Tigers, Temples & the Taj Mahal

Welcome to India! You will be met on arrival at Delhi International Airport and transferred to your hotel, located close to the airport, which will be convenient for your early flight tomorrow morning. Overnight at the Lemon Tree Premier.

A short transfer to the airport terminal for an early morning flight to Bhopal with a scheduled arrival time of 07.10. Three and a half hour countryside drive to Satpura and arrival at Reni Pani Lodge, your base for the next 3 nights. This afternoon you'll make your first foray into the park in search of leopard, blackbuck, crocodiles and other wildlife. 

Full board accommodation at Reni Pani Lodge.

Morning and evening safaris into the park by jeep and on foot. Satpura is one of central India's lesser visited parks, offering the unique opportunity of walking safaris, which are not offered anywhere else. Seen as one of the country's best kept secrets, Satpura offers a rare true wilderness experience. Many grazing animals can be found here, in addition to their feline predators, along with a large number of bird species, some of which are extremely rare. The rugged terrain is characterised by gorges, rivers and rocky hills.

Full board accommodation at the Reni Pani Lodge. 

Transfer to Pipariya train station for the Intercity Express to Jabalpur departing at 08:10 and arriving 10:50. Take a five hour drive by private car through the villages and countryside to Bandhavgarh and King's Lodge, to spend the evening at leisure. Dinner tonight will be at the hotel. 

Bandhavgarh National Park was once the hunting grounds of the Maharajahs of Rewa with hunting rights all the way up to 1968 when the area was made a national park. Wildlife is obviously protected now which has encouraged a thriving big cat and wildlife population. Good sightings are possible of sloth bears, wild boar, mongoose, samber, barking deer and cheetal.

Migratory birds including warblers, with steppe eagles visiting the wetlands in the park in winter. You are also likely to spot teal, sarus crane, black ibis, kingfishers, Egyptian vulture, hornbills, adjutant, little grebe, white eyed buzzard, serpent eagle, paradise flycatcher and many more.

The Bandhavgarth Fort is not to be missed.

On days 6 and 7, take morning and afternoon jeep safaris into Bandhavgarh Park, which is reputed to have the highest concentration of resident tigers of any park in India. 

Full board accommodation at King's Lodge.

Take a final game drive by jeep into the park this morning, followed by lunch at the hotel before setting off to Khajuraho and the Jass Radisson hotel. 

Khajuraho is famed for its collection of Hindu and Jain temples, many of which feature elaborate and erotic carvings. Most of the temples are over 1000 years old and their art contrasts vividly with conservative modern Indian society. The temples are set in an attractive park and are a great introduction to Hindu temple art.

A full day today visiting both the Western and Eastern groups of Hindu and Jain temples at Khajuraho. 

Overnight at the Jass Radisson Hotel on bed and breakfast basis.

Depart Khajuraho today for the short journey to the beautiful and historic village of Orchha. Set on a picturesque bend of the Betwa River, Orchha is home to a romantic, crumbling palace along with a collection of ancient towers, temples and cenotaphs. This afternoon take a tour around the palace and main monuments. 

Overnight at the Amar Mahal Hotel on bed and breakfast basis.

This morning take the short drive to Jhansi for the Kerala Express train to Agra, departing at 07:10 and arriving at 10:20. Transfer to the Crystal Sarovar Hotel for 1 night. This afternoon take a tour of Agra's historic sites including the Red Fort and so-called Baby Taj - a preparation for the real thing tomorrow! 

Early morning guided visit to the Taj Mahal. Watch the sunrise over this masterpiece; the ultimate monument to love. Later in the day drive to Chambal Safari Lodge for a 2 night stay on full board basis. This afternoon we will search for Blackbuck deer and birds by jeep with a local naturalist.

Chambal is a recent addition to the wildlife scene of North India, and is emerging as a popular destination with its unpolluted habitat and rich diversity of species. Chambal river is also the last remaining habitat of the Gangetic river dolphin. 

This morning we take to the river by boat to look for gharials, marsh crocodiles, Indian skimmers, red-crowned roofed turtle, smooth coated otter and the many other species of wildlife that the park plays host to. Chambal River, one of the cleanest in the country, supports 8 rare turtle species, the largest population of gharials in the wild and is one of the few places to spot the rare Gangetic dolphin.

This afternoon take a second jeep safari to look for the land based birds and animals in the park.

After a leisurely breakfast and some free time to relax this morning, head back to Delhi by car. You'll be taken to the International Airport for your homeward or onward flight. Exact timings today will depend on the time of your flight.