India and Rajasthan: Taj Mahal, the Pink City of Jaipur & Blue Jodhpur

Round-trip flights to/from your destination are not included in the package, so you can decide your departure location, time, and airline. All this to give you maximum freedom!

here's how the meeting works!

Check-in at the hotel in New Delhi and welcome meeting. The shock is instant: humid heat, chaotic traffic, horns from every direction!

• Faces to names: we settle into the hotel and start getting to know each other, while the capital keeps up its noise outside.

• First Indian dinner: we keep it mild on the spices tonight, perhaps sticking to rice and curry, a delicious start.

Alarm early, batteries charged: our first full day in India! The capital shows us its oldest face, then we leave it behind.

• Old Delhi by rickshaw: we cross the old city of Shah Jahanabad, the Jama Masjid mosque first, then past the Red Fort, with a Sikh temple to admire along the way.

• Lunch right there? If there's time we stop for lunch on the spot: Indian cuisine at its most authentic. Careful not to overdo it.

• On the road to Agra: then we drive on to Agra, the last stop of this first day.

It's still dark when we set off, and that's the point: everyone agrees this is the most magical hour to be here.

• The Taj Mahal at dawn: one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and the treasure of Agra, with the sun on the horizon and a light mist drifting across the white marble.

• Agra Fort: back at the accommodation we recover from the early start and the emotions, then visit the city's other must-see, with intricate architecture, panoramic views, rooms filled with frescoes, gardens with golden pavilions and the occasional friendly monkey!

• On to Jaipur: then it's the long drive to Jaipur.

A whole day for Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan: pink sandstone facades give the city its name, and a wall with seven gates closes it in.

• Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal: we climb to the fort and explore its complex of courtyards and halls, then the Hawa Mahal, the palace that looks almost like a beehive.

• City Palace and Albert Hall: the Rajput-style City Palace and the impressive Albert Hall follow, then a hearty snack: we walked far more than we realised!

• Observatory and market: Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical observatory, comes next. Afterwards the market, hunting spices and fine fabrics, with a round of haggling for the best treasures.

• Dinner with a local family: traditional Indian dishes and a cooking show in a local family's home, where they reveal the aromas and techniques behind each one.

Early alarm, another transfer, and we land in the heart of Rajasthan. You hear this small town before you see it: prayers and sacred chants set the rhythm of the streets of Pushkar, an important pilgrimage site for Hindus, with a unique vibe.

• Along the ghats: we mingle with the Hindu pilgrims along the lake, down the steps of the many ghats, where they immerse themselves in the holy water.

• Brahma's temple: Pushkar Lake also holds one of the very few temples in the world dedicated to the god Brahma. We watch it all with deep respect.

The bazaar teaches us haggling in no time!

• Bazaar finds: fabrics, incense, perfumes, local handicrafts. We're only halfway through the trip, so easy on the shopping.

• Sunset from the Savitri Temple: last mission of the day, the climb to the Savitri Temple. The sunset from up there is simply incredible.

This morning we can skip the alarm, the only time all trip: Pushkar at our own pace, and then the last transfer of the journey.

• Shopping, massage or yoga? The choice is ours: some shopping, a relaxing massage or a yoga class.

• Minivan to Jodhpur: then we say goodbye to Pushkar and head to Jodhpur, our final stop. The ride is longer, so pack snacks, they'll come in handy.

• Jodhpur lit up: we arrive in the late afternoon, just in time to admire the city's illuminated buildings.

Jodhpur works on two levels: enormous fortifications above, indigo buildings below. Almost surreal, and after breakfast we go straight into it.

• Jaswant Thada: first the white marble mausoleum reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, with gardens, a small lake and sculptures of Jodhpur's governors, who now rest here in marble tombs.

• Up to Mehrangarh: the fort above the city seems to rise directly from the rock, its decorations still intact despite the passage of time.

• Lunch break: then we find a place to eat.

After a week in India it's normal to miss home, and pizza. Not today: the afternoon is all about local cooking!

• Chapati and masala: chapati soon stops being a mystery, and we learn to distinguish each spice in the famous masala, chili included, deciding how hot it gets.

No time to waste: off to the airport and back to Delhi, where it all began! Today the journey closes its circle.

• Souvenirs or street food? Plenty of time to explore the city and pick up a souvenir, with a leisurely lunch or as much street food as we can handle.

• Last dinner together: one final Indian meal, spent reminiscing about the past few days.