Rajasthan & Nagaur Cattle Fair – Small Group Tour, February 2022

Check in for the overnight British Airways flight from Heathrow to Delhi: BA0257 departs Heathrow Terminal 5 at 18:50 and arrives in Delhi the next morning at 08:50.

Arrive in Delhi at 08:50. Meet your guide at the airport arrivals and drive into the city to check into the Metropolitan, a 5-star hotel in the centre of New Delhi, right next to Connaught Place. Your room will be available from 2pm unless early check-in is available on the day. Settle in, relax and get ready. In the evening you'll have a welcome dinner with the rest of your group and will hear more about the upcoming adventure.

Overnight in The Metropolitan Hotel (Deluxe Room).

This morning your guide will take you out to explore old Delhi on foot & by cycle rickshaw, before taking you to the magnificent Humayun’s Tomb (a forerunner of the Taj Mahal) and the old Qutab Minar tower.

Overnight in The Metropolitan Hotel (Deluxe Room).

This morning you’ll have the unique experience of a train journey on Indian Railways, with a 1h 40m journey from Delhi to Agra. In Agra your guide will show you around the one and only Taj Mahal. Once you've finished at the Taj Mahal, instead of staying overnight in the fairly unremarkable city of Agra, you'll continue on to the peace and quiet of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (aka Keoladeo National Park) stopping on the way at the fascinating deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri. At Bharatpur check into Laxmi Vilas Palace, a mid-19th century royal palace.

Overnight in Laxmi Vilas Palace (Deluxe Room).

This morning explore Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary by bike or cycle rickshaw before continuing your journey of about 4 hours to Jaipur. Check in to another historic palace hotel, Narain Niwas Palace. In the evening you'll be taken to Govind Dev Ji temple for the evening prayers.

Overnight in Narain Niwas Palace (Deluxe Room).

Your guide will show you around the best sights of Jaipur, with visits to the milk market, the imposing Amber Fort with its Palace of Mirrors and the City Palace.

Overnight in Narain Niwas Palace (Deluxe Room).

Your day off to enjoy Jaipur at your own leisure, or do some last minute shopping in the colourful bazaars. In the evening we’ll take you to a local family home for a demo on how to cook proper traditional Rajasthani cuisine which you'll then get to eat.

Overnight in Narain Niwas Palace (Deluxe Room).

Drive about 4.5 hours to the historic desert town of Nagaur, home to the annual Nagaur Cattle Fair. Here you’ll be staying on full-board in pitched camps which are put up annually for the fair – they’re not luxury as such but are spacious, clean & comfortable with proper beds and attached bathrooms.

Enjoy the fair - a traditional Indian festival where thousands of cows, camels and horses are traded – as well as lots of shopping (this may be the largest red chilli market in India), races, contests & performances by magicians, musicians, dancers & storytellers. You might just get your best holiday snaps here.

Check out of the camp and drive out to enjoy a picnic lunch by the sand dunes, before continuing 3.5 hours to the desert city of Jodhpur. Check into your hotel, the former royal residence of Ranbanka Palace.

This morning your guide will show you around Jodhpur the imposing Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada cenotaph and around the clock tower market. The afternoon is then all yours to relax, do some last minute shopping in the bazaars or explore the winding blue alleyways of Jodhpur. In the evening, you'll celebrate your trip with a traditional farewell dinner.

Check out of your room by 12 noon and drive to Jodhpur airport for your 1h 20m flight back to Delhi (exact timings to be advised). At Delhi you’ll be transferred to the Novotel, a convenient hotel for tomorrow’s flight home.

Today you'll Fly home from Delhi. British Airways BA0256 departs Delhi at 11:00 and arrives in Heathrow Terminal 5 at 15:20. Welcome back!