Depart for Mumbai, India

Morning boat excursion to Elephanta Island Caves- the 7th-century cave temples carved out of a hill rising from the Arabian Sea. The afternoon city tour will include the Hanging Gardens, the Tower of Silence, Kamla Nehru Park, Gateway of India, National Museum, Crawford Market, Malabar Hills, Prince of Wales Museum, Dhobi Ghat, Marine Drive, the Gandhi Memorial Museum, and Jain Temple.

Fly to Nagpur. Transfer to Pench. Pench supports a wide variety of wildlife, including Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Sloth Bear, Chausingha, Chinkara, Barking Deer, Jackal, Fox, Palm Civet, Indian Civet, Jungle Cat, Hyena and Porcupine.

Dominated by hills, forests and valleys, Pench is also a place for bird watchers. About 285 species of resident and migratory birds, including the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, Red-headed Fishing Eagle, White-eyed Buzzard, Brahmini Duck, Pochards, Bar-headed Geese and Coots, can be seen here.

A very popular documentary on Indian wildlife, Tiger: Spy in the Jungle, was shot at Pench by the BBC.

Jungle safaris by elephant and open vans in the morning and in the afternoon, accompanied by a resident naturalist.

Today we travel to Kanha – the Tiger Land that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write ‘The Jungle Book ‘. Kanha is one of the most well-maintained National Parks in India. The wildlife attractions here are Tiger, Leopard, Bison, Gaur, Sambar Deer, Chital, Barasingha, Barking Deer, Black Deer, Mouse Deer, Black Buck, Chausingha, Nilgai, Sloth Bear, Jackal, Porcupine, Hyena, jungle Cat, Python, monkey, and mongoose, among others.

The bird species in the park include Storks, Teals, Pintails, pond Herons, Egrets, Peacocks, Pea and Spur Fowls, Partridges, Quails, Ring Doves, Spotted Parakeets, Green Pigeons, Rock Pigeons, Cuckoos, Papihas, Rollers, Hoopoes, Drongos, Warblers, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Finches, Orioles, Owls and Fly Catchers.

Dedicated conservation programs at Kanha are credited with saving the rare Barasingha (Swamp Deer) from extinction.

Jungle safaris by elephant and open vans in the morning and in the afternoon, accompanied by a resident naturalist.

Bandhavgarh National Park has a very high density of tigers. There is a saying about this park: “In any other park, you are lucky if you see a tiger. In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don’t see one.” Besides, the park has 37 species of mammals, more than 250 species of birds, about 70 species of butterflies, and a number of reptiles. Some of the wildlife one could see here are Leopards, Gaurs (Indian Bison), Barking Deer, Chital (spotted deer), Sambar Deer, Dholes, Nilgai, Wild Boars, Chinkara, Sloth Bears, Rhesus Macaques, Black Faced Langurs, Jungle Cats, Hyenas, Porcupines, Jackals, Foxes, Wild Dogs, and Chausingha among others.

The avian population in Bandhavgarh includes White Bellied Drogues, Black & White Malabar Hornbills, Blossom-headed Parakeets, Gold-fronted Leaf Birds, Minivets, Paradise Flycatchers, Black Vulture, White-eyed Buzzard, Red Jungle Fowl, Peacock, Golden- and Black-headed Orioles, Red-vented Bulbuls, Blue Jays, Purple Sunbirds, Green Barbets and Mynahs.

Jungle safaris by elephant and open vans in the morning and in the afternoon, accompanied by a resident naturalist.

Set on a plateau and dominated by tropical forests, deep ravines and cascading waterfalls, Panna National Park is irresistible to wildlife lovers. The wildlife found here, among others, includes majestic tiger, leopard, wolf, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, Nilgai, sambar, chital, wild boar, and the Indian crocodile. The avifauna in the park comprises more than 200 species, including migratory birds, white-necked stork, bar-headed goose, honey Buzzard, King vulture, blossom-headed parakeet, Paradise Flycatcher, and Scimitar.

Jungle safaris by elephant and open vans in the morning and in the afternoon, accompanied by a resident naturalist.

Today, you will be transferred to Khajuraho – the temple city. It is famous throughout the world for its exquisitely carved Chandela temples. After visiting the World Heritage Site temples, fly to Delhi.

Delhi is a city of immense past. Seven mighty empires have risen, ruled the subcontinent, and fallen here. It is dotted with hundreds of landmarks and has accumulated a tremendous heritage of art, architecture and culture. New Delhi, the present capital of the largest democracy in the world, is the creation of world-famous architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Attractions include, Rashtrapati Bhavan or Presidential Palace, Parliament House, Red Fort- a Massive fort built by master builder Shah Jahan; Jama Masjid- the largest mosque in Asia; Jantar Mantar- the medieval observatory designed & built by Maharajah Jai Singh of Jaipur; the 16th-century tomb of Mughal emperor Humayun; Raj Ghat- where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; and Shantivana- the cremation site of Jawaharlal Nehru.

City tour of New and Old Delhi visiting  Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Raj Ghat- where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated, Rashtrapati Bhawan or Presidential Palace, Parliament House, India Gate, National Museum and Baha’i Temple.

Optional: Overnight extension to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal in full moon (If your travel dates coincide with full moon days in Agra) is available upon request. Please call for details.