India
Other suggested itineraries
Northwest India - Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra
The following are examples Remote Lands’ recommended activities that can be incorporated into our clients’ bespoke itineraries.
Destinations include: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Alwar, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Ranthambore National Park.
Delhi
With a prominent published scholar of Mughal architecture, explore the Red Fort and other Delhi landmarks, including areas of sites not normally open to the public.
Enjoy a night on the town with famous Indian fashion designer and entrepreneur, to include private Delhi high-society party.
Go on an insider’s contemporary art tour, meeting the driving forces of leading Delhi galleries.
Attend a fabulous, colorful Delhi society wedding (wedding season is typically between November and February, when auspicious dates fall).
Visit Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Parsi and Buddhist houses of worship with religion expert.
Visit the Delhi home of a Kashmiri family dynasty renowned for their knowledge and inventory of the finest shawls, scarves, carpets and other unique textiles.
Stay at Aman New Delhi, the Amanresorts’ newest city-based property, situated among the lush environs of Lutyens’ Delhi, or the sumptuous Art Deco Imperial Palace.
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Agra
Visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise and the beautifully preserved Agra Fort with an expert in Mughal architecture.
Have a private Mughal feast served to you in a marble pavilion overlooking gardens with a view of the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in the distance.
Visit Fatehpur Sikri, the intact Mughal emperor “ghost city,” as well as an M.C. Escher-esque stepwell few tourists know of.
Indulge in an Ayurvedic treatment at the Oberoi Amarvilas’s authentic Ayurvedi center.
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Jaipur
Embark on an early-morning hot-air balloon flight over Jaipur and Amber’s remarkable landscape of forts and palaces.
Receive a private lesson in fundamentals of elephant polo at the exclusive Dera Amer followed by private elephant safari and dinner.
Have a grand puja, an elaborate ceremonial blessing, in a village outside of Jaipur with 50 locals as your guests.
Go on a bespoke shopping tour of Jaipur’s diverse workshops, boutiques and markets.
Visit Jaipur’s best museums and monuments with an expert local historian.
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Alwar
Have lunch with a local family in remote tribal village of minority people who have maintained separate and distinct customs as a result of their isolated lifestyle.
Explore an early 17th-century city deserted after only a generation.
Have a private cooking class and feast on your creations.
In a Kashmiri-built shikara boat, cruise around Mansarover Lake, a haven for ornithologists and particularly good for bird-watching from October to February.
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Udaipur
Enjoy a private champagne cruise on Lake Pichola as the sun sets behind the Aravali hills.
Perform a wedding vow renewal ceremony attended by entire local village followed by dinner bash in your honor.
Have a royal audience with a young prince, who is a highly educated entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist - and friend of Remote Lands.
Participate in a private Hindu puja ceremony for longevity and prosperity held at family temple of Remote Lands’ close friend.
Make a day-trip pilgrimage to awe-inspiring Jain temple complex at Ranakpur, one of the faith’s five holy sites. Meet the temple's head priest and enjoy a private blessing in a secluded area after other tourists have left.
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Jodhpur
Stay in the luxurious Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace. Set in 26 acres of lush, landscaped gardens, Umaid Bhawan is the residence of the royal family of Jodhpur and has been since it was completed in 1943. There are over 300 rooms, 64 of which are used for guest rooms and suites.
With your expert guide explore the majestic Mehrangarh Fort, perched on a rock towering 410-feet over the city. Rao Jodha began construction on the fort soon after he founded Jodhpur in 1459, and subsequent rulers have added to it.
Within the fort is Mehrangarh Fort Museum, considered the best in Rajasthan. Its meticulously restored royal chambers and fascinating collections of miniature paintings, weaponry and other artifacts of a bygone era are well worth a look.
Stroll through the fort’s Chokelao Bagh gardens. Unchanged since the 18th century, the gardens’ fragrant native flowers and trees frame Chokelao Palace, which is currently being restored.
Have dinner at your hotel’s smart casual restaurant, Risala. Risala, meaning cavalry, celebrates the victory of the Jodhpur Lancers against the Turks at Haifa in 1918. The menu fuses Indian and continental flavors, complimented by an excellent domestic and international wine list.
Visit a local temple in nearby Palasni, where you’ll participate in a puja ritual, a daily reminder of the link between the earthly and celestial worlds.
Learn how to tie several different types of turbans, discovering the head piece's history and its many practical applications.
Be entertained by a troupe of Dhood dancers, comprised of six men and six women, who will introduce you to Rajasthan's rich tradition of storytelling and dance accompanied by unique indigenous instruments.
Have drinks and dinner with a member of the royal family of Jodhpur, who will convey his immense knowledge of the history of the state, the culture, customs and traditions of Rajasthan.
Remote Lands will design a bespoke shopping trip for you in Jodhpur, which is known for its textiles and furniture. An excellent selection of goods can be found at Sardar Bazaar, which is near the fort and surrounded by a six-mile long wall with eight entry points.
Henna artists also line the bazaar’s major thoroughfares. Henna is typically applied during special occasions such as weddings and festivals, and is particularly associated with brides and bridegrooms.
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Jaisalmer
The far-flung desert outpost of Jaisalmer is often called the “Golden City,” due to the glow of its buildings made of local sandstone. Founded by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD, Jaisalmer’s remote location kept it almost untouched by outside influences, even during the days of the Raj. Jaisalmer was the last to sign the Instrument of Agreement with the British.
Drive to the sand dunes and go on a private camel safari. You can visit the Maulana Dunes, where you will pass thatched clay huts with straw roofs and other beautifully decorated camels.
Visit a local market and a private home and have tea with a local family.
Drive 18 miles from your accommodation, The Serai (see below) to Hamira, a village populated by Manganiyars, a caste of world-class Rajasthani folk musicians whose ancestors performed in various royal courts in Rajasthan.
With your expert guide explore the impressive Jaisalmer Fort, which virtually blends into the desert sand at certain hours, and glistens when the sun hits it at certain angles. Though its heyday is long gone, it is one of the world’s rare “living forts,” with about 25 percent of Jaisalmer’s current population residing within the fort, which is protected by three layers of ramparts.
Inside the fort, your guide will show you through the stately havelis, originally designed as homes for the area’s wealthy traders and court officials. Also within the fort are several Jain temples that you can visit.
Go on a walking tour of Jaisalmer, including Gadesar Lake, Jain temples, the city ramparts and the old market. Gadesar is actually a massive catch-water for rain that once supplied all of the water for this desert city.
Dine under the stars on a Rajasthani feast prepared by your private chef while traditional Rajasthani musicians perform.
Stay at The Serai, a luxury desert camp and spa that opened in 2009. The Serai has 14 Tented Suites, seven Luxury Tented Suites and one Royal Suite set on 30 acres of a 100-acre estate of indigenous desert scrub in the Great Thar Desert. There is a pool, lounge and dining tents and a Spa with four treatment tents created by Raison d’Etre, one of the world’s leading Spa companies. It is about a one-hour drive from the airport to the Serai, and a one-hour drive from the property to the city of Jaisalmer.
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Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park is just under 270 square miles in size and is one of the few places in the world to see the Bengal tiger in the wild. In the 19th century, the grounds were the private and exclusive hunting reserves of the Jaipur and Karauli royal families. Conservation efforts have been in made since the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until 1973 that hunting, legal or not, was totally eradicated. By then the tiger population was almost totally decimated. Numbers have gone up since then, although tiger poaching again reared its ugly head again in the early 1990s. Park officials are extremely strict now and many tiger cubs have been born in the last decade.
Rise early and go for your first game drive. Drives begin at 06:30 and end around 10:00. In the winter, seeing tigers is rare, but certainly the park is home to a number of other species that you may see, including leopards, crocodiles, striped hyenas, sambar deer, macaques, jackals, black bucks and Indian flying foxes. The best time to spot game in general is during the hottest period of the year, April through June.
Ranthambore is also famed for its diversity of birdlife. Embark on a nature walk with an ornithologist and learn about the myriad of migratory birds that pass through here and the resident breeding birds that make their home here for most of the year.
Take an open-top jeep to the old city of Ranthambore, which is located within Ranthambore Fort, a monument within the grounds of the national park. Your expert guide will illuminate the old city's history, starting with its construction between 944 and 1110 AD. Given its prime location 700 feet above sea level, it was the site of many decisive battles over the centuries.
Stay at Aman-i-Khás, which is located on the edge of Ranthambore National Park and has just 10 luxury tents decorated in a modern Mughal style. Alternatively, stay at the Oberoi Vanyavilas, whose luxury tents feature finely embroidered canopies, luxurious bathrooms and private walled gardens – a perfect contrast to the ruggedness of the jungle.
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