Essence of India

Dining Summary

• 9 Dinner (D)
• 15 Breakfast (B)
• 7 Lunch (L)
• 1 Afternoon Tea (AT)

Choice Highlights

Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Delhi: Visit the 12th-century Qutub Minar and see the tallest brick minaret in the world before enjoying lunch.
• Delhi: Join a well-known chef for a culinary exploration of Delhi streets where you will tantalize your taste buds. Experience a wide variety of foods and learn the effect that mixing different flavors has on the palate as you sample Indian delicacies from local stallholders.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Agra: Meet the community living in the shadow of the Taj Mahal when you take a Mughal Heritage Walk. Discover hidden gems of the area and learn about daily life in the ancient village with impressive vistas of India’s most famous monument. Through this initiative the community is supported from tourism to improve their living conditions.
• Agra: Visit a private colonial bungalow for high tea, meet the host family and listen to their stories about the British Raj and today's Indian culture and society.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Jaipur: Focus on the art of block printing and blue pottery as you visit a workshop.
• Jaipur: Step in the side lanes of old Jaipur and see the highly skilled local artisans who are passionate about passing their crafts on to preserve this slice of the cultural heritage.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Jaipur: Visit the colorful cavalcade of the fresh flower and spice market.
• Jaipur: Visit the white marble Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple and witness aarti, a traditional prayer ceremony.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Kumarakom: Harmonise your mind and body by taking part in a yoga class.
• Kumarakom: Indulge in a rejuvenating massage.
• Kumarakom: Indulge in a rejuvenating 30-minute body massage.
• Kumarakom: Indulge in a rejuvenating 15-minute foot massage.

Additional Included Highlights

• Enjoy seamless personal assistance throughout your journey. From securing exclusive reservations, to organising transportation, your Travel Concierge ensures every aspect of your travel is tailored to your tastes and preferences.
• In select destinations, our network of Local Expert Guides will illuminate your journey on a deeper level.  ​
• Included at all hotels.
• Hotel taxes, porterage and tips, as well as tips for included dining experiences, are included.​
• Enjoy breakfast every morning, and an array of incredible dining options throughout your journey, infused with discovery and adventure.
• On days where a Relaxed Start (RS) is indicated, you can select to indulge in breakfast in bed.
• Enjoy complimentary hotel Wi-Fi. And, on select coaches, onboard Wi-Fi may also be available.
• Transfers are included on your journey start and end dates, and where additional accommodation has been booked in advance through Luxury Gold. Transfers to train stations or alternate hotels, in the same start or end city as the itinerary, may be requested.

Curated Experiences

• Backwater Ripples: Start the day early with a bird-watching tour at Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary where you will be given the chance to view some of the fantastic migratory birds which flock to the Himalayas and find home in the acres of woodland.

Exceptional Dining

• Delhi: Relax and acclimatize before your days in Delhi get underway with a delicious dinner in the comfort of your hotel. Get to know your Travel Concierge and other travelers over superbly prepared local food and wine.
• Jaipur: Dine in the elegant surroundings of 1135 AD, one of Jaipur’s most revered local restaurants, offering fine Indian dining served amid opulent royal interiors with stunning sunset views. Hear traditional music playing as you indulge your palate.
• Jaipur: Enjoy a private access tour around Jaipur City Palace including the maharajah’s personal living room, normally off limits to visitors. Savor an Indian inspired high tea on the regal terrace after viewing the spectacular handcrafted crystal table by René Lalique.
• Kochi: Learn the art of home cooking, Kerala style, as you meet a local cooking instructor who will demonstrate the techniques of preparing traditional recipes of the region.
• Vaikom Village: Have lunch with a local in Viakom Village. You will be introduced to village life and given the opportunity to try your hand at weaving with pineapple leaves or coconut husks before you are invited to share lunch in their home.
• Mumbai: Say goodbye to Mumbai in style with a showcase of Indian cuisine at dinner. Enjoy your final feast as you share tales and make toasts to the experiences you’ve had and memories you’ve made along your amazing journey.

Passport Moments

• Delhi: View the monuments of Old and New Delhi when you drive out to Red Fort, the former home of the Mughal emperors. Cruise down the Rajpath to see India Gate and Parliament House.
• Delhi: Take a tour of Jama Masjid with your Travel Concierge. Feel the majesty of the largest mosque in India with its three great gates, 40-meter-high minarets, and a courtyard large enough for 25,000 devotees.
• Delhi: Jump into the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi by taking an exhilarating rickshaw ride through the busy streets of Chandni Chowk. Let the city’s sights and sounds swirl around you as you’re transported in traditional style.
• Delhi: Visit a Sikh temple and community kitchen, where meals are given out to locals and travelers. Those of the Sikh faith regularly open their place of worship to those in greater need.
• Agra: Visit the impressive fortress in Agra and delve into the history of the Mughal Dynasty, who ruled their empire for over 300 years. See the glorious mosques and fairytale palaces such as the Sheesh Mahal within its protected walls.
• Agra: Rise in the morning light to view one of the greatest monuments in the world, the grand Taj Mahal. With the light of dawn and fewer visitors, you can fully appreciate its grandeur in peace, accompanied by only the birds and monkeys.
• Ranthambore: Sit back and relax on the express train from Bharatpur to Ranthambore. Enjoy the scenic vistas of northern India as you are transported door-to-door in just a few hours. Experience the quickest way to travel in India, as small villages and plantations whizz by.
• Ranthambore: With an expert naturalist, seek out a rare sighting of tigers in their natural habitat on your dawn and dusk safaris in the maharajahs’ former hunting grounds. Witness a wealth of local animals as you search for those elusive stripes.
• Jaipur: Ascend by jeep to stroll through the intricately designed complex of courtyards and halls of Amber Fort. Enjoy the shimmering walls and ceilings and wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and receive a special blessing at this 16th-century residence.
• Jaipur: Enter the towering gates to the City Palace Museum for a look back through time at chandeliers, cannons, chariots and incredible murals. Built between 1729 -1732, this glorious complex is still home to the Jaipur royal family and young king.
• Kochi: Discover the city of Kochi with an orientation tour which takes in Paradesi Synagogue, the largest in the Commonwealth, before visiting the 16th-century Portuguese Mattancherry Palace, renowned for its beautiful murals of Hindu mythology and legends.
• Kochi: Delve deeper into the cultural heritage of Kochi by attending a Kathakali performance. This colorful show is one of the world’s oldest forms of theater and the vibrant costumes, transformative make up, amazing dancing and vocal acrobatics make it unmissable.
• Alappuzha: Cruise the backwaters of Alleppey on a waterwheel houseboat to get an inside view of life on its shores. Journey past lush rice paddies and coconut plantations where people work daily, and enjoy a wonderful lunch onboard as you make your way to your luxury resort.
• Vaikom Village: Guided by boat, explore the narrow canals of one of the oldest townships in Kerala and with many spots untouched by modernity.
• Mumbai: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage protected ancient cave temples with depictions of Lord Shiva hewn from basalt rock. These extraordinary carvings date back as far as the 5th century and were recently restored. Human settlements from 2 BC have been recovered here.
• Mumbai: Take a cruise from Mumbai to Elephanta Island to see the six-meter statue of Sadhashiva and the warren of carved cave temples, which date back to AD 450 and have earned the island UNESCO World Heritage status.
• Mumbai: Meet the Dabbawalla in Mumbai to learn more about the intricate details of the magnificent tiffin service that keeps the city going. Without any technology, these delivery men have been providing home cooked food to the masses for over 130 years.

Personalise your day

• Delhi: Visit the 12th-century Qutub Minar and see the tallest brick minaret in the world before enjoying lunch.
• Delhi: Join a well-known chef for a culinary exploration of Delhi streets where you will tantalize your taste buds. Experience a wide variety of foods and learn the effect that mixing different flavors has on the palate as you sample Indian delicacies from local stallholders.
• Agra: Meet the community living in the shadow of the Taj Mahal when you take a Mughal Heritage Walk. Discover hidden gems of the area and learn about daily life in the ancient village with impressive vistas of India’s most famous monument. Through this initiative the community is supported from tourism to improve their living conditions.
• Agra: Visit a private colonial bungalow for high tea, meet the host family and listen to their stories about the British Raj and today's Indian culture and society.
• Jaipur: Focus on the art of block printing and blue pottery as you visit a workshop.
• Jaipur: Step in the side lanes of old Jaipur and see the highly skilled local artisans who are passionate about passing their crafts on to preserve this slice of the cultural heritage.
• Jaipur: Visit the colorful cavalcade of the fresh flower and spice market.
• Jaipur: Visit the white marble Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple and witness aarti, a traditional prayer ceremony.
• Kumarakom: Harmonise your mind and body by taking part in a yoga class.
• Kumarakom: Indulge in a rejuvenating massage.
• Kumarakom: Indulge in a rejuvenating 30-minute body massage.
• Kumarakom: Indulge in a rejuvenating 15-minute foot massage.