A suggestive private journey for the traveller who wants the whole story — Mughal capitals, Himalayan hill stations, the jungles of Kanha, the ghats of Varanasi, and the lake palaces of Udaipur. Distilled from three decades of custom-built itineraries for our most curious guests.
From the marigold welcome at Delhi to the last sunset boat across Lake Pichola — each stop chosen to introduce a different India.
Old & New — Mughal monuments, Lutyens' boulevards, a cycle-rickshaw through the spice bazaars of Chandni Chowk.
By Shatabdi to Kalka, then the UNESCO narrow-gauge climb into the Himalayan summer capital of the British Raj.
Gateway of India, the rock-cut caves at Elephanta, dhobi ghats and Marine Drive at dusk.
Five mornings of jeep safaris through Kipling's jungle — tigers, gaur, sambar, and high-tea by Khoka Lake.
The Ganga aarti from a wooden boat, dawn on the ghats, and the Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath.
A dawn audience with the Taj Mahal, the Baby Taj at sunset, and the red-sandstone fort that started it all.
A cliff-top fort, ruined chhatris swallowed by jungle, and four jeep safaris in search of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Amber Fort by elephant-back, the City Palace's painted gates, Jantar Mantar's stone instruments, and the pink heart of Rajasthan.
The marble courtyards of the City Palace, Jagdish Temple at dawn, a sunset boat across Lake Pichola.
A final hotel for showers and supper, then the marigold farewell to T3 for the long flight home.
A handful of representative days. Every one of these is moveable, lengthenable, and re-shapeable around your preferences.
A traditional welcome at Indira Gandhi International — fresh marigold garlands, a chilled bottle of water, and a private air-conditioned car to your hotel.
"Atithi devo bhava" — the guest is an incarnation of God. We mean it.
Morning at Humayun's Tomb (a UNESCO site that quietly inspired the Taj), Jama Masjid, and a cycle-rickshaw ride through the lanes of Chandni Chowk.
Afternoon along Rajpath — India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, the broad colonial sweep — before Qutub Minar at golden hour.
A slow lunch at Khan Market — cafés, bookshops, the literary heart of Lutyens' Delhi.
The 0740 Shatabdi Express to Kalka, where broad gauge gives way to a 2-foot 6-inch narrow-gauge mountain railway. Five hours of switchbacks, tunnels and pine-forest air to the Himalayan summer capital.
A packed lunch on the train — the way English Raj travellers have done it since 1903.
Five mornings of jeep safaris in Kipling's jungle — Pench is the Mowgli landscape, Kanha is the Royal Bengal tiger's stronghold. Resorts hidden among the sal trees, naturalist-led walks, and high-tea picnics by Khoka Lake at sunset.
If the jungle gives, you'll see Her — striped, silent, regal. If she doesn't, you'll see everything else, which is plenty.
Afternoon at Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Then the ghats at sunset for the Ganga aarti — bells, cymbals, the Brahmin priests' synchronised flames against the river dark.
Dawn the next morning, a wooden boat downriver — the bathers, the laundry, the silent rituals of a city that has been doing this for three thousand years.
No itinerary entry can prepare you for Varanasi. We try anyway.
The west gate opens at first light. Two hours with the Taj before the crowds — the marble shifting from blush to white as the sun rises over the Yamuna. Breakfast back at the hotel; then Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-Daula (the so-called "Baby Taj") by afternoon.
Sunset from Mehtab Bagh, across the river — the Taj from the other side, the way Shah Jahan first imagined it.
Morning at Jagdish Temple and the painted halls of the City Palace, then Sahelion ki Bari (the "Garden of the Maids"). Afternoon free to wander, shop, or simply stop.
A boat at sunset across Lake Pichola — the white palaces, the herons, the sky pinking. The slow, soft farewell.
A full day-by-day, room-by-room itinerary is written for you once we begin a conversation. This is the shape of the journey — yours will be one of a kind.
Every guest, every airport, every arrival — fresh marigold garlands, chilled water, a private car, a name on a sign. Thirty years on, this is still how we say hello.
Lake palaces, restored havelis, jungle lodges, Mughal-era mansions. We pick the smallest hotels with the longest stories — never anonymous chains.
Narendra "Narjee" Singh and his team have been weaving stories around our travellers for twenty years. The best guide in India is the one who knows your name.
We arrive at the Taj before the crowds, at Amber Fort before the elephants, at Pichola before the boats. The trick is timing — and we know the timing.
The Shatabdi to Kalka, the narrow-gauge to Shimla, the Vande Bharat to Varanasi. Where the train is the experience, we put you on it. Where the road is faster, we drive.
A WhatsApp line that works in the jungle. A team across India that adjusts on the day if the day needs adjusting. You are never more than one message from help.
The itinerary above is one of dozens we have built and re-built for travellers who came to us with a few weeks and a sense of curiosity. Yours may be longer or shorter, slower or busier, more wildlife or more textiles, more palaces or more prayer.
What stays the same: the marigold welcome, the boutique stays, the trusted guide, and the WhatsApp number that is always answered.
We listen first, propose within a week, and refine until the itinerary feels right. No pressure, no packages — just a quiet, careful conversation.