Today we arrive in New Delhi, India's bustling capital. The city is the perfect blend of new and old, with monuments and temples hidden amongst its glittering skyscrapers. For those arriving in time, our tour leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 1.30pm for a welcome meeting followed by a city tour. On our introduction to Delhi, we'll visit the imposing India Gate (war memorial arch), the Parliament buildings and the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President's residence as well as Qutab Minar, the tallest stone tower in India. Our tour leader will be on hand in the evening to suggest dining options. Please note, if you'd like to join today's tour, you'll need to arrive at the hotel by 1.30pm. If you're organising your own travel, we recommend giving yourself at least one hour to clear the airport, plus at least 40 minutes to get to the hotel. To make it in time, the latest your flight can arrive would be around 11am. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will catch you up as soon as possible. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), a 40-minute drive from our hotel.

Compared to New Delhi the Old City is much closer to the image conjured up by Rudyard Kipling. This morning, we'll hop in rickshaws to explore the old city's hub - the Chandni Chowk Bazaar, a jamboree of deafening barter and a wonderful introduction to the 'real' India. We'll also stop by two major sights nearby, the Jami Masjid Mosque and the Red Fort. Mid-morning, we'll head south from New Delhi to Agra, around a three-hour drive away. Here we'll visit Agra Fort, built by Akbar the Great, which contains the incomparable Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque). Before returning to the hotel, we'll get our first sight of the Taj Mahal in the evening light.

This morning's early start rewards us with the spectacular sight of the sun rising over the Taj Mahal. Built more than 300 years ago, it's arguably the world's most poetic building and its beauty seems untouched by age. The Taj Mahal was created by Shah Jahan as a funerary monument to his favourite wife, Mumtaz, and the great Moghul was laid to rest next to her beneath the building's marble dome. Later in the day, we'll drive to the entrance of Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Once a royal duck-shooting reserve, the park is now an ornithologist's paradise, the 12 square miles of lakes and marshlands offer a safe habitat for large numbers of breeding waterbirds and migrants. More than 300 species have been sighted, among them herons, storks, geese, and the rare Siberian crane. We'll take a birdwatching tour by rickshaw to see some of these magnificent birds. After lunch, we'll continue our journey, driving to Karauli, via Mahuwa and Hindaun for a taste of rural India. Our drive will take approximately four hours but will be broken up with plenty of stops in local villages en route. While in Karauli, we'll step into the time of the Raj at a family-run heritage hotel.

Today we'll begin to explore the town. Founded in 1348, Karauli is a holy town that's famous for the pale red sandstone wall fortification that surrounds it. Legend has it that the ruling family were descendants of Lord Krishna, one of the most loved gods in Hindu mythology. We'll ride on camel-drawn carts from our hotel to the town's imposing 600-year-old palace. Used as a residence by the royal family until 1950, the palace has since been abandoned and is now occupied by monkeys and geese - it's said that the geese were once used as a warning system against any intruders.

This morning, we'll set out on the four-hour drive to Pachewar, a small village that's famous for its cenotaphs, blue pottery kilns and metal toy makers. It's a lively place that was once ruled by the Khangarot Rajputs. The caretaker of Khandar, Thakur Anoop Singh Khangarot, captured the fort of Ranthambore from the captivity of the Marathas and annexed it to the state of Jaipur. While in Pachewar, we'll stay at another family-run heritage property, Pachewar Garh Fort. Built 300 years ago, the fort is a testament to its heritage with huge ramparts, turrets, and gates. The afternoon is free to explore the village, get closer to village life or maybe even watch locals in a game of cricket. In the evening, there'll be a puppet show held at the hotel.

This morning, we'll head out on foot to visit the local temple and a village home, where we'll have a cooking demonstration to learn about Rajasthani cuisine. Later in the afternoon, we'll head to a farm, giving us more opportunity to connect with the local way of life and rural India. Afterwards, the afternoon is free to unwind at our heritage fort and get dressed up in traditional Indian costume before dinner.

After breakfast, we'll drive for three hours to Jaipur. Known as the 'Pink City', Jaipur was first painted terracotta pink by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh to celebrate the visit of Prince Albert in 1853. On arrival, we'll visit City Palace, where we'll find a fine collection of textiles and costumes and the Palace of the Winds, a five-story façade that you might have already spotted on souvenir postcards. This is also home to Jantar Mantar, a stargazing observatory built by Jai Singh, the great Maharaja-astronomer. In the evening, there's an optional puppet show at the hotel, or you might like to take in a famous Bollywood movie at the Raj Mandir, an art-deco style cinema where the locals cheer on their favourite movie stars.

Today, we'll take a short drive to the foot of the Amber Palace, an impressive hilltop fortress that's home to the Chamber of Mirrors and affords astounding views of the surrounding plains. After our visit to the palace, we'll return to Jaipur for a free afternoon exploring the Pink City at your own pace.

After a leisurely breakfast, we'll bid farewell to Jaipur and drive back to Delhi. It's a long drive of around six to seven hours but we'll break it up with a stop at Samode Palace in the Aravalli Hills. Blending elements of Mughal traditional architecture, this 475-year-old former royal residence is a treasure trove awaiting to be explored with twisting narrow stone staircases, lavish mosaics, fountains, and hidden courtyards. We'll tour the grounds by camel cart and have lunch at the palace before continuing our journey and arriving into New Delhi in the early evening.

Our tour of India's Golden Triangle ends at our hotel in Delhi. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight leaves later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like a hotel transfer, you'll need to depart from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).