Thirteen nights through five thousand years of India — from Lutyens' Delhi and Mughal Agra, into the wilderness of Ranthambore, the courts of Jaipur and Udaipur, and onward to colonial Bombay. An Oberoi or a Taj-tier landmark in every city, private guides at every stop, and the soft, slow pace of a journey nothing has been rushed for.
A chronological sweep — from the Rajput citadels that pre-date the Mughals, through the marble of Shah Jahan, into the Raj's Lutyens' Delhi, and out through Mumbai's colonial-modern waterfront.
The lake palaces and hilltop forts of the Sisodia, Kachhwaha and Rathore kings — older than the Mughals, who never quite conquered them. Mewar, Marwar, the Pink City.
The Taj at dawn, the red-sandstone fort, Akbar's abandoned capital. Five hundred years of Persian-Indian fusion in marble, sandstone and inlay.
The broad colonial sweep of Rajpath, Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate — laid against the Mughal monuments of Old Delhi: Humayun's Tomb, Jama Masjid, the lanes of Chandni Chowk.
The Gateway of India, the rock-cut caves at Elephanta, dhobi ghats, Bollywood, and the curved necklace of Marine Drive at dusk. India as it is, and as it is becoming.
Each stay is an Oberoi, a Taj, or a heritage palace of equivalent standing. A private guide and air-conditioned car at every stop.
Marigold welcome at Indira Gandhi International. Three nights to take Delhi properly — Old Delhi by cycle-rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, the Mughal monuments of Humayun's Tomb and Jama Masjid, and Lutyens' broad sweep through Rajpath. The Crafts Museum, the Lodi Gardens at dusk, an evening at Khan Market, dinner at Indian Accent.
Tea at the Imperial's 1911 lounge — Art Deco mirrors, Raj-era prints, the city held at arm's length.
South down the Yamuna Expressway. Every room at Amarvilas faces the Taj — sunrise on marble that is six hundred metres away. The west gate at first light, two unhurried hours with the Taj before the crowds, then Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-Daula. Sunset from Mehtab Bagh, across the river.
A second dawn at the Taj from your terrace — chai in hand, the marble already warm.
West through Akbar's abandoned red-sandstone capital at Fatehpur Sikri, then on to the Sawai Madhopur jungles. Two days of dawn and dusk safaris by open jeep through Ranthambore — sambar deer at the lake, langurs in the banyan, and if the rains have been kind, a tigress at the kill.
Returning to camp at dusk for a private dinner under the stars at Vanyavilas — embroidered tents, a brazier between you and the cold desert sky.
The road north-west to the Pink City. Amber Fort by jeep, the City Palace's painted gates, Jantar Mantar's stone instruments, a photo stop at Hawa Mahal, and an evening of block-print and silver in Bapu Bazaar.
High tea at the Rambagh's verandah — peacocks on the lawns, the marble of the Suvarna Mahal behind you.
Fly south-west to Mewar. The marble courtyards of the City Palace, Jagdish Temple at dawn, Sahelion ki Bari, and a sunset boat across Lake Pichola — past the Lake Palace, the Jag Mandir, the herons coming in to roost.
Breakfast at Udaivilas in your domed pavilion — the lake on three sides, mist still on the water.
A short flight south to the Arabian Sea. The Gateway of India at dusk, the rock-cut Elephanta caves by ferry, the dhobi ghats, the Crawford Market, and the Asiatic Society's reading rooms.
Dinner at the Sea Lounge, watching the Gateway lights come on across the harbour.
A late-day flight home, with day-use of your Heritage Wing room for showers, supper, and a slow goodbye to the harbour.
Insert four nights between Jaipur and Udaipur — the Blue City of the Rathores, then on to the Golden City rising out of the Thar.
The road west through the Aravallis to the Blue City — Mehrangarh Fort towering above the indigo-washed havelis, the Jaswant Thada cenotaph in white marble, and the spice-and-bandhani bazaars of Sardar Market.
Two nights at Umaid Bhawan — the world's largest private residence, where one wing is still home to the Maharaja and the other is a hotel of unimaginable scale.
Deeper west, into the Thar. Jaisalmer Fort rises like a sandcastle out of the dunes — a living fort, still inhabited, its honey-stone havelis carved like lace. Patwon Ki Haveli, the Jain temples within the walls, and an afternoon ride out to the Sam Sand Dunes for sunset on camelback.
Dinner at SUJÁN's open-air firepit, the Milky Way overhead, a Manganiyar musician singing in the dark.
Janpath · 1936. Art Deco and Raj-era prints, the 1911 lounge, palms in the courtyard. The capital's grand dame, around the corner from Connaught Place.
Diplomatic Enclave · a modern palace in the Lutyens' tradition. Hand-painted murals, an indoor pool, the rooftop's views to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Six hundred metres from the Taj, every room directly faces the monument. Step pools, fountains, marble pavilions — the Mughals would approve.
Embroidered jungle tents on private decks, a watchtower, an open-air dinner pavilion. The closest luxury camp to the park gate.
Ten muslin tents in a wilderness clearing. A camp-fire dinner under fig trees, butler-led safaris, and the deepest hush you can find in India.
The Kachhwaha princes' garden palace, now a Taj hotel. Forty-seven acres of lawns, peacocks, and the suite where the last Maharani lived.
Domed pavilions on Lake Pichola, three pools, white marble, peacocks. Repeatedly voted the best hotel in the world.
The grand dame of Bombay, opened in 1903. Sea-facing rooms in the Heritage Wing, the Gateway of India framed in your window.
The Maharaja's working residence, with the world's largest private dome. Royal Suites, Indo-Saracenic gardens, and high tea on the marble terrace.
Tented suites on the desert edge, Bedouin-grand. Private plunge pools, a pillared central tent, and Manganiyar musicians at the firepit.
A confirmed monthly departure throughout the year, plus the option to run any other date privately for parties of two or more.
Send us a note and one of our travel curators will pick up the thread. Expect to learn the small things \u2014 which week the jacarandas flower in Delhi, why the Mehrangarh walls are blue, where to find the best jalebi in Old Jaipur \u2014 and to feel the journey come alive long before you board the plane.
Hotels are tailored to your taste, the days are paced to your rhythm, and the whole itinerary is yours to shape. By the time the marigold garland goes around your neck at the airport, you'll already know the country a little.