India · 12 Days
Royal Rajasthan
Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur by private car, sleeping in palaces that are still homes.
From $3,450
Best
Heritage & Palaces · Since 2008
2,166 travellers rate us 4.9 on Google & Tripadvisor
Sleep Where The Maharajas Slept
Havelis in Jaipur, riads in Fes, a ryokan in Kyoto and a desert fort in Jaisalmer — heritage journeys built around the houses you sleep in.
2,166 travellers rate us 4.9 on Google & Tripadvisor
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Where History Still Keeps House
“A palace is only a museum until somebody cooks in its kitchen again. We look for the ones where somebody still does — and then we ask them to set another place at the table.”
Arjun RathoreFounder · Born In Jaipur, Based In London
Tour Details
Small Group · Up To 12 Travellers
Delhi, Agra & Jaipur
From $1,890Per Person, Twin Share
- Duration
- 7 Days, 6 Nights
- Starts & Ends
- Delhi
- Group Size
- Up To 12
- Pace
- Easy To Moderate
- Best Time
- Oct – Mar
Overview
India’s classic first journey, paced the way we would travel it ourselves. Seven days take you from the lanes of Old Delhi to the Taj Mahal as the gates open and on to Jaipur, the pink city of the Rajput kings, with nights in family-run havelis rather than chain hotels.
Departures leave on a Wednesday so that Agra falls at the weekend: the Taj closes every Friday, so Friday is our day at the Fort and Saturday belongs to the Taj at first light.
- 01
The Taj At Sunrise
We are at the east gate when it opens, a good half hour before the coach groups arrive.
- 02
Old Delhi By Rickshaw
Chandni Chowk, the spice market and a paratha lane, with a guide who grew up two streets away.
- 03
Amber Before The Crowds
The fort at eight in the morning, when the light is gold and the courtyards are still quiet.
- 04
Nights In Havelis
Family-run mansions with painted ceilings and rooftop dinners instead of chain hotels.
- 05
A Home Kitchen In Jaipur
An afternoon cooking dal, bhindi and fresh rotis with a family in the old city.
- 06
Slow Days, Short Drives
No day on the road runs longer than five and a half hours, with a stop at a stepwell.
Day By Day
A driver meets you at the airport and takes you to a haveli in the diplomatic quarter. In the late afternoon we walk through Lodhi Garden among fifteenth-century tombs, then sit down to a welcome dinner and a first look at the week ahead.
- Stay
- Haveli, Lodhi Estate
- Meals
- Dinner
- Travel
- Airport transfer, 45 min
An early cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk to the Khari Baoli spice market and the steps of the Jama Masjid, then breakfast on stuffed parathas. The afternoon is for Humayun’s Tomb, the garden tomb that inspired the Taj.
- Stay
- Haveli, Lodhi Estate
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Walking
- About 6 km, flat
The Gatimaan Express reaches Agra in 100 minutes. The Taj closes on Fridays, so today is for the red sandstone of Agra Fort and the Baby Taj, and for sunset over the Taj from the Mehtab Bagh gardens across the river.
- Stay
- Riverside lodge, Agra
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Travel
- Train, 1 h 40 min
We are at the east gate when the Taj opens and stay until the light turns white. After breakfast we drive west through Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s abandoned capital, and the thirteen-storey Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri.
- Stay
- Haveli, Jaipur old city
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Travel
- Private car, 5 h 30 min
Amber Fort at eight in the morning, then the City Palace, the giant instruments of the Jantar Mantar observatory and the honeycomb face of the Hawa Mahal. The evening is yours in the bazaars of Johari and Bapu.
- Stay
- Haveli, Jaipur old city
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Walking
- About 5 km, some steps
A free morning, or block printing in Sanganer. In the afternoon a family in the old city teaches you dal, bhindi and fresh rotis, and the week ends with a farewell dinner on a rooftop facing the Hawa Mahal.
- Stay
- Haveli, Jaipur old city
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Travel
- Short drives in the city
After breakfast your driver takes you back to Delhi airport for evening flights, or to the station if you are carrying on to Varanasi or Rajasthan with one of our extensions.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Travel
- Private car, 5 h
Dates & Prices
Small groups leave on the second Wednesday of every peak and shoulder month. Prices are per person, twin share, and change with the season; book 90 days ahead and the fare is 8% lower.
None of these dates work? Plan A Private Departure
What’s Included
Included
- Stays
- Six nights in family-run havelis and a riverside lodge, twin share
- Guides
- Private English-speaking guides in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
- Travel
- Air-conditioned car and driver throughout, and the Gatimaan Express to Agra
- Entry
- The Taj at sunrise, Agra Fort, Amber Fort, the City Palace and Humayun’s Tomb
- Meals
- Six breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners, with a farewell rooftop dinner
- Support
- Airport meet-and-greet and a local host on call day and night
Not Included
- Flights
- International flights, and the Indian e-visa (about $25)
- Insurance
- Travel insurance, which we ask every traveller to hold
- Extras
- Meals not listed, drinks, and tips for guides and drivers
- Cameras
- Video camera fees at monuments
Your Hosts On The Road
Imran Qureshi
Driver & Road HostEighteen years on the Agra road, and a list of chai stalls he will not share with anyone but you.
Ayesha Siddiqui
Lead Guide, Agra & JaipurA Mughal historian by training who still finds something new in the Taj every single week.
Booking & Cancellation
A 20% deposit holds your seats and the balance is due 60 days before departure. If plans change, this is what comes back for the date chosen in Trip Cost:
-
More Than 60 Days Out
Everything But The Deposit
Refunded within 14 days, or moved to a new date for free.
-
60 To 30 Days Out
Half The Total
Hotels and guides are confirmed by now, and we pass their terms on at cost.
-
Under 30 Days
No Refund
This is where your travel insurance takes over.
You are here if you book today.
What Travellers Say
4.9
Based on 64 reviews
4.9
Based on 148 reviews
Agra · Nov 2026
Priya & Arjun MehtaTravelled As A Couple
“We saw the Taj at sunrise with almost nobody else there. Our driver, Imran, knew every quiet road and every good chai stall between Agra and Jaipur.”
Priya & Arjun MehtaTravelled As A Couple
Jaipur · Feb 2026
“The cooking afternoon in Jaipur was the best day of our trip. We still make the dal every Sunday, badly, and we laugh about it every time.”
Hannah ClarkeFamily Of Four
Before You Go
If you can walk for two or three hours with breaks, you will be fine. The longest walks are about six kilometres on flat ground, and Amber Fort has some steep ramps and steps.
The Taj Mahal closes every Friday. Leaving on a Wednesday puts Agra at the weekend, so Friday is our day at Agra Fort and Saturday morning is the Taj at sunrise.
Yes. Any day of the year works for a private departure, and you can add nights or extensions. The trip planner prices it as you go.
A 20% deposit holds your seats. The balance is due 60 days before departure; if you book inside those 60 days, the full amount is due at booking.
October to March is dry and mild, with cool mornings in December and January. April and September are warm, and the summer months are hot, which is why we do not run groups then.
Trip Cost
From $1,890 per person
Rather Talk It Through?
+44 20 7946 0183
Mon – Sat, 09:00 – 19:00 London time. A travel designer who has done this route will pick up.
Through The Jharokha
Every Palace Was Built To Be Looked Out Of
A jharokha is the carved stone window of a Rajput palace, built so the court could watch the city without being seen. Keep scrolling and look through one.
The City Palace · Udaipur
Four hundred years of the Mewar kings, and a family that still lives in the east wing.
Palace Journeys In India
Heritage Stays
Sleep In A Palace
Every heritage journey is built around where you sleep. These are the three kinds of house we love most.
Havelis
Merchant mansions with painted courtyards, carved balconies and dinner on the roof, from Jaipur’s old city to the Shekhawati towns.
From $140 a night
Plan A Haveli Route
Riads
Houses turned inward around a garden and a fountain in the medinas of Fes and Marrakech, with breakfast under the orange tree.
From $120 a night
Plan A Riad Route
Ryokan
Wooden inns in Kyoto with tatami rooms, a hot-spring bath and a kaiseki dinner brought to your room course by course.
From $260 a night
Plan A Ryokan Route
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Petra by candlelight, then two nights in a Bedouin family’s camp in Wadi Rum.
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Istanbul & Cappadocia
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Japan · 8 Days
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Italy · 8 Days
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Palermo’s markets, Baroque Noto and a boat between the volcanic Aeolian islands.
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Peru · 10 Days
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Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu on the first train of the morning.
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Mahalora In Numbers
11+
Heritage Journeys
9+
Countries With Palace Nights
64+
Havelis, Riads & Ryokan
38+
World Heritage Sites On Our Routes
Guest Letters
Written On The Road
Every review is from a traveller who went with us, on the platform they chose.
4.9
Based on 1,284 reviews
4.9
Based on 882 reviews
Udaipur · Feb 2026
“Every haveli had a story, and every story came with a rooftop dinner. Udaipur at dusk was the moment we stopped checking our phones.”
Luc & Sophie MartinRoyal Rajasthan · Honeymoon
Granada · Apr 2026
Daniel OseiAndalusia · Travelled With Friends
“We had the Alhambra’s Nasrid Palaces at opening time and a guide who read the poetry on the walls out loud, in Arabic and then in English.”
Daniel OseiAndalusia · Travelled With Friends
Petra · Oct 2026
“We walked into Petra by candlelight on the first night. Nothing in the brochure prepared us for that, and nothing since has come close.”
Tomás HerreraPetra & Wadi Rum · Solo Traveller
Istanbul · Sep 2026
Hannah ClarkeIstanbul & Cappadocia · Family Of Four
“Istanbul was louder than we expected and Cappadocia quieter. The cave hotel alone was worth the flight. One long drive day, otherwise faultless.”
Hannah ClarkeIstanbul & Cappadocia · Family Of Four
Kyoto · Nov 2026
“The ryokan served dinner in our room, eleven courses, and the owner came in at the end to tell us which temple to see at seven the next morning. He was right.”
Mei TanakaKyoto & The Old Capitals · Travelled As A Couple
Jaipur · Jan 2026
Priya MehtaThe Golden Triangle · Travelled As A Couple
“Our haveli had been in the same family for nine generations. The grandmother taught me to tie a sari, very patiently, twice.”
Priya MehtaThe Golden Triangle · Travelled As A Couple
Desert Nights
Three Deserts, One Campfire
Some of our favourite nights are spent a long way from any palace: in camps under the stars in India, Jordan and Morocco, with dinner cooked over the coals.
Watch: A Night At The Camp · 2:14
Start Somewhere
Tell Us Where You Have Always Meant To Go
A travel designer will send back a first sketch of the journey within two working days. No deposit, no obligation.
Reserve Your Seats
The Golden Triangle, Priced To The Day
Write To Us
Start With A Few Lines
- Nearest Tube
- Russell Square (Piccadilly line), six minutes on foot
- Visits
- Come by for tea and maps; a quick call first means your designer is in