. Followed by Lunch arrangements at your retreat/lodge (including a variety of Indian, and continental spreads). Afternoon open-jeeps will be ready to welcome you and begin your 1 x Afternoon Safari for sunset into the Ranthambhore National park. Incl. You will be met by our expert naturalist and jeep driver (safari on shared basis). You will be transferred back to your retreat/lodge in the evening. Enjoy Dinner arrangements at your retreat/lodge (including a variety of Indian, and continental spreads). Travel Note: Tiger safaris traditionally take place at dawn and dusk when the big cats are on the move, hunting. In the morning, after tea or coffee and biscuits, you depart on your first tiger safari of the day. On your return, take breakfast and a few hours of leisure walking the grounds, or napping. In the late afternoon embark on a second safari to catch the best time of the evening to view tigers and photograph the park. Your naturalist will speculate where you can likely see the tigers emerge from the forest. Enjoy a rich diversity of fauna and flora, incl Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, striped hyena, sloth bear, southern plains gray langur, rhesus macaque, mugger crocodile and chital. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of trees, plants, birds and reptiles, as well as one of the largest banyan trees in India. (B,L,D)

● After breakfast take a scenic drive to Jaipur (c1727) , the ‘Pink City’ and gateway to Rajasthan. Time permitting we will visit a local artisans workshop and govt licensed art-gallery for demonstration from carpet master-weavers, genuine pashmina embroiderers, and antique jewellers showcasing the traditional silver craftsmanship of India. Hotel Check in Jaipur (BB)

● Today join your guide for a heritage tour brief, then visit ancient & picturesque Amer, before enjoying a jeep safari to the walls of the Amber Fortress (16h Century), where magnificent hilltop views combine with UNESCO Heritage amid the many temples, halls and monuments. Afterwards drive to Jaipur centre and take a photo stop outside the Water Palace, Jal Mahal, en route to the Patrika Gates and Jantar Mantar, the ancient celestial observatory dating from 1728. From here we reach the City Palace & Museum of Jaipur before concluding your day with a Bazaar Walk and Tuk Tuk ride through the streets to the Palace of Winds, Hawa Mahal

● After breakfast today enjoy a scenic tour drive to New Delhi for check in on your final night in Delhi. Explore the 1930’s architectural styles of Lutyens and the British Empire influence on your tour of New Delhi, from the Raj Path Boulevard to the House of Parliament, Connaught Place and India Gate. Visit the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Sikh House of worship and experience the Langar Kitchen, where meals are cooked every day to feed over 10,000, regardless of caste, creed or religion. (BB)