Luxury Travel India- Urbane Nomads- Sample Itinerary

A 15-day itinerary that highlights the cross-influences of the Mughal and Rajputana traditions.
Start in Delhi, taking a rickshaw down old Chandni Chowk, visiting haunting Humayun's tomb before taking a respite in the relative solitude of Lodhi Gardens.
You'll be staying in a palace that serves as one of the best examples of Mughal-Rajputana architecture and in a moment inspired by Satyajit Ray's 'Sonar Kella', experience Indian train travel through Jaisalmer and then zip through its deserts and sand dunes on camelback!
Day 1-3: Delhi Located close to the tranquility of Lodhi Gardens, the Aman New Delhi is a chic semblance of New Delhi- jali screens, sleek walls and monochromatic colour palettes. Visit the Safdarjung Tomb, described as 'the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture' at the end of Lodi Road. On the second day, visit Humayun's tomb and Qutb Minar, then heading to the Red Fort which served as the capital of the Mughals until their exile by the British in 1857. Arrive in Jamaa Masjid , a building commissioned by Shah Jahan, before the evening namaaz and later take a rickshaw ride down Chandni Chowk, one of the loveliest boulevards during Mughal times but today represents the frenetic pace of Old Delhi.
Day 3-4: Agra Drive down today to Agra. You'll be based at the Oberoi Amarvilas- each room with a view of the Taj. The day is spent visiting Agra Fort with optional visits to a store owned by the family who'd served as jewellers to the Mughal Court. Have a private viewing of exquisite zardosis featuring representations of hunting scenes that seemingly brought to life through the zardosi technique. Witness too, the continuation of the art of Mughal carpet-making, unique in the music employed during the carpet-marking process. Early morning visit of the Taj Mahal the next day before driving to Jaipur, with a stopover in Fatehpur Sikri, instrumental during Akbar the Great's reign.
Day 4-6: Jaipur Most iconic to the Rajputana and Mughal tradition, the relatively new city of Jaipur was founded by Rajput rulers during the Mughal era. One of the first planned cities in India, the city was built in consultation with Vidyadar Bhattacharya, according to the principles of Shilpa Shastra, a science of Indian architecture. On the second day, you could have lunch at a royal hunting lodge overlooking a lake, visit an ancestral fort and, since this is one of the capitals of polo, watch or partake in the game of polo. The Jaipur city museum showcases one of the polo balls used by Mughal ladies- its centre cored and replaced with burning embers for the Mughal ladies who played the game in the evenings.
Day 6-7: Samode Palace is a stunning example of Mughal-Rajputana architecture. Here, you'll be able to go horseriding in the Aravalli Hills, or have a private dinner in the splendid durbar halls. In the evenings, relax in the enchanting gardens of Samode Bagh, a 16th century Mughal style garden with the characteristic lush greens and water features- a row of fountains deriving its source from a system of springs and wells and tent walls featuring elegant Mughal art paintings. Originally built as a Rajput fort, Samode Palace was later converted into a palace blending Rajput and Mughal architectural styles. Here, you'll find the hall of mirrors and intricate frescoes.
Day 7-10: Udaipur--aptly called "the Venice of the East" and the former Kingdom of Mewar, is the homebase to the Rajput clan of the Great Sisodias and is the only state that never fell to the Mughals. This fierce independence continues to contemporary times, with Udaipur being the only Indian state unrepresented in the Delhi Durbar for King George V in 1911. Rosita Forbes, who'd passed through this land during the decline of the British Raj, described it as 'like no other place on earth'. Based at the Leela Kempinski Udaipur, you'll spend the next morning cruising the famed Lake Pichola at leisure followed by a trip to a village on the edges of Udaipur famous for its concentration of Jain temples with spectacular sundowners in a magnificently restored temple after. A day trip to Ranakpur and its famous Jain temples is in order on day 9.
Day 10-11:Jaisalmer Inspired by Satyajit Ray's 'Sonar Kella' you will be travelling by train to Jaisalmer today, experiencing a slice of Indian train travel. You'll be based in the great Thar desert in a glamorous desert tent. Visit Jaisalmer Fort, otherwise known as Sonar Kella, made of golden yellow sandstone set to glitter like amber jewel in the desert.

By evening time or early next morning you will be riding camels on the sand dunes. The dunes, while beautiful, are equally treacherous, with winds almost as intense as the khamsins (sandstorms) in the Sahara- encapsulating the wild remote beauty of Jaisalmer.

Day 11-13 Jodhpur : On your way to Jodhpur today, you will visit Haldi Ghati, the site of the historic Battle of Haldighati fought between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber, general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, a battle immortalized in a poem of the same name by Shyam Narayan Pandey. In Jodhpur you will be staying at the Umaid Bhawan, one of the largest private residences in the world, located on Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur. The Umaid Bhawan is quite distinctive from the Moghul style that dominates much of the landscape in Jodhpur in its distinctively Rajput influence.Built with the intention of being the new symbol of a Jodhpur that was at the cusp of a new era, designed to replace his ancestor's Meherangarh Fort, the project was commissioned to Henry Vaughn Lanchester who articulated Maharaja Umaid Singh's desires to depart from Mughal architectural influences, twinning instead, the prevalent art-deco aesthetic of the time with Hindu architectural influences. Tomorrow you will visit the Meherangarh Fort, the Umaid Bhawan's predecessor as the architectural symbol of the Rathore Clan, which also contains a museum considered one of the best in Rajasthan, with Rathore arms, palanquins and paintings and period rooms on display
Reading Ghalib in Old Delhi: Delhi You might want to take a walking tour of Chandni Chowk today, famed for its Mughlai and vegetarian cuisine. Visit Mirza Ghalib's haveli, a colourful character and poet who'd achieved fame posthumously. Most famous for recording the decline of Delhi- its decaying havelis, the destruction of its bazaars and the disappearance of whole mohallas- the resultant old Delhi that you see now as you walk through Ballimaran. An optional personal shopper is yours for the day should you wish to identify the best fashion and homeware finds in Delhi.
Prices (Indicative Only)
This itinerary can be extended to include Ranthambore National Park(its strategic location dictated that it would be fought over by the Mughals and Rajputs) and Bhandavgarh National Park- both the site of royal hunting retreats. In Ranthambore, Urbane Nomads will be able to arrange for you to listen to traditional performances in the evenings featuring music that Akbar the Great would have listened to during his campaign of Udaipur with expert narrative from a scholar on Akbar.

A 15-day itinerary that highlights the cross-influences of the Mughal and Rajputana traditions.
Start in Delhi, taking a rickshaw down old Chandni Chowk, visiting haunting Humayun's tomb before taking a respite in the relative solitude of Lodhi Gardens.
You'll be staying in a palace that serves as one of the best examples of Mughal-Rajputana architecture and in a moment inspired by Satyajit Ray's 'Sonar Kella', experience Indian train travel through Jaisalmer and then zip through its deserts and sand dunes on camelback!

Day 1-3: Delhi Located close to the tranquility of Lodhi Gardens, the Aman New Delhi is a chic semblance of New Delhi- jali screens, sleek walls and monochromatic colour palettes. Visit the Safdarjung Tomb, described as 'the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture' at the end of Lodi Road. On the second day, visit Humayun's tomb and Qutb Minar, then heading to the Red Fort which served as the capital of the Mughals until their exile by the British in 1857. Arrive in Jamaa Masjid , a building commissioned by Shah Jahan, before the evening namaaz and later take a rickshaw ride down Chandni Chowk, one of the loveliest boulevards during Mughal times but today represents the frenetic pace of Old Delhi.

Day 3-4: Agra Drive down today to Agra. You'll be based at the Oberoi Amarvilas- each room with a view of the Taj. The day is spent visiting Agra Fort with optional visits to a store owned by the family who'd served as jewellers to the Mughal Court. Have a private viewing of exquisite zardosis featuring representations of hunting scenes that seemingly brought to life through the zardosi technique. Witness too, the continuation of the art of Mughal carpet-making, unique in the music employed during the carpet-marking process. Early morning visit of the Taj Mahal the next day before driving to Jaipur, with a stopover in Fatehpur Sikri, instrumental during Akbar the Great's reign.

Day 4-6: Jaipur Most iconic to the Rajputana and Mughal tradition, the relatively new city of Jaipur was founded by Rajput rulers during the Mughal era. One of the first planned cities in India, the city was built in consultation with Vidyadar Bhattacharya, according to the principles of Shilpa Shastra, a science of Indian architecture. On the second day, you could have lunch at a royal hunting lodge overlooking a lake, visit an ancestral fort and, since this is one of the capitals of polo, watch or partake in the game of polo. The Jaipur city museum showcases one of the polo balls used by Mughal ladies- its centre cored and replaced with burning embers for the Mughal ladies who played the game in the evenings.

Day 6-7: Samode Palace is a stunning example of Mughal-Rajputana architecture. Here, you'll be able to go horseriding in the Aravalli Hills, or have a private dinner in the splendid durbar halls. In the evenings, relax in the enchanting gardens of Samode Bagh, a 16th century Mughal style garden with the characteristic lush greens and water features- a row of fountains deriving its source from a system of springs and wells and tent walls featuring elegant Mughal art paintings. Originally built as a Rajput fort, Samode Palace was later converted into a palace blending Rajput and Mughal architectural styles. Here, you'll find the hall of mirrors and intricate frescoes.

Day 7-10: Udaipur--aptly called "the Venice of the East" and the former Kingdom of Mewar, is the homebase to the Rajput clan of the Great Sisodias and is the only state that never fell to the Mughals. This fierce independence continues to contemporary times, with Udaipur being the only Indian state unrepresented in the Delhi Durbar for King George V in 1911. Rosita Forbes, who'd passed through this land during the decline of the British Raj, described it as 'like no other place on earth'. Based at the Leela Kempinski Udaipur, you'll spend the next morning cruising the famed Lake Pichola at leisure followed by a trip to a village on the edges of Udaipur famous for its concentration of Jain temples with spectacular sundowners in a magnificently restored temple after. A day trip to Ranakpur and its famous Jain temples is in order on day 9.

Day 10-11:Jaisalmer Inspired by Satyajit Ray's 'Sonar Kella' you will be travelling by train to Jaisalmer today, experiencing a slice of Indian train travel. You'll be based in the great Thar desert in a glamorous desert tent. Visit Jaisalmer Fort, otherwise known as Sonar Kella, made of golden yellow sandstone set to glitter like amber jewel in the desert. By evening time or early next morning you will be riding camels on the sand dunes. The dunes, while beautiful, are equally treacherous, with winds almost as intense as the khamsins (sandstorms) in the Sahara- encapsulating the wild remote beauty of Jaisalmer.

Day 11-13 Jodhpur : On your way to Jodhpur today, you will visit Haldi Ghati, the site of the historic Battle of Haldighati fought between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber, general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, a battle immortalized in a poem of the same name by Shyam Narayan Pandey. In Jodhpur you will be staying at the Umaid Bhawan, one of the largest private residences in the world, located on Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur. The Umaid Bhawan is quite distinctive from the Moghul style that dominates much of the landscape in Jodhpur in its distinctively Rajput influence.Built with the intention of being the new symbol of a Jodhpur that was at the cusp of a new era, designed to replace his ancestor's Meherangarh Fort, the project was commissioned to Henry Vaughn Lanchester who articulated Maharaja Umaid Singh's desires to depart from Mughal architectural influences, twinning instead, the prevalent art-deco aesthetic of the time with Hindu architectural influences. Tomorrow you will visit the Meherangarh Fort, the Umaid Bhawan's predecessor as the architectural symbol of the Rathore Clan, which also contains a museum considered one of the best in Rajasthan, with Rathore arms, palanquins and paintings and period rooms on display.

Reading Ghalib in Old Delhi: Delhi You might want to take a walking tour of Chandni Chowk today, famed for its Mughlai and vegetarian cuisine. Visit Mirza Ghalib's haveli, a colourful character and poet who'd achieved fame posthumously. Most famous for recording the decline of Delhi- its decaying havelis, the destruction of its bazaars and the disappearance of whole mohallas- the resultant old Delhi that you see now as you walk through Ballimaran. An optional personal shopper is yours for the day should you wish to identify the best fashion and homeware finds in Delhi.

Prices (Indicative Only) This itinerary can be extended to include Ranthambore National Park(its strategic location dictated that it would be fought over by the Mughals and Rajputs) and Bhandavgarh National Park- both the site of royal hunting retreats. In Ranthambore, Urbane Nomads will be able to arrange for you to listen to traditional performances in the evenings featuring music that Akbar the Great would have listened to during his campaign of Udaipur with expert narrative from a scholar on Akbar.

From travel moments inspired by the films of Satyajit Ray to staying in glorious palaces, this is an itinerary through Rajasthan that highlights its Mughal-Rajputana influences. Click on thumbnail to download pdf.

This itinerary, designed to coincide with the Pushkar Camel Festival (but works equally well during other times of the year), combines the highlights of India's Golden Triangle with a horse trek through the remote villages of Rajasthan, visiting the famously ornate Jain temples and picnics recalling the glamour of a bygone era, whilst staying in a dazzling assortment of accommodation choices- the former hunting lodge of a Maharani, a resplendent Art Deco palace or former Maharaja's residences.

Breakfast overlooking the Taj, witnessing an aarti in Varanasi, tiger safaris in Bandhavgarh, wandering through the erotic temples of Khajuraho, before ending the trip in Lucknow. Contact us for tours through Lutyen's colonial Delhi or the old Delhi of Mirza Ghalib. Or end the journey with a luxury spa retreat in the Himalayas.

On a luxury cruise through the Andaman Islands, recently propelled into the mainstream consciousness, post-tsunami, through video footage of tribes shooting at rescue boats with bows and arrows. Whilst this indirectly introduces the debate on the ethics of tourism into the area, this cruise itinerary combines visits to some of the islands in an area associated with pristine beaches, gin-clear waters and lush inland forests- the epitomy of the modern day paradise, with excellent diving opportunities. The areas visited (or rather, not visited) are in line with efforts to protect the lifestyles of the indigenous people of the area.

Mughal-Rajputana Rajasthan