Day 1 – To Delhi: Overnight flight from London to Delhi, via Dubai, with Emirates. (N)
Day 2 – Delhi: Arrive and transfer to the Eros
Managed by Hilton (or similar) for 1 night.
Afternoon tour of Old Delhi. (N)
Day 3 – To Agra: Morning tour of New Delhi.
Afternoon drive to Agra and stay for 2 nights
at the Gateway Hotel Agra (or similar). (B)
Day 4 – Agra: Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal.
After breakfast, visit Agra Fort. This evening,
visit Mehtab Bagh, the 400 year-old Mughal
garden on the banks of the Yamuna to see the
sun set over the Taj Mahal. (B)
Day 5 – To Jaipur: Morning drive to the
deserted sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri.
Continue to the former royal retreat of the
rulers of Jaipur, the Gateway Hotel Ramgarh
Lodge, for 3 nights. (B, D)
Day 6 – Jaipur: After breakfast, visit the ancient
palace of Amber Fort. Afternoon visit to the City
Palace, home of the present maharaja. (B, D)
Day 7 – Jaipur: Morning at leisure to relax,
explore Jaipur’s many bazaars or take an
optional tour of the ghost town of Bhangarh.
(B, D)
Day 8 – To Delhi: Drive to Delhi via Samode
Palace. Stay overnight at the Eros Managed by
Hilton (or similar). (B)
Day 9 – To Kochi (Cochin): Morning flight to
Kochi. Transfer to Vivanta by Taj – Malabar (or
similar) for 3 nights. (B)
Day 10 – Kochi: Morning at leisure. In the
afternoon, take a tour of Kochi and visit Jew
Town, the Chinese fishing nets and St Francis
Church. (B)
Day 11 – Kochi: Morning cruise around Kochi
harbour. Afternoon at leisure. (B)
Day 12 – To Thekkady: Morning drive through the Western Ghats to Thekkady, a beautiful area of tea gardens, rubber estates and coffee and pepper plantations, located high in the Cardamom hills. In the afternoon, visit a spice garden where you will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of the spices are grown. Stay overnight at Cardamom County.
(B)
Day 13 – To Kumarakom: In the morning drive to Kumarakom. En route you will visit a working tea estate, where you will have the opportunity to learn how tea is grown, graded, the various processes involved in the production of tea and an introduction to tea tasting. Continue to Kumarakom and stay 2 nights at Kumarakom Lake Resort. Sunset boat trip on Lake Vembanad. (B)
Day 14 – Backwaters cruise: Drive to Alleppey
for a cruise through the narrow canals and
inland waterways, seeing rural life that has
remained unchanged for centuries. (B)
Day 15 – To Kovalam: Drive to Kovalam and
stay 2 nights at the Vivanta by Taj – Kovalam (or
similar). (B)
Day 16 – Kovalam: At leisure. (B)
Day 17 – To London: Early morning transfer to
the airport and fly to London, via Dubai, with
Emirates. (N)
Extensions: Options include extra time in
Kovalam and a backwaters cruise aboard a rice
barge. Please ask for details.
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
