Cultural Highlights of Northern India

This private luxury tour features Northern India's most beautiful landscapes, atmospheric towns, and renowned cultural destinations, including ancient temples, British colonial treasures, and an abundance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It’s an ideal tour for first-time travelers to India who want a broad range of fascinating experiences in some of the country’s most intriguing places.

Begin in Delhi with touring that includes Old Delhi’s bazaars, the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutab Minar, the Lodi Gardens, the city's most interesting museums, upscale shopping districts and excellent restaurants.

Next, visit Varanasi (Benares), one of the oldest cities in the world and, as the spiritual center of the Hindu world, a major Indian pilgrimage site. Watch as believers congregate on the ghats (stone steps) along the banks of the holy Ganges River to perform ritual ablutions. Visit local villages and explore Varanasi’s old town, with its ancient universities and renowned silk shops. Also, take an excursion to Sarnath, believed to be the site of the Buddha’s first sermon.

Continue to Agra and stay at a lavish hotel in a room that offers a stunning view of the Taj Mahal. View the Taj at sunrise and sunset, and also tour Agra Fort, local markets , artisan workshops and other notable sites.

Next, journey to magical Rajasthan. Begin in Jaipur, the “Pink City.” Live like royalty at your luxurious hotel. Ride an elephant to Amber Fort, and tour temples, havelis, backstreets, bazaars, and royal palaces and gardens. See the rich architectural legacy of Jaipur’s merchants and maharajas (Hindu princes)—hill forts, palaces, gardens, temples and havelis (courtyard mansions)—surrounded by stark desert. Ride an elephant to Amber Fort. Tour the Sheesh Mahal, the ancient observatory, the Palace of the Winds, and Jaipur’s City Palace. Marvel at the luminous saris of indigenous tribal women and the bright turbans of Rajasthani men. One night, attend a ceremony at a local temple. Explore medieval backstreets and browse bazaars selling textiles, leatherwork, woodblock prints, perfume, jewelry and Jaipur’s traditional blue pottery. When not touring, relax in your elegant hotel that reflects the romance and grandeur of Rajasthan.

Next, fly to Jodhpur, on the edge of the Thar Desert. Tour Mehrangarh Fort and take in views over the blue houses of the old quarter. Visit a nearby village to learn about local herbal remedies and indigenous crafts. Stay at the legendary Umaid Bhawan Palace, a sprawling Art Deco masterpiece.

Continue to Jaisalmer, an ancient city and hilltop fortress town that was once a major stop for silk and spice caravans. Tour the fort, visit impressive Jain temples, and see the elaborately carved stone facades of havelis. One evening, ride a camel across the Sam Sand Dunes at sunset.

Next, visit Udaipur, India’s most romantic city. Cruise Lake Pichola and walk through picturesque backstreets, taking in views of the local villages and the surrounding hills and lakes. Enjoy a visit to a private home and an unforgettable lunch prepared by a family that has cooked for the Maharana of Udaipur for generations. Also take a private excursion to spectacular temples that happen to be located near one of the region's best restaurants, located in a restored palace. On a day excursion outside the city, tour the spectacular Jain temples of Ranakpur, where relief carvings cover every surface, including over 1,400 pillars, and have lunch at former royal retreat.

Conclude in bustling Bombay (Mumbai), India’s economic capital and the home of the Bollywood film industry. Tour the city’s cultural attractions and take a private boat ride to Elephanta Island Caves—inside are extensive Hindu stone sculptures linked to the cult of Shiva. Also enjoy privately-guided exploration of the city's bazaars and most interesting districts.