Upgraded - India: Forts + Palaces of Rajasthan

This 13-night escorted tour by Explore Worldwide begins in the capital, New Delhi, where the colonial-era streets of Connaught Place and the narrow alleys of Old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk give a sharp contrast of histories. An early train journey then heads into Rajasthan’s dry plains, reaching the village of Bijay Nagar, where a family-run heritage palace offers a calm retreat from city life.

From there, the tour winds to the great hilltop Chittorgarh Fort, the lake city of Udaipur with its intricate City Palace and Jagdish Temple, and then on to the quiet Jain temples of Ranakpur with their thousands of elaborately carved pillars. The blue-washed houses of Jodhpur and the desert bazaars of Bikaner follow, including a jeep safari in a former royal hunting ground that now shelters black buck and cranes.

The journey ends with Jaipur’s Amber Fort and the imperial city of Agra. The faded grandeur of Fatephur Sikri and the changing colours of the Taj Mahal at sunset set a thoughtful final tone, before returning to Delhi. It is a pace taken seriously, with rural walks and meals in family homes alongside the iconic sites.