Temple Touring & Tiger Spotting

After checking in and freshening up you have the rest of the day to start exploring and getting your bearings in this bustling city. Our Concierge will be on hand to suggest places to see, and where to enjoy lunch.

After a quick stop for lunch this afternoon you'll visit the contrasting New Delhi, all wide boulevards and formal parks. Visit sites such as Qutab Minar, Humayun's Tomb (which was built in the 16th century and is considered the forerunner of the Taj Mahal, architecturally) and the Parliament Building.

After a busy day exploring, make your way back to your hotel to freshen up before dinner. Our Concierge can suggest and book a restaurant.

The journey is around three hours so settle in and enjoy your first glimpses of rural Indian life passing by the train window. When you reach Gwalior another of our ground team will be waiting to meet you and drive you to your nearby hotel. The rest of the afternoon and evening is yours to relax.

Next up is Gujari Mahal Palace, where there is an archaeology museum, and then Sas Bahu Ka Mandir where you'll find the remnants of the twin towers that made up the temple. Finally, end the tour at Jai Vilas Palace, which has a fascinating history, including the story of the installation of its two huge chandeliers. Apparently the architect parading several elephants on the roof to show it could take the weight of the chandeliers!

After your tour, finish up back at your hotel. Gwalior is renowned for its foodie culture, so our Concierge can recommend and book a table at one of the best local restaurants.

When you arrive you'll have some time to settle into your new surroundings and then we have arranged a sightseeing tour of the city with a local guide. Orchha was once the capital of the Bundela Kingdom of the 16th and 17th centuries and you'll visit some of the rulers' majestic surviving monuments. The city is also home to the spectacular Fort complex, which includes the beautiful Jahangir Mahal citadel and the religious murals of the Raj Mahal.

As you explore with your guide, take in the detailed sculpture work and carvings (many of them of an erotic nature) and learn more about the history of this extraordinary place.

After your fill of exploring, head back to the car to make the short drive into Panna where you'll be taken to your lodge on the edge of Panna Tiger Reserve.

After the game drive, enjoy a few hours catching up on some R&R after a busy couple of days. Then, when the heat of the day starts to fade, head back out on the shared afternoon game drive to spot some more wildlife. When you get back, dinner will be served at your lodge.

Another great spot for birders, the river is home to all manner of winged creatures including kingfishers, storks, ducks and eagle owls. For those who are less interested in the birding, the serenity of cruising along the peaceful waterways should definitely still be experienced.

When you get back on dry land, have something to eat and then meet your guide to hit the road headed to your lodge in Banhavgarh National Park. The journey is another relatively long one at five-and-a-half-hours.

The park has a network of tracks meaning 4x4 safaris can be enjoyed twice daily. Join an expert driver-guide and a dedicated tracker to search for tigers, using the guide's knowledge of tiger alarm calls and habits to locate them. As well as tiger spotting opportunities while on safari, look out for panthers, wolves, hyenas, wild dogs, barking deer, sloth bears and 80 different species of butterfly.

The journey to Mumbai begins with a four-hour drive to Jabalpur Airport. The flight time from here to Mumbai is just two hours so you'll be landing and met by one of our local Mumbai drivers in no time.

When you have been transferred to your hotel in the city centre and checked in the rest of the evening is yours to spend as you please. Our Concierge will be able to recommend and book a restaurant in this most fun of cities.

As you explore in the early hours of the day you'll get a unique insight into the life of the locals by watching the newspaper delivery at Victoria Terminus station, fisherman coming to dock with their catches of the day at Sassoon Docks, and fruit and veg being set up on stalls at the Crawford Market.

After the tour you have a few hours at leisure before meeting another local guide for a foodie-focused tour. Your local guide is a Parsee food critic and they will take you to one of the Parsee (Indian Zoroastrian) communities to sample their distinctive cuisine and learn more about this people who originally came to India from Iran in the tenth century to escape persecution. Expect to head to bed full of new knowledge and importantly, lots of great food.

Back in central Mumbai this afternoon, visit Dharavi. One of the largest slums in Asia, the narrow lanes here are a hive of activity and entrepreneurship, with some of the leading fashion designers of the world sourcing their accessories from this area. As old as Mumbai and originally home to the Koli fisherfolk, today the economy in Dharavi is believed to be worth nearly £400 million and you'll hear about the communities many heart-warming rags to riches stories.

After exploring and meeting some of the locals, head back to your hotel to freshen up for a special last night dinner, which our Concierge can book for you.