Today depart from either Auckland, *Wellington or *Christchurch for Delhi, Fly with either Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Cathay Pacific or Sri Lankan Airlines to name a few (subject to availability).

Upon arrival, meet the tour representative and receive a welcome garland at the airport. Then, you will be transferred to the first hotel. While check in is being organised, a representative will provide the “Welcome Folder” documents and brief you on the tour programme.

Please note: due to flight scheduling and availability, some departures may occur on day 0. Affected customers must be at the airport the night before. Flight times will be indicated on your final documentation which you will receive prior to departure.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will travel to Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan. On arrival in Jaipur you will check-in to the hotel for the evening, where dinner will be provided. Jaipur is instantly recognisable for its pink-washed buildings, a colour associated with hospitality in Rajput culture. This beautiful city, along with Agra and Delhi, form what is known as the Golden Triangle of India’s tourist circuit. 

Jaipur is a city where royalty still lives in the grandeur of its palaces, where fighting for the honour of the clan has never been a need but a way of life, and where treating guests as gods has been a tradition from time immemorial. There is a timeless appeal to Jaipur’s colourful bazaars, where you can shop for Rajasthani textiles and trinkets. The beautifully laid out gardens and parks, attractive monuments and heritage hotels, once the residence of Maharajas, are all worth a look. 

After breakfast, enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Jaipur. Begin with a morning excursion to Amber Fort. Located 11km from Jaipur, it was the old fort of the Kachwaha clan of Amber. The fort is built with white marble and red sandstone and looks even more attractive because of the Maota Lake in the foreground. The fort itself is a beautiful sight to behold. 

This afternoon take part in a city tour visiting the City Palace, the former royal residence built in a blend of the Rajasthani and Mughal styles. Jantar Mantar, is the largest of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh. The Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds was constructed for the royal ladies to watch royal processions without being seen. Enjoy an Indian costume tying demonstration and also visit Lakshmi Narayan Temple. 

After breakfast, you will depart for Agra. On the way, you will visit Chand Baori Step Well, located opposite a temple known as Harshat Mata Temple. It’s believed that the Chand Baori step well has a religious connection and that’s the reason it was built in front of the temple.

On arrival to Agra, check-in to the hotel. Agra is the quintessential Mughal City, where the world marvels at the epitome of love, beauty and sacrifice, the Taj Mahal one of the wonders of the world. So awe-inspiring is the monument that Agra has been immortalised as the City of the Taj. As visitors walk down the narrow bustling streets, they cannot help but wonder, if the man contentedly smoking a hookah, is a direct descendent of some bygone Mughal. 

After you have settled into the hotel, enjoy a tour to Gurudwara Guru Ka Tal (Sikh temple) in Agra. Here you will have the chance to join a live community cook inside the temple complex, done for their pilgrims.

After breakfast enjoy a city tour visiting the Taj Mahal, where you will see the undeniable beauty that incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632, the principal mausoleum was completed in 1643 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished about five years later. 

In addition to the Taj, the Agra Fort (also known as the Red Fort) is a fascinating sight, it showcases a high level of ornamentation and the Kohinoor diamond was reportedly part of the furnishings. The fort's artwork mixes Persian, European and Indian art, resulting in a unique Shahjahani style rich in form, expression and colour. Red Fort is one of the building complexes of India encapsulating a long period of history, arts and its innovative architectural style, including its garden design which influenced later buildings and gardens in Delhi. In 2007, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Red Fort Complex.

Early risers can take the opportunity to head to the Taj Mahal and experience the monument just after sunrise (not included), then return to the hotel for breakfast. Mid morning depart back to Delhi, on arrival check into the hotel.

Following breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a city tour of Old and New Delhi. Visit Raj Ghat (where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated); Red Fort (made famous by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan); and Jama Masjid (the largest mosque in India) which has three great gateways, four angle towers and two minarets constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. Chandni Chowk is the main street of Old Delhi in the colourful shopping bazaar, enjoy a rickshaw ride through the market! 

Next up is Laxminarayan Temple, a site dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune. India Gate is a 42m high stone of triumph and is a war memorial. The tour continues with a visit to Rashtrapati Bhawan, the palace-like building home to the President of India. Afterwards visit the beautiful Lotus Temple, also known as the Bahai Temple. Adherents of any faith can visit, pray or meditate. This evening enjoy a group dinner.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight back to New Zealand.