India

This ten-night tour by Riviera Travel offers a paced exploration through several highlights of northern India, beginning with two nights in Delhi split between the New and Old city. The wide, tree-lined avenues of Lutyens’ New Delhi contrast with the older quarters, such as the Red Fort and the Sikh gurudwara at Bangla Sahib.

Afterwards the itinerary moves to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is best caught at dawn as the morning mist rises over the Yamuna River, its silhouette nearly floating. Adjacent stands Agra Fort, more palace than fortress, its red sandstone walls filled with history. The partly abandoned Fatehpur Sikri, once Emperor Akbar’s brief capital, reveals carved courtyards and palaces, offering a quieter glimpse of Mughal grandeur.

Wildlife takes a central role with two safaris in Ranthambore National Park, once a maharajah’s hunting ground and now a tiger conservation area with more than 300 bird species. The tour closes with time in Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’, where the City Palace and the psychedelic hall of mirrors at Amber Fort provide an architectural finale. Special mention must be made of the ‘canters’—open-top vehicles designed for game viewing—allowing a close connection to the landscape and its creatures.