Highlights of India, Mumbai and the Golden Triangle

We meet at London Heathrow ahead of our overnight flight to Delhi.

Landing in the Indian capital, we transfer to our hotel for the next two nights and you're free to settle in, relax or begin exploring.

We begin sightseeing in this chaotic yet charming city today, taking a guided tour of both Old and New Delhi. This vibrant metropolis presents a heady blend of medieval, colonial and modern architecture and culture to admire, and, in order to really absorb the unique atmosphere here, we set out on a rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of the historic bazaar to Chandni Chowk, where the smell of Indian spices floats on the air. We also visit Jama Masjid, which boasts the title of India's largest mosque, Raj Ghat, a simple but moving memorial to Gandhi, and the city's iconic Red Fort. Later, we explore the wide, leafy avenues of New Delhi, stopping at the India Gate war memorial, the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mughal Emperor Humayun's Tomb and Qutab Minar - India's tallest stone tower.

We board India's first semi-high-speed train, the Gatimaan Express, for the journey to Agra - a former capital of the Mughal Empire. Famed worldwide for its iconic buildings, much of this city boasts UNESCO World Heritage status. After settling into our hotel for the night, we take a tour of the city, visiting two of its best-known attractions - the imposing Agra Fort and the incredible Taj Mahal. Construct-ed from pearlescent white marble and decorated with precious stones, the Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum dedicated to Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved queen of Emperor Shah Jahan, and dates back to the 17th century. During our time here, we have chance to marvel at intricate calligraphy carvings of poems and scripture from the Quran.

Leaving Agra by coach, we stop at Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly-preserved red sandstone city built in the 16th century as India's political capital, but abandoned after only 14 years due to a lack of water. Remarkably, the city remains almost exactly as it was over 400 years ago, giving us an excellent insight into the opulent lifestyle of the Mughal era. After a guided tour of the ancient streets and buildings, we continue to Ranthambore National Park aboard the Shatabdi Express, our base for the next two night.

We enjoy another highlight of our holiday today, taking two game drives in Ranthambore National Park. Considered to be the best park in India for spotting the elusive Royal Bengal tiger, the sanctuary is also home to over 300 other species of birds, crocodiles, deer and monkeys. Some of the other rare creatures that roam its forests and scrublands include leopards, panthers, hyenas and even sloth bears. Look out for the park's incredible range of wildlife as we travel around the park with an expert guide in both the morning and afternoon to increase our chance of a tiger sighting. In the evening, we enjoy a talk by a local naturalist - an specialist on the 515 square miles that make up Ranthambore and all the animals that live there.

Travelling to the 'Pink City' of Jaipur for two nights, after checking into our hotel, you're free to unwind or head out into the city independently.

The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur was founded in 1727 and is famed for an array of striking sights and unusual pink buildings, which were re-painted in the 19th century to celebrate a visit from Prince Albert. We start our guided tour at the impressive Amber Fort. Sat on the edge of Maota Lake, it's one of three ancient hilltop forts that dominate the hills above Jaipur, and is known for its artistic Hindu elements as well as its complex collection of underground passages, courtyards and gateways. We have time here to wander the ornate rooms before our tour continues to the ornately decorated City Palace - home to the current Maharajah of Jaipur as well as an early 18th-century Astronomical Observatory. We also drive past the Palace of the Winds, a stunning façade built in 1799 whose intricately latticed windows were designed to allow the ladies of the royal household to look out over the streets below without being seen themselves.

Transferring to the airport, we board our internal flight to Mumbai, home for the next two nights. Set on India's west coast beside the Arabian Sea, the city is famous as the birthplace of Bollywood and is also a thriving financial and commercial district. A gateway to the rest of India ever since the Suez Canal opened in 1869, Mumbai became the heart of the spice trade between the sub-continent and the Mediterranean, and we have the chance to taste some of these delicious flavours for ourselves at this evening's cooking demonstration held at our hotel.

Our day begins early with a unique dawn walking tour that gives us an authentic insight into life here. Firstly, we visit the Colaba Dock, where fishermen gather after a night at sea. Continuing along the almost empty DN Road, we admire the colonial-era buildings on our way to Crawford Market, where we experience an authentic Indian bazaar, filled with people shopping for their favourite ingredients. We also explore the vibrant neighbourhoods of Byculla and Dadar before returning to the hotel for breakfast and some free time. Later, we set out on a sightseeing tour by coach which includes the Gateway of India, an arched monument from the colonial era, the impressive Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a UNESCO-listed railway station dating back to 1887, and Mani Bhavan, Gandhi's former home. Our final stop is Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghat, an open-air laundromat where hundreds of dedicated washers clean clothes the time-honoured way - with elbow grease and concrete tubs.

Bidding farewell to India, we transfer to the airport for our flight back to London Heathrow.