Sample Itinerary 1

You maybe a little overwhelmed as you arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport – India hits the first time traveler right between the eyes – but it is love at first sight for most adventure travelers! You will be warmly welcomed by your &Beyond India host and chauffeured to the world-renowned Taj Mahal Hotel. Unpack, settle in, relax and recover – with an Ayurvedic massage, perhaps?

Spend two nights at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Accommodation is in a deluxe room with breakfast.

Spend the morning discovering the heart of this great city exploring its historical sites and imposing monuments. Although it is the modern capital of India, New Delhi, built by the British after the move from Calcutta in 1911, is in fact the site of many older cities. This brief expedition is an introduction to a thousand years of history.

After lunch, spend the afternoon with a personal shopper visiting the studios of Delhi’s top designers and discovering the wonderful stores selling jewelry, carpets and other local artifacts to get a taste of inner city life.

Today's adventure begins at New Delhi railway station, where your &Beyond host will settle you on board the air-conditioned early express train to Agra. On arrival in Agra your guide will take you to straight to the Agra Fort, after which you will check in to the Amarvilas Hotel located just 600 metres from the magnificent Taj Mahal. In the late afternoon, you will explore the Taj Mahal when the light is just perfect for photography.

In the evening, celebrate the great love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz at Taj Khema, the mound that abuts the Taj Mahal Complex, with romantic champagne sundowners and beautiful sunset views followed by a private dinner with live Indian classical music.

Spend the night at the Oberoi Amarvilas, one of India’s loveliest hotels. Accommodation is in a premium room with breakfast and includes all scheduled sightseeing.

After breakfast, embark on a unique adventure – a 7-hour road journey on Indian roads to Jaipur, stopping at the ancient abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri for a quick visit en route. Upon arrival in Jaipur, your &Beyond host will assist you with check-in at the Rambagh palace, until recently the home of Maharajah of Jaipur

Spend two nights at the Rambagh Palace in a suite of your choice.

Start the day at dawn with an eagle’s eye view of the historic city of Jaipur from a hot-air balloon. After this exhilarating experience, return to the hotel for a huge breakfast (and be sure to try the Indian breakfast dishes – delicious!). In the afternoon, take a private guided tour of the famous Amber Fort at the City Palace.

Recount the day’s adventures over a delicious dinner in the home of a well known Rajput family. Make new friends and get to know what life is like in this lovely pink city.

Overnight at Rambagh Palace.

Take the morning flight from Jaipur to Mumbai and onwards to Nagpur where you will be welcomed by your charming driver for a 2-hour road trip to Pench National Park. A typical Central Indian teak jungle, Pench supports a rich variety of wildlife, including tiger, leopard, wild dog, gaur, sambar, chital and brilliant birdlife.

The team at &Beyond Baghvan Pench Jungle Lodge will be waiting to greet you for a 2-night stay in a charming bungalow suite (fully inclusive).

Discover the beauty of Pench National Park and learn about the rich biodiversity of Central India from an &Beyond-trained naturalist. Explore the reserve on early morning and evening game drives in a specially designed Tata open 4x4 safari vehicle, or on elephant-back (elephant rides cannot be guaranteed, however, as this depends on the successful tracking of the tiger by the mahouts/elephant handlers). Absorb the sights and sounds on a walk through a traditional Madhya Pradesh village, or follow the pug marks of a tiger in the nulla/dry riverbed. Visit either Pachdhaar village and try your hand at throwing a pot at the quaint local pottery or see a nearby fruit bat nesting site.

Head off on a 4-hour road adventure from Pench to Kanha National Park and the brand new &Beyond Banjaar Tola Kanha Tented Camp. Within weeks of its opening in February 2009, the camp not only delighted guests with incredible tiger sightings, but was also recognized by National Geographic Adventure magazine’s in their Top 50 Ecolodges in the world. 

Spend three nights at the Banjaar Tola Kanha Tented Camp in a luxury tented suite (all inclusive). The tented suites overlook the core area of the park and who knows – you may spot a tiger coming down to the river just a few meters away!

Kanha National Park is one of India’s largest parks and one of first nine tiger reserves established with the initial launch of Project Tiger in 1973, aimed at protecting tigers and their ecosystems. Kanha is prime tiger wilderness and also home to barasingha (unique to the Reserve) and gaur. Discover the park’s great diversity of wildlife and bird species on early morning and evening game drives led by &Beyond-trained naturalists or on elephant-back (elephant rides cannot be guaranteed, however, as this depends on the successful tracking of the tiger by the mahouts/elephant handlers).

Indulge in a lazy breakfast in bed before being driven to the Nagpur airport to catch your flight to Delhi. On arrival, you will be welcomed by an &Beyond India representative and chauffeured to the Taj Palace Hotel, where a day room will be booked for your use until your homeward flight.