Golden Triangle and Udaipur, slowly

Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you to the hotel in an air-conditioned car.

• Today is a rest day.
• Whatever time you land, the plan is to eat something light, drink water and sleep.
• If you arrive in the morning and feel awake, the driver can take you to Lodhi Garden, a short drive from the centre, where old tombs sit among tall trees and families stroll in the evening.
• Delhi's evening traffic is heavy, so we avoid long cross-city trips after four in the afternoon.
• Our team will message you about tomorrow's start time, and your guide will meet you in the lobby.
• If you have dietary needs or mobility concerns, mention them now, so that every lunch stop and visit can be planned around them.

Your guide joins you after breakfast and the car heads first to Humayun's Tomb, quiet in the morning, with its red sandstone and white marble set in a formal garden.

• Then on to Old Delhi, where you visit Jama Masjid and ride a cycle rickshaw through the lanes of Chandni Chowk, past spice sellers and sweet shops.
• The Red Fort can be added, though it is closed on Mondays.
• Lunch is at a restaurant your guide trusts.
• In the afternoon the car drives through New Delhi, past India Gate and the government buildings, and then to the hotel for a rest.
• Wear shoes that slip off, bring a scarf for the mosque, and carry water.
• Dinner is at leisure.

After breakfast you leave Delhi on the expressway and drive to Agra, roughly three and a half to four hours depending on traffic leaving the city.

• Your driver stops about halfway at a clean rest area for tea.
• In Agra you check in around lunchtime and rest.
• Late in the afternoon your guide takes you across the river to Mehtab Bagh, the garden that faces the Taj, for a first quiet look at the monument as the light softens.
• The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so we plan the dates to avoid that.
• Dinner is early.
• Charge your camera, set the alarm for before dawn and keep your ticket details handy.
• The next morning begins in the dark.

You leave the hotel before sunrise to be at the gate when the Taj Mahal opens.

• Your guide takes you into the garden and onto the marble platform as the colour shifts from grey to pink to cream.
• The first hour is the quietest, and the inlay and calligraphy are clearest in the low light.
• In December and January fog can flatten the sunrise, and your guide will be honest about it.
• Return to the hotel for breakfast and a rest.
• In the late morning visit Agra Fort, the red sandstone fortress with its halls and river views.
• After lunch, you may rest or visit Itimad-ud-Daulah, the small marble tomb across the river, whose inlay is delicate.
• Evening is free, with dinner at the hotel or at a place your driver suggests.

A relaxed morning, then the drive to Jaipur, roughly four and a half to five hours.

• About an hour out you stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital of red sandstone.
• Your guide shows you the Jama Masjid, the Buland Darwaza and the palace courtyards, and the visit takes about ninety minutes.
• Lunch is at a roadside restaurant your driver trusts.
• The scenery changes as you enter Rajasthan, with drier fields, camels and women in bright clothes at the roadside.
• You reach Jaipur in the late afternoon, check in and rest.
• In the evening, take a short walk near the hotel to feel the pink-washed streets, or simply have a quiet dinner.
• Tomorrow is a full day of sightseeing.

Start early at Amber Fort, the hill fortress of sandstone and marble above a lake, before the crowds gather.

• Your guide walks you through the courtyards, and into the Sheesh Mahal, the mirrored hall.
• Stop at Jal Mahal on the way back for a photograph of the lake palace.
• After lunch, visit the City Palace, where part of the royal family still lives, and Jantar Mantar, the open-air observatory with its huge stone instruments.
• Hawa Mahal is seen from the street, since its beauty is in the facade.
• Return to the hotel for a break, and then spend an hour in the bazaars for block-printed cloth, bangles and leather shoes.
• Wear comfortable shoes and carry water.
• Dinner is relaxed, with the option of a rooftop restaurant.

This is the longest drive of the journey, roughly six to seven hours depending on traffic and stops.

• We leave early after breakfast.
• The highway heads southwest across Rajasthan, past Ajmer, and into Mewar, where the Aravalli hills rise and the land turns greener.
• Your driver chooses a good lunch stop and a few breaks to stretch.
• Bring a book, music or just a window seat.
• You arrive in Udaipur in the late afternoon, check in and rest.
• If you feel up to it, walk down to the lake at dusk as the lights come on across the water.
• Dinner is quiet.
• Tomorrow is a guided day, and a gentler one.

Your local guide meets you after breakfast and begins at the City Palace, a great complex of courtyards, balconies and mirrored rooms above Lake Pichola.

• Then you walk to Jagdish Temple, an active temple in the old town, where the morning ritual is lively.
• After lunch, take a break, and in the late afternoon board a boat on Lake Pichola to pass the island palaces as the light softens.
• Boat times follow the sun, so we fix them when we plan.
• The car then takes you up to a viewpoint for the sunset over the city and lake.
• Saheliyon ki Bari, a quiet garden with fountains, is an alternative.
• Dinner is on a terrace by the water.
• Bring a layer in winter.

There is no fixed plan today.

• Sleep in, have a long breakfast, and decide as you go.
• The old town is full of small shops selling miniature paintings, silver jewellery and textiles, and your guide can suggest a good painter or a quiet cafe over the water.
• If you want an outing, the driver can take you to Eklingji and Nagda, about an hour north, or to a village viewpoint in the hills, which can be discussed when we plan.
• Lunch is relaxed.
• The afternoon belongs to the lake: a long walk, a book, or an hour at the hotel.
• In the evening, an evening folk dance and puppet show can be discussed when we plan.
• Pack tonight, and confirm your departure time with your driver.

After breakfast your driver takes you to Udaipur airport, about forty minutes from the old town, or to the railway station for an onward train.

• Flights are not included in the journey, so please share your times with us early and we will leave a comfortable margin.
• The driver helps with luggage and waits until you are checked in.
• If your flight is in the afternoon, you have time for one last walk by Lake Pichola or a quick stop for a miniature painting or a block-printed scarf.
• We hope the ten days felt unhurried, from the first morning in Delhi to the last evening by the lake.
• Safe travels, and tell us what you would like to see next.