Rajasthan Wildlife: Sariska, Ranthambore & Bharatpur

Welcome to India. Our representative meets you at Delhi airport or railway station with a traditional garland welcome and escorts you to your hotel in a private air-conditioned car. After a long journey, the rest of the day is yours to rest and adjust to the new time zone. If you arrive early and feel like stretching your legs, take a gentle evening walk around Connaught Place, the elegant colonnaded circle at the heart of New Delhi, with its cafes, bookshops and busy street life. Your tour manager will brief you on the days ahead.

Begin in Old Delhi at Jama Masjid, one of India's largest mosques, built by Shah Jahan in the 1650s, then take a cycle-rickshaw through the crowded lanes of Chandni Chowk, a 17th-century bazaar of spices, silver and sweets. Drive past the red sandstone walls of the Red Fort and pause at Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. In the afternoon, explore New Delhi: Humayun's Tomb, the Mughal garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal, and the 73-metre Qutub Minar, begun around 1200. End with a drive past India Gate and the grand government buildings of Lutyens' Delhi.

Set off early from Delhi for Sariska Tiger Reserve, set in the rocky Aravalli hills of Alwar district. Once the hunting ground of the Alwar royal family, it became the first reserve in India to bring tigers back after they were lost, moving them from Ranthambore from 2008. Enjoy an afternoon jeep safari with a naturalist through dry forest, grassland and rocky valleys, home to tigers, leopards, sambar, nilgai and many birds, and look out for the old temples and ruins scattered through the park. Continue to Jaipur for the night.

Start early at Amber Fort, the hilltop palace of the Kachwaha rulers above Maota Lake, riding up to the ramparts by jeep. Explore its courtyards and the Sheesh Mahal, a hall lined with thousands of tiny mirrors. Pause for photos at Jal Mahal, the palace in the lake. In the afternoon, visit the City Palace, still home to the former royal family, and Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century observatory of giant stone instruments and a UNESCO site. See the honeycomb facade of Hawa Mahal, then browse the bazaars for block prints, gems and blue pottery.

After breakfast, drive south-east from Jaipur through farmland and small villages to Sawai Madhopur, the gateway to Ranthambore National Park. Once a royal hunting ground of the Jaipur maharajas, Ranthambore became part of Project Tiger in 1973 and is now one of the best places in India to see tigers in daylight. Check in to your jungle lodge and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, set out on your first safari in an open jeep or canter with a naturalist, through dry forest, lakes and ancient ruins.

Head out on a morning safari at first light, in an open jeep or canter with a naturalist who knows the park's tigers and their territories. Ranthambore's dry forest, lakes and ruined pavilions make a dramatic backdrop, and you may also see leopards, sloth bears, sambar, crocodiles and many birds. Return to the lodge for breakfast and rest, or visit the 10th-century Ranthambore Fort inside the park and its Ganesh temple. In the afternoon, set out on a second safari, often into a different zone of the park.

After breakfast, drive north-east from Ranthambore to Bharatpur, about five hours away. In the afternoon, explore Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO-listed wetland and one of Asia's finest bird sanctuaries. It was once a duck-hunting reserve of the Bharatpur maharajas. Travel through the park by cycle-rickshaw with a naturalist, watching for painted storks, herons, kingfishers, eagles and, in winter, migratory ducks and geese from Central Asia and Siberia. Pythons and deer are often seen too. Return to your hotel in the evening.

Enjoy an early morning in Keoladeo National Park, when the birds are most active and the light is soft over the water. After breakfast, drive 55 km to Agra. Visit the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum Shah Jahan built for Mumtaz Mahal, and Agra Fort, the red sandstone citadel of the Mughal emperors on the Yamuna. In the afternoon, drive back to Delhi on the Yamuna Expressway, about four hours away. You are dropped at the airport for your onward flight or at your hotel.