Northern India Family Holiday

Route: Delhi airport → Delhi hotel

Your driver and guide meet you at arrivals with a name board and take you to the hotel. The vehicle has sealed bottled water on board, and the car seats you asked for are fitted. Nothing else is scheduled today. Check in, eat a simple dinner and put the children to bed early.

After the children are settled, your guide meets the parents for a short briefing. It covers which water to drink, how the children’s meals will work, what is in the first-aid kit, how to handle cash and cards, how to set up a local SIM or eSIM, and the plan for Day 2. Jet lag is common with children, so Day 2 begins late.

Experience of the Day

–  Airport pickup and hotel check-in

–  Parents’ briefing on food, water and health

Food

Recommended:

–  Plain rice, dal, pasta or soup at the hotel, with bottled water

Activities to Do

–  Rest and adjust to the time zone

–  Ask the guide any questions about the children’s meals or the car seats

Route: Delhi hotel → Humayun’s Tomb → Old Delhi → India Gate → hotel

The day starts late and slowly. Humayun’s Tomb comes first, in the cooler hours of the morning. It was begun in 1565 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a red sandstone and white marble tomb on a raised platform in the middle of a four-part garden. The wide lawns and paths give children room to run, and the Taj Mahal later followed its plan.

After lunch and a rest at the hotel pool, the afternoon is in Old Delhi, the Mughal-era walled city. A cycle rickshaw takes you through a short stretch of Chandni Chowk, past spice sellers and sweet shops, to Jama Masjid, built between 1650 and 1656. The guide keeps the route short and holds the children’s hands in the crowds.

The day ends with a drive past India Gate and the government buildings of New Delhi.

Note on air quality: From November to January Delhi’s air quality can be poor and mornings are often foggy. If the air is bad on your day, the guide moves outdoor stops to the afternoon and offers an indoor museum visit for the children.

Experience of the Day

–  Humayun’s Tomb and its gardens

–  Short cycle-rickshaw ride in Chandni Chowk

–  Jama Masjid

–  Drive past India Gate

–  Pool time at the hotel

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant near the hotel, with mild dishes for children

Must-Try:

–  Parathas with yoghurt for breakfast

–  Dal makhani or butter chicken with naan, which many children enjoy mild

Activities to Do

–  Run along the garden paths at Humayun’s Tomb

–  Spot the flocks of pigeons at Jama Masjid

–  Count the arches at India Gate

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  Qutub Minar, a 73-metre victory tower begun in 1193, if the children have energy

Route: Delhi → Agra (~230 km / ~4 hrs)

The drive south is on the Yamuna Expressway, a smooth road with a planned halt halfway for a snack and a toilet break. You reach Agra around lunchtime and rest at the hotel, ideally by the pool. In the late afternoon the family visits Agra Fort, the red sandstone fortress-palace of the Mughal emperors. Shah Jahan’s last years were spent here, and from one of its balconies he could see the Taj Mahal he built for his wife.

At sunset you go to Mehtab Bagh, a garden directly across the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal, for the first look at the monument. Sunrise tomorrow is the main visit, so it is an early dinner and bed.

Note on Agra hotels: Agra has no historic palace hotel. The Oberoi Amarvilas (Ultra-Luxury) is built in Mughal palace style and sits 600 metres from the Taj Mahal. The Premium and Luxury hotels are chosen for a pool and a Taj Mahal view.

Experience of the Day

–  Yamuna Expressway drive with a halt

–  Agra Fort courtyards and palace rooms

–  Mehtab Bagh at sunset, first view of the Taj Mahal

Food

Recommended:

–  Early dinner at the hotel, with a children’s menu if offered

Must-Try:

–  Petha, Agra’s translucent pumpkin sweet, a favourite with children

–  Bedai with spiced potato curry for breakfast, mild on request

Activities to Do

–  Find the balcony where Shah Jahan looked at the Taj

–  Photograph the Taj Mahal from the far bank of the river

Route: Agra hotel → Taj Mahal → hotel breakfast → Itimad-ud-Daulah

The Taj Mahal opens about half an hour before sunrise. If your children are early risers this is easy, and if they are not, a pre-packed breakfast box and blankets in the car help. The marble seems to change colour as the light shifts from grey to soft pink to ivory-white. Shah Jahan built it between 1632 and 1653 as the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Your guide walks you from the car to the gate, handles the tickets and shoe covers, and keeps you clear of the people who approach visitors in the queue. The visit takes about two hours, and you are back at the hotel for breakfast and a swim.

Later in the day you visit Itimad-ud-Daulah, a small tomb across the river built from 1622 to 1628, whose inlaid marble work came before the Taj’s. The rest of the day is free.

Note on Fridays: The Taj Mahal is closed to general visitors on Fridays. If Day 4 falls on a Friday, the Taj visit moves to Day 3 and Agra Fort moves to Day 4, and the guide confirms the plan before you leave Delhi.

Experience of the Day

–  Taj Mahal at sunrise

–  Breakfast and a swim back at the hotel

–  Itimad-ud-Daulah tomb

–  Free afternoon

Food

Recommended:

–  Breakfast at the hotel after the Taj visit

–  A quiet dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Mughlai kebabs, mild and well cooked, at a vetted restaurant

–  Agra’s dalmoth snack

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Marble inlay work, the craft that decorated the Taj, from a family workshop, only if you want it

Activities to Do

–  Watch the Taj Mahal colours change at sunrise

–  Walk along the long reflecting pool

–  Swim or rest in the afternoon

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  A children’s marble-inlay demonstration, or a cooking class on request

Route: Agra → Fatehpur Sikri (~37 km) → Ranthambore (~290 km / ~6 hrs plus the stop)

Fatehpur Sikri is the first stop, about an hour from Agra. Akbar founded it in 1571 and moved the court there. He left in 1585, and the usual explanation is that the water supply failed. The Buland Darwaza gateway rises 54 metres, and children enjoy the wide courtyards and the five open storeys of the Panch Mahal. Salim Chishti’s white marble tomb stands in the mosque courtyard.

The road then goes west into Rajasthan, with a planned lunch and rest halt. The total is about 290 km and around six hours of driving, and it is the longest day of the trip. The children rest in the car with snacks, games and books, and the guide stops whenever anyone needs a break. You reach the lodge by late afternoon, in time for the pool, a walk in the grounds and an early dinner.

Note on long day: Day 5 is the longest drive of the trip. If your children find long drives hard, tell us when booking, and we will split the day with an extra halt or shorten Fatehpur Sikri to a short visit.

Experience of the Day

–  Fatehpur Sikri, Buland Darwaza and the palace courts

–  Road trip into Rajasthan with snack stops

–  Lodge pool and evening at the edge of the park

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant on the highway, with simple hot dishes for children

Must-Try:

–  Fresh lime soda at the Fatehpur Sikri gate, made with bottled water on request

Activities to Do

–  Climb to the Buland Darwaza for the view over the ruined city

–  Play I-spy on the road: camels, peacocks and tractors

–  Splash in the lodge pool before dinner

Route: Lodge → park gate → safari → lodge → afternoon safari

Safaris start at first light and last about three and a half hours. From October to January the morning session runs from about 6:30 to 10:00, and the afternoon session from about 2:30 to 6:00, with timings shifting a little through the year. The park has ten zones, and the forest department allots the zone for each safari, so you cannot choose one in advance.

The park has tigers, sambar and spotted deer, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles and a great many birds. Ranthambore Fort, a 10th-century fort about 700 feet above the forest and part of the UNESCO Hill Forts of Rajasthan, sits in Zone 1 beside Padam Talao lake. Its ruined gates, cannons and temple make the drive a history lesson for children.

Between safaris the family rests at the lodge, with lunch and a swim. Open gypsies are cold and dusty in the early morning, so the lodge supplies blankets, and each family member needs a warm layer, a scarf and a hat.

Note on Safari rules: The forest department controls permits, zones and rules, and they can change. Tigers are wild animals and a sighting is never guaranteed. Children must stay seated and quiet in the vehicle. We check the current rules for your children’s ages when you book.

Experience of the Day

–  Morning safari with a naturalist

–  Ranthambore Fort and Padam Talao lake

–  Midday rest and swim at the lodge

–  Afternoon safari

Food

Recommended:

–  Packed breakfast box for the early safari

–  Lunch at the lodge, with mild dishes for children

Must-Try:

–  Rajasthani dal baati churma at dinner

–  Hot masala chai for parents on the cold morning drive

Activities to Do

–  Look for tiger pugmarks and deer alarm calls with the naturalist

–  Make a safari bingo card of animals and birds

–  Watch for crocodiles on the lake edge

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  A short nature walk in the lodge grounds with the lodge naturalist, where offered

Route: Ranthambore → Jaipur (~180 km / ~3.5–4 hrs)

The third safari starts at first light, and is back at the lodge by about 10:00 for breakfast. Check-out follows and the drive to Jaipur takes about three and a half to four hours, with a halt on the way. You reach the hotel in the afternoon, which leaves time for the pool and an early dinner.

If the children are tired from three early starts, the third safari can be dropped and the family leaves the lodge after a slow breakfast. Tell the guide the evening before and it is arranged.

Experience of the Day

–  Third safari at first light, optional

–  Drive from Ranthambore to Jaipur

–  Pool and early dinner at the Jaipur hotel

Food

Recommended:

–  Breakfast at the lodge after the safari

–  Early dinner at the hotel, with a children’s menu if offered

Activities to Do

–  Count the animals seen over three safaris and compare notes

–  Swim in the afternoon

Route: Jaipur hotel → elephant sanctuary → Amber Fort → block printing → Hawa Mahal

The morning is at an elephant sanctuary near Jaipur, where the elephants are fed, bathed and painted by visitors and are never ridden. It is a favourite with children and no riding is offered.

Amber Fort, built in the late 1500s on a ridge above Maota Lake, comes next. Guests go up by private jeep. Elephant rides here have drawn well-documented welfare criticism, including a PETA India campaign and a government committee’s recommendation to use electric vehicles. Inside, the mirrored Sheesh Mahal is the part children remember.

In the afternoon the family visits a block-printing workshop, where the children print their own cloth. The day ends with Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 with 953 small windows, so the royal women could watch the street below without being seen. It faces east, so the best light is in the morning, and a quick afternoon stop is for photographs from the street.

Note on shopping: The only shopping stop is the artisan workshop in the inclusions. You are free to say no to anything else the guide or shopkeepers offer.

Experience of the Day

–  Elephant sanctuary: feeding, bathing and painting

–  Amber Fort by private jeep, courtyards and the mirrored Sheesh Mahal

–  Block printing at an artisan workshop

–  Hawa Mahal from the street

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a local restaurant, with mild dishes for children

Must-Try:

–  Pyaaz kachori at a vetted shop

–  Ghewar, the honeycomb sweet of Rajasthan

–  Fresh lassi, sweet, made with bottled-water ice or none

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Block-printed cloth the children printed themselves, from the artisan workshop in the inclusions

–  Blue pottery and small wooden toys, for browsing

Activities to Do

–  Paint a Rajasthani pattern on an elephant

–  Spot the mirrored ceiling of the Sheesh Mahal

–  Count the windows of Hawa Mahal from the street

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  Jantar Mantar observatory, whose Samrat Yantra sundial tells time to within about two seconds, 1728–34

Route: Jaipur → Delhi (~280 km / 4–5 hrs)

The morning is free at the hotel, for the pool, the gardens or a last walk. The drive to Delhi takes four to five hours on the Delhi–Jaipur highway, with a halt on the way.

You reach Delhi in the early evening. The last night is in Delhi on purpose, so the flight home is never packed into the same day as the drive.

Experience of the Day

–  Free morning at the Jaipur hotel

–  Highway drive to Delhi

–  Evening at the Delhi hotel

Food

Recommended:

–  A farewell dinner at the hotel or a restaurant chosen by the guide

Activities to Do

–  Swim one last time

–  Repack and keep snacks and a change of clothes in the hand luggage

Route: Delhi hotel → Delhi airport

Check out after breakfast, or earlier if your flight needs it, and transfer to the airport with your driver. The driver and guide help you with your bags and see you to the terminal.

Experience of the Day

–  Private transfer to the airport

Food

Recommended:

–  Breakfast at the hotel before check-out

Activities to Do

–  Say goodbye to your driver and guide at the terminal