.
Highlights of India Itinerary
Day 1-2 - Fly to Delhi
Fly overnight from UK to Delhi where you'll be met at the airport and transferred to your overnight hotel, the 5-star Vivanta Dwarka (or similar). You'll have time to settle in and relax into your surroundings.
Day 3 - Explore Delhi
Embark on a full-day city tour after breakfast. Discover the 17th-century Jama Masjid, enjoy a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, and capture a photo stop at the Red Fort. Visit Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. In New Delhi, drive past the Presidential Palace, India Gate, and the Parliament House. Explore Qutab Minar and Humayun’s tomb. Evening at leisure.
Day 4 - Agra
Transfer to Agra in your private car. Agra, once a small village, transformed into the Mughal Empire's second capital. Check-in at the hotel and later visit Agra Fort. Explore marble workshops and savour Indian Chai Tea.
Day 5 - Taj Mahal
Witness the sunrise at the Taj Mahal, a 17th-century marvel symbolizing eternal love. After breakfast, drive to Jaipur, stopping at Chand Baori Stepwell in Abhaneri. Experience the grandeur of the Taj Mahal and continue your journey to Jaipur, known for its arts, crafts, and architecture.
Day 6 - Jaipur
Visit the UNESCO world heritage site, Amber Fort, with a half-day city tour of Jaipur, exploring City Palace, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal. The intricate architecture and vibrant markets await your exploration.
Day 7 - Guwahati
Visit the hilltop fortress at Amber in the morning. Explore City Palace, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal in the afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Post breakfast, check-out, and transfer to Delhi airport. Board a flight to Guwahati, and on arrival transfer to your 5-star hotel for a comfortable overnight.
Day 8 - Embarkation
After a relaxing breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to your ship where you explore the pleasant Assami city of Guwahati, visiting the Nilachai Hill temple and Commonwealth Graves. Late afternoon cast off upriver.
Day 9 - Sailing the Brahmaputra
Sail all day making headway against strong currents through the lush Assami countryside stopping for some exercise in a village of market gardens.
Day 10 - Tezpur
Exploring the town by trishaw we visit the De Parbatia temple with its richly carved portals and Cole Park with its collection of medieval carvings collected from across the region.
Day 11 - Nameri National Park
After an early breakfast, drive for some two hours to the Nameri National Park at the foot of the blue hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the old North East Frontier Agency. Here, we take a float trip of around two hours down the Jia-Bhoreli River through the park. There are excellent bird-watching opportunities here (look out for the great Hornbills) and, perhaps, the chance of sighting wild elephants. After lunch, take a village walk before returning to the ship. Continue upstream, passing below a seemingly endless new bridge across the vast width of the riverbed, to moor at Silghat.
Day 12 - Kaziranga National Park
Jeep safari to Kaziranga an area of approximately 430 sq kms, this UNESCO World Heritage is home to the world’s largest population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros as well as the Indian Wild Water Buffalo. It has the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers with one every five sq. km. The park an incredibly rich biodiversity hotspot with its marshy swamps and thickets of elephant grass, this park supports large populations of Indian elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, and capped langurs. Besides wildlife, Kaziranga National Park is also a birding paradise. A few of the bird species found here are the oriental honey buzzard, black-shouldered kite, white-tailed eagle, himalayan griffon to mention a few.
Day 13 - Tea Gardens
Return downstream to visit a tea estate and historic plantation house on the way. Learn about the tea production process from start to finish in this idyllic setting.
Day 14 - Sualkuchi Silk Village
Sailing down past Guwhati moor here in the afternoon to see silk production from the cocoon, to spinning and weaving to make the typical saree worn by Assami women.
Day 15-16 - Disembarkation, Delhi and home
After disembarkation we take the short flight from Guwahati to Delhi where we overnight close to the airport.Suitably rested we then fly home from Delhi to London.