Luxury travel
India rewards good planning more than almost anywhere. The gap between a well run trip and a badly run one is enormous, and it comes down to three things: the season you go, the driver and guide you get, and how much you try to see.
The window is narrower than most itineraries admit. For the north, including Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi, October to March is the answer, with November and February the sweet spots. December and January bring genuine cold and morning fog in Delhi and Agra, which delays flights and trains and can obscure the Taj at sunrise.
For Kerala and the south, October to March again, with the caveat that the south is comfortable later into the spring. For Ladakh and the Himalaya, June to September, when the north is otherwise impossible. Goa is December to February. Avoid April to June almost everywhere except the mountains, and avoid the monsoon unless Kerala in the rain is specifically what you want, which for some travellers it genuinely is.
Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, then either Ranthambore for tigers or Udaipur for the lakes. The standard first trip, and the reason it is standard is that it works. Do it by car with one internal flight, not by chasing trains.
Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer or Narlai, Udaipur, with heritage properties throughout. The best second trip, and far better paced than trying to add Rajasthan onto the Golden Triangle.
Kochi, the tea hills at Munnar or Thekkady, a private houseboat night on the backwaters, then the beach at Marari or Kovalam. The easiest India for nervous first timers and for elderly travellers.
Nowhere else in India is remotely like it. Best added to a northern itinerary rather than done alone, and best experienced at dawn on the river with a guide who can explain what you are watching.
The Golden Temple at night and langar in the morning, plus the Wagah border ceremony. Deeply meaningful for Punjabi families returning with children who have never been, and easy to attach to Delhi.
The Rann of Kutch in winter, Gir for Asiatic lions, the stepwells and Ahmedabad's old city. Underrated, uncrowded, and the natural choice for Gujarati families showing the next generation where they are from.
A large share of our India work is for families based in the US and Canada taking children or grandchildren back, often combining a family visit with a proper trip. That is a different brief from a first time tourist itinerary: less time on the standard sights, more time in the region the family is actually from, and usually a stop in Delhi or Mumbai at either end.
We are also comfortable with the practical parts: OCI and visa questions, splitting a party between family accommodation and a hotel, and arranging travel for elderly relatives joining for part of the trip.
Nine to twelve months ahead for a December or February trip, particularly if you want the well known heritage properties or a specific tiger reserve. Tell us who is coming, how much time you have, and whether this is a first trip or a return.
