The Golden Triangle & Andaman Islands

DAY 1 Flight to Delhi

Your Indian adventure begins with an eight and a half hour night flight from the UK to the Indian capital Delhi.

DAY 2 Exploring Agra

After an early breakfast this morning you will be transferred to Hazrat Nizamuddin station in Delhi and ushered on board the Gatimaan Express train to Agra. The train leaves at around eight in the morning and arrives into Agra about an hour and 40 minutes later. You will be met on arrival into Agra and taken by your driver/guide for an introductory tour of the city, and to see the buildings other than the Taj that make Agra such an interesting destination. Start with the so-called 'Baby Taj', the Itmad-ud-Daulah, which was the first Mughal building built entirely from marble, and consequently a fascinating forerunner to the Taj itself. Next, visit Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is effectively a walled city within a city, built of red sandstone and the long-time seat of the Mughal emperors. By now it will be time for you to check in to your hotel, and enjoy a lovely lunch there before an afternoon to relax after your early start. In the evening, we have arranged for a driver to take you across the Yamuna River to a special viewing spot where you can gaze across at the Taj Mahal reflected in the water as the sun sets and the white marble turns slowly red. Afterwards you can eat at your hotel, or we can recommend another restaurant in the city.

DAY 3 Taj and on

So you've seen a precursor to the greatest building on the planet (discuss) and then the Taj itself from afar, but this morning it's time to see the main event up close as your driver/guide takes you to the Taj Mahal. In the office we're pretty much unanimously agreed that this is somewhere that really doesn't disappoint. It's another early start, though, because you'll want to appreciate this magical place at what photographers call 'the golden hour' - either sunrise or sunset - and before the hordes of tourists arrive. It's worth spending an hour or so to appreciate the perfect symmetry, the view from the gardens, the extraordinary detail when you get up close and to soak up the completely romantic story surrounding the Taj Mahal's creation.

For lovebirds on honeymoon, there really is no more perfect monument to love than the Taj. Dragging yourselves away, it's off for the five hour drive to Jaipur. Gazing out of the window you'll appreciate the beauty of Rajasthan's rural areas, where the muted colours of the fields and hills are suddenly enhanced by a flash of vivid colour from a woman's sari or the almost luminous colour of a farmer's turban.

On route you will stop at Fatephur Sikri, the deserted and almost perfectly preserved city that briefly served as the Mughal capital before a spring that provided the city's water dried up and the site was abandoned. On arrival into Jaipur, check in to your hotel and enjoy the evening.

DAY 4 Complete the Triangle

This morning you will have a relaxed breakfast and time for one more quick shop or wander around the city before you are met at the hotel for the five-hour private transfer back to Delhi. There are several places to stop and stretch your legs on route and a lovely fort where you can enjoy a delicious lunch. You will be back in the capital at around teatime, for one final night here. It's an early start in the morning for the next leg of the trip, so we'd recommend an early night.

DAY 5 Andare to Andaman

This morning you will be transferred to Indira Ghandi International Airport for the flight to Chennai, which takes two and half hours. There's a short layover and your bags are checked on through to Port Blair as you transit to the connecting flight. The flight to Port Blair takes an additional two hours and you'll arrive into the Andaman capital at around noon. Here you will be met at the airport for the short drive to the jetty and the two-hour ferry to Havelock Island - your final (and heavenly) destination. It's been a multi-legged trip to get here, but Havelock has some of the finest beaches in India and a wonderful laidback vibe, whichever of our hotel choices you plump for. For divers we can also arrange for a stay aboard a luxury liveaboard boat, so you can get out to explore the pristine reefs surrounding some of the farther flung of the 572 Andaman Islands.