Marion Miller is a member of GoTravelDaily’s A-List, a collection of the top travel advisors in the world, and can help plan your perfect getaway. Below is an example of the type of itineraries she creates. To work with Marion, contact her at mmiller@micato.com.
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi
Arrive in Delhi and meet your Micato representative after deplaning. They will accompany you to your luxury vehicle, where cool refreshments await. You will drive through the city to your hotel, The Imperial Hotel, where the manicured lawns, sweeping staircases, and exquisitely carved stone-work will take you back to the glamorous days of the Raj.
Day 2: Delhi
Start your day with a leisurely breakfast before meeting Micato’s tour director, Hem Singh. His charm and intense love for his country and its people make him the ideal companion as you embark on your adventure. Continue to Humayun’s Tomb, where Emperor Humayun, the father of Emperor Akbar, lies buried.
Next, visit a Gurudwara or Sikh Temple, where you will meet community leaders and help prepare the day’s meal. You’ll learn how to roll chapatti dough. After lunch, delve into the exploration of Old Delhi, where you will meet Michael Haidar Ali, who will take you on a fascinating food walk to discover various local treats.
Later, dine at the home of our Indian hosts.
Day 3: Delhi to Agra
Proceed to Agra and check into the Oberoi Amarvilas, located right across from the Taj Mahal. In the evening, visit Mehtab Bagh, a site across the river that offers a spectacular view of the Taj Mahal. Back at the hotel, enjoy the expert ministrations of a traditional Ayurvedic therapist. For dinner, head to the Pool Pavilion, where a sitarist provides live background music while you dine.
Day 4: Agra
Rise early to visit the Taj Mahal, and, as is customary with Micato, be among the first to enter the gates. Accompanying you is your dedicated photographer to capture these memorable moments. You will also visit the widely acclaimed House of Kohinoor for a private viewing of their priceless collection of hand-woven tapestries as well as jewels from the Mughal era.
In the afternoon, get up close and personal with sloth bears at the world’s largest sloth bear rescue facility. If interested, you can sponsor one of the adorable resident bear cubs and receive its biography and periodic welfare updates.
Day 5: Agra to Ranthambore
After breakfast, take a private charter to Sawai Madhopur, home to the Ranthambore National Park. Upon arrival in Ranthambore, proceed to your luxury resort bordering the park, the Oberoi Vanyavilas. In the evening, meet the Head Warden of the park for cocktails and dinner. Ranthambore is a significant success story in Indian wildlife conservation, boasting a growing tiger population. Understanding the tireless conservation efforts is fascinating.
Day 6: Ranthambore
Awake just before dawn to enjoy hot coffee or a pot of tea, accompanied by shortbread to fortify you for the morning’s sunrise game drive. The rolling landscape is a haven for wildlife, especially the tigers that draw visitors from all over the world, with daily sightings, particularly in the early morning.
Between game drives, explore Dastkar, a craft conservation project focused on sustaining local artisans. Visit the workshop where you can see and even try your hand at crafts like block printing, patchwork, rug-weaving, and shoe-making.
Day 7: Ranthambore to Jaipur
Depart Ranthambore for Jaipur and check into the luxurious Rambagh Palace, your accommodations for the next few nights. In the afternoon, visit the City Palace complex. Here you’ll take an insider’s tour with a guide who shares legends that make the Palace memorable. Enjoy a special family dinner at night.
Day 8: Holi
Experience Holi by joining people of all ages who gather to douse each other with brightly colored powder (gulal) and water. Your guide will provide traditional attire for the day—a white kurta-pyjama—and colors. Early in the evening, consider flying a kite. Throughout India, you will often spot children on rooftops engaged in the age-old sport of kite flying. Children can also enjoy a rangoli session at the hotel, learning to recreate beautiful Indian designs using flower petals and dried rice.
Day 9: Jaipur
Wake up early for a balloon adventure over Jaipur. Later, visit the Amber Fort before heading to a private elephant sanctuary. Get up close and personal with Asian elephants by bathing and painting them with traditional Indian designs. As the sun sets, enjoy cocktails at the members-only Jaipur Polo Club, where you will be joined by members of the legendary Jaipur Polo team. This elite game, once for kings and princes, is a way of life in Jaipur.
Day 10: Jaipur to Udaipur
Awaken to a delightful breakfast before departing for Udaipur. Upon arrival, visit the City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Following your visit, head to your hotel, Taj Lake Palace, in time for lunch. Enhance your stay at the Lake Palace Hotel with a cruise on the serene Lake Pichola aboard the antique royal barge, the Gangaur, used in the James Bond film Octopussy. Enjoy cocktails and a delectable dinner served aboard.
Day 11: Udaipur
Join your guide for a tour of nearby temples at Eklingji, followed by a visit to Nagda, with its intricately carved fourth-century temples reflecting stories from centuries past. After lunch, take a camel cart ride through a nearby village where you’ll meet a village elder who will introduce you to his family and perhaps invite you for a cup of tea at home.
Day 12: Udaipur to Jodhpur
After breakfast, depart Udaipur and drive to Ranakpur to visit the magnificent Ranakpur Jain temple complex. Stop for lunch at the charming Maharani Bagh Orchards, originally gifted by the Maharaja to his queen, serving as a royal retreat. Continue to Jodhpur, checking into the Umaid Bhawan Palace, where you will receive a royal welcome. Once settled in, explore the older part of Jodhpur city on an auto-rickshaw, navigating the bustling narrow lanes lined with shops selling exquisite Rajasthani textiles, handicrafts, pottery, curios, and silver jewelry.
Day 13: Jodhpur
Your day begins with a visit to the magnificent Meherangarh Fort. Later, set off to explore nearby Bishnoi Villages such as Guda Bishnoiyan, Kakani, and Khejarli. Afterward, embark on an open jeep safari in the surrounding countryside, stopping en-route for a picnic lunch. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 14: Depart (Jodhpur to Delhi)
Your journey concludes this morning as you fly to Delhi. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to a hotel where a room has been reserved for you. Later that night, proceed to the international airport for your flight home.
