Imperial India Highlights
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Discover India’s rich contrasts on this immersive 18-day journey starting and ending in Mumbai. From the buzzing streets of Mumbai and the rock-cut Elephanta Caves, you’ll head south to explore Fort Cochin, cruise Kerala’s tranquil backwaters on a traditional houseboat, and soak up the French charm of Pondicherry. Continue through Hyderabad, Kolkata and spiritual Varanasi, witnessing the Ganga Aarti at sunset. In Delhi and Agra, uncover Mughal masterpieces including the Taj Mahal, before exploring Jaipur’s forts and palaces. Blending vibrant cities, sacred sites and serene landscapes, this tour offers a sweeping, unforgettable introduction to India.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more.
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Tour Overview
Duration
18 daysHotel Rating
3, 4 or 5 star hotelsStarts
MumbaiEnds
JaipurMinimum Age
No minimum ageMaximum Age
Tours have upper age limits for several reasons, such as but not limited to: tour pace, activity level, and accommodation standards. If you fall outside of this age limit, we do have lots of other tours in India that are suitable for all ages!
Arrival Transfer
YesDeparture Transfer
YesTour Guide
Yes - for included sightseeing.Country
IndiaPassengers
$4,425.00
$2,430.00
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Tour Style
Group Size
Min 1 / Max Private Tour
Trip Type
Private Tours
Range
On this tour, you won't be joined by other travellers, and will just be travelling with your booking party. Some transportation & sightseeing may be shared, check the Inclusions for more information.
Guiding Style
This tour includes scheduled sightseeing with expert guides in key destinations as per the Inclusions, as well as transportation (either with a driver or public transport), plus of course your accommodation. There is no single tour guide or tour leader throughout the trip. You’ll have support where it counts, and more freedom in between. Our cruise tours also fall into this category where you will be looked after by a crew. For more information, check the Inclusions of this tour.
Tour Pace
A balanced pace, with a mix of free time and visits to multiple locations, allowing for both relaxation and exploration. Generally doesn't visit more than one or two destinations per day.
Physical Rating
A moderate amount of walking is required during sightseeing, with some free time, offering a balance between activity and relaxation. As a general rule, you should be able to walk 2-kilometres without stopping.
Tour Guide
Yes - for included sightseeing.Group Size
Min 1 / Max Private TourRange
On this tour, you won't be joined by other travellers, and will just be travelling with your booking party. Some transportation & sightseeing may be shared, check the Inclusions for more information.
Guiding Style
This tour includes scheduled sightseeing with expert guides in key destinations as per the Inclusions, as well as transportation (either with a driver or public transport), plus of course your accommodation. There is no single tour guide or tour leader throughout the trip. You’ll have support where it counts, and more freedom in between. Our cruise tours also fall into this category where you will be looked after by a crew. For more information, check the Inclusions of this tour.
Tour Pace
A balanced pace, with a mix of free time and visits to multiple locations, allowing for both relaxation and exploration. Generally doesn't visit more than one or two destinations per day.
Physical Rating
A moderate amount of walking is required during sightseeing, with some free time, offering a balance between activity and relaxation. As a general rule, you should be able to walk 2-kilometres without stopping.
Trip Type
Private ToursPlaces You'll See
Mumbai
Cochin
Kochi (Cochin)
Alleppey
Alappuzha
Chennai
Chennai (Madras)
Kanchipuram
Mahabalipuram
Pondicherry
Hyderabad
Kolkata
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Varanasi
Delhi
New Delhi
Agra
Fatehpur Sikri
Abhaneri
Jaipur
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Included
Not Included
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Itinerary
Day 1 - Mumbai
Arrive in Mumbai. On landing, we meet you with assistance and transfer you to your hotel. Standard hotel check-in/out is at 12:00 – early check-in is subject to room availability. The rest of the day is free to relax.Mumbai never really sleeps – from shopping arcades and theatres to nightclubs, discotheques and gourmet restaurants, the city offers plenty to tempt you if you feel like heading out. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 - Mumbai
After breakfast, we transfer to the Gateway of India for a motorboat cruise to Elephanta Caves – closed on Mondays. A climb of about 100 steps leads to the hilltop cave complex, home to rock‑cut temples dating to around the 5th century. We return by boat to the Gateway in the afternoon and continue a city tour, driving along Marine Drive – one of Mumbai’s most striking boulevards – and viewing the Maharashtra State Assembly and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from the outside. We visit Dhobi Ghat, the Prince of Wales Museum – closed on Mondays – Mani Bhawan, and Mount Mary Church – the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount. In the evening, we visit the ISKCON Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. If time permits, you may also drive through Bandra and Juhu to see, from the outside, the homes of Bollywood actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3 - Mumbai - Kochi
Mumbai - Kochi. After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our flight to Kochi (Cochin). On arrival we’re met and driven to the hotel. Later we explore Fort Kochi, known for its Chinese fishing nets, beaches and historic architecture. We visit St. Francis Church, the Jewish Synagogue built in 1568 in Mattancherry, and the Mattancherry Dutch Palace with its Kerala temple murals, exhibits and portraits. If time permits, you can also visit Hill Palace Museum, Bolgatty Palace and Willingdon Island – a man made island created in 1933 with pleasant walkways and jetties. In the evening we enjoy a Kathakali dance performance. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4 - Kochi - Alleppey
Kochi – Alleppey (60 km – 1.3 hours approx). After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to the Alleppey boat jetty to board a houseboat for a backwaters cruise through Kerala’s tropical countryside. As we sail, we pass palm fringed canals, wide paddy fields and tidy hamlets along the waterways, with traditional Chinese fishing nets – reminders of historic maritime trade – appearing en route. You may try a little fishing from the houseboat, and we watch the sunset from the sun deck. The houseboat has electricity, a sitting and dining area, a separate bedroom with en suite Western style toilet, a sun deck and a fully equipped kitchen, with a chef and driver. Lunch, dinner and overnight on the houseboat.
Day 5 - Alleppey - Kochi - Chennai
After breakfast, we disembark the houseboat in Alleppey and drive 60 kilometres – about 1 hour 30 minutes – to Kochi airport for our flight to Chennai. On arrival, we meet our representative and transfer to the hotel for check in.Later, we head out on a city tour of Chennai, taking in Fort St George and its museum – established by the British East India Company in 1640 and regarded as the first British stronghold in India. We continue to Kapaleeshwarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, and Semmozhi Poonga, a landscaped botanical garden. We also visit Dakshina Chitra, a living history museum, and Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Temple, an 8th‑century Vaishnavite shrine to Lord Vishnu. We round off the day with a walk along Marina Beach.Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6 - Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
Chennai - Kanichipurum - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry. After breakfast, we drive from Chennai to Pondicherry via Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram (250 km – around 5 hours). In Kanchipuram, we visit Kailasanathar Temple – an 8th century shrine to Lord Shiva noted for its architecture and sculptures, with 58 small shrines set into the surrounding wall – then Ekambareswarar Temple, another ancient Shiva temple with a 2,500 years old mango tree whose four branches each yield different varieties. We continue to Varadharaja Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and renowned for its sculptures, as well as Vaikundhaperumal Temple – one of the 108 Divyadesams – and Kamakshi Amman Temple, devoted to Goddess Kamakshi.In Mahabalipuram, we explore the monolithic rathas, rock cut temples carved from single boulders, the Shore Temple, built from granite in the 7th century with two Shiva shrines and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, and the Cave Temples adorned with panels in the Mamalla style of the Pallava period, where traces indicate they were once plastered and painted. We also see Krishna’s Butterball, a striking granite boulder poised on a slope.We then continue to Pondicherry and check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free – you can relax on the beach. Overnight at hotel.
Day 7 - Pondicherry - Chennai - Hyderabad
After breakfast, we explore Pondicherry on a city tour, visiting Auroville, founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa as a town for people from around the world to live in harmony, with its focal point, the Matrimandir – a futuristic spherical structure clad in gold discs. We continue to the Pondicherry Museum, noted for its fine lost‑wax bronzes from the Chola period, including 81 Chola bronze sculptures. Later, we take a walk through the French Colony – you can customise the route with your guide to include the French Consulate, French Institute, Raj Nivas, Bharati Park (Aayi Monument), Government Square, beaches, monuments, churches and French schools, with time to pause for coffee and desserts along the way. In the afternoon, we drive to Chennai airport – about 165 km and 3 hours – for our flight to Hyderabad. On arrival, we receive assistance and transfer to the hotel – overnight at the hotel.
Day 8 - Hyderabad
Hyderabad After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Hyderabad – a city over 400 years old known for its bustling bazaars and Islamic monuments. We begin at Golconda Fort, once famed for diamond mines that yielded gems such as the Kohinoor and Darya‑i‑Noor, then head to the Qutb Shahi Tombs, varied in size yet unified in architectural elegance. In the old city, we visit Charminar, built in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, followed by Mecca Masjid – Hyderabad’s largest mosque – located about 100 yards south‑west of Charminar, with a prayer hall measuring 67 metres by 54 metres and 23 metres high, supported by fifteen arches.We continue to Chowmahalla Palace – Friday closed – former seat of the Asaf Jahi Nizams, and Purani Haveli – Friday closed – built in 1777 and noted for a wooden chamber about 240 feet long with some 150 walk in cupboards, often described as the world’s largest wardrobe. We also visit the Salar Jung Museum – Friday closed – established in 1951 and renowned as one of India’s largest museums, with an extensive antiques collection including pieces dating to the first century.Later, we visit Birla Mandir, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara and built from 200 tonnes of white Rajasthani marble, and Hussain Sagar Lake, a large artificial lake linking Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 - Hyderabad - Kolkata
Hyderabad - Kolkata. We fly from Hyderabad to Kolkata. On arrival at Kolkata airport, we meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Standard check in is from 12:00 – early check in is subject to availability. The rest of the day is free – you can relax or use the time for personal activities. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10 - Kolkata
After breakfast, we set out for a full day exploration of Kolkata. We begin at Fort William, an enduring Raj era stronghold on the eastern bank of the Hooghly. We continue to the Victoria Memorial – the white marble landmark set amid broad avenues – and explore the museum where you can see Queen Victoria’s dresses and weaponry from the period. At Netaji Bhawan – built in 1909 by Subhas Chandra Bose’s father – we visit the memorial, museum, archives and library dedicated to Netaji’s life and work. We then take in the city’s iconic Howrah Bridge – often seen as the gateway to Kolkata – before travelling to Dakshineswar Kali Temple, a major pilgrimage site dedicated to Goddess Kali, with a large courtyard, twelve shrines to Shiva, a bathing ghat on the river and a shrine to Rani Rashmoni. We return to the hotel in the evening. Overnight at hotel.
Day 11 - Kolkata - Varanasi
Kolkata - Varanasi. After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our flight to Varanasi. On arrival we’re met and driven to the hotel. This evening we explore the ghats and temples and attend the holy Ganga Aarti – performed nightly at Dasashwamedh Ghat. We approach by boat and pause near the steps for a close view as priests standing on wooden chaukis chant Sanskrit mantras to the rhythm of cymbals and drums. The river is honoured with offerings of flowers, incense, sandalwood, milk and vermilion, followed by the glow of blazing camphor and multi-flamed aarti lamps raised high and swept back towards the water. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 - Varanasi - Sarnath
Varanasi - Sarnath - Varanasi. Varanasi Early this morning, we take a boat along the Ganges to witness life on the ghats at dawn – devotees bathing and offering prayers – before visiting Kashi Vishwanath Mandir. The main shrine sits within a quadrangle of smaller temples, including those of Kaalbhairav, Vishnu and others. Nearby is the Gyaan Vapi – the ‘wisdom well’ – where, according to tradition, the Jyotirlinga was concealed during Mughal invasions.Return to the hotel for breakfast. We then spend the day exploring Sarnath – where the Buddha delivered his first discourse setting the Wheel of Dhamma in motion – visiting the Dhamek Stupa, the Ashoka Pillar site, monastic ruins and the Mulaghandhakuti Vihara built in 1922 by Anagarika Dharmapala. Back in the city, we tour Banaras Hindu University, founded in 1916 by Madan Mohan Malaviya with support from Annie Besant – today one of Asia’s largest residential universities.Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 - Varanasi - Delhi
Varanasi - Delhi. After breakfast, we transfer you to Varanasi airport for your flight to Delhi. On arrival, we meet you and drive to your hotel for check‑in. The remainder of the day is free – you can relax and recharge at the hotel. Overnight in Delhi.
Day 14 - Delhi
After breakfast at the hotel, we set out on a full day tour of Delhi. In Old Delhi we visit the Red Fort – residence of the Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years until 1857 – and Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in the world built by Shah Jahan. We take a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk and the Khari Baoli spice market, a bustling area of stalls selling spices, dried fruit, silver jewellery and vivid saris, with narrow lanes lined with tiny shops for essential oils, stationery and traditional Indian sweets. We then pay our respects at Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi at his cremation site.Later, in New Delhi, we visit Humayun’s Tomb – the first garden tomb in the Indian subcontinent, commissioned by Empress Bega Begum in 1569–70 – and Qutub Minar, a 73 metres tall minaret within the Qutb complex noted for fine Afghan architecture. We also stop at the Lotus Temple, a Bahá’í House of Worship known for its flowerlike design and open to all. We drive through the VVIP areas, passing President House, Parliament and India Gate. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 15 - Delhi - Agra
After breakfast, we drive from Delhi to Agra – 204 km, around 4 hours – and check in to the hotel. In the afternoon, we visit the Taj Mahal on the banks of the River Yamuna, commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal – it also houses Shah Jahan’s tomb. We continue to Agra Fort, the main residence of the Mughal emperors until 1638, and then to the Itmad‑ud‑Daula Tomb, a Mughal mausoleum commissioned by Nur Jahan for her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 16 - Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Jaipur - Abhaneri
After breakfast in Agra, we drive to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri – approximately 245 km and five hours by road. At Fatehpur Sikri, founded in 1569 by Mughal emperor Akbar and abandoned after 15 years due to water scarcity, we explore its red sandstone palaces and courts, a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles, including Diwan–e–Khas, Jodha Bai’s Palace, Jama Masjid, the Tomb of Salim Chishti, Panch Mahal and Buland Darwaza. We then continue to Abhaneri to visit Chand Baori – among India’s deepest and largest stepwells – and the Harshat Mata Temple, before arriving in Jaipur to check in at the hotel. In the evening, you can explore the Pink City and its colourful bazaars – and, if you wish, round off the day with a Bollywood film at the opulent Rajmandir Cinema. Overnight at hotel.
Day 17 - Jaipur
After breakfast, we drive to Amber Fort, a 16th century hilltop stronghold overlooking the lake and a superb example of Rajput architecture, and enjoy a ride up to the fort. We then continue to Jaigarh Fort, built in 1726, for views over Jaipur and Amber – and to see the Jai Van, claimed to be the largest cannon on wheels in the world, with a range of 22 miles and said to consume 100kgs of gunpowder per shot. We visit the Sisodia Rani Garden, noted for its Radha–Krishna murals, fountains, pavilions, galleries and water channels, and Galtaji Temple, a historic pilgrimage site with natural springs and seven sacred water tanks.In the afternoon, we tour the city, visiting the City Palace – a fine blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture housing collections of textiles, costumes and armoury – the Palace of the Winds, the five storey façade with 152 latticed windows, and Jantar Mantar, the observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh. We also stop at the Albert Hall Museum, an Indo–Saracenic landmark designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, with collections of paintings, jewellery, carpets, ivory, stone and metal sculptures, and coins from the Gupta, Kushan, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British periods – its Egyptian mummy is a highlight. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 18 - Jaipur
After breakfast, we transfer you to Jaipur airport for your flight to Mumbai – from where you connect with your onward destination. Alternatively, you may travel by road to Delhi and fly onward from there.
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Extras and add-ons
If you'd like to add extras or add-ons to your booking, you can do this easily during checkout. Just review the available options and select any additional services or upgrades you'd like before completing your purchase.
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Hotels
The hotels listed below are examples which we frequently use on this tour. Alternative hotels of a similar standard may be used instead.
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Prices & Dates
The prices you see below are a guide, with final prices per person being determined by the number of travellers in your booking party, desired hotel standard and the rooming arrangements required. To see an accurate price, please click "Book Dates" and enter the details for your booking party.
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