India · Private & tailor-made
India Beyond the Monuments
Old Delhi and the Taj Mahal, the birds of Bharatpur, tigers in Ranthambore and the palaces of Jaipur — the classic north, with room to breathe.
Private & tailor-made — price on enquiry, shaped around your group and dates. Land only, excludes flights.
The journey
The famous north — Delhi, Agra and Jaipur — but paced for families and threaded with wildlife: a bird sanctuary, a tiger reserve and time to slow down between the monuments.
You start in Delhi, from the spice markets and lanes of the old city to a meal shared at one of the world's largest community kitchens. Agra brings the Taj Mahal and the craft of marble inlay that made it, and a family cooking session in the Mughlai tradition.
Then it turns to nature: the wetlands of Keoladeo at Bharatpur by cycle-rickshaw, and the forests of Ranthambore in search of tigers, before finishing in Jaipur — the pink city of forts, stepwells, bazaars and block-printers. It's private throughout, with flexible days built in so nobody's marched from sight to sight.
Where you'll go
Trip highlights
What stays with you
Sunrise at the Taj Mahal, and the marble-inlay workshops behind it.
A meal at the community kitchen of a Delhi gurdwara.
The wetlands of Keoladeo (Bharatpur) by cycle-rickshaw with a naturalist.
A dawn jeep safari for tigers in Ranthambore.
Amber Fort, stepwells and block-printers in Jaipur.
Day by day
Your itinerary
Welcome to India
You're met at Delhi airport and taken to your hotel to rest and settle in — a gentle start before the journey ahead.
The heart of Old Delhi
Into the old city — the spice market at Khari Baoli, the lanes and cycle-rickshaws around the great Jama Masjid mosque, and a meal shared at the community kitchen (langar) of a Sikh gurdwara, where thousands are fed each day and everyone is welcome. An easy introduction to the warmth of Indian hospitality.
The Taj Mahal
Drive to Agra to see the Taj Mahal at its quietest and most luminous, then learn the pietra dura craft of marble inlay that decorates it. In the evening, a hands-on family cooking session in the Mughlai tradition.
Into India's bird paradise
A short drive to Bharatpur and Keoladeo National Park, one of Asia's great wetland bird sanctuaries. Explore it slowly by cycle-rickshaw with a naturalist — the rickshaw-pullers here are trained bird guides — spotting herons, storks, kingfishers and, in winter, migratory flocks.
Into tiger country
Travel through rural Rajasthan to Ranthambore, one of India's best-known tiger reserves. Settle into your safari lodge, and an evening talk with a wildlife expert sets up the days ahead — the story of the park, its tigers and India's conservation work.
Safari
An early jeep safari into the park in search of tigers, along with leopard, sambar and spotted deer and a wealth of birdlife. The afternoon is free — by the pool, or a second look at the reserve.
At your own pace
A flexible day shaped around the family: a village walk, a guided nature walk for the park's birdlife, time to relax at the lodge, or an optional second safari for another chance at a tiger.
The Pink City
On to Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital, and a heritage hotel. As the day cools, wander the bazaars — textiles, jewellery, lac bangles and street food — and get a feel for the city.
Royal Rajasthan
The great Amber Fort above the city, the beautifully geometric Panna Meena stepwell, and a visit to a textile workshop where families of block-printers and dyers still work by hand.
Choose your day
Yours to spend as you like: a safari for leopards at the Jhalana reserve on the city's edge, or a slower day of boutiques, food and the heritage hotel.
Farewell India
Return to Delhi — by road or the fast train — in time for onward flights home, with a lifetime of it behind you.
Where you'll stay
Your hotels
You stay in heritage hotels and a safari lodge, chosen for character and comfort. The source doesn't tie the trip to specific properties, so we confirm the exact hotels when we tailor it to your dates and budget — and can step the whole route up to the grandest palace stays.
What's included
- All accommodation as listed (10 nights) in heritage hotels and a safari lodge
- Private, English-speaking guiding and a private car and driver throughout
- All transfers and road or rail transport within India
- Sightseeing and entrance fees for the sites named
- The Old Delhi rickshaw and community-kitchen visit, the Agra cooking session, the Keoladeo rickshaw safari and the Ranthambore jeep safaris
- Daily breakfast, and other meals as specified when we tailor the trip
- 24-hour in-country support and ATOL financial protection
Not included
- International flights to and from India
- India e-visa and any vaccinations
- Travel insurance (required — with medical and repatriation cover)
- Meals not specified in the itinerary
- Camera fees at some sites, tips, and anything of a personal nature
- Optional extra safaris
Good to know
Before you go
When to travel
October to March is the pleasant, dry season across the north; it gets very hot from April and the monsoon arrives by summer. Winter mornings can be genuinely cold, so pack layers.
Who it suits
Families and couples. The wildlife and the variety make it engaging for children — as a rough guide from around age six — and the flexible days keep it from feeling relentless.
Pace and fitness
Relaxed, but there are some longer drives between regions and early starts for the safaris. Nothing is strenuous.
Health and water
Drink bottled or filtered water, and we'll steer you to good places to eat. Some vaccinations may be advised — check with your GP or a travel clinic well ahead.
Money
The currency is the Indian rupee. Cards work in cities and hotels; carry cash for markets and rural stops.
Making it yours
Private throughout — we can step up to palace hotels, add Udaipur, or lengthen the wildlife. Just ask.
Make it yours
Ready to start planning?
This is a starting point, not a fixed package. Tell us who's travelling, your dates and roughly what you have in mind, and we'll tailor it — the pace, the comfort level and any extensions — and send you a detailed quote.
Travelling well
The STC way
We work with trusted local partners across northern India, and it shows in the detail: guides who bring the history and the wildlife to life, community and artisan visits that put money where you travel, and the quiet logistics that keep a busy country feeling easy for a family. It's the same groundwork behind our sister company, STC Expeditions, which has run trips in India for years.
Travelling with younger children? See our India — Family Adventure →