North India Tours

North India holds the greatest concentration of India's icons. The Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra and Jaipur — is the natural starting point, linking the Mughal capital, the Taj Mahal and the pink palaces of Rajasthan in one comfortable loop of well-made highways. From that spine almost any journey can grow: west into the heart of Rajasthan for Udaipur's lake palaces, Jodhpur's blue city and the golden desert fort of Jaisalmer; east to Orchha, Khajuraho and the sacred Ganges at Varanasi; or north to the Himalayan foothills, Rishikesh and Haridwar.

The region rewards travellers who want depth and variety in a single trip. In the space of a fortnight you can move from imperial architecture and living bazaars to camel country in the Thar Desert, from tiger reserves such as Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh to the dawn aarti on the ghats of Varanasi. Gujarat, further west, adds a quieter, less-visited layer of stepwells, Jain temples, the Rann of Kutch and Asiatic lions at Sasan Gir. Because everything here connects by road and by an extensive rail network, North India suits both first-time visitors and returning travellers building a more unusual route.

The best season is broadly October to March, when the plains are cool, dry and clear — ideal for sightseeing and for photography of the monuments. April to June is intensely hot but opens up the Himalayan hill stations, while July to September brings the monsoon and a green, quieter, gentler landscape. We plan North India as a private, chauffeur-driven journey: a dedicated car and driver throughout, licensed local guides in each city, and hotels chosen to your taste, whether that means characterful heritage havelis, restored palaces or dependable modern comfort. Tell us how many days you have and what draws you — architecture, wildlife, spirituality, food or shopping — and we will shape the route around it.