Family Holiday to India

The Story

Best time to go: October Half Term, Christmas Holidays, February Half Term & Easter Holidays
Best for: Family Holidays, Culture & Beach, Cultural & Immersive

For anyone, a visit to India stirs the senses as it is just so very different to everywhere else. For children, this is maximised ten-fold, and they simply love it. Due to the slightly longer drives and train travel we generally say that it is great for children who are about eight or older, but we can adapt it for younger guests. There is no need to worry about logistics, our team of drivers, guides and staff on the ground will make the journey seem like clockwork. We have carefully selected hotels that all have swimming pools, as we know the quid pro quo of setting out on a family adventure is to reward the children with some pool-time each day. That said, we can include as little or as much adventure as you want, and tailor the itinerary around your family’s particular passions and interests. Begin in Delhi, and we always adapt the daily programme for families – seeing less of the old buildings and architecture and more about seeing local life and markets. Continue to Agra (by fast train) and see the Taj Mahal, having two nights here rather than the usual one, leaving enough time to kick-back in the pool. Again, take the train down to Ranthambore for two days on a wildlife safari in the park. It is a great place to spot tiger in the wild, and the park is packed with other assorted animals and bird species. Drive back up to Jaipur and spend three nights in Samode Palace, which some of our younger guests have commented looks somewhat like Hogwarts. Needless to say, three days here will allow you to explore Jaipur leisurely. We have adapted the way to see Jaipur for families, and our way of doing it is to slightly cut down on time in the main buildings such as the City Palace and see local life in action. You’ll walk through the old bazaars, have tea in an old Haveli, learn to tie your own turbans and head across to the traditional block-printers where you can make your own scarfs, meet a traditional astrologer, take a walk through the tribal villages surrounding Jaipur and take an elephant ride through the local countryside. You even get to help paint the elephant in traditional designs. After all that fun, fly directly down to Goa for four nights of complete R&R on the beach before flying home.

Guide Pricing

Starting At

LOCATION:

£2995

Price per person including all accommodation, private transfers, unique experiences and excluding international flights. We can arrange international flights should you wish.

Highlights

Wonderful family adventure, a perfect mix of culture, history, wildlife and beach
Ideal for children who are 8+
Take trains to cut down on the long drives
All hotels suggested have pools

Day 1-2

Claridges Delhi

Day 3-4

ITC Mughal

Day 5-6

Sher Bagh

Day 7-9

Samode Palace

Day 10-13

The Leela Goa

Days	Location	Hotel
Day 1-2	Delhi	Claridges Delhi Claridges Delhi
Day 3-4	Agra	ITC Mughal ITC Mughal
Day 5-6	Ranthambore	Sher Bagh Sher Bagh
Day 7-9	Jaipur	Samode Palace Samode Palace
Day 10-13	Goa	The Leela Goa The Leela Goa

Day 1-2

Delhi

Fly to Delhi and spend the day totally relaxing by the pool. The following day, embark on a leisurely tour of Delhi with a private guide who will hand-picked to ensure your children are entertained. See the Red Fort from the outside before jumping on cycle rickshaws to meander through the bustling bazaars of Chandni Chowk before emerging at the Jama Masjid Mosque. If you have older children, you can maybe set out on a cycling tour of Delhi. Continue to New Delhi, stopping off at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, the main Sikh Gurdwara in Delhi. Drive past Rajpath and the British colonial buildings before heading back to the hotel for some well deserved pool time.

Day 2-3

Agra

Take the fast train down to Agra, which takes just two hours. After a chance to relax at the hotel, head out and see the Agra Fort before taking a short walk through the villages on the other bank of the Yumana River. You’ll see the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh as the sun sets. The next day, see the Taj Mahal. The best time to see it is at sunrise, but we understand that children might not like to get up so early, so we will leave the precise time flexible! Spend the rest of the day beside the pool.

Day 4-5

Ranthambore National Park

Take the mid-morning train to Sawai Madhopur which takes about two and a half hours. You’ll stay in a tented wildlife camp within easy access of the park. Later that day, head into the park on jeeps in search of tigers and other animals. Ranthambore is a strikingly beautiful park and the diversity of wildlife is superb. The next day spend the morning and afternoon on game drives, with plenty of time back at Sher Bagh where you have a superb pool.

Day 6

Jaipur

You’ll again take the train to Jaipur, which takes about two hours, far faster than the five hour drive. You’ll stay just north of Jaipur in Samode Palace which is a superb heritage hotel.

Day 7

Jaipur

This morning, head into Jaipur where you’ll see the city in a fun and immersive way. Visit the markets around the old bazaars of Jaipur, walking through the artisan areas, seeing the local way of life going on all around you. You’ll then try your hand at tying your own turbans, which the children will find exceptionally fun. For older children, we’ll arrange a fun excursion on bikes. Dip into the City Palace and see the armoury room before heading out to see a traditional Indian astrologer.

Day 8

Jaipur

Have the morning at leisure before taking a walk through traditional villages above Amber Fort, before exploring this amazingly imposing building. Explore the interesting Anokhi Museum where they showcase traditional hand block-printing. Have a go at it, and create your own Indian scarfs. Continue to Dera Amer where you set out on an elephant safari through the countryside before sitting down for dinner at the camp.

Day 9-12

Goa

Fly directly from Jaipur to Goa, and transfer 45 minutes to south Goa to stay at the Leela Goa. Sit back, relax and have some well-deserved beach time.

Day 13

Fly Home

Today, fly home. There are international connections directly from Goa, or Mumbai is just an hour away on a short flight.

Suggested Hotels

Itinerary Experiences

Customise Your Itinerary

We can tweak and change any element of this itinerary and you can depart on any day you want, add nights here and there, and we can fully customise your day-to-day experiences depending on your interests. Here are just a few ideas of many that we can look at and discuss when we come to plan your tailor-made itinerary.