India Tiger Safari, India

Day 1    Arrive Delhi and transfer to your hotel with your group, if travelling independently you will meet your group at the hotel

Day 2      We depart in the morning and drive to Kanha National Park. Although the distance is not far, the journey usually takes approximately four hours. On arrival, there is time to relax by the pool and share wildlife stories with your fellow travellers

Day 3-4   Spend two days exploring Pench National Park in the lower southern reaches of the Satpuda hills. It inspired Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and marks our first chance to see our very own Shere Khan.

This designated tiger reserve is home to around 45 Bengal tigers, plus leopards, wolves, monkeys, deer, and nilgai (the largest antelope in Asia). Our two days include four game drives, in which we’ll keep our eyes peeled for the incredible creatures that live here.

Day 5      We depart in the morning and drive to Kanha National Park. Although the distance is not far, the journey usually takes approximately four hours. On arrival, there is time to relax by the pool and share wildlife stories with your fellow travellers

Day 6- 8  Created in 1974, Kanha National Park is often described as the greatest wildlife reserve in India – during our time here, we go on five game drives to explore it.

The park is vast, encompassing expansive grasslands, plateaus and dramatic rocky escarpments that house hundreds of wildlife species. The tiger population – which currently numbers around 500 – has been affected by poaching in recent years but the huge abundance of animals makes the game drive a memorable experience.

Day 9  We leave Kanha National Park after breakfast and drive to Bandhavgarh, stopping on route for refreshments. This journey will take approximately six to seven hours. On arrival, there is free time to settle in.

Day 10 - 12 Bandhavgarh is one of the smaller national parks and enjoys an impressive setting with a cliff-top fort overlooking grasslands, birch forests and bamboo.

It is home to a wide variety of game, including leopards, sloth bears, jungle cats, wild pigs and, of course, tigers. The healthy tiger population of approximately 60-70 means this park has the highest tiger density of any reserve in India. The park also hosts up to 150 bird species including many on the migratory trail, such as the steppe eagle. During our stay, we embark on six game drives.

This morning, we drive for approximately three hours to Katni Railway Station. We stop for refreshments, conveniences, and photo opportunities along the way. In the evening, we catch the overnight train to Agra.

Overnight on the Sleeper Train

The overnight train from Katni to Agra will be booked in two-tier air-conditioned sleepers (or three-tier if unavailable). There are many excellent trains in India; however, the standard of seating and sleeping is not in line with Western standards. Seats are allocated when the tickets are issued, meaning we cannot guarantee the whole group is together in the same carriage; your leader will manage this as best as possible and will always check on you during the journey.

Arriving in Agra in the morning, we transfer to our hotel. No stay in Agra would be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, built by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The Taj is serenely beautiful and never fails to amaze a first-time visitor – the white marble exterior changing colour according to the position of the sun. Nearby is the imposing Red Fort of Akbar, whose mighty sandstone walls enclose the beautiful white marble Pearl Mosque, palaces, halls, courtyards, and fountains.

Day 15 - We leave for Delhi after breakfast, stopping en route for lunch and arriving at our hotel in the afternoon. You are then free to relax or explore the sites of New and Old Delhi. Your Tour Leader can organise an optional sightseeing trip if you prefer.

Day 16 -Transfer to the airport for your return flight.