World Wildlife Fund

Wildlife of India

$7,865 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,800.

Trip Overview

Additional 2010 departures being added; contact us for more information.

Beginning in the 1970s, multiple national parks were designated in India, many on huge swatches of private land that belonged to maharajahs. Former hunting grounds became, ironically, India's greatest wildlife refuges. The Bengal tiger made resurgence, and varied ecosystems within the parks are home to the one-horned Indian rhino, clouded leopard, sambar and spotted deer, wild Indian elephant, boar, jackal, fox, bison, monkeys and a number of bird species.

Trip Itinerary

Friday, March 5: United States / Delhi
Depart the United States on your overnight flight to Delhi.

Saturday, March 6: Delhi
Upon arrival in Delhi this evening, transfer to your hotel. Oberoi Hotel

Sunday, March 7: Delhi
After breakfast and a brief group orientation, take a highlights tour of Old Delhi. Visit Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque), the Red Fort and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial. In the afternoon, visit a Sikh temple and such New Delhi monuments as the Parliament Building and the India Gate. End at Humayun's Tomb at sunset. Built in 1570, Humayun's Tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of great historic and architectural significance. Later, enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel. Oberoi Hotel (B,L,D)

Monday, March 8: Delhi / Guwahati / Kaziranga National Park
This morning, fly to Guwahati. Upon arrival, go by motor coach five hours to Kaziranga National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kaziranga is home to more than 1,700 one-horned rhinoceroses, the largest such population of Asian rhinos in the world. The park is a conservation success story, as rhinos numbered only 200 in 1904. Kaziranga is also home to elephants, tigers, sambar, swamp deer and such birds as swamp francolin, greater and lesser adjutant black-necked storks, pallas, grey-headed fisheagles and the pied harrier. Diphlu River Lodge (B,L,D)

Tuesday, March 9 & Wednesday, March 10: Kaziranga Rhino Reserve
Embark on an exciting safari into the Kaziranga Rhino Reserve, which affords excellent opportunities to see the rhinos up close in their habitat. Take a four-wheel drive wildlife safari into the Eastern Range of Kaziranga, which visitors do not frequently explore. The area is heavily wooded, making it a favorite refuge for wildlife. Look for the rare Hollock’s gibbon, the only ape in India. Bird species abound, including the rare streak-throated and Himalayan flameback woodpeckers. Diphlu River Lodge (B,L,D)

Thursday, March 11 Guwahati / Delhi
This morning, drive back to the airport in Guwahati and fly back to Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and have dinner. Oberoi Hotel (B,L,D)

Friday, March 12: Delhi / Khajuraho / Bandhavgarh National Park
Fly from Delhi to Khajuraho in the morning, then depart on a seven-hour drive to Bandhavgarh National Park, where you will spend three nights. Kings Lodge (B,L,D)

Saturday, March 13: Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park is a fairly new national park in a region with a long history. This tranquil area was the private property of the Maharaja of Rewa until 1968, which had helped to preserve the forest and wildlife. It boasts the highest Bengal tiger density of any park in India, and while no tour to wild places can guarantee sightings, there is a good chance of spotting this magnificent predator. It is here that a legendary white tiger named Mohan was captured in 1951; his offspring are found in zoos across the world. This area is also where Rudyard Kipling found inspiration for the famous Jungle Book.

The park ranks among the top three wildlife reserves in India. The steep cliffs provide nesting habitats for long-billed vultures and the peregrine falcon. Listening for alarm calls is often the best way of tracking down such predators as leopards, tigers and dholes (red dogs). Among the park's more than 250 bird species, the lesser adjutant brown fish owl and mottled wood owl are perhaps most easily spotted. Kings Lodge (B,L,D)

Sunday, March 14: Anant Van / Bandhavgarh National Park
Take a special excursion to Anant Van. Meaning “infinite forest,” Anant Van is the only wildlife camp that's close to an entrance to Bandhavgarh. It is spread across 21 acres of farmland and aims at self-sustenance through responsible tourism. Its staff works on conservation issues with the participation of the community and park visitors. Spend the day learning about local conservation efforts and embark on afternoon safari throughout Bandhavgarh. Kings Lodge (B,L,D)

Monday, March 15: Khajuraho
Drive back to Khajuraho, where you will spend the afternoon exploring its famous elaborately carved temples. Focus on the western group of temples, which are considered by many to represent the finest temple architecture in Northern India. Adorned with bands of exceedingly artistic stonework, the intricate carvings depict many aspects of every day Indian life 1,000 years ago. This evening, enjoy a sound and light show at the western group of temples after dinner. Hotel Taj Chandela (B,L,D)

Tuesday, March 16: Orccha / Agra
Depart Khajuraho on the four-hour drive to Orccha, an off-the-beaten-path destination that was formerly the capital of the Bundela Empire. At its height, Orccha paralleled and challenged the Mughals; now it is a village of farmers and artisans. The Jehangir Palace and Raja Mahal tower over several square miles of temples, palaces and memorial chhatris that have been taken over by forest. Visit Orchha Fort and explore other monuments and relics. Stroll along the Betwa River and look for monkeys and birdlife. After a late lunch, continue the short distance to the historic town of Jhansi, where you will board the Shatabdi Express--the fastest train in all of India--en route to Agra to spend the night. Mughal Sheraton (B,L,D) Mughal Sheraton (B,L,D)

Wednesday, March 17: Agra / Fatehpur Sikri / Ranthambore National Park
Visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Taking 22 years, 20,000 laborers and a fleet of 1,000 elephants to build, this monument to love is perhaps the most beautiful structure on earth. There is a quality about it that is almost transcendent. It is dazzling at first sight and marvelous upon close inspection.

After spending the early morning at the temple, return to the hotel for breakfast and then depart for Ranthambore National Park. En route, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, a deserted red sandstone ghost city in the middle of the desert—built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century. Abruptly abandoned after only 14 years of residence when the local wells went dry, its sandstone palaces and mosques are almost perfectly preserved. Continue to Bharatphur and transfer to the railway station for a scenic train journey to Ranthambore National Park, home to one of the largest tiger populations on the subcontinent. Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge (B,L,D)

Thursday, March 18 & Friday, March 19: Ranthambore National Park
Spend the next two days exploring this extraordinary sanctuary. Originally the private hunting grounds to the maharajas of Jaipur, Ranthambore was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and a national park in 1980. It is one of seven tiger sanctuaries in India. An oasis of dense, dry deciduous forest, lakes and waterfalls, it offers many natural hideouts for tigers and other wildlife. Enjoy jeep safaris in the early morning and late afternoon, when wildlife spotting is at its best. Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge (B,L,D)

Saturday, March 20: Ranthambore / Delhi
Take a morning train back to Delhi, arriving in time for lunch. The afternoon will be free to explore on your own and relax at the dayroom hotel. Enjoy a farewell dinner before transferring to the airport for flights home. Dayrooms at the Oberoi Hotel (B,L,D)

Sunday, March 21: United States
Arrive home.

Itinerary subject to change.