Asia · 8 days · 5 stops

North India in 8 days: Taj Mahal, Rajasthan Palaces and Sacred Varanasi

From Old and New Delhi to the white marble Taj Mahal in Agra, Rajasthan's pink forts in Jaipur and lake palaces in Udaipur, finishing on the ancient river ghats of Varanasi.

1. New Delhi: Start in India's capital between Old Delhi's Mughal Red Fort and Chandni Chowk spice lanes and New Delhi's tree-lined avenues around India Gate, Humayun's Tomb and the 12th-century Qutub Minar.
2. Agra: Speed south on the Gatimaan Express to Agra on the Yamuna River. Watch the white marble dome of the Taj Mahal change colour at dawn and explore the red sandstone halls of Agra Fort.
3. Jaipur: Continue west into Rajasthan to Jaipur, the Pink City. Look up at the 953 latticed windows of Hawa Mahal, climb to hilltop Amer Fort, and inspect giant stone sundials at Jantar Mantar.
4. Udaipur: Travel south through the Aravalli Hills to Udaipur, Rajasthan's City of Lakes. Tour the towering lakeside City Palace, take an evening boat across Lake Pichola, and watch folk dancers at Bagore Ki Haveli.
5. Varanasi: Fly east to Varanasi on the crescent bank of the Ganges, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Glide past the riverside ghats at dawn, witness the evening Ganga Aarti, and visit nearby Sarnath.