India – This Ultimate 20 Day India Holiday has it all – Luxury River Cruise, 5 Star Private Tour, Wildlife Safaris, Taj Mahal and much more

Spend the morning at leisure in Kolkata. Later in the day you will be collected and taken to the train station for your train to Farakka (this is a shared group transfer).

You will have assistance with boarding the train as well as with your luggage. On arrival in Farakka you will be met at the train station and taken to board your River Cruise

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

This morning take an overland excursion to Gour (also known as Gauda and Gaur). Now quiet and deserted, it was once a great city, first under the Hindus in the 12th century, then as the Muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century. Discover the remains of ancient mosques, palaces and gateways.Continue by transport through the town of Malda to Pandua.

Visit the great 14th century Adina Mosque before returning to Farakka and your ship. Your ship will have passed through the lock at the barrage and set sail down the Hooghly River. Enjoy the scenery of the banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.More at Baranagar for the night.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

This morning take an excursion to the sleepy village of Baranagar. Walk through the fields to the three miniature terracotta temples - this is rural India at its most idyllic.

Continue through Azimganj and its riverside mansions to Murshidabad. Visit the great Hazarduari Palace that dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect in 1837, it is home to an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects.

Carry on to visit the great Katra Mosque followed by the Kathgola Palace an example from the Mughal period. Moor overnight on the riverbank across from town.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Sail downstream a short distance before taking a walk to Khushbagh. A peaceful Mughul-style garden, it is home to the tombs of Siraj-udDaulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal and his family.

Head back to the ship and continue downstream to the old British military camp of Berhampur.

Moor close to the battlefield of Plassey where in 1757 Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah - a marked moment in Indian history. Here you can walk through the fields to the commemorative obelisk.Continue cruising to a mooring near Katwa, a market town with narrow bustling bazaars.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

This morning visit the brass working village of Matiari. Observe the process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels.

Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur to visit the vast new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple.

As the headquarters of the Hare Krishna movement, the temple receives over a million singing and dancing devotees a year from around the world.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Continue downstream to the country town of Kalna. Travel by rickshaw to see the Kalna temples made from terracotta, known as some of Bengal's most attractive temples.

Sail on and arrive at the outskirts of Kolkata.Moor near Bandel to visit the Imambara at Hooghly.

An ancient Muslim congregation hall built in the 1800's, it has verses of the Koran written on the walls and is quite a sight.

Continue sailing downstream past fine waterfront buildings and the old Dutch settlement at Chinsura to moor at Chandannagar.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

This morning visit Chandannagar, which was under French possession until 1950. See the sights here including an 18th century church, the former Governor General of French India's house before continuing on by boat to Barrackpore.

Moor in Barrackpore and take a walk through the cantonment. See the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House to get a better understanding of India's journey to independence. Subject to the river tide, cruise under the Howrah Bridge to reach central Kolkata.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Enjoy breakfast on board before disembarking in Kolkata at around 8:30 / 9am.

You will be taken to your hotel by shared transfer. At the hotel you will be met by your private guide and driver.

Please note: From this point onwards, your tour is a private tour where you will have your own personal guide with a private vehicle and driver. Check in may be available on arrival at the hotel but if your room is not yet ready (official check in time is 2pm) you can leave you luggage at the hotel and check in after your sightseeing tour.

Kolkata, the former capital of the British Raj, was once the most important trade centre in all of Asia. Colonialism left its mark on the city and here you can visit a mix of Raj and Indian attractions.

Visit the Victoria Memorial, a symbol of the British Raj. This palatial white marble monument was built in 1901 as a tribute to Her Majesty following her death and is also a museum with many artefacts from the British colonial period. Later in the afternoon visit the Indian Museum with its collection of classical Indian sculptures before being taken back to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

This morning your guide will meet you at your hotel. Take a heritage walk of Benoy-BadalDinesh Bagh (formerly known as Dalhousie Square and named after the three revolutionary freedom fighters of Bengal).

At the heart of the former capital of British India, it is a colonial centre that gives you a feel of Kolkata's history.

Later visit the historic quarter of Kumartuli, a potters quarter with more than 400 artisans carrying out a centuries old tradition.

Continue on to South Park St Cemetery one of the earliest non-church cemeteries in the world. Opened in 1767 on what was previously a marshy area, the cemetery was in use until about 1830 and is now a heritage site.

Meals included: Breakfast

Late morning your driver will collect you for your flight to Jaipur in Rajasthan.

This bustling and fascinating city has some of the finest examples of Rajasthani architecture and whilst it is a growing city with a modern outlook, camels can be found wandering the streets and rickshaws blend in with the traffic.

On arrival at the airport your driver and guide will meet you and take you to your hotel.

Spend the afternoon at your leisure.In the evening you will be taken to a lovely but simple cafe located in Nahargarh Palace.

Perched on top of a hill, it offers a superb bird’s eye view of the city. Enjoy watching the sun going down over the city. Have dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast visit the ancient palace of Amber Fort*, which is exquisite in many ways – size, scale, craftsmanship, history and sits on a hilltop with stunning views.One of the most spectacular buildings contained in the fort is the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), with its walls completely covered with tiny mirrors.

It has been designed so that even if a single ray of light enters the hall, this light is reflected in all the mirrors and the entire hall lights up. Later visit the key sights and wonders of the Pink City in the heart of Jaipur.

Visit the Observatory, the Maharaja's City Palace and Hawa Mahal (also known as Palace of the Winds and viewed from the outside only).

Built of red and pink sandstone it is said to resemble the honeycomb structure of a bee’s nest. It was called the Palace of Winds as in the original design it had a clever cooling system that allowed a gentle breeze to pass through the Palace – very welcome in the hot Rajasthani summers.

It is said to have been built as an observatory where the women of the Maharaja's City Palace could observe the outside world whilst remaining inside the palace.

The bustling bazaars of the old city are a great place to shop and explore and are some of the most vibrant in Asia – Rajasthan is known for its colour! *You have the option to take an elephant ride to Amber Fort. The cost of this is AUD15 per person (2 people on an elephant) or AUD30 (one person atop an elephant). There are strict regulations in place to limit the total number of journeys each elephant can do in a day, and they are only allowed to carry 2 passengers at a time to prevent any over-working of elephants.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast you will be collected for the drive to Agra (around 5 hours). On the way stop at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Located in the Keoladeo National Park, a world heritage site and protected sanctuary, home to thousands of birds. Enjoy this wonder of India as you ride through the park on a rickshaw.

Visit a local school (subject to the school being open) and village before having lunch at a local restaurant.

Continue on to the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri. Walk through the city with your guide hearing the intriguing story behind the abandoning of the city and learn about its great architecture.On arrival in Agra you will be taken to your hotel. If you wish to visit the Taj Mahal at sunset your driver will be available to take you there.

Please note this is optional and you will need to pay your entrance fees directly (entrance fees are included on Day 14 for your sunrise visit).

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

Visiting the Taj Mahal in the early morning is something special. Watch as the marble changes colour as the sun rises and wander the grounds of the Taj Mahal with your guide marvelling at its wonder.

You will then be taken back to your hotel for breakfast.

Later in the morning, visit the majestic Agra Fort. Step back to an era of great palaces and grand forts.

The fort itself is magnificent and has wonderful views of the Taj Mahal in the distance.

Later visit a Marble factory where you see the fascinating inlay work of local artisans whose forefathers built the Taj Mahal. In the afternoon you will be driven back to Delhi.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

A special opportunity to soak in the sounds and aromas of Delhi and discover why it is known as the heart of India... In the morning enjoy a guided tour of Delhi. Explore Old Delhi's heritage walking through the narrow lanes and experience a rickshaw ride.

Visit key places such as: Jama Masjid – one of the largest mosques in India, Raj Ghat – Mahatma Gandhi's monument, Sikh Gurdwara – an important Sikh temple and quiet refuge in the busy city and the iconic Lotus Temple.

Later drive to India Gate, the President's House and Lutyen's buildings and have the opportunity to shop at some local markets.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

This morning you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Jabalpur. Upon arrival in Jabalpur at around midday, you will be met at the station and driven to Kanha National Park (around 4 hours drive).

This famous Park of Central India is home to the Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book’s - Sher Khan the tiger, Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear.

The lush bamboo, sal forest and wide meadows are also home to the wild Bengal Tiger which can be frequently seen roaming the park - a spectacular sight.

The Park has brought the Swap Deer back from the verge of extinction and with luck and patience it is possible to see leopards, sloth bears and dhole (Indian wild dogs) hunting in packs. More common animals are gaur, or Indian bison, blue cows, swamp mouse, spotted deer, and many birds. This is jungle life at its best.

In the afternoon, take a leisurely nature walk with a local naturalist at the lodge or you may simply like to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the park spotting more wildlife and taking photos.

Please remember to take warm clothes with you for the early morning start. Between your wildlife safaris you can spend your time at leisure.

There are also some lovely bird and nature walks in the area.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Enjoy more wildlife safaris in Kanha National Park - a morning and afternoon safari are included.

Spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Take a final wildlife safari in the morning. Later in the day you will be driven to Jabalpur airport (around 4 hours drive).

From here you will take your flight to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel for check in.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

Today the tour ends. You will be taken to the airport in time for your flight home or onto your next adventure.

Meals included: Breakfast