Arrival in Mumbai
On arrival in Mumbai, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to enjoy in this vibrant, energetic city, famous for its Bollywood scene and home to a melting pot of cultures. Explore the city at your own pace or head out on an optional colonial walk with a local insider guide. You’ll start at the Gateway of India – a huge basalt arch, constructed to commemorate King George V’s arrival in 1911 – and pass several other landmarks including Mumbai’s artistic hub, the high court and the city’s own Big Ben. Overnight at Trident Nariman Point.
Things to do:
Stay at the Taj Mahal Palace, a Mumbai institution
Explore Mumbai’s colonial past
Mumbai
Continue your explorations today or choose from a range of unique experiences. Options include a dawn tour to see Mumbai and its markets come alive, a culinary tour sampling local street food, or Mumbai Dreams – a Bollywood-themed tour visiting the city’s dance workshops and production houses, where you’ll meet actors, musicians and dancers. Overnight at Trident Nariman Point.
Things to do:
Stay at the Taj Mahal Palace, a Mumbai institution
Explore Mumbai at dawn
Taste Mumbai's top street food
Experience the magical madness of Bollywood
Mumbai & Pench
You’ll be transferred to Mumbai airport this morning for a connecting flight to Nagpur. From here a local representative will meet you and drive you to the iconic Pench National Park – the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, and one of India’s most famous tiger reserves. Located at the heart of Madhya Pradesh, the park is home to an impressive array of wildlife, as well as the legendary royal Bengal tiger. Check in to the lodge and spend the rest of the day relaxing in pristine surroundings. Overnight at Pench Jungle Camp.
Things to do:
Pench Tree Lodge: India’s wild tree houses
Explore the village bazaars of Pench National Park
Pench
Embark on a game drive this morning to explore this iconic reserve, bumping your way along the tracks past towering trees, rocky outcrops, and lush grasslands. Look out for panthers, leopards, jackals, striped hyenas, and wild dogs stalking the landscapes, and keep an eye out for sloth bears, wild boars, muntjac and spotted deer gathering around the riverbanks. Return to the lodge for lunch before heading out on another game drive this afternoon. Overnight at Pench Jungle Camp.
Things to do:
Game drives in Pench National Park, home of the Bengal tiger
Birding on a bicycle around Pench National Park
Pench & Kanha
It’s time to wave goodbye to Pench this morning, but The Jungle Book experience isn’t over yet. You’ll be heading for Kanha National Park, one of India’s most scenic tiger reserves, flanking the Maikal Hills. As well as its tigers, the park is home to the near-extinct barasingha deer alongside wild dogs, black bucks, panthers, and various birds of prey. This evening enjoy an hour-long session with a naturalist to learn about tigers, their behaviour, and the laws of the jungle. Overnight at Chitvan Jungle Lodge.
Things to do:
Singinawa Jungle Lodge: where the tigers roam
Connecting to the community at Singinawa Jungle Lodge
Kanha
Set the alarm early this morning for a game drive exploring the forests, grasslands and hills that surround the region. You might spot a langur monkey swinging from the trees, a sambar deer stalking the forests or a wild pig roaming the meadows, so get the binoculars ready for some spectacular wildlife-viewing. After lunch at the lodge, head out on a second game drive in the afternoon. Overnight at Chitvan Jungle Lodge.
Things to do:
Tiger spotting in Kanha Reserve
An eco-focused walk around the wilds of Singinawa
Kanha & Bandhavgarh
Next up is Bandhavgarh National Park, a smaller reserve home to around 60 tigers, set in the misty forests of the Satpura mountains. Here rivers trickle through lush grasslands and Indian bison, leopards, sloth bears and more gather in the shade of towering sal trees. Look carefully and you’ll also find manmade caves dating to the first century. Settle in to your jungle lodge, then enjoy an evening tiger discussion with a resident naturalist guide. Overnight at Bandhav Vilas.
Things to do:
Wild and wonderful Bandhav Vilas
Samode Safari Lodge: a homage to the tribes of Bandhavgarh
A walk through the jungle to a traditional village
Bandhavgarh
Enjoy a full day in the national park today. Seek out Bengal tigers and the park’s array of other creatures on two included game drives. Along the way, keep an eye out for the endemic and migratory birds that reside here – among them Indian rollers, fish owls and bright green bee-eaters. Overnight at Bandhav Vilas.
Things to do:
Wild and wonderful Bandhav Vilas
On the trail of Bandhavgarh's tigers
Cycling from Samode Safari Lodge
Bandhavargh & Panna
Transfer towards Panna this morning for the final national park of the trip, located in the scenic Vindhyan Hills. Once a royal hunting ground, this has been a protected tiger reserve since 1994 and is home to five species of wild cat (including jungle cats, rusty spotted cats, and caracals) alongside crocodiles, wolves, hyenas, snakes, striped squirrels, and plenty more. Spot wildlife from your lodge or opt for a sunset boat trip along the Ken River to experience its creatures from a different perspective; expect kingfishers, storks, and fish eagles among the array of colourful birds to spot. Overnight at Sarai at Toria.
Things to do:
The Sarai at Toria: the art of easy-going exploration
Panna
Head out on a pre-breakfast game drive this morning, exploring the forests, waterfalls, grasslands, and riverbanks that make up Panna’s varied landscape. Relax at your riverfront retreat for the rest of the morning or head out on an optional country walk to reach the village of Toria. After lunch, embark on another game drive or take it easy in this picturesque setting. Overnight at Sarai at Toria.
Things to do:
The Sarai at Toria: the art of easy-going exploration
On Safari in Panna National Park
Country walks and community around The Sarai at Toria
Panna & Delhi
Transfer to Khajuraho airport this morning for your flight to Delhi. On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to enjoy in the capital. Formed from what were once seven separate cities, today Delhi is a vibrant metropolis with a string of impressive sights, from the Red Fort to the elaborate Jama Masjid Mosque. Overnight at Maiden’s Hotel.
Things to do:
Raj-era luxury at the Maiden’s Hotel
Stay at Haveli Dharampura, a family-run heritage hotel
Claridges: where luxury reigns supreme
The Imperial: A dip into Delhi's history
Delhi
Enjoy a full day in the city today. If you’re feeling energetic, opt for a Delhi by Dawn tour to see the city come alive in the early hours. Alternatively, you might opt for a culinary tour with a local food expert, a hands-on cooking lesson with a local family, a rickshaw ride round Old Delhi’s higgledy-piggledy lanes or embark on a photography-themed amble to capture the city’s spice markets and bazaars. An optional night tour of Old Delhi is highly recommended to experience the fascinating streets in a very different light. Overnight at Maiden’s Hotel.
Things to do:
Raj-era luxury at the Maiden’s Hotel
Saffron Palate: learn to cook like a local
Get a taste of Old Delhi with a local
The magic of Delhi by dawn
Tour Old Delhi by rickshaw
The Old Delhi street photography tour
Explore Chandni Chowk after dark
Delhi & Departure
Your tour ends today. Transfer to Delhi airport for your flight home or onward travel.
Another stop?
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Tilar Siro: a diver’s paradise in the Andaman Islands
Eco-friendly Andaman luxury at Taj Exotica
Jalakara: a boutique villa hotel on Havelock Island
Barefoot at Havelock: the sustainable beach-side jungle resort
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A Goan villa getaway at Ahilya by the Sea
Be at one with nature at eco-resort Cabo Serai
Taj Exotica, a palm-scored Goan escape
The Radisson Hotel Goa Candolim: A residential hotspot
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