This trip takes in two totally different cultures in North India, and leads you into the green mountain Shangri-La of Sikkim. During the first part of your journey, you'll stay in The Pink City, visit the stunning Taj Mahal and take a boat on the River Ganges in sacred Varanasi. All of these destinations are central to the Hindu faith and in each city you'll find holy cows on the streets, hear soft singing inside the temples and, in Varanasi, you'll even see cremation ceremonies in the Ganges. Then, in the second half of the itienrary, you'll discover a totally different religious culture in the Buddhist state of mountainous Sikkim. It's a paradise for orchid lovers and the point where the countries of Tibet and Bhutan ‘merge’. In this tiny and peace-loving pocket of India, you’ll find Tibetan and Bhutanese monasteries nestling on top of lush green hills, where monks chant mantras, spin prayer wheels, and lead lives of meditation at the foot of the mighty Himalayas. Sikkim lies slightly lower than Ladakh in the North West. This makes it both greener, slightly warmer, and more accessible.

When you arrive in Delhi, you’ll be collected by your private driver and taken to your hotel. You can choose from either a hotel situated about half an hour’s drive from the airport or a charming hotel in Central Delhi, and ideal base to explore both the spice markets of Chandi Chowk and the modern bars of Connaught Place. Here, you can catch your breath and rest after your flight. In both hotels, you’ll have a comfortable room with a private en-suite bathroom.

On the morning of Day 2, you'll be transferred to Jaipur by air-conditioned car, a trip which takes around 5 hours. The Pink City is a fantastic place to kick off a trip in India and during your two nights here you can relax, acclimatise, and explore. There is so much to see in this elegant and astonishing city that you could spend weeks here without getting bored. Jaipur centre is a lively mass of saris, saddhus, holy cows, spice markets, street vendors, camel carts, elephants, beggars, rickshaws, temples, forts and palaces.

In Jaipur, you’ll stay in a cosy family hotel for a firsthand experience of typical Indian hospitality. Breakfast is served in the romantic English tea garden and the family will go out of their way to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. The rooms here are tastefully furnished in traditional Indian-style and several have four-poster beds.

On Day 3, you’ll take a guided tour of this remarkable city, visiting the City Palace, the Observatory and the fairy-tale Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal). In the afternoon, you’ll visit the imposing Amber Fort that lies just outside the city limits. From the battlements of the Amber Fort, you’ll have a wonderful view of the rocky hills and the smaller walls and forts constructed by the Rajputs and the Mughals in the area.

The City Palace and the Palace of the Winds both stand in the ancient quarter of the city. The City Palace has several beautiful museums with fascinating collections. If you see the flag flying, it means that the Maharaja is in residence. The Palace of the Winds is a world-famous, pyramid-shaped building with dozens of windows. This is where the women of the royal harem could watch the processions in the street below, unseen by the masses.

This morning, you'll leave Jaipur and head east towards Galta, a secluded mystical spot that will leave a lasting impression on you. The Monkey Temple here is a pilgrimage site that attracts flocks of brightly-robed devotees every day. The stream that trickles out of the rocks here is reputed to be water from the holy River Ganges, although this is geographically impossible. People bathe and sing on the steps (ghats) that lead down into the pools. Their voices echo through the rocky gorge, which opens into a wider valley dotted with temples that have been overrun with monkeys. This is an exhilarating sight.

After Galta, you’ll drive for another three hours before arriving in Bharatpur. This is a fascinating waterworld, criss-crossed by all sorts of dykes. Maharajas of the historic Singh family used this region as their hunting grounds, and the scenery is breathtaking. If you like, you can pedal through Bharatpur on a ‘sturdy’ Indian bike (cycle hire costs arouond £1.50).

There are hundreds of rare birds in the Bharatpur wetlands, such as the rare Siberian crane. Currently, there are several tigers here, originally from Ranthambore National Park, which pounce on the waterfowl as they doze. It’s unlikely that you’ll see this in action, but keep your eyes peeled all the same. 

A few kilometres further on, you’ll come to stunning Fatehpur Sikri. The great ruler Akbar set up his capital here, and built a grand city, but after only 40 years the water supply became too difficult to maintain in this dry area, so all of the inhabitants packed up and moved on. They left behind a phenomenal collection of grand temples and palaces, with the ruins of old houses standing between them. Now it is an atmospheric ghost city, full of green parrots and monkeys.We’ll arrange for a guide to lead you through the forgotten city, and tell you the stories behind the monuments.

After visiting Fatehpur Sikri, you’ll drive on to Agra, where you’ll arrive at the Lamba family home. Here, you can experience the warmth of a true Indian family, who will go out their way to make you feel at home. Mr Lamba is a retired army officer with plenty of incredible tales to tell. Of course, if you would prefer to stay in a hotel rather than a family home, we can book a hotel for a small extra charge.

You'll have breakfast this morning in the garden at the Lamba family home. Afterwards, you’ll set off to visit another two breathtaking sites. First, you’ll be taken to the Taj Mahal, a highlight of any trip to India. Standing serenely in the first light of the morning, we are sure that this stunning building will surpass all your expectations. It is one of the few buildings in the world that has the ability to move people. It was built by Shah Jahan as a token of his love for his deceased wife, and is undoubtedly the most romantic burial site in the world. After visiting the Taj Mahal, you’ll head for Agra Fort. This huge but restrained structure seems to be immersed in a dreamy atmosphere when it’s bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, which slants through the pillars and galleries. From its majestic walls and through its arches, you can see the Taj Mahal, just as Shah Jahan would have done centuries ago, when he was imprisoned here by his son.

This morning, your train leaves Agra Central Station at about 8am on its way to Jhansi. We'll arrange your transfer to the railway station. After about 2½ hours (give or take a little in India), you’ll arrive in Jhansi. You’ll be collected at the station by a your driver, who will take you to Orchha (about 16 km away). Orchha is a charming small town of only 9000 residents and it is one of the few places in India that you can easily wander about without being approached by beggars or touts. The town is renowned for its breathtaking Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore the town at your own pace. At the end of the day, you’ll tumble into bed in your hotel and drift off to sleep, tired but contented.

This morning, you’ll drive on to the tranquil town of Khajuraho. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the western temples of Khajuraho, principally known for their erotic images from the Kama Sutra. The temples are about 1000 years old and they are still in incredibly good condition, even though there are only 22 of the original 85 temples still left. You’ll stay in a very comfortable hotel, set in four acres of quiet grounds.

Today you’ll be taken to the little town of Satna to catch the train to the city of Varanasi on the River Ganges. The train leaves about 8.15am, so it’s a pretty early start, but you’ll arrive in Varanasi a little after 4pm. The journey takes about 8 hours. When you arrive in Varanasi, you’ll be greeted and transferred to a charming hotel that lies right on the banks of the river. The Ganges is flanked by a series of ‘ghats’ – broad stone staircases leading down to the water – that stretch into the horizon. Each ghat has its own significance. The hotel stands close to the Assi Ghat, towards the south of the town, which is used by pilgrims during a special pilgrimage route called 'Panchatirthi Yatra'.

This morning, you’ll make a very early start to take a boat trip on the Ganges at dawn. This is an extremely special experience and you cannot help but soak up the intensely spiritual atmosphere. You’ll drift past pilgrims of all ages and classes as they perform their ritual bathing just before sunrise. After the boat trip, there's a guided walk through the old centre of Varanasi. Watch out for the holy cows in the narrow alleyways.

In the afternoon you’ll head for the small town of Sarnath, which is not far from Varanasi. Sarnath is another place of pilgrimage, this time for the Buddhists. It was here that Buddha gave his first lecture. After his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, Buddha came to Sarnath to preach about the Middle Way of reaching Nirvana. After this, the religious ruler Ashoka built an enormous stupa (temple) and several Buddhist monasteries to commemorate the teaching. Each Buddhist country in the world now has its own temple, which often makes the place seems like a World Expo is being held. In contrast, the village itself is small, with a feeling of tranquillity. After you’ve spent a while exploring Sarnath, you’ll be taken back to Varanasi, where you’ll have the rest of the evening to wander through the city. You’ll spend another night in the hotel overlooking the Ganges.

The day is free for you to explore. Life and death rubs shoulders here like nowhere else on earth, and the experience is very inspiring. Seeing a cremation take place on the ‘burning ghats’ is something that you will remember forever. Next to the cremation ghat, you’ll find kids playing cricket, cows nosing through rubbish, and women beating laundry on rocks. Then, in the evening, you'll head for the train station for your overnight journey to Kolkata.

You’ll have an early start this morning to make it to the top of Tiger Hill before sunrise. From here, you’ll have a fantastic view of the first beams of sunshine appearing between the snow-capped Himalayas. As the morning mist disappears from the valley, the view will become even more amazing. It can be pretty cold and windy up here, so make sure you are warmly dressed with camera firmly in hand. As soon as the sun rises higher and the valley begins to warm up, you’ll drive to the oldest Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling. This monastery dates from 1875 and is home to many well-preserved books. An english-speaking guide will accompany you through the grounds and explain the history of the building.

In the afternoon, you can enjoy a typical Nepalese or Tibetan lunch in the centre of Darjeeling. Have something hearty because you have a busy afternoon ahead. You’ll visit a museum about the history of climbing in the Himalayas, accompanied again by a guide. Then, you’ll take a trip to the famous zoo with its rare red panda and snow leopard. You’ll finish off the day in the Tibetan refugee centre, where exiled Tibetans make clothes and carpets from local wool.

You’ll spend another evening in the cosy hotel, drifting happily off to sleep after an action-packed day.

The monasteries close to Gangtok are not often visited by tourists and still retain their original, authentic character. You’ll travel along a bumpy road to Phodang and Labrang. These are brightly decorated monasteries full of rainbow swirls and curling dragons - far more flamboyant than anything you’ll find in Ladakh or Tibet. Each monastery will give you sweeping views over snow-tipped Mount Kanchenjunga, looming powerfully above you.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll head back to your hotel in Gangtok and your evening is free to do as you wish.

Your itinerary finishes this morning, and after breakfast, you'll be transferred back to Bagdogra, where you catch a flight back to Kolkata to connect with your international flight home or to continue your adventure in India.