Heritage palace journey

Your driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your hotel, which is arranged in the five-star or heritage category.

• The drive is usually under an hour.
• The evening is yours.
• A walk in the hotel gardens, tea and an early dinner suit most guests, and there is nothing to organise.
• If you are awake and want a short drive past India Gate and the broad avenues of New Delhi, the driver can take you.
• He will agree tomorrow's start with you before you part, and we keep the first morning gentle.
• Keep your first evening free of plans and drink plenty of water.
• The rooms in heritage properties often have high ceilings and carved furniture, so allow time to explore your own hotel before dinner.

Your guide joins at the hotel after breakfast.

• The morning is Humayun's Tomb, the garden tomb that came before the Taj, and then Lutyens' Delhi, the avenue of the colonial capital, with India Gate and the government buildings.
• After lunch, visit Qutub Minar, then Old Delhi, where a cycle rickshaw takes you through the lanes near Jama Masjid.
• The Red Fort stands at the end of the street.
• Take shoes you can slip off, and cover shoulders at mosques.
• Return to the hotel for a rest, and dinner at a restaurant your guide recommends.
• The day is paced to avoid midday heat, with the longer walks in the morning and late afternoon.
• Your guide explains how the Mughal and colonial layers of the city fit together, which makes the later palaces easier to read.

Leave after breakfast for Samode, roughly six hours' driving including breaks.

• The road passes through Haryana and the edge of Rajasthan, then climbs gently into the Aravalli hills.
• Lunch is at a roadside restaurant.
• You arrive in Samode in the late afternoon, a small village of painted houses and an old palace, away from the tourist trail.
• Take tea, and walk through the village with your guide at sunset, when the light is soft and children and cattle return home.
• Dinner is at the heritage hotel.
• The village has a quiet charm that contrasts with Delhi.
• Leave early to avoid the heaviest traffic out of Delhi.
• The car has water and cold drinks for the road, and the driver knows where to find clean facilities.
• Charge your phone before leaving, as the village is quiet.

Spend the morning in Samode.

• A short walk shows the old haveli doors and painted walls, and the hotel's own courtyards and gardens are part of the stay.
• If you wish, a village visit or a short drive to a nearby temple can be arranged.
• Then leave for Jaipur, roughly an hour and a half away, arriving around lunchtime.
• After a rest, the afternoon begins at the City Palace, where the royal family still keeps rooms, and continues to Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal.
• The old city bazaars are close by.
• Dinner is at a restaurant your guide knows, or at the hotel.
• Photographs of village doors are best in the morning light.
• Ask before you point a camera at anyone, and small purchases at local shops are welcomed.
• The ride to Jaipur is short, so you can spend the morning slowly.

Start at Amber Fort early, before the heat and the crowds.

• Go up by car, walk through the mirrored hall and the old zenana, and enjoy the views over Maota Lake.
• The car stops at the Jal Mahal on the way back.
• After lunch, you can visit a block-printing or miniature-painting workshop, or walk the Johari Bazaar.
• In the late afternoon, Nahargarh Fort gives a view of the pink city and is a gentle way to end the day.
• Bring a light jacket for the breeze.
• If you prefer a quiet afternoon, the hotel is a fine place to rest.
• Amber is busy by ten, so the early start matters.
• Wear shoes with grip, as the old stone paths are smooth, and carry water.
• Your guide can suggest a heritage tea room in the old city for the afternoon.

After breakfast, leave for Agra, a drive of roughly five hours.

• Stop at Abhaneri to see its deep stepwell, with thousands of steps in geometric patterns, and at Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned red sandstone Mughal capital, for an hour with your guide.
• Lunch is at a roadside restaurant.
• You reach Agra in the late afternoon.
• At sunset, the driver takes you to Mehtab Bagh, the garden across the river, for a quiet first view of the Taj.
• Dinner is at the hotel.
• Early to bed, as the next day begins at dawn.
• The stepwell at Abhaneri is a quiet stop where the afternoon light picks out the steps.
• Stay behind the railings, as the descent is not open to visitors.
• Keep small notes ready for local sellers on the way.

The driver takes you to the Taj Mahal gates around sunrise.

• Your guide leads you through security, where large bags are not allowed, and into the garden as the marble shifts from grey to pink.
• Spend an hour or more inside.
• The Taj is closed on Fridays, so on those days we plan the visit for another morning.
• In December and January fog can flatten the sunrise.
• Return to the hotel for breakfast and rest.
• In the afternoon, visit the Agra Fort, whose red sandstone palaces face the Taj across the river, and Itimad-ud-Daulah, the delicate marble tomb.
• Your guide handles the gate and security queue so you walk straight in.
• Bring a light scarf for the sun, and leave bulky bags in the car.
• The marble stays cool underfoot.

After a late breakfast, the car leaves for Delhi on the expressway, roughly four hours.

• If your flight is in the evening, you arrive in time for lunch and the airport.
• If it is later, a rest at a hotel can be arranged.
• Flights are not included, so share your flight time when we plan.
• Your driver takes you to the airport or hotel, and your guide may suggest an extra stop on the way if time permits.
• The family team will be in touch before and after the journey.
• The expressway is smooth, and the driver can stop for tea at a rest area if you need one.
• Keep your passport and tickets where you can reach them, and tell the driver if you want the air conditioning cooler.