Leave London Heathrow in the evening, travelling by Jet Airways on a non-stop flight to Delhi (8½ hours).

On arrival this morning in India’s energetic capital, your Tour Manager/Naturalist Guide will meet you and take you to the Maidens Hotel for 2 nights. The rest of the day is free.

Delhi is a city of rich contrasts, where the sumptuous grandeur of the Mughal and British dominance of the city lie side by side in majestic contrast. Today has been left free to enjoy Delhi at your leisure, perhaps enjoying some optional sightseeing of Old and New Delhi. The old city was the former capital of the emperor Shah Jahan and in the magnificence of its architecture you can discover something of the true majesty of Mughal power. The Jami Masjid Mosque is the largest mosque of its kind in India, a truly exceptional structure of elegant minarets and gateways, whilst the towering ramparts of the Red Fort present a glimpse of the golden age of Mughal nobility. New Delhi was the creation of the British Raj of the 1930s and many of the buildings created by Edward Lutyens still grace the centre of the city, including the immense India gate and the expansive opulence of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Dinner this evening provides the opportunity to meet your fellow travellers.

Driving to Bharatpur today (200 KM/6 hours) enter one of the world’s most important wetland areas, the Keoladeo National Park, a bird sanctuary that attracts some 364 species of birds, including the painted stork, white ibis, egret, rosy pelican and the rare Siberian crane. Once considered the finest duck shooting reserve in the British Empire, today this World heritage Site attracts a variety of birds from all across Asia and the Far East and the afternoon is spent exploring by bicycle rickshaw or boat. Overnight at the Laxmi Vilas Palace.

After a morning in the park, continue by road to Agra (53 KM/ approximately 1½ hours) to spend the afternoon visiting the spectacular highlights of the magnificent Taj Mahal and the impressive sandstone Agra Fort. Agra was once the capital city of the mighty Mughals and much of its majesty can be attributed to the vision and power of Akbar the Great and his grandson, Shan Jahan. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fort is liberally blessed with a dazzling array of palaces and mosques, whilst the marble magnificence of the Taj Mahal needs no introduction and is said to represent the epoch of Moghul architecture. Built by Shah Jahan to honour the memory of his wife, Mumtaz, the Taj is one of the world’s most iconic buildings, taking over 20 years to build and costing in excess of 3 million rupees. Overnight at the Clarks Shiraz Hotel.

Travel by train this morning to Orchha (217 KM/ approximately 2½ hours), once the capital of the Bundela kings during the 16th and 17th centuries. Home to the spectacular Fort Palace, which includes the sumptuous Jehangir Mahal, the serene Raj Parveen and the fabulous religious murals of the Raj Mahal, visit the town and its dominating trio of temples, before continuing by road to the fabulous temple city of Khajuraho (170 KM/ approximately 4 hours) for overnight at the Taj Hotel Chandela.

Khajuraho is rightly considered to be one of India’s most captivating settings, home to a number of Chandela Dynasty buildings that represent some of the finest temple architecture anywhere on earth. Filled with erotic imagery and masterful carvings, each of the temples are dedicated to a different deity and this morning visit some of these impressive 10th century temples to view their artistic majesty. The rest of the day is free.

A long day’s drive to the remote landscapes of the Bandhavgarh National Park (251 KM/approximately 9½ hours over rough roads) set amidst the Vindhya ranges, for a 3 night stay at the Nature Heritage Lodge.

Named after the imposing fort that occupies the cliffs high above the park, this superb reserve was once the private hunting domain of the Maharajah of Rewa, and presents us with one of the finest game viewing areas in the country. Bandhavgarh offers some excellent chances for spotting tiger, leopard and sloth bear, as well as a vast array of birdlife that includes steppe eagles, hornbills, paradise flycatchers and blue bearded bee-eaters.

This area was also famed as the home of the White Tigers of Rewa, sadly a species that has not been seen in the wild for over 50 years now. A full programme of game viewing has been arranged.

Driving to Kanha National Park (212 KM/approximately 8½ hours) today, enter a world that provided the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’. A unique ‘Project Tiger’ reserve, one of India’s most successful conservation ventures, Kanha lies amidst a lush landscape of thick, forested valleys and deep ravines that cover some 2,000 square kilometres of lush jungle and open grasslands. Spend 3 nights at the Krishna Jungle Lodge.

Kanha is blessed with a dazzling array of birdlife, with over 300 species recorded here. It’s also probably one of the best locations in India to view the elusive tiger with any degree of regularity (at last count there were reported to be nearly 140 of these magnificent beasts living in the park), as well as being home to Indian bison, leopard and the unique barasingha (swamp deer), dramatically saved from the brink of extinction.

A national park since 1955, it is easy to see why Kanha so inspired Rudyard Kipling to set his famous ‘Jungle Book’ stories amongst its lush vegetation and typical landscapes. Enjoy some free time to explore this park for yourself.

After a final game drive this morning, continue by road to the city of Nagpur (257 KM/approximately 8 hours), for an overnight stay at the Pride Hotel.

A morning flight on Jet Airways to Mumbai (1 hour 15 minutes) to connect with the onward Jet Airways flight to London Heathrow, arriving later this afternoon.